ZODIAC EMPIRE, 10:24 PM

[ Adriana Styles' POV]

Worn out places, worn out faces, Just running in endless races,

Going nowhere, going nowhere,

Tears are filling up the glasses

No expression,

What had happened had left its impression...

Hiding my head I want to drown my sorrow,

No tomorrow, no tomorrow..

Where did I go wrong?

I never had a friend...

Somewhere along in the bitterness,

All I left with is emptiness ...

I'm tired of trying to fit right in,

Reality is truly scaring me,

Cause that's how it goes.

We don't always see the bright side,

And I lied when I said I was fine,

Dissect me 'till my blood runs

Down into the drain.

I'm nothing but a rag doll,

I don't feel any pain,

I don't feel any pain...

Is there something more in life than following the expectations of others?

Ever since the beginning of my life, I have always just worked hard continuously. I have tried all things to make my parents happy and proud.

In order to be an ideal child, I studied day and night, locking myself in an isolated room away from every human being. I just obeyed each and every order, each and every single little command.

I have never made friends, never talked to anyone because my mother said they would degrade my grades or they were just after me for my money.

All I did was follow the orders but now, I am the leader. I don't fucking know what to do, my father has been on the machines for the past seven years.

During one of the meetings he got shot in his head. The doctors were successful in saving him, but his brain has been dead since then. He was evil to the world, he was the definition of a true leader, but he was a teddy bear to me.

Maybe because I'm his only child or maybe he had no guards put upon me, he was my only way to escape from my mother's rage.

After three years of the incident, my mother cheated and left with her boyfriend, but she seemed to forget she was the wife of the leader, so the price she had to pay was her life, which was taken away by the next leader in line, her only daughter, Adriana Styles.

But to my surprise, taking her life kind of satisfied me, the moment I pulled the trigger, I felt the fear developing inside me since years and years of torture leaving my body, The moment I saw her blood on the floor, red became my favourite colour, the moment is still vivid in my mind, when she was on her knees begging for my mercy, I saw terror in her eyes, the same fear that I have endured throughout the years of her torture. Since then, I find pleasure in seeing people begging on their knees and pleading for mercy. It's even hotter when someone acts tough but trembles when you are alone in the room... *wink* * wink*.

I was done for today, so I was taking a shower to wash away the drug scent from my body.

I lathered my hair with shampoo, enjoying the sandalwood scent. My shoulders relaxed as I felt lukewarm water running down my body. I quickly dried my hair and tucked it in with some bobby pins so that it wouldn't be in the way. I was humming a random melody looking in the mirror, then I felt something.

I looked in the reflection of the mirror and noticed that my door slowly opened, revealing a tip of silencer sticking through the cracked door.

I waited for the door to reveal a large black leather glove-covered hand. It looks like some muscular man wants to sneak into the death hole.

You can only fantasize, motherfucker.

I quickly reached for my other shampoo bottle to grab my pistol hidden behind it. I always keep a weapon near me... They are planted everywhere in the house, as there is only one thing you should remember in, and that life is to trust no one and fuck everyone.

I turned quickly and shot the man's arm, causing him to drop his weapon. He ran inside the room to escape from the door. Now you are not going anywhere, bastard.

I ran out of the shower and burst in my room, shooting the man trying to escape through the window.

He fell on the floor wincing in pain while grabbing his thigh. The fucking security guards finally decided to show up. I'm going to fire them all.

"Remind me why I'm still paying you?" I scoffed, grabbing a robe to cover myself.

"So-sorry m-ma'am!" they gasped, watching me and the man lying on the ground in a pool of his blood.

I walked near him to examine the culprit. He was covered with tattoos from head to thigh, who knows... I examined his tattoos until my eyes stopped at his neck.

My jaw tensed as I saw a wolf with a blood-red moon and black roses on the bastard's neck.

"Inform Brett about this situation and take this fucker to the dungeon and don't kill him... umm... not yet," I commanded in a cold commanding voice to the guards. They nodded immediately, taking the struggling body out of my room.

"Get someone to clean this shit too you shitbags!," I yelled, as I made my way towards the bathroom to complete my shower. But suddenly, I felt something hit my neck and suddenly the whole skin area started burning, and soon the darkness started surrounding my eyes blurring my vision.

*****************************************

I woke up dazed in an uncomfortable chair with even bigger pain in my now stiff neck.

I opened my eyes momentarily blinded by the bright light in the room. My head was spinning like a bay blade. I waited for my eyes to adjust and evaluated my surroundings.

The room was of medium size. I was sitting on an uncomfortable wooden chair with steel handcuffs in my hands. The walls of the room were permeated by crimson colour stains, making it pretty obvious I'm in a torture room of some gang.

The last thing I remember is a pressure on my neck and some stinging pain on my shoulder-blade.

I immediately turned my head towards my shoulder blade, I wasn't able to get a clear view but it's quite clear that I was given some drugs to knock me off.

Whoever did this shit is going to be dead! They dare to take a fight with Zodiacs and the audacity of that bastard... like seriously, he just kidnapped the head herself. Uggggh! The first thing I will do if I make out of this shit is to fire all the security team members.

I tensed my shoulders and flung my arms forwards with all my strength but the handcuffs were quite strong. Impressive, they somewhat know about my strength.

However, ha-ha!... They didn't take off the bobby pin from my hair. I reached it with my cuffed hands.

So now folks, I will teach you how to open a damn fucking handcuff lock with a bobby pin.

Step 1 - Find a bobby pin , remove the plastic tip if there is one.

Step 2- Straighten out the metal, use your thumb and forefinger to pull apart its two sides to straighten it out.

Step 3 - Bend the tip of your bobby pin, Hold the end of your strand of metal between your two index fingers. Position one finger about a quarter of an inch (approximately 0.6 cm) down from the tip. Use the other finger to bend the top of the metal to a 90-degree angle.

Step 4- Place the tip into the keyhole and bend the metal backward. Using your fingers, feel around to find the keyhole on the handcuffs. Direct the tip of your makeshift key inside it. Once you've inserted the tip all the way into the lock, bend your key backward to make another 90-degree angle.

Step 5 - Insert the "key" in the hole. Find the hole again with your fingers. Wiggle the bent part into the hole so that it points toward the locking arm. It should be at a 90-degree angle to the keyhole.

Step 6 - Twist the key in different directions.

And, motherfuckers, Viola!

I rubbed my raw wrists together and freed my legs. I straightened my stiff legs, placing my right, over my left. I sighed and closed my eyes and placed both my hands behind my head, mentally cursing myself for not wearing venom nails or some sort of protection. I leaned against the chair directly facing the door and pushed my chest out a little.

I couldn't help but laugh. I know I am most likely to die down here. Fuck that, I'm definitely going to die today, but it's not a bad thing. Finally, this all is going to be over, finally, there will be no more missions, no more murders, no more punishments, no more deals, no more rivalries.

But I only wish that in the next life... I will be free and be able to live a normal life with my wife and children, and perhaps some cats.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud famine voice. I closed my eyes once more to concentrate on what the fuck is going on...

"What the fuck you mean she just woke up? She should have woken up an hour ago... how much dose you gave her?" The sexy voice whose owner I'm unsure about yelled and I rolled my eyes, her employees are assholes like her but are going to die anyway.

"200mg ,, err sorry Mistress! I just - the print was too small and many guards were there" another female voice answered and I mentally sighed, at least I don't have to face some perverted male today.

"You are aware that you were trying to knock out a woman, not a fucking cow?"

"Sorry Mistress! I will measure the dose next time"

I couldn't help but get annoyed by their stupid couple's argument outside the door. It's not like I'm going to rat about my group by any chance so I have mentally prepared myself for the death, the least they can do is to hurry the fuck up and make it happen already.

"Hello! Knock knock, at least give me some popcorn to cope with your couple bickering love birds!" I shouted, causing their voices to halt in mid-sentence. The lock of the door clicked loudly , echoing the walls of the room.

The door opened revealing two women. One was wearing a black crop top and black leather jacket with black ripped jeans, and the other was following the first one, wearing a white formal shirt with black trousers, a notebook in her left hand, and a pen in her right. The one who seemed to be the leader was looking like a Greek goddess herself, with grey eyes that seemed to hold the entire ocean in them, her short dark grey hair with baggy bangs, resting uneven on her forehead and she was radiating a strong dark aura around her towering everyone in the room with her 6 feet some 2-inch height.

I subconsciously licked my lips at the sight in front of me, she is the hottest girl I have ever seen since my birth. My heart hammers in my chest and my stomach churns in awe.

She was absolutely fucking breath-taking. I swallowed the saliva which formed in my mouth looking into her blank eyes devoid of any emotions.

Gosh, I'm having a lady boner right now.

I shook these lewd thoughts out of my mind. Lord, I'm going crazy!!!!

At least if I'm going to die, I will die by the hands of the most attractive woman I have ever seen.

The two beauties made their way inside the darkroom.

The clicking of heels and boots echoed, making my heart beating faster but I didn't let my anxiety take over my cool expression.

There is a mantra of living freely, do not show your emotions and your weaknesses to anyone, and Boom! You are the most successful person in the world.

"Why The fuck I'm here?" I asked, raising my brows towards the hot goddess and I cracked my knuckles, leaning backward on the chair with my chest raised upwards in a relaxed yet dominating posture.

"Let's get straight to the point as I don't have time to waste on bitches like you." The woman replied and the girl chuckled behind her.

"Says the one who herself kidnapped me." I huffed.

"That's not the point here besides your security was quite easy to crack." The girl said butting the conversation, making me glare at her.

"The first thing in my mind is to fire the entire security" I mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"Enough of bickering," The Leader commanded, making our attention back to her.

"Pftt- there is no fucking way I will help strangers in anything!" I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh please, if you want to survive, you have to." The hot yet asshole leader replied annoyingly.

"It's not like we are giving you a choice." The girl butted in again; god, I despise this girl.

"I would rather die than help your needy ass." I sneered at them and they gave me a look saying 'is this girl is dumb'.

"You are the one who dared to steal money from the most feared mafia gang now you are acting all clueless and playing dumb so-"

"Wait, what I didn't steal any money from anyone."

"Oh, please stop playing dumb yesterday you hacked my account and withdrew five fucking million dollars." She yelled in a cold voice, and I swear I got goosebumps by her tone.

"Well, you see, I didn't know that was your account, I am sorry you see-" I started explaining but she snickered.

"You're saying that Zodiacs are so poor that they need to steal money from rival groups." The Woman said in a mocking voice and that started to make my blood boil.

"Listen Miss Dementor- , I didn't-"

"What did you fucking say ?"

"Because you are wearing all black duh-"

"Says the one who is in a bathrobe." She commented pointing at me, and my eyes went wide with realisation.

"I- I- you could have changed my clothes at least," I shuttered pouting a little, yes, I may be crazy because I'm in the captivity of some rival gang but the kidnapper is hot as fuck, it's not my fault. She rolled her beautiful eyes at me.

"I have no interest in giving you clothes."

"So, you want me to be naked instead?" I asked in a flirty tone, and the girl behind her back chuckled.

"Linda behave!'' The woman commanded and her employ Linda immediately regained her composure.

"Listen here you little girl, I have no interest in seeing you itself so being naked or not is out of the question." She scoffed bitterly.

"Aww, that's your fault; you're missing out on a beauty like me in your life."

"Just Shut up, will you? You claim you didn't know who the account belonged to, so why the fuck did you do it If there is no shortage of money in the 5th ranked Empire?''

"..........."

"Answer me!"

"You told me to shut up." I said innocently and she groaned in frustration.

"Okay, Okay I am telling you -"

"Yes?"

I was just bored-"

"THE FUCK! " She sneered, and came closer to my face and grabbed my face with her strong hand, her nails pierced in my skin and I winced in pain or rather pretended to wince in pain, and my wince somehow let her loosen up her hold.

"You better tell the truth and the name of your hacker."

"I am telling you the truth and why do you want to know about the hacker?" I asked, raising my brows and she rolled her eyes.

"You are not allowed to cross-question , just answer my questions." She said sternly and somehow her tone reminded me of my mother, and my body started to shake, No no no Addy Baby No not now.

"I -I am telling you the truth I hacked some random account because I was bored ." I shuttered and she freed my face from her hand.

"You telling me that you cracked five fucking firewalls by yourself just because you were bored?" She mocked but now she somehow looked curious.

"Yes duh-"

"Bullshit!"

"It's your choice if you want to believe it or not just let me go and I will return you thrice the amount -" I replied getting up from the chair and she grabbed me by the collar of my bathrobe.

"I don't want the money." She hissed and I huffed.

"Then what do you want power? drugs? Slaves? Sluts? Whores?" I asked and she looked at me with amused eyes as if I was telling her some joke.

"Hahaha - S-sorry Mistress- It looks like the poor cat don't know who you are." The assistant laughed and I glared at her because she called me a fucking cat.

"Yes, Linda she indeed doesn't." The woman in black chuckled too, making me more annoyed than before.

"Who the fuck are you?" I grunted, annoyed, and she tightened her hold of my robe making her grip scratching my skin underneath the fabric.

"You better behave Kitten; I don't want to hurt you because I need you to do something for me -" She whispered in a low tone leaning her head down in my ear which left a tingling sensation where her breath touched my bare skin.

"And why the fucking hell I will do that?" I stated, raising my brows and the girl behind us again chuckled, Gosh! I hate this girl with passion.

'"Because-no one ever messes with Darkmoon and survives to tell the tale." She replied, leaving my robe and my eyes went wide ....'wait what? ... what the fuck no way, I'm talking to none other than the biggest group in the country.

"By your dumbfounded expression, I guess you were telling me the truth." The Woman said and unable to say anything I just stared at her.

"Now if you want to be alive you have to work for me on a task"

"Wait ...what why?"

"Do you think you have another choice?'' The woman smirked and I shook my head annoyed.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, sighing in defeat.

"I will tell you after some time, Linda first ready the car we are leaving and call Max to prepare some extra food today and yes check the air freshener if it's working, she kind of stinks."

"Can you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?'' I rolled my eyes, and she ignored me and gestured to her assistant something and she took out handcuffs from her bag.

"It's not like I can run or anything." I commented and The Woman smirked.

"It's just for making it sure kitten." The hot woman said, and I don't know why I felt something weird when she referred me as a fucking cat.

She cuffed my right hand along with her left hand and dragged me out of the room and immediately I was blinded by the brightness and after some minutes my eyes accommodated the vision, I gasped in awe looking at a huge black dog in front of me sitting on the hood of Matte Black Range Rover.

"Looks like your leader gives a bunch of gifts to his employees." I commented and the woman looked at me with the look asking if I am crazy.

"You know? I am the leader, right?" She questioned.

"What no way, I remember the leader was some old handsome guy, I saw in a meeting so don't give me bullshit'' I replied, rolling my eyes at her and the girl behind her again laughed.

"Tell this girl to shut the fuck up, she is increasing my blood pressure." I said pouting at the lady dressed as dementor, and to my surprise, she gestured to the girl behind her to leave and she left unwillingly.

"Well, you will meet him, he is - well my butler-" she replied and my mouth opened unintentionally.

"WHAT!" I exclaimed, as she dragged me towards the dog and the car.

Immediately the dog jumped off the hood of the car and stood up straight in front of me, if I was a normal person, I would have been frightened to death but I ain't no normal person and the dog lover inside me came out immediately.

I cooed at him and made some kisses noises and the cute black teddy bear wagged his tail in front of me, I was about to pat his head but he jumped on me and started licking my face.

"Wait! Kartos! What are you doing ?!!!!!!!" The woman whose hand was cuffed with mine questioned the dog a wide surprised look on her face.