Twin From Hell

The deal

I had to give credit where it was due-the chef was exceptional. I expected nothing less from someone employed in such an upscale mansion. He clearly knew how to earn his keep.

As the phone continued to ring, I chose to ignore it. She couldn't wait. I expected her to keep playing hard to get.

I had unplugged the TV on purpose. I didn't like surprises.

A sharp, polite knock sounded at the door. I didn't bother to look up, I knew exactly who it was.

The door opened silently not long after, and the other bodyguard, who hadn't said much earlier, walked in.

Without wasting time, he offered me his phone but kept his head lowered. "You have a call." He stepped back out after handing over the phone, and I was left staring at the screen, which displayed a sour-faced Reign. "I guess my little demonstration didn't teach you a thing."

Amused, I smiled softly at her scowling expression. "Oh, it certainly did. You're powerful-I'm not. I don't have time to play games with you, especially considering how unhinged you've proven to be, disregarding the lives of others just to force my hand. So, I've decided to give in and wrap this up. The faster I close this chapter, the sooner I can get back to living my life." For a brief moment, she looked taken aback, clearly expecting more resistance. But she quickly masked her emotions with a sarcastic smile, unwilling to let me in on her thoughts.

Silence fell between us, only broken by the sound of me eating.

I suppose my nonchalance annoyed her, as she finally broke the silence. "I beg to differ. You don't look threatened at all. Anyone could mistake you for a tourist here on vacation. What? Your measly income from those little... sweatshops you run can't keep you fed?" She spat the words 'sweatshops' out, as if they left a foul taste in her mouth.

I couldn't help but sigh. How could someone so vile even exist, and how could someone stand living with such a character?

And yes, I was referring to her husband. The thought of someone so tasteless and brainless touching me made me want to hit someone.

"You sure you want to provoke me?" I asked casually between bites.

She clicked her tongue, visibly annoyed. "Not in the mood for chit chat, are we? Let's get down to business. You surely aren't going to be doing this out of the goodness of your heart, so state your terms, and we'll proceed from there."

My eyebrows raised, surprised at her quick concession. She must have been more desperate than I initially thought. I definitely needed to meet her husband, he just might surprise me.

"I like talking to smart people," I said, a smile breaking across my face as I set my food aside. "12 million dollars and a detailed contract-you can't really blame me for being cautious." She snorted but wisely opted for silence. Good choice, she was learning. "I won't tolerate your little show at my gym. Everyone you hurt to prove your point deserves compensation. And those goons lurking around? Call them off. I'm no bird in a cage, they won't be able to keep me here if I decide to leave. Got it?" My tone left no room for debate, she had no option but to comply.

"That's quite a list of demands, little girl. You've gotten smarter." Her attempt at condescension fell flat. She would do better as an actress, with all her theatrics, she wouldn't even need a script.

"Do you really think you have a choice?" I stated the obvious. My demands might seem steep, but they were quite reasonable. In our world, anything solvable by money is trivial at best.

"I guess not. About that contract-"

"A contract or nothing Reign, don't play me, and before I forget, that money must be sent to me from YOUR account, with a description and everything clearly spelled out." I raised the phone to eye level, my gaze boring into hers. She needed to know I was dead serious.

We both stared at each other silently for a good while before she broke into a soft wistful smile, she looked defeated, a look meant to lower my defenses, but I was used to her mind tricks, I wasn't budging, when she saw that wasn't going to work, she sighed. "Done... And Raine, don't play tricks under my nose, those guards will be gone by tomorrow but make no mistake, I'm watching, if you try anything silly, I'm going to trample everything you've built these years into the dirt, and nothing, not even ash will remain." Reign's tone was devoid of any emotion. She meant it.

I supressed the urge to snort derisively, she didn't faze me, she might have caught me off guard earlier, but she definitely wasn't going to succeed a second time.

I ended the call, we had nothing more to say to each other.

I flung the phone aside, this time aiming for the floor, it's owner could undoubtedly afford a new one.

I look back at my food, touching my stomach. I had no appetite.

Talking to Reign had stripped away the little I had left.

A bath was just what I needed.

I had to get out of these clothes. The fact that this outfit belonged to her made my skin crawl.

I hurriedly made my way to the bathroom, my phone in hand, my eyes immediately zeroed in on the jacuzzi as I slipped in. I expected nothing less. Even the thought of it belonging to her couldn't put me off.

Call me a hypocrite, but I loved a good soak. It usually helped calm my racing thoughts.

I quickly prepped the bath, pouring in some essential oil I found lying around, and even went the extra mile by scattering rose petals on the water's surface. I planned to take a turn in the Jacuzzi after my bath.

I tossed aside my clothing and slid into the steaming bath, sighing in relief as I submerged myself.

This felt like heaven.

I leaned back as I soaked in the bath, letting my muscles relax, but my thoughts remained elusive.

A plan brewed within.

Reign might think she had won, but this was just the beginning.

I was going to make her regret ever dragging me into her life.

I picked up my phone from the side, my fingers slid on the screen as I typed out a message to an unsaved number on my phone.

'Do it.' Two harmless words, so many possibilities.

I deleted both the message and the number after everything, leaving no trace.

Closing my eyes, my thoughts slowly drifted all over the place as a long lost sense of peace settled over me.

But I knew, it was just the calm before the storm, and what a storm it was going to be.

I hope Reign was ready!