HATE OR LOVE: Devils In Obsession

Pick.

Eve.

My eyes were glued to the vanity's mirror, admiring his handiwork on me... my body.

On my left cheekbone was a unique small tattoo made by Flavian, his signature. He marked my face with his signature, and unless someone notices it, it'll just appear as a normal new calligraphy tattoo I got.

God, this man, he turned into the devil for sure. Shall I go to church and give testimony on how I was almost possessed by the devil but didn't succumb?

I must say I'm quite surprised, thrilled, even. He's obsessed now, and this is only the beginning. I'm sure in his point of view he thinks I'm his little puppet, little did he know I have him wrapped around my fingers now.

It's been a couple of hours since he left to go back to his family, leaving me with nothing but a note.

—I'll be back. Try not to stir up trouble, and don't make a mess. Don't marry Percy.—

Oh no, there's a lot of 'don'ts' Oh my, I'm afraid. I should be, but I'm not.

KNOCK**

KNOCK**

Perfect timing, I put on my robe and strolled to the door, Crandon's face appeared in the peephole, and I opened the door without hesitation.

"You got my clothes?"

"Yes," he responded, in a befuddled tone, eyes narrowing at my cheek as he raised the shopping bags to me. I took them, nodding as I checked the packages inside exactly the clothes I'd told him to get.

Thanks to Flavian the beast, the clothes I wore coming in were now reduced to rags... he tore them off me the second we got intimate.

"Come in," I smiled at Crandon, leaving the door to change in the walk-in closet.

Five minutes later, I stepped out clad in a pencil knee-length, sleeveless gown with a square neckline. The only thing left to properly fit me into the dress was a zip-up.

I walked up to Crandon, who stood by the door like a guard, and turned my back to him deliberately, one arm clothed in gauze, the other stiff from last night's... exercise.

Then again, I could have managed to zip myself up regardless of the pain, but Crandon would be the first one I'd be showing that tattoo to deliberately, to show off, of course.

He saw it, he couldn't stop seeing it.

Either my back was too sexy or the tattoo was too shocking, because his zipping was annoyingly sluggish.

"Won't you ask me how I got the tattoo?" I flashed him a half smirk as I turned slightly to catch his facial reaction.

"I believe... that... actually—"

Oh my, I had Crandon stutter. Well, that's something to celebrate, the corners of my lips arched into a full smirk.

"The bloody devil..." He read the words off my back in a whisper.

"was... was it Flavian?"

"My own step-uncle, huh? Why would it be him?" I pouted, scowling. I was testing how obvious the existence of this casual affair was. If it was that obvious, then... I'll have to end it.

"He is the bloody devil, ain't he?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. But that's not my question, Crandon, the question is..."won't you ask me how I got the tattoo? "

"How did you get it... when did you get it?"

I chuckled.

"Last night. Yeah, I had a night with the devil. Oh, not the bloody devil." I winked at his clueless expression, then turned serious. "How are... Sydney and Alan?"

I rose to my feet after putting on my stiletto heels. Time to head to the mad house... my mad cousin is waiting, can't let him wait longer now.

"Sydney has been admitted to the hospital. Alan is in school as we speak. The school principal has been taken hostage at the mad house."

"Perfect. I'll appoint another sensible one after dealing with this one."

"...mm" Crandon fidgeted as he unlocked the door for me. What's with the unease in his demeanor? That's unusual of him. "Say it. I've told you, if you have words for me, say it. Don't make me ask for it."

"What are you going to do... to the principal... to your cousin, Eric?" His voice was measured, and he barely made eye contact.

He makes me feel intimidating... Am I?These days it's as if everyone is constantly selective about how they speak to me. Very manipulative, I don't like it.

"The fate of the principal and those useless school authorities lies with my brothers and sisters. The fate of Eric—" I paused at the doorway "—his fate is in his hands."

And that was the truth. He shall be given the choice to pick how he's disciplined.

Chances like that are rare as a blood moon. But I am Eve, Eve Waldorf, the boss... his cousin. For the sake of my dear aunty, whom I still struggle to see in a good light, I will be gentle with her son, I promise.

Crandon escorted me to my car, even after I got in and the car has started moving I looked behind only to find him still standing like a soldier, watching the car... or watching me.

The mad house has a large base divided into two. The first base was surface level, located at the edge of the island, far from the residential area, more like a small town of a secret society. The secondary was underground, where I was headed now.

My face was covered with in a blue mask, my mask. The first rule of heading into mad house territory is to be masked. This rule is strict for people managing and accessing the lower base, underground, because that's where the main events take place. The masking is about secrecy and staying anonymous. The masks are designed differently too, while they are custom made to the taste of its user, what they all have in common is voice mutilators.

A roar startled my steps when I stepped into a pitch black narrow hallway leading to the jail room where Eric was locked up.

Yes, I forgot to mention that part of this base was an asylum.

Now I'm wondering why Cedric and Cassandra would lock him up here—

ROAR*

What wild animal did they lock up here—

Ahh... f**k.

Whiskers appeared... then a head... of a cat... a big furry cat with yellow and black fur.

Then Cassie's silhouette trailed behind the animal, now marching toward me, growling.

I shifted my touch light off the cat to spotlight it on Cassie unmasked face only to see a malicious smirk spread across her lips.

"You motherfucker! How many times do I have to tell you... No f*****g pets are allowed under here!"

The f*****g tiger growled as it made its predatory rounds on me. Knowing what it was after, I squatted down and gave the aggressive tiger a head pat, calming it down.

"Where is he?" I asked Cassie as I started making my way forward with her and her pet tiger trailing behind me. I'll have to remind them to fix lights in this corridors... It's eerily dark and quiet.

"Last room at the end of the hall, on the left."

I cut a corner to the left and made it to the room. The door was nothing but long vertical bars, like a cage. Cassie partially pulled down her yellow mask but her crimson lips were left exposed, she came forward and unlocked the bar door after I had my eager peek at Eric.

"Hope you slept well, because I didn't."

"You're f*****g disgusting..."

I merely stepped out of the way when he spat in my direction, only for the spit to hit Cassie's tiger with anger issues.

The tiger pounced on Eric in a fluid motion, intent on ripping him apart.

"Casper! Boy, off him! Now!!" Cassandra commanded in her real voice, whistling in the way that was familiar to Casper, calming him enough to tame him.

The tiger roared intensely in Eric's face before backing off smoothly, leaving Eric shivering like he'd almost had a heart attack.

Fuck this...

Part of me actually wanted to see that tiger in action, tearing Eric apart limb by limb, but Cassandra just had to be the goddamn peacemaker. I wasn't complaining though, she did the right thing, taming her tiger. It's the only one of hers with the serious anger issues, the other, named Sandy, was rather shy.

The only wild animal I could ever tame was a monkey. And even that died by my own doing.

"On your feet, or I'll let that tiger have you as its meal..."

Good, he didn't need persuading, he scrambled to his feet the second I started talking.

"Now come with me. You've got to pick."

"Pick what?"

I exchanged a meaningful glance with Cassandra who's mask was fully down now. I knew she had the same grin I had on my lips right now.

"Pick your torment," Cassie responded.