FIVE.

MICHAEL

      The study always smelled the same — old leather, whiskey, and dominance. My father’s perfume.

He didn’t look up when I entered, just signed something, folded the page, and finally said,

“Close the door, Michael.”

His voice hadn’t aged. Still smooth. Still sharp enough to slice obedience out of anyone weaker.

I didn’t move. “I won’t be long.”

He looked up then, dark eyes flat as steel. “You’ve been making noise in the press again.”

I almost smiled. Noise. That’s what he called building something without his hand in it.

“It’s called visibility,” I said. “You used to like that.”

His lips curved — the kind of smirk that never reached his eyes. “Visibility is fine. Defiance isn’t.”

I laughed once, low. “You still think I belong to you.”

“You do,” he said simply, leaning back in that ridiculous throne of a chair. “Everything you have, I gave you. You’re my creation, Michael. My legacy.”

Something twisted in my chest — a familiar ache, sharp, old, and still alive.

I stepped closer to the desk. “Then maybe you should’ve made something human.”

His silence was worse than anger. I could almost hear him thinking, plotting, calculating how to break me next.

“You’ll come around,” he murmured finally. “They always do.”

I turned toward the door. “Not this time.”

His voice followed me, cold and certain. “No matter what you build, it still bears my name.”

I paused — just for a heartbeat. My hand tightened on the handle.

Then I said, quietly, “Then I’ll burn the name too.”

And I walked out.

          It has always been like this , the hate between us has always bubbled strong ,potent sometimes you can taste it in the air . My father is a controlling manipulative freak it doesn’t help at all that I look just like him , the same cold dead eyes , dark hair and so much need for control , so he has this very bad habit of thinking that I’m his , his possession, his property….

 Silly old man , it’s an habit I’m working on changing. It’s the reason I built my own company, made my own name, found my own people, my own empire. I’d be damned before I let that old snake fuck with me funny

           “Michael”

I stepped into the car without giving ilya a glance, he’s almost like my Personal assistant

“Tell me “ I ask him without looking at him

“The man kept in the basement back at the Mansion, what are you going to do to him “

I felt the blood lust peak a bit from the depth of my soul, I took a deep breath

Control

Control

Breath

I didn’t respond, I want to kill him . I want to kill him so slowly he begs for a fast death , I want to pull out his organs one by one and then put them back , I’m very sure Nathaniel will be open to help , he’s a medical student and has a fascination with the human body but I can’t . I know he's one of the little spies my father placed in the school to watch me, we don’t want to alert the enemy now do we?...

My shoe echo on the marble floor as I walked to the basement, I loosened my tie and handed it to ilya ,my cufflink too

“only Nathaniel and Kai can come to the basement “

Ilya nods softly.

         The mansion is the School gift to the most richest and influential students , not students whose parents are rich and powerful but students who are rich and powerful , we are five living here Nathaniel and Kai are patient hunters just like me , we stalk we watch as then we prey but Eddie and Samuel they are destroyer they tend to destroy everything in their path and I will never give the wanker a fast death he needs to die slowly

       The musky smell of the basement hit me , the smell of wet wall and blood. I walked to the holding cell

“Oh well, don’t you look miserable “

His belly fat has reduced his hair has fallen off , his cheeks hollow , his eyes wide with horror

“What’s got your knickers in a twist professor Julian “

He glanced at me and immediately ran deeper into the cell

“Come on now , are you running from me , I thought we were friends “

He hugs himself tight and looks down

“Come on , you need to eat “

I stretching my hands to him , to lead him out of the cell to eat , at the prospect of food he takes my hand , I lead him to the table where food is, I watched him eat didn’t disturb him just watched him eat , he ate like an animal like he hasn’t had food in days , well he hasn’t .

I smile played to my lips “I really want to kill you Julian “

He looks at me in horror

“But…” I continue” I can’t risk alerting the person backing you now can I ?”

“ please please spare me , I won’t go to her anymore, I will quit my job , I will move out of the country please I beg you “

I pat his shoulder “ there there , it’s alright , I will let you go but you will not quit your job I need you as a spy for the other side, you will however stay as far away as possible from Red you will not breath her presence you will not see her , you will not know her . for every time you glance at her I will take your eye for every time you are in her presence I will take from you organ after organ until you are nothing but blood and I will take that too

Am I clear?”

He nods frantically, I smiled at him “good I knew I could count in you “

I stood up, smiled down at him before grabbing his nape and slamming his face down into the table continuously until blood spills

“You won’t die from that “

As I stepped out of the basement, I’m faced with Nathaniel he has this sheepish grin on his face and this mischievous glint in his eyes

“You should probably check where your pretty professor is “

He walked past me and into the basement

I picked up my phone and checked Red’s story , anger clawed through my veins replacing blood , why is she at the club in that little dress that leaves nothing to imagine in front of all those people

Fuck me .