The atmosphere at the Russo Bar and Casino was thick with the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Neon lights strobed across the dance floor where a crowd of revelers swayed to the DJ's music.
In the VIP lounge, Chaplain and his friends drank and smoked, surrounded by girls. Chaplain, at the center of the group, puffed on a cigarette, its crimson tip glowing with each drag. He pulled a girl close, sharing the smoke with a kiss. "Good job," he praised, and she blushed.
Jarod, one of Chaplain's friends, pushed two girls away and approached him. "Chaplain, I don't feel good about this," he said, his voice low with unease. "If Uriel finds out you sent those guys to attack Megara, he'll kill you."
Chaplain let out a mocking laugh. "Relax. My intel was correct; Uriel wouldn't be in school today," he boasted, patting Jarod's cheek. "Even if those boys are caught, there's no proof."
"What do you mean?" Jarod's eyes widened.
"I deleted the files and recordings from my phone and theirs," Chaplain said softly. "Everyone wants her gone. She's an open target. Relax and wait for the funeral."
"She didn't hit you; Uriel did," Jarod protested.
Chaplain's eyes narrowed. "She did hit me before that son of a bitch Uriel jumped in," he snarled, scaring the girls away. "I attacked Megara because she has no financial backing. Her dad is just some unemployed computer geek. What can he do to me?"
Jarod's fists clenched. "So you attacked her because she's weak?" he demanded, his voice rising.
"Yes, I did!" Chaplain admitted, taking another drag from his cigarette. "Did you want me to go after Uriel? Do you even want to survive? I had to get a nose reconstructive surgery because of him, but she's going to pay for it."
"Uriel isn't vain. He protected her to save face. He's very calculating," Jarod argued. "From what I heard, Megara and Uriel aren't even on good terms, so killing her would do him a favor."
Jarod grabbed Chaplain by the collar, pulling him to his feet. "You promised to only scare her! What's this about a funeral?"
Chaplain pushed Jarod away, then grabbed his waist and pulled him close. "Calm down, Jarod. Wait for the good news," he hissed into his ear. "If you don't want the school to know you're a faggot, shut up and get your act together."
He shoved Jarod away, who stumbled and then fled to the bathroom. Chaplain laughed, then settled back into his seat, imploring the others to continue drinking.
Suddenly, the music stopped. The crowd parted as Uriel entered, radiating an aura of pure rage. He wore a black leather jacket over a white polo, black leather joggers with a silver chain, and cowboy boots.
"Where is Chaplain Bonner?" he roared.
Everyone pointed to the VIP lounge. Uriel motioned to Pedro, who fired a warning shot into the air, causing the remaining patrons to flee in a panic.
Uriel locked eyes with Chaplain, who, despite his fear, wore a mocking smile. "Good to see you, young Jefferson," Chaplain greeted, extending a hand.
Uriel frowned. "I don't stick my hands in dirt."
Chaplain withdrew his hand. "To what do I owe this ominous visit? Are you here to ask me to withdraw the lawsuit? The ball isn't in my court."
Uriel grinned. "No, Chaplain, I'm not here to bargain. I'm here to make sure you stay behind bars. But before that, you'll get a thorough beating, a beating a piece of trash like you deserves."
"Why? I haven't done anything to offend you personally," Chaplain stammered.
Uriel scoffed, then crouched down, grabbing Chaplain's jaw. "Still playing dumb? You paid students to hurt Megara on my turf and thought I wouldn't find out? You even twisted the truth and accused her of hitting you when it was me. You were too scared to admit that because it would mean war with your family's financial backbone," Uriel roared, smashing a bottle over Chaplain's head.
"I didn't do any of that! You can't accuse me without proof," Chaplain cried, a trail of blood running down his head.
Uriel took out his phone and played a recording.
George, don't fail me. You must kill Megara, or I won't be able to guarantee what I might do to your rising family. Do it now, Uriel isn't in school.
Yes, sir! Uriel and Megara are on bad terms, killing her would be easy.
Do it clean. No evidence. Ten million will be sent to your account once the task is done.
Chaplain's eyes widened in horror. "I thought I deleted those files! How did you get them?" he asked frantically.
"Don't forget, my family owns half of the communication systems in the UK," Chris said, walking in with a stack of files. "Hacking your files was a piece of cake. Take a look for yourself. It's only a matter of time before you experience a change of scenery."
"Maybe behind bars," he suggested.
Chaplain laughed maniacally. "So what? Isn't Megara a peasant? Who wouldn't want to enjoy free stuff, especially with benefits?" he jabbed at Uriel's chest. "Don't worry, brother, I know she's a virgin. It's only a matter of time before she gives it to someone. Why can't I have it before he does?"
"You're also saving her for the same reason. It might be love, or she's part of your chess game," Chaplain said, noticing the change in Uriel's expression.
Uriel's anger boiled over. He slammed Chaplain onto the glass table, which shattered under the impact. Bloodied, Chaplain cried out as Uriel continued his assault. Uriel cleaned his knuckles with a handkerchief, then set it on fire, dropping the flaming cloth onto Chaplain's thighs.
"Ahhhhh! Uriel, you'll pay for this!" Chaplain screamed.
Uriel chuckled, stepping on Chaplain's thighs, causing more screams of pain. "You still think you have the right to speak to me? I think you should call your family members to see if they're better off than you are."
What do you mean?" Chaplain's eyes widened, his face pale with fear. He scooted backward on his butt.
Uriel's gaze narrowed, a cold smirk plastered on his face. His green eyes glinted in the light like a deadly weapon. "That's for you to find out," he said, turning to leave. He leaned in close to Pedro, whispering in his ear, "Make sure he and his family get what's coming to them. Be discreet."
Uriel and Chris exited the club, but Pedro and his colleagues stayed behind. They pounced on Chaplain, their fists connecting with his face again and again.
THE NEXT DAY, AT SCHOOL.
The school hallways were buzzing with whispers. Students huddled together, their hushed conversations filling the air with a tense energy. As Amaya, Tanya, and three other cheerleaders walked through the crowd, they couldn't help but wonder what was going on.
Amaya stopped, her friends following suit, and surveyed the gossiping students. "Tanya, what's going on? The hallway is more alive than usual," she said.
Tanya pulled out her phone and showed Amaya a picture of Megara in Uriel's arms. "Look, that bitch is all cuddled up with Uriel," Tanya spat, her hands clenched at her sides. "She's not only seduced Hugo, but now Uriel. It's unbelievable. I wish those boys had killed her before Uriel arrived."
"I wish that, too," Amaya admitted, her voice a low whisper. "But the police will find out, and it's only a matter of time before they discover we colluded with Chaplain to harm her. That cockroach always gets on my nerves."
As they continued down the hallway toward their classroom, they saw a group of students huddled together, who immediately scattered when they saw them approaching.
Amaya walked over to the group, her heels making a sharp, staccato rhythm. "What's going on?" she asked rudely, grabbing the arm of a timid-looking girl who refused to answer. "Are you deaf or daft? Choose one."
The girl gulped, her pupils dilating in fear. "It's the Bonner family," she stammered. "They've been bankrupted, and Chaplain was beaten into a coma. It's all over the news and the school forum."
Amaya and Tanya's eyes widened in shock, a cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads. "What? How could this be?" Amaya stuttered as Tanya placed a hand over her mouth.
"He paid some boys from our school to get rid of Megara," a boy said, his voice filled with disgust. "How could he stoop so low? The Bonner family was the fifth most powerful, worth 2.9 billion pounds, but Black Agate is worth 1.7 trillion. Messing with his daughter meant destroying him would be a piece of cake."
"I always knew Megara wasn't an ordinary girl," another girl remarked, her voice laced with pure hatred. "That's why she always acted so smug and arrogant, always playing the hero."
"Yeah, he got what was coming to him," another girl interjected, her voice curious. "But isn't Megara the daughter of Black Agate? Why does he keep standing up for her?"
Amaya's face darkened, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She and Tanya had also played a role in the assassination plot, and it was only a matter of time before they got what was in store for them.
"What if we've offended the daughter of Black Agate?" Tanya trembled, her voice low and fearful. "This means it's only a matter of time before he comes after our families, Amaya! What are we going to do?"
Amaya rolled her eyes angrily, shoving Tanya away. "Get a hold of yourself, Tanya. How could a poor country bumpkin like Megara be the daughter of Black Agate?" she scoffed. "She's a nobody. That beating was just a warning for offending Brianna and making us look like fools."
Tanya managed to get her acts together adjusting her stance and dressing. "Yeah it's just coincidence maybe chaplain and his silver tongue has just offended someone not knowing it's black agate. She suggested clicking her tongue. "Let's get ready for cheer practice first.
Pedro unbeknownst to the girls watched their exiting figure with caution before sauntering off. The reason for his actions unknown but it's outcome inevitable.