Chapter 28: Micha
Adrian slammed the front door of his apartment, his jacket was crumpled in his hand before he tossed it onto the ground.
His chest heaved with anger as he stormed across the room, pausing only to glare at his reflection in the mirror.
Blood dripped from his nose, and his lip was swollen, thanks to Gabriel's fist.
"Stupid fuckinh bastard," Adrian growled, grabbing a tissue to dab at the blood.
Evelyn appeared in the doorway, raising her eyebrows.
"What happened?" she asked, approaching him cautiously.
Adrian threw the tissue down and turned to her, his rage seemed barely contained.
"That prick Gabriel," he spat in a trembling voice.
"I went to his office, trying to talk to him about Diane. The bastard sucker-punched me before I could say anything! He said if I ever crossed him again, he'd kill me with his bare hands."
Evelyn frowned, moving closer to him. "Did you tell him what you wanted? Did he listen?"
Adrian let out a bitter laugh, his hands clenched into fists.
"No. All he sees is Diane. He acts like she's some untouchable angel, like she hasn't betrayed anyone in her life. He doesn't know who I am—what I'm capable of."
Evelyn placed a hand on his arm, her touch seemed soft and gentle.
"You'll get your revenge," she said soothingly. "Diane and Gabriel will pay for humiliating you. All of them will."
Adrian turned his head toward her.
Evelyn smiled faintly, and as she reached for the hem of her shirt, she began pulling it over her head.
"Don't let them win, Adrian," she said slowly, stepping closer to him.
Her bare shoulders gleamed under the dim light as she pressed herself against him.
"You have me, remember? Together, we'll take everything from them. We'll make Diane empty Gabriel's bank accounts, and then we'll kill her, Gabriel, and your father."
Adrian shifted as he stared at her, his anger gave way immediately.
"You think we can pull it off?"
Evelyn smiled wickedly, running her fingers down his chest.
"Of course we can," she whispered.
"All it takes is the right plan. And you know Diane's weak spots better than anyone. She'll never see it coming."
Adrian's scowl softened as his eyes roamed over her body.
His anger melted into lust, and he grabbed Evelyn by the waist, pulling her closer.
"You're right," he muttered. "We'll make them all pay. Starting with Diane."
Evelyn looked away while he kissed her neck, 'what a loser…I'm gonna have to do everything by myself.'
>__<
Diane finished the last of her work for the day, her fingers flew across the keyboard as she wrapped up her report.
She leaned back in her chair, exhaling sharply.
The thing with Gabriel still pressed her, but she couldn't afford to think about it now.
There were more urgent matters to attend to.
She grabbed her phone and texted Riot who was outside her office.
-Meet me outside at 5. We're going somewhere.-
Riot's response was instant.
-Finally, some excitement.-
Minutes later, they were in the car, Diane behind the wheel with Riot in the passenger seat.
The city lights blurred past them as she drove toward the outskirts, the more neighborhoods giving way to darker, seedier streets.
"Mind telling me where we're going?" Riot asked.
"You'll see," Diane replied in a tight voice.
Riot raised an eyebrow.
"You're being cryptic again. Should I be worried?"
Diane didn't answer, keeping her focus on the road.
After a long silence, she pulled the car to a stop in front of an old warehouse.
The building was in the shadows, with broken windows, and covered in graffiti.
A faint haze of cigarette smoke wafted from the entrance.
"This is it," Diane said, stepping out of the car.
Riot followed her, glancing around the dark, desolate area.
"Okay, this definitely doesn't scream 'safe.' Are you sure about this?"
Diane didn't respond, striding toward the entrance.
Riot muttered under his breath and followed her.
Inside, the air was full of smoke and the scent of alcohol.
Low lights flickered overhead, forming shadows across the room.
Men lounged around on battered sofas.
A few heads turned as Diane entered, their eyes narrowing immediately.
One man stood out from the rest, he had a tall figure with broad shoulders and dark brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail.
He stared at Diane as she approached, and a sly smile spread across his face.
"Well, well," he drawled in a smooth but mocking tone.
"What's a rabbit like you doing in a place like this?"
Diane squared her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated. "I'm here to see Micha," she said firmly.
The man chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You're looking at him. Now tell me, little rabbit, what could someone like you possibly want from someone like me?"
"I'm here to make a deal," Diane replied, looking back at him.
Micha raised an eyebrow, his smile widened.
"A deal, huh? This should be good. Go on, then. What's the rabbit got to offer?"
Diane took a step closer. "I'll pay you to cause chaos," she said bluntly.
The room grew quieter as the men around them began to listen in.
Micha tilted his head.
"Chaos? That's a pretty broad term. Care to elaborate?"
"I need you to hit one of Richard's operations," Diane said. "Make it messy. Make it loud. And make sure he knows it's personal."
Micha looked at her for a moment.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that," he said. "But why should I take this risk for you? What's in it for me?"
Diane reached into her bag and pulled out a thick envelope, tossing it onto the table in front of Micha.
He picked it up and flipped through the cash inside, his smile grew wider.
"This is just the start," Diane said. "There's more where that came from if you deliver."
Micha closed the envelope and leaned back, wrapping his hands around his chest.
"You're playing a dangerous game, rabbit. But I like your style. Consider it done."
Diane nodded, "Good. I'll be in touch."
As she turned to leave, Micha called out to her.
"Hey, rabbit," he said, playfully.
Diane paused, glancing back at him.
"Whatever you're up to," Micha continued, "you'd better hope it's worth the price. Because chaos has a funny way of coming back around."
Diane didn't respond, walking out of the warehouse with Riot close behind her.
"You care to explain what just happened in there?" Riot asked as they got back into the car.
"Not now," Diane said, starting the engine. "Just trust me."
Riot leaned back in his seat, watching her carefully.
"You're up to something big, aren't you?"
Diane's grip tightened on the steering wheel, focusing on the road ahead.
"Bigger than you can imagine," she murmured.
"What exactly?"
"I'm destroying a family."