Alice accompagnied Roxanne back into their grand mansion, a fortress of wealth and power. Workers bowed as she passed, the pristine white walls and crystal chandeliers glinting under the evening light. She gently set Roxanne down on a plush couch, where maids offered toys and refreshments.
"Everything here is for you, sweetie," Alice said, brushing Roxanne's hair softly. Her voice was warm, though her calculating gaze remained sharp. "Mommy will make sure you have the best."
Roxanne giggled, grabbing at a colorful toy. Alice knelt beside her, cupping her daughter's cheek. "I have to go out for a bit, my love, but I promise I'll come back as fast as I can."
Roxanne pouted, her small hands clutching Alice's sleeve. Alice smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. "Be good for Mommy, okay?" She stood, her commanding presence returning as she addressed the staff. "Take care of her. Nothing less than perfection."
With one last glance at Roxanne, Alice left, her cold determination driving her forward.
A sleek Rolls-Royce waited outside the mansion, its glossy black surface reflecting the evening sky. Jessie stepped out of the car, dressed in a tailored suit, her expression sharp yet deferential. She opened the door for Alice, who stepped in with her signature grace and authority.
"Good evening, Madam," Jessie began as Alice settled into the leather seat. "We've caught the rat. He's in the interrogation room now."
Alice's eyes narrowed, her cold demeanor unyielding. "And?"
Jessie hesitated. "He's not saying anything. Seems... loyal."
Alice let out a quiet, mirthless laugh. "Loyalty is a fragile thing when met with the right persuasion. Let's see how long his silence lasts."
Jessie nodded, starting the car. "Understood. I've prepped the room for your arrival."
"Good," Alice said, her voice icy. She glanced out the window as the mansion disappeared behind them. "It's about time we taught our little rat the cost of betrayal."
The Royce glided through the streets, a dark promise in its wake.
The sleek Royce came to a halt in front of the towering skyscraper—an imposing structure that served as the epicenter of Alice's empire. Its gleaming facade reflected the city lights, concealing both the legitimate and illicit operations running within.
As Alice stepped out, a wave of bowing security guards and staff greeted her with synchronized precision, their heads lowered in respect. Jessie followed closely behind, her clipboard in hand, keeping pace with Alice's unrelenting stride. At the entrance, a cluster of journalists yelled questions, flashing cameras snapping furiously. Alice didn't so much as glance in their direction, her cold, regal presence freezing them in place.
She entered the building, her heels echoing in the marble-clad lobby as she passed through the sea of deferential employees. Without breaking stride, she headed straight for the elevator, which opened immediately upon her approach. Jessie pressed the button for the lowest level, and the descent began.
The basement was a stark contrast to the luxury above. Dim lights illuminated the cold, steel-lined corridor that led to a reinforced door. Behind it lay the syndicate's torture chamber, an ominous room outfitted for extracting information by any means necessary.
Alice stepped inside, her expression unreadable. "Let's see if our guest is ready to talk."
The air in the torture chamber was thick with tension and the metallic tang of blood. Harsh lights hung from the ceiling, casting an eerie glow on the scene. A single boy, bound to a chair, was slumped forward, his face bruised and bloodied but his spirit unbroken. Around him stood several imposing men, their arms crossed, eyes sharp, waiting for orders.
The moment Alice entered, a chill ran through the room. The men straightened immediately, stepping back and bowing deeply to give her space. Her heels clicked sharply against the concrete floor as she approached the boy, her cold gaze locked onto him.
"You've been quite stubborn," Alice said in an icy tone, her voice carrying a chilling calm that made even her own men uneasy.
The boy lifted his head weakly, blood dripping from his split lip. "Do your worst," he spat, defiance glinting in his swollen eyes.
Alice crouched in front of him, her piercing gaze meeting his. "Oh, you misunderstand," she whispered, her voice deceptively soft. "I don't do the worst. I simply do what works."
"And to think a simple low-life like you would dare anything against me... You sicken me..."
Alice crouched down to meet the boy's gaze, her piercing silver eyes locking onto his defiant expression. Slowly, she placed her hands on either side of his head, her thumbs resting gently against his bloodshot eyes.
"You should have talked," she said coldly. She began to press her thumbs into his eyes. He screamed, the sound echoing through the chamber as the men standing around watched in grim silence. Some wanted to puke but just swallowed it.
The pressure increased, and blood began to stream from the corners of his eyes. His screams turned to choked sobs as his eyeballs were forced back, the soft tissues collapsing under her unrelenting grip. With a sickening squelch, his eyes were crushed into pulp, the fragments mixing with blood and fluids, seeping into his skull.
Alice finally released him, letting his lifeless body slump forward. Then, she gripped a katana from the arsenal on the wall in front of her.
With a deliberate motion, she placed the blade at the base of his neck. Slowly, she applied pressure, feeling the resistance of bone, her eyes locked on him.
The first cut came through with a sickening crack, the sound of his neck bone breaking as she twisted the blade. Blood began to pool around the wound, seeping into his skin. Alice's hands were steady as she methodically sliced through the arteries, taking her time as the life drained from his body.
With a final, slow motion, she severed his head completely, watching as it rolled onto the floor. She wiped the katana clean, her face impassive, and stood up.
"Dispose of him," she said, her voice low and unfeeling.
Jessie watched in silentce. She'd seen it all before—this was just another day working for someone like Alice. To Jessie, the inhumanity had become routine, an unsettling part of the job she'd long accepted.
Loyalty was her creed. Alice had given her everything: power, wealth, and a sense of purpose.
Jessie respected her boss deeply, even if she couldn't always understand the depths of Alice's darkness. Still, one thing was undeniable: Alice was a nature freak. A god-like monster who shouldn't exist.
But for Jessie, that was Alice.
Jessie sold her soul to serve Alice.
"Jessie, let's go, I already know who that fucker worked for." Alice said calmly, wiping the katana clean, her eyes cold as ice. Jessie blinked, processing the words.
She couldn't help but ask, "You... already know who sent him?"
Alice's expression remained stoic, unbothered by the gruesome scene. "Yes," she replied flatly. "It's already done. We'll deal with them."
Jessie was momentarily stunned. She had seen Alice carry out her ruthless work but to immediately know the results?
Without another word, Alice turned, her heels clicking sharply against the stone floor. Jessie followed, her mind racing.
Alice's voice was cold, precise, as she spoke. "I knew who he was. Just a simple associate, nothing more than a middleman, distributing cocaine. His job was nothing special—he was a pawn. But that doesn't matter."
Jessie raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Then how did you—"
Alice continued, cutting her off. "He was caught by the cops. You know how it goes. They put pressure on him, and he was likely promised leniency for any information he could provide. He was supposed to gather whatever dirt he could, something to prove we're guilty. Something to bring us down." She narrowed her eyes, her voice growing sharper. "But it's too late for him."
Jessie nodded, understanding now. Alice had known from the beginning, and the boy had been sent on a fool's errand. Alice wasn't just playing the game—she was already controlling it.
"What now, my Lady?" Jessie asks.
Alice glanced at her, her expression still icy and calculating. "Now, we make sure this doesn't reach the wrong ears. I'll handle the cops, and you start covering up the loose ends. Get the intel on anyone else involved, and if you need to, clean up the mess. No one walks out of this alive."
Jessie gave a sharp nod. "Understood. I'll make sure everything is handled, Alice."
Alice's lips curled into a brief, cold smile. "Good. We move fast, Jessie. Leave no trace."
X―x―X—x—X―x―X
Alice sat in her office, the phone pressed against her ear as she leaned back in her chair, her fingers idly tracing the smooth surface of her desk. The voice on the other end was familiar, one that always knew how to handle things behind the scenes.
"Robert Wattson, Chief of LA's securtiy department." The voice answered.
"Alice," she replied her bare name as a code, her tone calm but filled with underlying authority.
"Ah, Alice. How can I help you?" Robert asks.
"I've got a problem. My associate was captured by the cops. They're using him to dig up information on my operations. I need them dealt with. Quietly."
There was a pause, the kind that signaled Robert was already formulating a plan. "You don't have to worry. I'll take care of the cops. No one will know they were involved. It'll be handled... discreetly."
Robert leaned over the stack of reports, scanning through the pages until one caught his eye. It was a brief mention of the drug dealer, apprehended two days ago.
The names stood out: Mike and John. Robert knew immediately that these two cops were the ones who'd gotten too close to Alice's operations.
He called his secretary throught the fix phone, "Get me Mike and John. Have them join my bureau immediately."
Robert's gaze lingered on the report for a moment longer before he threw it to the paper cutter. He had no patience for mistakes, especially when it came to Alice.
As the secretary came into the office with the two cops and left, Robert sat back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk.
"Hey boss." John greeted. "Good weather today, boss!" Mike added.
"Sit." Robert said, his tone icy, betraying no hint of what was to come.
They obeyed, exchanging uneasy glances, both of them unsure of why they were summoned.
Robert remained silent for a moment, his cold gaze locked onto them. He studied their faces for a long time, considering how they had crossed Alice. Then, without warning, he reached into his drawer, pulled out a silenced gun, and aimed it at them with lethal precision.
The soft pop of the silencer barely echoed in the room as Robert fired, taking out Mike first, the bullet piercing his forehead in an instant. John barely had time to react before the second shot rang out, silencing him just as swiftly.
Both men slumped forward, lifeless, their bodies collapsing onto the floor.
Robert stood up slowly, calmly, wiping the gun clean before returning it to his desk. He was a man of few words. This was just business, after all. His job was to protect Alice, and anyone who threatened that would not survive.
"Clean this up," Robert muttered to his secretary who entered the room, who had re-entered the room. He didn't look at her as he spoke.
"Kill their families and friends for safety measures, and erase their living records. They must be eradicated." Robert commanded throwing the silenced gun away.
"I'm on it." The secretary said, dragging the corpses.
X―x―X—x—X―x―X
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