CHAPTER 3

On her way out of the meeting hall, Law decided to go to her office. She spied her private elevator and went in after she pressed a button.

The elevator door opened, and darkness greeted her like an old friend, but when she stepped out, the lights started to turn on one by one — one bulb lightens up the room with each stride.

The sound of her heels clicking against the cold marble floor echoed throughout the empty hallway.

That's when she noticed her shaking hands. She clenched her fist, hoping to stop it from shaking, but her efforts were futile. She cursed silently.

"I should have killed him," she whispered to herself.

She stopped in front of her office door, opened it and went inside, then closed it behind her.

The moon is the room's only source of light, illuminating the entirety of her office from the outside, its light passing through the glass walls of her office.

A cool breeze blew into the room from the veranda. As the wind kissed her skin, she felt her tense muscles relax.

She sat on her swivel chair, turning it around to face the spectacular view of London city. She leaned back against the cushion of her chair, feeling its softness, closing her eyes to enjoy the comforting silence and solitude.

She couldn't remember the last time she had proper rest, a night where she lay comfortably in her king-sized bed, fast asleep and without a care in the world. All she could remember were bits and pieces of the many times she had to finish lots of paperwork and travel to different countries. (For business purposes, of course. Not as a tourist. Never as a tourist.)

And there was this other reason, too. The past that haunts her to this day, eating up her insides and making her want to shrivel up into a small ball of exhaustion, restlessness and sadness until she's nothing but a speck of dust left to die.

"You weren't brought into this world to be happy and be loved! You were born to kill and do your responsibility as a Frier. People like you don't deserve to be happy. Especially those who are born with the blood of monsters and the ashes of those who were murdered brutally."

She furrowed her eyebrows, not wanting have those flashes of memories again. They always made her break down into pieces, and she'd have a hard time picking them up again.

Someone knocked lightly on the door, before it swings open and someone stepped in. She closed her eyes tiredly.

"Lady Law."

She didn't bother opening her eyes to acknowledge the person. She knew who it was already. She hummed instead, too tired to speak.

Rain walked closer and bowed as a respect, despite knowing that Law couldn't see it. It became a habit to him.

"Your father is coming in a few minutes. He brought a guest with him."

Law's right eyebrow rose, and she opened her eyes, shooting Rain a questioning look, which he purposefully ignored.

'My father is coming? This must be something of extreme importance, seeing as he usually tells me to go to him when he wants something,' she thought. 'He is not an ordinary man, he doesn't pay attention to things that do not strike him as important. Now that I think of it, this will be the first time he will come to my office . . . I wonder what this is about.'

Law disregarded the thought immediately, knowing that in a few minutes, her questions will be answered when they arrive.

"Wine."

With that one word, Rain knew what to do. He walked to the nearest table, where a bottle of wine and a glass are placed. He poured wine into the glass and gave it to Law.

Rain stayed beside Law, and the both of them marveled at the beautiful view. The city lights made Law feel wistful as she took a sip of her wine. They reminded her of the galaxy, and the utter darkness between the lights where no building situated was outer space. It was like looking at the Milky Way, only smaller, far more comprehensible, and more real.

Comfortable silence filled the room.

A small sigh escaped her lips, and suddenly she was reminded of how insignificant she was on the grand scale of the universe. She was nothing but a graveyard of fallen stars. Humans were the stuff of the stars, after all. And compared to the hugeness of the universe, she was nothing more than an atom.

"Rain, how long have we been together?" She asked finally, filling the void of silence that blanketed them.

Rain looked at her, and he saw an emotion flash through her eyes, so quick that he nearly missed it. He diverted his gaze outside the glass wall and answered, "We've been together since we were both 6 years old," he said with the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips.

Rain looked at her again when she didn't speak. And he noticed that something was bothering her. He returned his gaze to the marvelous view in front of them.

"I know something's bothering you. I want to help you, really. But if this is about the past, then all I could say is just ---- I'm sorry," he said sadly. "I know that I'm not supposed to say that word, as I am the butler of the most feared person in the world, but this is you that we are talking about. I will gladly say it until the end of time itself, because it's true. We can't change our past but we can accept it and move on."

He continued, "Accepting and moving on — two of the hardest things in life. It hurts like hell, but you gotta push through. It's the only way to live with it."

Law looked at Rain's direction. 'I can't,' she thought. Her mouth felt numb, and she was unable to say it out loud.

"I was just going to ask you if you were happy within those years that you were with me until now." She paused as she stood up to get another glass of wine and gave it to Rain.

Rain looked at her in shock but, he gladly accepted it. Not that it was the first time that Law give him a drink or anything. It's just that he least expected it would happen now; now that Law's hands were shaking, and he knew she felt worthless and terrible.

"Did you . . . did you ever regret your decision to stay?" Law looked directly at Rain's eyes.

Rain gave her a small smile. "Why wouldn't I be happy? And why the hell would I ever regret staying with you?"

This was the first time she saw Rain smiling genuinely.

A smile tugged at her very own lips, so she bit her bottom lip down to prevent a full grin from breaking out. "Stop smiling. You look like an idiot," she said instead sitting back down.

And the room was filled with another bout of comfortable silence again.

Then suddenly, her office door opened.

Rain immediately looked up and saw a tall man standing by the door, a stranger behind him. "Good Evening Mr. Laxus" Rain greeted with a bow, but the man just nodded at him, not even sparing him a glance.

"Where's Law?" Mr. Laxus asked.

Rain didn't have to answer.

Law turned her swivel chair to face them. She snapped her fingers, and the lights turned on.

Standing in front of her was a handsome man in his early 50's, with cold, calculating, gray eyes and an intimidating aura.

Law didn't see the stranger behind him from where she sat. "What do you need, father?" She asked in a bored tone.

"This young Mondragon has something to discuss with you," her Father said, stepping aside to reveal a handsome, young man who gave her a blinding white smile.

I nodded, and they approached me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Law. I'm Jacob," he said, stretching a hand out to me.

"I don't have time for introductions, Mr. Mondragon. State your business and leave."

The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement, making me mentally roll my eyes in annoyance.

Rain gestured for them to sit on the maroon couch in front of my desk and handed them each a glass of wine, but my Father declined.

"I don't have time for this things. The current situation is under your judgement, Law. And you are who he wants, not me," he says coldly, looking at me in the eye and took his leave.

He's supposed to be the man for this matter, even if it's me they want. Something just doesn't seems right about him.

I diverted my attention to the man in front of me and saw him staring intently at me.

"You stared enough."

"My apology. It's just that, you're still the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen." he said, bringing his glass to his lips while looking at me.This man really has guts. As much as I wanted to shoot him I refrained myself.

I signaled Rain to leave the room. He hesitated for a moment before sighing in agreement. He bowed and left the room, glaring at Jacob.

But Jacolb just chuckled at him.

I walked over to the file cabinet and came back holding a long brown envelope.

"He surely has a grudge on me."

I look back at him and give him a hard stare, sitting on my swivel chair. "Don't pretend that you know nothing, Jacob."

His face morphed into a serious one.

"What exactly is your reason for coming here?"

"I'm here to discuss the Frier and Mondragon mafia in behalf of my father," he said hesitantly. It was clear that he wasn't sure of his answer.

"Don't waste my time with this 'discussion' of yours. I don't know why my father let you in, but if this is one of your shitty antics, Mondragon, I'm warning you." I said through gritted teeth as I glared at him.

He stayed silent, knowing how much I absolutely despise it when someone talks back to me.

I threw the envelope at him, and he caught it.

"Open it." I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the edge of my desk. I rested my chin on my intertwined fingers.

"What's with these names?" he asked, confused.

"Give it to your father. He'll know what to do."

Awkward silence filled the room, blanketing us with a thick atmosphere of discomfort.

A small sigh escaped his lips.

I looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"So . . ." he said. "The, uh— about the problem in the Montenegros's commercial land?" His voice was questioning.

"The Montenegros planned all of this. But they didn't know that the Mondragons and Friers are secret allies."

"How did you know? We thought that the Smiths planned it. Knowing them, they are the ones who want us to get us under each other's skin."

"Don't forget that I am a Frier, Mr. Mondragon. You know how a Frier thinks," I said sternly and stared at him intently.

He didn't respond, but the way he looked at me, it's as if he wants to say something.

"Tell your father that the shipping of the weapons will be the day after tomorrow at the New Port, Philippines. He shall do what we planned, or else... He knows what will happen."

He just nodded in reply.

"You're dismissed," I said and stood up, making my way to the door to leave, not wanting to stay longer with him, but he just stayed on his seat, not moving, just staring at me.

I saw sadness in his eyes, but my chest is lead and my heart is stone. I feel nothing.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

A single dramatic moment is enough for this night. I don't need another one. So I just ignored him and opened the door to leave, but he quickly stood up, grabbed the side of my hips, turned me around so I'm facing him, and pushed me gently against the door.

And the next thing I knew, Jacob is kissing me aggressively and his hands were exploring my body.

He reeked of alcohol not just some kind of wine, because the scent overwhelming my nose. But that was no excuse to touch me without my consent.

Before my brain could function properly, my right fist already made contact with his cheek, causing him to step back and hold his bleeding lips.

But I am not done yet.

I pulled him harshly and shoved him to the wall. I wrapped both hands around his neck, choking him. I looked at him with my deadliest glare.

*"Regrets are inevitable, but they can't change what has already happened. No matter what your reasons are, I don't give a fcking damn. Try that little stunt again, Mr. Mondragon, and you might do more than regret." I let go of his neck and straightened my dress "You're not the Jacob I know. So unprofessional.**" I said sharply, trying to keep the disappointment from seeping into my voice, but failing miserably.

He straighten his back and his ruined suit before looking at me seriously. "I just did what I wanted to. And when I do that next time, you're not going to shove me away," he said determinedly.

"I'm not some starry-eyed waif you can easily overpower with your godforsaken sorcery."

And I shut the door at his face.

I made my way to the elevator and saw Rain standing outside.

He looked shocked when he saw me. I didn't know why, so I ignored it, but when the elevator closed, I saw my reflection on the reflective surface.

Ruined lipstick, swollen lips. No wonder he looked at me like that. I wiped my lipstick off and glared at Rain for not telling me, but he shrugged it off. Asshole.

"What floor, milady?"

"Rooftop. Prep the chopper. We need to head to the Philippines. They'll be shipping the weapons tomorrow."

He pressed his earpiece and repeated my command.

"And tell the main headquarters that my verdict is simple: death," I said to him, staring straight ahead. I could feel his eyes on me. "Assassinate the Montenegro family. Leave no survivors."

One life taken is insufficient. That's the punishment for trying to fool the Friers.

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