Chapter 5: A Proposal Of Power

“Ahh!”

Rigor collapsed to the floor, screaming in excruciating pain. When his eyes met Kristoff’s, the arrogant expression that had been on his face vanished, replaced by fear.

“Who are you? We have no quarrel!” he spat.

“Who told you that?” Kristoff replied.

Kristoff glanced at Irene, his eyes unreadable. Slowly, with long fingers, he stroked the woman’s hair.

“You want to claim my woman. If I—Kristoff Montecillo—let you walk free after you insulted me, people will think they can do the same to me.”

Rigor trembled when he heard Kristoff’s name. His gaze snapped back to Irene; his face had suddenly gone pale.

“So you’re Ms. Casareo. I was mistaken, Mr. Montecillo. If I had known she was close to you, I wouldn’t have thought to approach her!” he begged.

Only moments before he had been full of anger and hatred, but Kristoff’s name seemed to shrink his bravado. He no longer had the nerve to show disrespect.

Everyone knew the stories about Kristoff. When he ruled the underworld, anyone who dared to oppose him—even in the smallest way—was punished without hesitation. He would gun them down in front of everyone. In an instant, he could erase that person’s power from the world.

Kristoff was a pure force of evil; anyone who defied him was certain to meet a dark end.

Kristoff remained silent, his face unreadable.

Seeing that, Rigor ground his teeth. Despite the bloodstains on his clothes, he forced himself to sit up and humbly begged Irene for forgiveness.

“Ms. Casareo, I don’t know who you are. Please—please forgive me!” Rigor’s desperation was plain as he apologized repeatedly, wounds and all.

Irene looked at the pitiful man and understood more clearly the terrifying influence Kristoff held.

Rigor, once a fierce ruler of the underworld known as “Viper,” looked now like a frightened rabbit trembling before Kristoff.

Kristoff was more dangerous than Irene had imagined. As she replayed his sudden act earlier in her mind, a cold sweat prickled down her spine.

She knew she had no right to interfere with how Kristoff treated Rigor. Though the old man’s family would surely worry if he died here, she chose to remain silent.

Kristoff noticed her silence immediately. He tilted his head slightly, and someone stepped forward to tend to Rigor’s wounds.

Rigor let out a deep sigh when he realized he would not be killed. He hurriedly thanked Irene and Kristoff.

“I don’t want anyone to know of her connection to me. You know what to say, don’t you?” Kristoff said coldly.

Rigor nodded at once, full of respect. “Of course. No one will find out. And if Ms. Casareo ever needs anything, she should not hesitate to come to me.”

Gone was the bearing of a syndicate leader; he was reduced to a bowed, pleading man.

Irene remembered how Sandra had put her in a terrible situation with Rigor—a threat she had long feared but which vanished in an instant at Kristoff’s command.

She exhaled. In this world, power truly ruled.

“You look deep in thought,” Kristoff said.

He stepped closer; his handsome face came so near that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

Their eyes met in an intense stare. Only then did Irene realize they were alone in the room, and her chest tightened with trembling fear.

She took a steadying breath and met Kristoff’s gaze again with all the courage she could muster.

“Mr. Montecillo, because you saved me, I feel I must repay you.”

One of Kristoff’s eyebrows lifted; a faint shadow of intrigue crossed his expression.

“And how do you intend to repay me?” he asked.

Irene gathered the last of her courage and pressed her lips to his. At the moment they touched, an unexpected shiver ran through her body, causing her to freeze for an instant.

Fear shot through her chest and she wanted to pull away. But she remembered why she was doing this and forced herself to continue, hands trembling as she unbuttoned Kristoff’s polo.

The man possessed an undeniable charm.

Irene’s breathing came unevenly, but she could not back down. There was no turning back.

Kristoff remained calm, not a hint of surprise on his face. Instead, his eyes glittered with pleasure—clear evidence of the delight he felt at Irene’s action.

“Interesting. Is this how you plan to repay me?” he murmured.

Irene stepped back a little, biting her lip with nerves. “You saved me. I can’t think of any other way to repay you but to offer myself.” She lowered her gaze; she couldn’t bear to look at Kristoff’s reaction while her heart raced. She had to summon all her strength to say those words.

For some inexplicable reason Kristoff’s eyes shone, and a few seconds of silence wrapped around them.

One second passed... two... three...

Then Kristoff let out a quiet laugh.

“What if I make you my fiancèe instead?"