The Dragon Lady

The Dragon's Rage

I went back to Desilvia Corporation with a triumphant smile on my face. I entered the building and was just about to go to the elevator when someone bumped to me. I remained standing while the man fell backwards and hit his back on the wall. I looked at the man's scarred face and immediately recognized him.

"Mr. Marcus! I am very sorry. Here, let me help you up." I bent a little and helped him stand with an apologetic face.

"It's alright. It's my fault, and please do not call me Mr. I am just a part of the maintenance team, Mr. Loward." He said.

"Nonsense. You've been working here longer than I did. You deserve my respect." I looked at his face and was about to smile when I noticed his paleness.

"Are you quite well, Mr. Marcus? You seem pale."

"Oh, I'm alright. I just feel a little bit under the weather." He chuckled and plastered a fake smile on his face.

H faked a cough and said, "By the way, Mr. Loward, have you seen anyone new today? I uh... thought I've seen someone familiar." He said, trying to cover up his nervousness and failing.

"No. Why? Merrylia canceled all her appointments today so certainly there won't be any visitors."

" Oh is that so? Maybe I was just imagining, I should go now Mr. Loward. I thank you for your kindness." He walked away and pulled his cap lower, his feet thumping loudly through the lobby. I shook my head and entered the elevator and went straight to Merrylia's office. I knocked twice and entered.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Desilvia." I greeted her.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Loward. How did it go?" She asked as she crossed her legs and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"It's taken care of, Ma'am."

"Really? Even after you left the money I gave you? You have an excellent convincing skill, Mr. Loward. I doubt that you really did need that pen." She said and narrowed her eyes.

I wasn't able to stop myself from grinning and choked on my laugh.

"I'm very sorry for that, Ma'am. I just thought that it would be essential in pointing out the flaws that Mr. Gunderson made."

"Really? It must've worked a miracle considering how fast the footage disappeared." She stood up from her seat and took a key inside her drawer. She walked over to the connecting door on the left side of the office and opened it. I have never been inside that room. It was a mystery to me why she kept it locked for the longest time.

"Come with me, Mr. Loward."

I followed her inside the room without hesitation. When I closed the door, darkness enveloped us.

"Lights." After she said that, lights went on and the room was illuminated. On the center of the room, there was a table with folders and photographs. In front of it was a chart with Mr. Wilfred's face with arrows connecting to photographs of unfamiliar men.

"This is where I keep the informations I gather against Mr. Wilfred. I have many informants but the security on his house is really tight." She walked over to the table and picked up one folder and handed it to me. I went to her and grabbed it, carefully sliding my hand under the cover.

Inside is a picture of Mr. Wilfred in front of a coffee shop with armed men behind him. Beside him is an unfamiliar man, clad in black with deep set eyes. His masculine features said it all. This is man is a killer. His eyes held no remorse, it was empty and cold.

"Wait, this coffee shop seems familiar..." I said and brought the picture closer to my face. "It's the coffee shop a few blocks away from here."

"Yes, that's the one." Merrylia sat on a chair and steepled her fingers. She looked at me and gestured me to go on. I looked back at the picture and saw that it was dated three days before the ball last night.

"So he had us under surveillance before he hatched his plan? And who is this man?"

"It seems so, Mr. Loward. And the man beside him is one of the men he hired to kill me. His name is Ferdinand Hudson."

"Where is he now?" I asked and flipped the page.

"On my basement." Merrylia said and the folder slipped from my hands. My eyes widened and my mouth was agape.

"W-what basement?"

"The one that is 20 floors below you, Mr. Loward. That's where I kept him after last night." Merrylia said casually while twirling a fountain pen.

"You kept a man in the basement? Excuse me Ma'am but that is a very bad idea. Your putting your life at risk! What if someone comes down? The janitors? What would they say if someone sees-"

"Let me ask you a question, Mr. Loward. Have you ever been down the basement?" She asked, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"N-no." I answered shamefully.

"Ah. That's why you're saying that." She stood up and went to the computer on the corner of the room. She typed and command and motioned me to come closer. I went to her and looked at the monitor. It was showing a footage with the word basement on top of the screen.

Inside, men are standing fully armed in the wide basement. They were stationed in a way that they would see everything inside the room with their guns pointed at the floor, facing the door. I immediately understood why she kept him there. It was a controlled space where they could see anyone who comes in and make it hard for them to go out. Jackson's wide shoulders and muscled arms made it easier for me to distinguish him, standing close near the elevator. In the middle of the room, a man is tied to a chair and blindfolded with a light on top of his head.

"Didn't we catch two men?"

"Yes we did." Merrylia leaned into her chair and looked up to me. The sides of her lips were raised almost imperceptibly as if trying to stop a grin.

"He was hard to crack and his lips were sown shut so I decided that I need to take the matters to my own hands." It took me sometime before I understood what she said and when I did, my eyes went wider than I had ever known it can do. I coughed and looked down at my feet.

"Well, how was it?"

"So far so good." She stood up from her seat and went to the file cabinet and started searching.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by her answer.

"Let's just say that the man talked more than I expected him to."

"How did you make him talk?"

She looked at me through hooded eyes and a chill ran down my spine. "Do you really want to know?"

The look in her eyes were ruthless and cruel and her face went hard. Her hands were still inside the cabinet and both of us wasn't moving. The room went quiet and cold. The expression on her face was promising total destruction to those who dared to disobey her. I looked away from her and shook my head.

"Not really, I can just assume that it was very effective."

More effective than those I thought of.

"Indeed it was, Mr. Loward. The time we have is short and it saved me some time. Mr. Wilfred is planning something. I need to be prepared." She took a file and slammed it on the table, rage burning in her dark eyes. I went over to the table and opened the file. Inside was a picture of Mr. Wilfred, talking to a man in a maintenance uniform.

"That man seems familiar." I looked at his clothes and saw an imprint on the left side of his chest stating 'Desilvia Corporation'. I squinted and looked at the man closely. I had definitely met this man. I held it closer to my face and saw a tiny hint of scar on his face.