[chapter 14. Manipulator]
Days passed; Selena no longer found the uniform to be uncomfortable. She got used to the presence of people around her. The day had sunk into the deep hue of ink, and she had received a message from Big Bitch asking for her esteemed presence.
That she would happily grant; after all, she was such a good girl.
Today her training was to begin. Guilt clawed her insides since Hayate was unaware of the situation. Nonetheless, she felt embarrassed to tell him how Big Bitch had fooled her and got her to work for him. Her fist clenched; only if she had more power.
Power- she wanted it.
She would do anything to obtain it.
Anything.
Selena's legs slowed to a complete halt when she found a man emerging from behind the bushes. Quick, her hand moved to her strawberry on the back as she considered knocking the man out. After all, he was in Mariano's guard uniform.
She would need to run away if Theodore Mariano found out about her. It would create trouble.
He lowered his head and said in a careful tone, "Big Boss is waiting for you." Her maniacal eyes glinted; how could she forget that the Big Five Families had spies all over the place? It was a messy web of lies and truths; where you should not trust anyone. No one knew who was spinning the web or who could get caught.
A car was already waiting for her.
"Here," the driver said, handing her a blindfold. Selena raised an eyebrow but kept her mouth shut- for the man would not answer her. She did not trust Big Boss, and he did not trust her, so it was only fair.
She leaned back on the seat, calm, her vision obscured by darkness, but it heightened her senses. It made her focus her mind. Her ears perked, as did her nostrils.
The car started.
Left turn, she noted. 43 seconds.
Then the car took a sharp right. 2 minutes 8 seconds.
Selena's ears perked up at the echo of hustlers selling their wares, even late at night. Her nose picked up on a rancid tang in the air. They had just passed a fish market, and she knew the closest one to Mariano's estate was in the lower south.
8 minutes 53 seconds. Right turn.
Her body rattled in the seat, and she realized they were no longer on stable ground. Fish market leads to an off-road, she hummed in her mind, making a mental note to search for the area.
4 minutes 31 seconds.
The car came to a stop.
She peeled away the blindfold blinking her eyes as she adjusted to the lighting.
It was a run-down building in the middle of nowhere. "Follow," the man grunted, walking.
The atmosphere was as peaceful as a cemetery, and there were as many, if not more, dead bodies here.
Not that she cared.
Selena had a poker face as she walked in with her chin up. Her face dropped at the sight of Alec- the right hand. Her lips jutted; she hoped to see Big Bitch. How sad.
It was fun seeing his eyes flare whenever she taunted him. But she needed to study Big Bitch, to get on top of him.
Anyways.
"Fabio- the left hand is the adviser and will be the one honing your mind," Alec said.
"I have no choice in this," she lamented, her eyes dropping low. Her lips puckered into a pout as she looked at the burly man.
"Be grateful, girl," Alec threw a pointed look. Her pouted lips and the expression of sadness were nothing but a coy act that raised goosebumps over his body. An actress- his mood soured.
"It's Selena. Not a girl but Selena Knight," she pressed.
Alec did not say anything and moved forward. The scars on her thighs had healed, but they had scabs- and they would itch and sting when she moved. But she liked the mild pain, and it cleared her mind.
It reminded her to stay in control.
"Your college will soon have credit service work and choose hotel work, and we will be training you in the same session," he said. "It's a cover," they walked till he halted in front of a door.
Selena's eyes lowered. How much power did Big Bitch have? She bit her lower lip.
"Now, you don't want your lovely father finding that you are often missing in the middle of the night, right," his smile slipped when she glared at him, and for a split-second, he thought he saw a destructive aura behind her. It raised goosebumps over his body, watching her glare meltdown in a calculated smile.
"Let's test your brain first," he turned away.
"It's past midnight, encircled by people who would kill you on my one order. The new surroundings are daunting, and your body needs rest. Is this not the perfect time to test your brain," Alec let out an innocent smile which Selena returned.
"How thoughtful," she mused.
----
"You are reckless," Fabio spoke up for the first time. The dark-skinned man did not state those words in a condescending tone but rather a fact. Reminding them how his boss conned her to work for him. "You often let emotions decide for you."
They were seated in a room with a table dividing them as they sat on extreme opposites.
"It is a good thing in a fight where you need raw anger to take over you. Or in a death and life situation where you need to survive," he spoke, putting the glass of alcohol down. He also pointed out that her emotions could be helpful at times. Diplomatic, she noted.
"But in a den of predators who fight with schemes and words. You will die the moment you enter. The moment you show your real emotions, the game is over. You will be representing the Sullivan clan. And they hate it when someone pulls their name into the dirt. Before those predators harm you, I will be the one putting a bullet through your skull."
"One mistake, you are dead."
"Am I clear?" His sharp words straightened her spine.
Selena looked into the cold eyes- the man was dead serious. Her legs crossed over as she looked at the man waiting for him to continue.
"From what I have heard, you are quite the actress," his lips curled up as he glanced at the camera. This little shit, Alec growled as he watched the duo chat in the dimly lit room.
Selena batted her eyelashes at him, "I don't know what you are saying, Sir Fabio." He let out a dark chuckle.
"So tell me, Miss Mariano, what makes manipulators the ace of high society," he ignored the slight clench of her fist as he addressed her as Mariano. Selena tilted her head almost robotically.
Manipulators live their lives with the zeal of a warrior. They perceive each individual as a fortified castle upon which they are besieging. Manipulation is a process of penetration that begins with the target's mind, their first line of defense.
Manipulators do not improvise; they leave nothing to chance. They plan and strategize like any good general, striving for the target's vulnerability. To let things be a chance is a recipe for disaster. It demonstrates that we do not take the target seriously.
Manipulators see life as a stage, with everyone playing the roles assigned to them.
People are frequently dissatisfied with their lives or roles. Manipulators, on the other hand, can be anyone they pretend to be. They can be a cruel victim or a good-hearted villain. Their deception stems from their fluidity. They create an allure to which people succumb, like begging prey wishing to get mauled.
"The key is not to make anything obvious, and manipulators excel at it," she answered after a minute to watch him hum in response. "They are deceitful, cunning, and never to be trusted," she smiled.
"My, my, so many negative words for a description," he leaned forward, resting elbows on the table. His eyes looked deeply at the little girl. His lips curved when he saw she did not back down when he entered her personal space and maintained the same oblivious look.
"What can I do, Sir Fabio? I am not a huge fan of manipulation," Selena looked at her nails. She needed a new manicure. Hmm, I will get a strawberry design this time. She felt good.
"Are you saying you are not a manipulator?"
"Didn't your friend say I am a good actor? He never spoke a word about me being a manipulator. There is a thin line between acting and manipulating," she leaned forward in the same manner as him. Her tone dripped with grace and eloquence.
Chameleon effect. Something she learned early on. A study in which a researcher mimicked the gestures and mannerisms of a group of participants. Later discovered that those who got imitated found the researcher to be more liked than those who were not.
Fabio mused in delight. For once, he appreciated how elegant and with ease she carried herself. He wanted to push her buttons if she cowered back, but no. Selena Mariano faced him with confidence.
He could see Liliana's shadow in her.
The beautiful ballerina stammered her way through scheming society and ascended the blazing phoenix. Of course, she had a dragon watching over her to keep her safe. Theodore made sure that no one offended his wife.
She deserved to be loved and protected. Such a possessive and overprotective man Theodore was.
Tsk. His lips curved. How would Theodore react if he realized his daughter is not as sweet as he believes?
----
"What the fuck are they talking about for the past thirty minutes? Does it even have any meaning? They are speaking in circles," Alec exclaimed, turning to his boss. Rafael watched the duo with a subtle smirk on his face. His face glowed like a kid who had got a new toy.
"This is why Fabio is the brain, and you are the brawn," Rafael said as Alec pouted. "Anyways. Stop taunting her- you would never know how she would retaliate," the oversized man said, his scorching gaze focused on the screen. "I don't want my right-hand man dead in his sleep."
Alec's face brightened- this meant his boss cared about him, right?
The focused man twirled the cup of tea as the golden liquid swirled around before bringing it to his lips and allowing the bitter taste to mull down his throat. The right-hand man looked at his boss. Alec hoped that the chamomile tea would bring some peace to his boss.
"She is far too intelligent for her own good. It would be a shame if she died too soon," Rafael wondered aloud, his gaze placed on the dead man in the dark corner, foam trickling and stuck to the corner of his mouth. A dagger was inserted into his left eye, purple and swelled with blood running down.
An assassin was appointed to kill Selena. But no one could touch the people that Sullivan claimed. The moment Rafael got a whiff of it, he had him captured, but sadly the man committed suicide when they questioned his motive.
It's a shame he didn't get the chance to torture the man enough.
Rafael's cruel eyes focused only on the cunning girl.
A cyanide pill.
The assassin committed suicide by ingesting a cyanide pill hidden under his teeth. Such items were not easily accessible on the market. Specific and dangerous people sought it.
A man is willing to let go of his life rather than reveal his identity. Rafael's leathered fingers ran on the rim of the porcelain cup- his mind filled with myriad thoughts. His eyes darkened, but his face was devoid of emotion.
Who have you offended, little chaos maker?
~~~~
Those who are unsure who Liam is, please read chapter 7.
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