Chapter 147: Oh, poor soul

Chapter 147: 147: Oh, poor soul

"You aren’t talking about the powerful syndicate that was recently established and has already begun threatening the supreme authority of the Mafia families, are you?" Dimitri demanded, his dark eyes narrowing into razor-sharp slits.

?Nova remained silent for a beat. "I didn’t expect it to gain such widespread notoriety so quickly," she thought dryly.

?"Of course it did," Anah’s mischievous voice echoed directly inside Nova’s mind. "The system doesn’t hand out low-stakes missions. Everyone in the underground is meant to fear your banner."

?"Little sister... you’re joking, right?" Malik asked, his casual playboy grin wavering for the first time.

?"I don’t joke about power," Nova replied calmly. "It is indeed mine, and I am the supreme leader." She shifted her icy blue gaze away from Malik, locking it firmly onto Dimitri.

?Dimitri’s strong brow furrowed as he wrestled with the gravity of her statement. A long, suffocating pause settled over the suite before his jaw hardened with resolve. "It’s fine then. Since you claim Black Dominion as your own, there is no reason left for me to hesitate."

?Nova’s lips curved into a subtle, triumphant smile. "Perfect," she murmured. "Draw up the formal transition contract."

?Dimitri shoot a brief glance at Malik, who gave a single, solemn nod. Malik stepped away toward the executive safe, returning moments later with a high-stakes corporate integration agreement. Setting it on the table between them, Malik signed his name without hesitation. Dimitri took the gold pen, added his flourish beneath Malik’s, and slid the documents across the polished wood to Nova.

?Nova’s sharp eyes scanned every clause, ensuring no hidden loopholes, traps, or sub-clauses undermined her ultimate authority. Satisfied, she picked up the pen and affixed her elegant signature to the parchment.

?"It is done. Keep a draft in your vault; I will summon it whenever necessary," Nova said, sliding the remaining papers toward Dimitri.

?Dimitri picked up the draft, studying the ink. "Now that you are officially our liege, you should at least favor me with your real name."

?Nova stood up, smoothing the front of her shirt with effortless elegance. "My real name? If someone close to me calls me by it in your presence, you will learn it then. But until that day..." She paused, flashing him a dangerously captivating smile beneath her mask. "...you may address me as Beauty."

?With that, she turned on her heel and glided out of the suite, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor before the heavy doors shut behind her.

?Dimitri stared blankly at the closed door for several seconds, a low exhale escaping his chest. "She certainly chose a fitting moniker," he murmured.

?Malik snapped his leather fan open, fanning himself slowly as he observed his partner. "Do you think she was bluffing about Black Dominion?" he asked, his playful posture giving way to genuine concern.

?"No," Dimitri replied, shaking his head firmly. "I cannot explain it, but I believe every word. A strange instinct tells me that aligning with her is the only way we survive the coming storm."

?Malik nodded in agreement, his curiosity lingering. "So, Dimitri... what do you think of our new liege? Is she your type?"

?"She is just a kid, Malik," Dimitri growled in annoyance, pouring himself another cup of tea.

?"Hardly," Malik teased, a wicked grin returning to his face. "She carries herself with the authority of an empress, her confidence is absolute, and more importantly... she matches your dark energy. Should I arrange a private dinner for the two of you?"

?Dimitri let out a dry smirk, shaking his head. "She matches my energy, sure. But you seem to have conveniently ignored the four Don signet rings on her fingers. She is already claimed—and wrapped in deep mystery."

?"That is what boggles my mind," Malik mused, scratching his chin. "If she is actually married to four different underworld sovereigns... how on earth does that arrangement even function?"

?"In complete, lethal secrecy," Dimitri answered flatly.

?"True," Malik conceded, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "So... why not make yourself her fifth?"

?Dimitri rolled his eyes at his friend’s absurdity. "I am going to take a shower." He grabbed the draft, turned, and disappeared into his private quarters.

?Left alone in the quiet suite, Malik continued to fan himself slowly. His playful smirk broadened, but his eyes remained sharp, calculating, and unreadable.

?"Beauty, huh..." he whispered into the empty room.

.....

?Night had fully claimed the city by the time Nova stepped out of the subterranean den into the damp, desolate alleyways. The streets were deathly quiet, illuminated only by the flickering glow of broken streetlamps.

?She walked with unhurried, measured steps, completely unbothered when five shadowy figures suddenly emerged from the darkness, encircling her. Each man wielded heavy iron pipes, switchblades, or spiked chains.

?Nova didn’t flinch. Her blue eyes casually swept over the ambushers, evaluating their postures with cold detachment.

?"Well, well. Look what we have here—a little foreign girl lost in the dark," the leader drawled, stepping forward with a filthy, booming laugh. "Running low on cash, sweetheart? Gambling will drain your pockets real fast. Why don’t you come with us? We can help you earn it all back real quick."

?"She’s a foreigner, boss," another thug chimed in with a sneer. "She probably doesn’t even speak English."

?"Ah, right. Doesn’t matter," the leader scoffed, swinging a heavy iron chain over his shoulder. "The client said she’s exceptionally beautiful, which makes her worth a hefty fortune. Let’s see if that face under the mask lives up to the hype." He took a menacing step toward her, reaching out a dirty hand.

?Nova blew lightly on her knuckles, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "Let me guess... Elena dispatched you foolish dogs, didn’t she?"

?The men froze, taken aback. "Wait... you speak fluent English?"

?Nova’s voice dropped to an icy, lethal register. "Only absolute fools assume every foreigner is ignorant of a global language."

?The leader snorted, recovering his bravado. "So what if you can talk? It just saves us the trouble of translating. Take off that mask and let me inspect the goods."

?Nova smiled—a terrifying, predatory expression. "Come and take it off yourself."

?The thug grinned, lunging forward with his dirty fingers outstretched to snatch her mask.

?CRACK!

?In a fraction of a second, Nova’s hand shot out like a striking viper. She seized his wrist with an iron grip and violently twisted it backward, shattering the bones in his forearm before he could even register her movement.

?"AGGGHHH!"

?The leader screamed at the top of his lungs, the excruciating sound tearing through the alley. But before the scream could fully leave his throat, Nova pivoted on her heel and drove a devastating whip-kick directly into his jaw.

?BANG!

?The force of the impact fractured his jawbone instantly, launching his heavy body through the air to crash brutally against the brick wall, where he crumpled into a motionless heap.

?Nova let out a soft, dark giggle, rolling her shoulders. "Ah... wonderful. It has been far too long since I properly stretched my fists." She raised two fingers, mocking them. "All of you, come at once. Let us end this quickly—it is well past my bedtime."

?The remaining four men exchanged terrified glances, their eyes darting from their broken leader to the small girl standing before them. Instinctive panic surged through them, forcing them to take a hesitant step back.

?"Do not be frightened," Nova assured them in a sweet, melodic voice that sent shivers down their spines. "It is merely a short moment of agony."

?"Brothers, jump her together!" one thug roared, trying to swallow his fear. "She’s just one girl—she can’t block all of us at once!"

?Empowered by desperation, the four thugs charged simultaneously, swinging their pipes and knives in a frenzy of violent intent.

?In the flash of an eye, a razor-sharp silver dagger materialized in Nova’s grip. She whirled through their ranks like a phantom, her movements becoming an impossible blur of lethality.

?She ducked beneath a swinging pipe, her blade darting out with terrifying precision. Slash. Thrust. Carve.

?The steel moved like a whisper of cold wind—clean, silent, and absolute. The assault didn’t even last thirty seconds. Nova emerged smoothly on the other side of the alley, coming to a graceful halt behind the frozen attackers.

?She casually flicked her wrist, sending a drop of blood flying off her silver dagger before the weapon vanished back into thin air.

?"Rest... in pieces," Nova whispered.

?A second later, a horrific symphony of sprays erupted. Deep arterial lacerations opened across the throats, chests, and vitals of all four men simultaneously. Blood sprayed into the night air as they collapsed like dominoes onto the cold asphalt, their eyes wide with unseeing horror as life completely drained from their bodies.

?Anah materialized in the air beside Nova, floating upside down with her arms crossed, looking at the pool of blood with mild amusement.

?"Mhm... at least they died with proper dramatic flair," Anah remarked cheerfully. "You seem to be in a particularly good mood tonight, Nova." With a casual wave of her ghostly hand, a flash of spectral light consumed the four corpses, disintegrating them into microscopic dust that vanished into the night breeze.

?"Indeed, I am," Nova replied cleanly, not bothering to cast a single glance backward at the sole surviving thug—the fifth man who had tried to attack her first, now lying paralyzed on the pavement, clutching his shattered jaw in silent, absolute terror.

?Anah hovered over the paralyzed survivor, who had fainted from sheer horror after witnessing his entire crew instantly turned to dust.

?"This is why you should not always charge first, dummy," Anah giggled. "You could have died quickly instead of waking up to live as a cripple. Oh, poor soul."

?With a wicked laugh, she vanished into thin air, leaving Nova to walk away into the quiet, starlit night.