"No punching," Hades said, as though issuing some grand moral decree, puffing another string of smoke.
Alice's nose twitched dangerously at the thick cigar smoke wafting around her. She struggled not to sneeze—one sneeze and her Oscar-worthy fainting act would be ruined. But honestly, maybe it was time to end this nonsense. Her curfew was approaching, and judging by the absurdity of these men, it was only a matter of time before they made an even dumber decision.
"We should pour water on her," Gavin suggested, his tone grave like he was proposing a groundbreaking idea.
"No," Milo protested immediately, waving a hand like he was the voice of reason. "That'll just make her angry when she wakes up."
Rowan sighed like an old sage burdened with the wisdom of the ages. "Milo, everything makes women angry when they wake up."
Milo scratched his head. "That's true... Clarrise, for example."
The two suddenly chuckled, clearly having a brotherly bonding moment over shared experiences with irate women.
Alice stared blankly behind her closed eyelids. From almost punching each other to laughing about Clarisse— whomever she was to them? What was this? Male bonding hour?
And Hades? He was just sitting there. He didn't look remotely interested in intervening. He looked like a man waiting for something. And she had a solid suspicion that he must be waiting for her to humiliate herself.
"Enough!" Gavin said in a powerful voice, making the other two men shut up. He seemed very impatient as he said, "Boss, please give us instructions on how to discard this little person."
Alice's jaw clenched. Dis—card??
Little person?
Seriously, what was wrong with Gavin?
He seemed even more psychopathic than Hades.
He was impatient and reckless. She had to avoid him like her life depended on it.
Gavin looked thoughtful, like he was genuinely considering options. "I think the bucket of water idea you suggested is the most practical option," Milo suggested, looking at Gavin.
A bucket of water?! What was this—an amateur baptism?
She barely suppressed a groan. Two votes for water now. If this went to a third vote, democracy was going to end her.
Then, to her utter horror, Hades finally rose from his seat, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. His voice was steady and calm as he said, "That's inappropriate."
Alice nearly fainted for real.
She had never thought she would agree with him on anything, but for once, he sounded reasonable. Finally, some sanity—
"Throw her into the pool instead," Hades finished.
Her heart plummeted faster than her faith in humanity.
The men paused for a moment before Rowan's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Very smart, Boss."
"Brilliant idea," Gavin agreed, nodding solemnly like Hades had just solved the biggest challenge in the world.
"Let's move," Rowan declared, already reaching for her limp form.
WHAT?!
Panic gripped Alice, and before she could stop herself, a frightened groan escaped her lips. The sound made all three men freeze in their tracks.
Silence.
It had come to this. She only had to see it through until the end.
Then slowly, her eyes fluttered open. She blinked at them with the most dazed, pathetic expression she could muster. "W-Where... am I?" she whispered weakly.
Milo pushed Rowan aside to peer his head inside the car, looking at her like she was a specimen under a microscope. "Ah! You lost your memory, little miss?"
Alice stared up at him, momentarily distracted by the sheer chaos of his outfit. It wasn't just bad—it was a visual assault. The clashing colors and patterns were so blinding it looked like someone had spilled an entire art supply store on him.
This... this was the man calling himself fashionable?
Rowan snorted from the back. "You really did traumatize her so badly she lost her memory, didn't you, Milo?"
Milo's head snapped toward him, eyes blazing. "Watch it, you barbarian!"
Alice warily eyed the three them. She couldn't bring herself to look in Hades direction. Henry had thankfully put the cigar away.
Psychopaths—the lot of them. How had her life spiraled into this mess?
Milo leaned in even closer, waving a whole hand in front of her face like he was testing for consciousness. "How many fingers do you see?"
She considered pretending to be blind. Maybe that would buy her some sympathy. "Five...?" she answered hesitantly.
He hummed, looking pleased with himself, as though she'd passed some IQ test. "What was the last thing you remember?"
Was this a twisted psychological exam?
Alice blinked rapidly, summoning every ounce of her inner soap-opera actress. "I... I was taking a stroll," she whispered, her voice trembling. "And... and I was chased by a dog. I went into a steakhouse to freshen up, and then..." She winced, pressing a hand to her temple like the memory was physically painful. "I don't remember what happened next." Her eyes shimmered convincingly with faux tears.
"That's all?" Hades voice cut in as he stepped forward while Rowan quickly stepped away to the side.
No.
She didn't want to deal directly with him.
Alice nodded frantically, doing her best to look like a delicate, trembling lamb. "That's all," she lied.
But his eyes gleamed under the dim light, sharp and knowing. He wasn't buying a single word. She knew it, and worse, he knew she knew it.
As for the other three idiots, she had no idea whether they were genuinely that clueless or just playing along.
Before she could react, Hades's hand shot to the back of her head, grabbing a fistful of her hair. Her breath hitched as he tilted her head up, forcing her to meet his gaze.
Fear shot through her as she looked at him, wide-eyed.
"I won't indulge you next time," he said softly, voice dripping with menace.
Her heart slammed against her ribs, panic searing through her.
He... wasn't going to hurt her, would he?
He released her hair abruptly and stepped back, looking at her.
"Run."
That was the only word he said.
She didn't need to be told twice.
With a panicked yelp, she bolted out of the car, almost hitting her head against the roof.
She spun on her heels, arms flailing wildly as though possessed. She briefly realized she was running in the opposite direction and turned, racing back chaotically.
Meanwhile, the men just watched her frenzied escape with a straight face.
Milo broke the silence, his voice awkward. "Uhm... Boss?"
Hades's expression remained impassive.
Milo cleared his throat. "You do remember that the mission was to make her fall for you, right?"
"I think she may literally fall if she continues running like that," Rowan added sarcastically, and the two men chuckled in amusement.
By that point, Alice was already a distant, flailing blur in the night, tripping spectacularly over her own feet as she disappeared.