VALERIE'S POV
"Why, Leo?" Sebastian asked.
Without realizing it, I started biting the corner of my lip. This is between life and death.
"Ehm." Leo cleared his throat. "Uh… it's… okay," he replied briefly.
Okay? Okay???
I glanced at Sebastian, who was still watching Leo's face with clear amusement.
"Don't just stand there. Get out," Leo said then, pointing toward the door.
I raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. A quiet sigh slipped out as I turned and walked toward the door, heels clicking against the floor. No use pushing my luck.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A notification from Juno.
{Get your ass to Slither Ring tonight. Don't be late. Your little 'friend' is back from the hospital. She's asking for you.}
My stomach twisted. Mara's out of the hospital already?
I slipped the phone back into my pocket. This is gonna be a long night.
~~~~~
SEBASTIAN'S POV
"Really? Just okay?" I muttered after Emily walked out of Leo's office.
"Shut up, dude." Leo grumbled, getting up from the sofa and heading to his desk, though he still carried the cup of coffee Emily had just made for him.
I took another sip of my cappuccino. "But Leo, what's so wrong with Emily? I mean, after talking with her yesterday, she actually seemed like a decent person."
Leo exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing. "You know… I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."
"Where? One of Nathan's flings he brought home?" I asked lazily.
"No. Impossible. Nathan doesn't even know her."
I stood, crossing the room toward him. "Then what is it? Why are you so damn fixated on Emily?"
Leo rubbed a hand down his face, frustration creeping into his voice. "I don't know. She just… doesn't seem afraid of me."
A short laugh escaped me, which earned me a balled-up scrap of paper flying my way.
"Why do you think every woman's supposed to fear you?" I shot back, still chuckling.
"Well, up until now, no woman's ever been able to look me in the eye. I don't know why, but I'm afraid she might be Jonathan's spy." His tone sharpened, his gaze almost burning into me.
That shut me up. As crazy as it sounded, it did make a twisted kind of sense.
"You remember the night I was drugged?" Leo continued, voice low but firm. "I still don't trust Nathan or Emily. No matter what. So keep being friendly with her. Find out if she's working for him."
I gave a small nod. "Alright."
My phone buzzed just then.
"Oh, dude, it's from Maison Blanche. Apparently the suit I picked for you last time got ruined, wine stain. They want you to choose another one. Wanna come?" I asked, glancing at him.
Leo didn't even look up, too absorbed in a pile of documents. He just waved me off.
"I'll go then," I muttered.
By around seven, I was on my way to Maison Blanche. Honestly? I almost hated admitting it, but a part of me was glad Leo said no. It meant I could handle the suit myself and meet Matthew.
Traffic was brutal that night, and my eyes wandered lazily across the streets, until I froze.
"Emily? Is that Emily?" I muttered under my breath.
She looked nothing like the office version of herself. Her hair was tied neatly back, she wore a gray hoodie and shorts, and her face, God, it was serious. Too serious. Her steps were quick, purposeful.
Not long after, she slipped into a narrow, filthy alley.
What the hell? That's not the way to her place.
Something in me snapped. The next chance I got, I swerved the car, parked on the curb, and followed on foot.
"Damn you, Leo," I cursed under my breath. His little spy mission had infected me. And now? I'd rather stalk Emily than pick suits with Matthew.
The alley was disgusting. Piles of trash, buzzing flies, a few bodies sprawled on the ground. God, please don't let those be corpses.
After maybe two hundred meters, I found a gate glowing with LED lights. The sign read Slither Ring. Just then, two men staggered out, one carrying the other, who was unconscious, blood smeared all over his body.
My stomach lurched. This is sick.
The gate looked deserted, no one else around. But faintly, from deeper inside, I heard the rumble of a crowd. My curiosity won, and I followed the noise.
Spotlights pierced the air as I stepped into a cavernous room packed wall-to-wall with people. Everyone's attention was locked on a single point: the ring at the center.
A referee sat perched inside, and across from him stood a woman with short, electric-blue hair. Her build was lean, toned, not overly muscular but the fury in her eyes was enough to unsettle me.
Well… now I get why it's called Slither Ring.
My gaze swept the crowd, searching for Emily. Nothing. Nowhere. Damn it.
Suddenly, the crowd erupted, cheering wildly. I turned toward the ring as the announcer strode out, mic in hand.
"Let me hear you!" he roared, and the audience went insane.
The atmosphere was electric, almost feral.
"I know you've all been waiting for this, the thrill, the chaos, the blood between The Viper and The Stryker!"
The crowd lost their minds again.
"In the left corner, you already know her. The Stryker!" The announcer gestured to the woman in the ring, her blue eyes burning with vengeance. "...And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Let's welcome the legend herself. The Viper!"
The lights snapped toward the right entrance as the doors swung open.
A hooded figure stepped through.
Wait.
Is that… Emily?
Her hair was braided tight, her face twisted in anger, her hands already wrapped in cloth. She climbed into the ring without hesitation, her gaze venomous.
The Viper. Holy shit… Emily.
"Let's get this fight started!" the announcer bellowed.
The crowd went absolutely feral the moment the announcer's voice echoed:
"The Viper versus The Stryker!"
The blue-haired woman, The Stryker, spat to the side, bouncing on her heels like a predator ready to pounce. The referee barely had time to lift his hand before the bell rang.
And then chaos.
The Stryker launched forward first, fists swinging with brutal speed. Emily dodged, weaving left, right, her movements sharp, precise. She didn't flinch at the jeers or the stomping of the crowd; her eyes never left her opponent.
A clean jab. Bam! Emily's fist connected with Mara's jaw. The crowd roared.
But Mara was no rookie. She recovered quickly, twisting her body, and before I could even blink, crack! Her punch landed straight against Emily's cheek.
My chest tightened. I could almost feel that hit myself. The sound echoed through the arena, and Emily's head snapped to the side.
The crowd screamed louder, some chanting Stryker's name.
Emily staggered, hand brushing her cheek for half a second. No hesitation, no pause, she came back harder.
Her knee drove into Mara's ribs, knocking the air out of her. Then came the flurry left hook, right hook, a brutal uppercut that sent Mara stumbling back.
Blood dripped from Mara's lip. The referee didn't even bother stepping in, the audience wanted blood, and they were getting it.
One last strike, Emily spun, her elbow colliding square with Mara's temple. Mara collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
The referee jumped in, raising his hand. "Winner. The Viper!"
The arena roared, "Viper! Viper!"
But I wasn't looking at the fight anymore.
I was looking at Emily.
And the moment her eyes met mine from inside the ring, I knew, she'd seen me too.