chapter 9 : They Kneel or They die

week had passed since my plan failed, but tonight, I decided, would mark my first strike against Lucius Alexiou. I was absolutely certain that by the end of the day, the bastard would know I was closing in on him—so close I could almost breathe down his ugly nose.

It's been a week since I last saw that Garcia. That day, the way we tested each other's boundaries was reckless—even for me. I still can't believe I didn't mind sitting in his lap, shamelessly flirting with him. Don't get me wrong—I know for a fact that nothing can distract me or derail my plans. In the moment, it felt harmless. Besides, he apparently hates the Alexious too. I'm sure that even if he knew about my ill intentions toward them, he wouldn't say a word. 

I've been avoiding Ace for a whole week now—only God knows why I even gave him that name. The other idiot, of course, was furious, probably because someone else had taken his place for the night. But I took care of it. A single touch on his shoulder was enough to make him realize that my usual—and most important—client was there. Sending him away wouldn't have been a smart move. What he doesn't know is that Achilles Garcia had taken his spot that night. Ahhh... but honestly, I'd much rather spend time with Ace than deal with that fool.

Right now, I'm at school with V. She keeps saying she's bored out of her mind, but I know for a fact that going out with me tonight will lift her mood.

Walking toward the classroom, I felt it—a piercing gaze following us, heavy and deliberate. Instinctively, I glanced at V beside me. Her posture shifted, her guard going up. She was ready to break necks, but I already knew who was behind us. That unmistakable air of overconfidence gave him away.

I veered right, away from the direction of the class, and V followed without hesitation. I stopped abruptly and turned to face him, my ace.

"Well, someone missed me," I said, a faint smirk playing on my lips.

He stood there with his brother, his eyes scanning my face like he was searching for something—or someone to blame.

"Someone's ignoring me," he said, his voice tight, clearly annoyed.

V's gaze flickered between the two of us, then she smiled—an amused, knowing smile. Without a word, she turned and walked away, his brother trailing after her like a shadow.

I narrowed my eyes. There was somethingji going on between those two. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her for days now. Apparently, Miss Veronika has decided to ignore my warning.

I'll deal with her later.

Ace strides toward me, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Before I can react, he pins me against the wall, his face mere inches from mine, both hands caging me in. His voice drops to a whisper, laced with something dark and possessive.

"You've been ignoring me since that night, mi tesoro. That's fine—because that doesn't mean I'll ignore you. But what's messing with my head is the fact that you don't give a damn about my warning to stay the hell away from Alexiou. And that..." he leans in closer, eyes burning with a manic gleam, "leaves me with no other choice."

I arch a brow, unimpressed by his threat. Instead of backing down, I tilt my face even closer to his, my voice dripping with defiance.

"Are you threatening me, my Ace?"

I hold his gaze, matching his dangerous energy without a hint of fear. Instead of retreating, I grab him by the shirt, yanking him even closer until there's barely any space left between us. My voice is low, unwavering.

"Because if you are, I don't care."A smirk tugs at my lips, daring him to push further.

I tighten my grip on his shirt, pulling him so close our breaths mix in the charged space between us. My eyes lock onto his, unwavering, daring.

"Leo is my personal game. Try messing with it, and I'll forget that you're my Ace." My voice is a quiet promise, laced with danger. A smirk tugs at my lips as I lean in just a little more. "And trust me, mi amor, when I say—things will get very, very ugly."

Instead of answering, he tilts his head and buries it in the curve of my neck, his nose grazing my collarbone. A shiver runs down my spine as he takes a slow, deliberate breath, inhaling me like I'm something intoxicating. Then, in a voice rough with something unspoken, he murmurs words in Spanish I can't quite grasp.

"Tu olor es enloquecedor, tu rebeldía es mi adicción, no tienes idea de en qué te metiste, mi amor."

I don't understand a word, but the way he says it—low, possessive, and laced with warning—sends a pulse of heat through me.

Then he lifts his head, his gaze locking onto mine, dark and unrelenting.

"But you are mine, mi tesoro. Your lies, your game, your attitude—all mine." His fingers brush against my waist, as if sealing his claim. "I don't care who you are or why you're here anymore. I'll protect you..." His voice drops to a whisper, thick with promise. "If you'll be a good girl and stay away from the Alexious."

Okay, that's when I lost it. A sharp, wild laugh tore from my lips, the kind that sent chills down spines. He wanted to protect me? The absurdity of it made my laughter spiral into something almost unhinged. When I finally calmed down, I met his gaze—unamused, steady, unfazed.

Still smirking, I lifted onto my toes until my lips barely brushed his. His eyes widened just slightly, his breath hitching as I spoke against his mouth, my words a whisper of heat.

"Here's the thing, baby—you're protecting the wrong side. And trust me, you'll know everything about me when I decide it's time. Until then..." I let my fingers slide off his shirt, pulling back. "Stay out of my way."

I turned to leave, but he didn't let me go. His grip tightened, and before I could react—he kissed me.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

It was brief, no more than five seconds, but it knocked the air from my lungs. His lips—firm, demanding—left a searing imprint, and just as quickly as it started, it was over.

He pulled away, a slow, knowing smile curving his lips.

"We'll see about that... my Eve."

Then he turned around and left—the urge to curse that bastard lingered on my lips. He kissed me. Fuck him. I need to focus on my plan.

Not long after, I was in class. It hadn't started yet, so I made my way to my dear cousin, but she wasn't paying attention to me. Instead, she was staring to her right. Oh, how cute. My cousin was exchanging fuck-me eyes with Lucas Garcia. The bitch.

Okay, I can already hear the judgment. Ace kissed me. In my defense, I didn't kiss him back—at least not willingly.

Meanwhile, the bitch Veronika, soon-to-be in trouble, was smirking at Lucas while he shot her an angry glare. Apparently, today was International Kissing Day, but for Lucas Garcia, it was a vicious kiss—his lower lip was bloody. What else could we expect from dear Veronika?

I took a seat next to V, giving her a you're-so-dead glare. She looked around innocently, like a lost puppy.

Then, a sound rang from the classroom door—a scream? Or was that a laugh? What the heck?

Liza Alexiou was clinging to Ace's arm as they entered together. His cold, emotionless eyes locked onto mine. Creepy. Then, as if amused, he raised a brow. I shot him a glare in return.

Leo took a seat in front of me, greeted me with a "hi," and I smiled back. Meanwhile, Ace gave that stupid blonde—Liza—a single cold stare. She immediately stepped away from him.

And then, he sat beside me. On my left.

What the hell is this day?

Here's the situation: Me, Ace, V, and Lucas—all sitting in the same row. In front of us, the twins—Leo and Liza—sat together.

While V was making fuck-me eyes at Lucas...

Leo was making them at me...

And Liza? At Ace—the harasser.

I could feel V's excitement for this class.

Halfway through class, I could feel Ace's eyes on me. He showed zero interest in math—no surprise there. But what did catch my attention was how intensely he was glaring at Leo. Wow, he really hates him.

Meanwhile, Liza turned around, practically radiating love eyes at Ace. Wow.

For someone who supposedly never shows interest in girls—according to V, the ultimate gossip source for all things lower world relationships and sexuality—Ace was definitely giving off player vibes.

Still, I couldn't imagine any girl willingly throwing herself at a guy who greeted her with that grimace.

As for me? Yeah, I knew exactly what he was doing. He was flirting. Not because he actually liked me, but because he wanted to figure me out. He's trying to seduce me to uncover my identity and my plans.

Hah. Not gonna happen, my Ace.

A sudden laugh broke my thoughts—coming from my right. V, laughing way too loudly. Oh no.

Judging by the murderous glare Lucas was giving her, she had definitely done something to piss him off. And if looks could kill, she'd be dead.

The professor didn't even hesitate—he immediately threw her out of class.

Without a second thought, I grabbed my things and followed her.

I had way more important things to do than sit through class with:

1. A soon-to-be-dead twin.

2. A no-dignity princess.

3. A very angry Lucas Garcia.

4. And a walking harassment case.

No thanks.

It didn't take us long to reach my apartment. We had officially skipped school for the day—no surprise there. I couldn't risk anyone messing up my plans for tonight.

For an hour, I explained everything to V. Her usual amusement faded, replaced by a cold, soulless look.

As we were preparing, the doorbell rang. V opened it.

We knew Akira would show up—but what I didn't expect was the serious expression on his face. That was... suspicious.

He didn't sit. Didn't joke around. Just locked eyes with me and said something that sent a shock through my system.

"The Alexious are making their move. Lucius has started threatening the Brazilian families, pushing them toward war against you... They said yes."

V stepped beside Akira, her voice sharp as a blade.

"Then our fire will take them too."

I smiled knowingly.

Merciless. They kneel, or they die.

My inner voice whispered it . My darker side relished it.