Kiss the Serpent's Fangs

Chapter 8 The Counterattack

Theo had to admit, Willow's offer was tempting.

Forget the favor from Scorpius Syndicate—just the thought of irritating Julian was enough to make him grin.

"Sure," he said, a sly smile curling his lips. "But I don't want the Syndicate to do me a favor. I want you, personally, to promise me something in return."

On the border, having Scorpius Syndicate backing him up meant there was no task too difficult.

But having Willow, their leader, step in herself? That was far more valuable.

Willow's lips curved into a dangerously enticing smile. "Deal."

With that, she strode back into the main hall.

Seraphina and her entourage were clustered nearby, and as Willow approached, Seraphina's expression shifted into one of smug defiance. She stared Willow down, silently daring her to make a move.

What could she do, anyway? Tell Julian? Seraphina wasn't worried. Her family had business ties with his. Julian wouldn't jeopardize that over some fleeting relationship.

He never had before, and that confidence fueled her arrogance.

As Willow drew closer, Seraphina prepared to throw out another biting insult, only for her thoughts to be interrupted by the splash of cold wine across her face.

The crowd around them froze in shock as Willow nonchalantly tossed the empty glass aside, stepping closer to deliver a sharp slap across Seraphina's cheek.

Staggering back, Seraphina clutched her face, her voice shrill with disbelief. "Did you just hit me?!"

Willow didn't respond. Instead, she seized the moment, grabbing Seraphina by the shoulders and delivering two more crisp slaps, one to each cheek. The sharp sound echoed through the room, breaking the stunned silence.

By then, the other women in Seraphina's group had scrambled to intervene, but Willow wasn't about to back down.

Three years on the border had taught her how to handle herself.

While one hand kept a firm grip on Seraphina's hair, her free hand and legs delivered well-placed jabs to the others—small, precise hits to sensitive spots that wouldn't leave marks but were enough to send them reeling.

The scene quickly devolved into chaos. A growing crowd watched as Seraphina's friends stumbled and yelped, falling away as though Willow had barely touched them.

The commotion soon drew the attention of security and bodyguards, who rushed in to separate the women.

Willow, ever calculating, didn't resist when the guards pulled her aside.

She knew better than to display any skills that might raise questions about her past.

If Julian started digging into her background, the last thing she wanted was for him to uncover the truth.

Seraphina, with a guard's help, managed to stand upright, though her makeup was smeared, and her hair was in disarray.

"You b***h!" she hissed, glaring at Willow. "How dare you hit me? Who do you think you are? I'll make sure you regret this!"

As she lunged toward Willow, convinced she could land a hit now that the guards were holding her rival back, someone grabbed her wrist.

"My, my, such violence doesn't suit a beautiful lady," Theo said, his tone dripping with mockery as he swung Seraphina backward, sending her stumbling into the arms of her bodyguards.

Seraphina glared at him, her voice trembling with rage. "Theo Beaumont? What does this have to do with you? Since when are Julian's women under your protection?"

Theo shrugged, casually brushing invisible lint off his sleeve.

"What can I say? Protecting his girl seems like an excellent way to make him owe me one."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and landed a quick, clean punch to the guard restraining Willow, sending him crumpling to the floor.

Theo then turned back to Seraphina, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

Seraphina fumed, her hands clenched at her sides, but there was nothing she could do.

Gnashing her teeth, she spat out a parting threat. "You just wait!"

She limped away, her pride clearly more wounded than her body. Theo smirked as he watched her retreat and then turned his attention to Willow.

"Well, miss," he drawled, a glint of amusement in his eyes, "since I went out of my way to save you, don't you think Mr. Lennox owes me a little thank-you gift?"

Willow gave him a polite nod, feigning ignorance. "Thank you," she said curtly before turning on her heel and walking away.

It wasn't that she disliked Theo. She simply had no patience for him.

As Willow had predicted, Seraphina's attempt to escalate the matter ended in her father scolding her.

Business came first, and neither Seraphina's father nor Julian would risk a profitable partnership over her tantrum.

Seraphina had grown accustomed to getting her way, but Willow wasn't like the other women she'd bullied. That much was clear now.

The rest of the evening passed quietly.

No one dared approach Willow, and she used the time to mentally catalog the information she'd gathered about everyone present.

It wasn't until Julian finally came downstairs, his business concluded, that the tension returned.

His gaze landed on Willow, taking in her wine-stained dress. His brow furrowed.

"Did someone give you trouble?"

Julian had a guess—this wasn't the first time something like this had happened—but he waited for her to answer.

Willow smiled bravely, though her voice carried a slight tremor, as if she were trying to mask her vulnerability. "It's nothing. I already handled it."

Julian didn't know why, but the sight of her pretending to be strong stirred something unfamiliar in him. His past lovers had always run to him with their problems, and he'd found it tiresome.

But this—her quiet resilience—made him feel an unfamiliar pang of guilt.

"Who was it?" he asked softly. "Didn't you say you count on me? Why not tell me when someone hurts you?"

Before Willow could play her part any further, Theo sauntered over, his voice cutting through the moment.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Lennox!"

Julian shrugged off his jacket, draping it over Willow's shoulders as he turned to face Theo, his expression frosty.

"Don't be so cold," Theo said, smirking. "Your little kitten was being bullied, and I stepped in to help. Surely you're grateful, right?"

Willow clenched her fists beneath the jacket, her composure threatening to c***k.

Theo, of all people, couldn't resist stirring the pot after everything had settled.

But her face remained impassive.

Theo, however, wasn't finished.

Their deal had been for him to clean up her mess—not to stay silent. And provoking Julian? That wasn't part of the agreement.