Chapter 146:I admire your suicidal confidence

Chapter 146: 146:I admire your suicidal confidence

Malik raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise before letting out a low, appreciative laugh. "You truly are something else, little sister. Sharp eyes to match a lethal sharp tongue. But a bet is a bet. I lost, so follow me."

?Nova gave a subtle nod. Malik turned and led her away from the central floor toward a private, heavily guarded staircase. Behind them, the subterranean gambling hall instantly burst back into its usual roaring tide of screams, bets, and high-stakes chaos.

?At the end of an upper-level, soundproofed corridor, Malik pushed open a thick mahogany door into an opulent executive suite.

?"Dimitri," Malik announced, stepping inside and gesturing toward a plush velvet armchair for Nova to sit. "A mysterious little sister insists on seeing you."

?From the inner room stepped a towering figure. Built like a fortress, shirtless, with a lethal, muscular frame carved from years of violence, his skin was adorned with subtle dark ink. His hair was long, pitch-black, and hit his collarbones, matching eyes that burned with absolute, unyielding darkness.

?Dimitri’s lethal gaze swept over Nova, who took her seat with fluid, effortless grace. His brows knitted into a tight, displeased scowl as he turned his glare onto Malik.

?"What is a little girl doing in my private quarters?" he demanded, his deep voice carrying a gravelly, dangerous edge.

?Nova rested her cheek against her hand, her blue eyes scanning his imposing physique without a trace of fear. "Do you always judge an opponent’s threat level by their physical mass?" she asked casually.

?Dimitri’s jaw tightened. "How old are you?"

?"Eighteen," Nova replied flatly.

?Dimitri let out a heavy, irritated sigh. Striding across the room, he sat on the leather sofa opposite her, unbothered by his bare chest, and poured himself a cup of dark tea. "Why are you here? Speak quickly."

?Malik pulled out a third chair, seating himself beside them, fanning himself lazily as he prepared to watch the entertainment.

?Nova looked at both men, her tone dropping into a cool, matter-of-fact register. "I am here to offer you a choice. Submit your entire syndicate and this gambling house under my organization. You retain your daily authority and profits, but your ultimate allegiance belongs to me. That is all."

?The silence in the room became heavy and suffocating. Malik stopped fanning himself mid-motion, and Dimitri froze, cup halfway to his lips. Both men stared at Nova as if she had suddenly spoken in a dead language.

?"Do you have any idea what you just asked?" Dimitri asked, a dangerous, mocking smirk twisting his lips. "Years of blood, sweat, and underground warfare... and you expect me to hand my life’s work over to an eighteen-year-old stranger? Are you insane, little girl?"

?Malik chuckled softly, resuming his fanning, though his dark eyes remained acutely sharp.

?Nova didn’t flinch. She leaned back, playing absently with her fingers. "I prefer not to use force. Trust me when I say that if I choose violence, you will be utterly helpless to stop it." She blew lightly on her manicured nails, her tone maddeningly serene. "Besides, yielding to me is a mercy. Haven’t you been drowning in severe operational troubles lately?"

?Dimitri’s smirk turned icy. "So what if we are facing minor difficulties? What powerful faction doesn’t? Run along home, kid. You are far too young for this world and you understand nothing—though I admire your suicidal confidence."

?Nova smiled—a cold, beautiful expression that didn’t reach her eyes. "Are you entirely certain you want me to walk out that door?" she asked softly. "I do not have the habit of letting go of things I desire. If I cannot possess something... I simply destroy it."

?The second the word destroy left her lips, the high-tech security panel on the wall violently short-circuited.

?BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

?Blaring, high-frequency lockdown sirens suddenly ruptured the silence, shattering the suite’s tranquility. Blood-red emergency strobe lights flared to life, casting demonic shadows across the walls.

?Dimitri and Malik sprang to their feet in an instant, horror written across their features.

?"What the hell is happening?!" Dimitri roared, reaching for the concealed firearm beneath his desk to push toward the security hub.

?"This is merely a gentle demonstration," Nova’s voice cut through the blaring sirens, utterly calm, firm, and terrifyingly clear. "If you reject me one more time, the fail-safe explosive charges wired throughout your foundation will detonate. Once this hall turns to ash, it won’t matter whether you yield or not—I will still take control of the territory. It will simply cost a few thousand lives and I don’t care."

?Dimitri’s breath hitched in his throat. He stared at Nova, then down at her left hand resting casually on the chair’s armrest. Her fingers were adorned with four distinct, ultra-exclusive Mafia Don signet rings.

?A cold sweat broke out across his neck. He shot a frantic glance at Malik, who slowly shook his head in complete, terrified surrender. Malik knew—the girl wasn’t bluffing.

?"If... if we hand authority over to you," Dimitri forced out, his chest heaving, "what happens next?"

?The moment he spoke those words, the deafening sirens instantly vanished. The red strobe lights died, and the warm, ambient light of the chandelier restored itself as if the breach had never occurred.

?Nova offered them a radiant, breathtaking smile. "You continue managing your operations exactly as you do now. I will simply provide high-level strategic intelligence, military backing, and resources whenever you require them."

?Dimitri clamped his jaw shut, staring at her intensely. "You aren’t Australian. Aside from being a complete stranger, you are a foreigner. Why should I place my empire’s trust in you?"

?"You truly ask too many unnecessary questions," Nova murmured with a faint sigh. Reaching up with one slender hand, she unhooked the straps of her black face mask, letting it fall.

?The complete reveal of her face stole the remaining air from the room.

?Unveiled, her features possessed an ethereal, dangerous, and utterly unreal perfection. Her crystalline blue eyes shone beneath the chandelier light, framed by delicate, porcelain skin and dark, cascading hair.

?Malik’s jaw dropped slightly, his eyes widening in uncharacteristic shock. "I knew her eyes were special, but... this level of beauty is downright inhuman," he thought, temporarily speechless.

?Dimitri froze, his pulse spiking as he stared at her. Unable to maintain eye contact with her overwhelming presence, he forcefully averted his gaze, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Put... put your mask back on."

?Nova chuckled softly, sliding the black mask back on.

?"Little sister... you are genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime beauty," Malik admitted, shaking his head as he recovered his composure.

?"I am aware," Nova replied flatly, her tone stating it as an unshakeable fact rather than a boast.

?Malik’s playful smile returned, curiosity getting the better of him. "Tell me... do you have a boyfriend?"

?Nova shifted her cold gaze onto him. Without uttering a word, she raised her left hand, letting the four massive, power-infused signet rings glint dangerously in the light.

?Malik’s smile froze completely. His eyes darted between the four distinct rings. "Little sister... don’t tell me... are you married? Are those rings..."

?"You are not as dense as you appear," Nova remarked coolly.

?Malik was completely floored. "Hold on, that makes no sense! Just how many Mafia Dons did you marry?!"

?"Malik. Enough," Dimitri snapped, his deep voice cutting in to prevent his friend from digging them into a deeper hole. He turned back to Nova, his tone dropping all remaining arrogance, replaced by absolute, solemn seriousness.

?"Your organization," Dimitri began, leaning forward. "What is its name? If this is some fledgling, low-tier gang with no real bite, we are going to have a much longer problem."

?Nova’s lips curved into a sharp, lethal smirk beneath her mask. "It is brand new, yes," she murmured smoothly. "But its bite is already lethal. The name is Black Dominion."

?"Black Dominion..."

?The name echoed through the soundproofed suite like a thunderclap. Both Dimitri and Malik froze in place, exchange of sheer, unadulterated shock passing between them as the weight of her words settled into their bones.