Velora
Death was inevitable tonight, and she was the force making it so.
The evening air at the rooftop bar carried a blend of the city's energy and quietness. Just how she liked it. Soft breeze brushed against her skin, cool and weightless like a whisper. The faint scent of cigars and premium liquor danced around. The hum of traffic below mixed with the low ambient music played.
She crossed her legs, her silk dress sliding over her thigh, as she waited. He was late. Men like him always were. They liked to believe time bent for them, that the world would pause until they arrived. Those were the kind of men she liked. The arrogant ones that kept people waiting all the time.
One hour. She didn't bother checking the time. He was an hour late but she wasn't complaining. From her peripheral vision, she saw a figure waltzing in her direction and instantly knew he was the one. Men like him always walked with so much arrogance and confidence. Not for long though, she thought to herself with a small smirk. Marcello was his name.
He took a seat in front of her. His dark suit blended easily into the background, clean, sharp and of high quality. One glance and she had him figured out. Predictable. Arrogant. Typical. He took her in and she immediately knew he was an easy catch from the way his eyes lingered on her cleavage.
"You're late." She casually stated, her eyes not leaving his for a second. Her expensively manicured red nails twirled around the rim of her glass.
"I show up when it suits me, you'll learn that soon enough." He said, his eyes not leaving hers either. She scoffed internally. Oh sweetheart, you won't be around long enough for that, she said to herself.
Her head tilted. "You like control," she observed, running her finger along the glass again and leaned back, her hand smoothing the bracelet around her wrist.
"Observant. That'll serve you well." He said with a smug.
She leaned forward, letting the dim light catch the shimmer of her dress so his eyes could follow the movement. Then she pulled back slowly, measured. "Oh, it always has. People are patterns and patterns are easy to break."
"That so?" He asked, his brows lifted slightly.
"Tell me something." came her calm voice, not giving him a reply. Her voice became even softer, laced with curiosity. "Do you ever get tired of playing this game? The one where you're the biggest man in the room? The one where you make the rules?"
He scoffed, leaning back in his chair. His posture gave a false sense of ease. "It's not a game if I always win."
Humming, her gaze dipped briefly to his watch. Expensive but not brand new. Men like him didn't replace things until they lost their usefulness. She took another sip of her drink, making sure he watched the way her lips touched the glass.
"Winning is relative." She stated, her eyes moving from her glass to his eyes. "You think you're untouchable because no one has challenged you the right way yet."
He narrowed his eyes slightly and she could detect what they read. Interest. She was not impressed.
Her head tilted again, assessing him again. "What scares you?".
"Nothing" He chuckled, low and confident, the sound eating at her nerves.
"Wrong answer." She murmured, "Everyone's afraid of something. The real question is, when it finally catches up to you, will you even see it coming?"
For the first time, she saw it. A flicker, exactly what she was waiting for. Uncertainty. He didn't know if she was playing or if she already set the pieces in motion. With that, she let out a smile.
All of a sudden she felt a change in the atmosphere, like a weight in the air that wasn't there before. She didn't know him, never seen him in her entire life. But the second he stepped in, something changed. The room felt smaller, like he took more space than he was supposed to. He moved like he knew exactly where he was going and what he was doing. He seemed like the kind of man who didn't hesitate. He was handsome, yeah, but not in a careless way. It was more intentional, like every inch of him had been built for a purpose. He approached where they sat.
He never looked at her, not even once. Walked past, his eyes locked on Marcello's. They spoke in low tones. Nothing in his voice gave away anything, but she felt it. It felt like his attention was on her even when it obviously wasn't.
Then, her target's phone rang. He got up fast, no hesitation, and left her sitting there. And that's when it happened.
That's when he looked. Not just looked. Saw.
Not curious, not impressed. Just…knowing. Like he already had her figured out, piece by piece, and was just double checking his work.
She kept still. Her expression was easy, but inside, something shifted.
Then he opened his mouth and spoke. His voice, low and calm.
"I've always wondered what it feels like to be studied by someone who decides who deserves to live or die."
Her breath got caught. Her grip on her glass tightened, just a bit.
The words cut through her like a knife but she wasn't about to make him know that. Looking into his eyes, she searched for something but found nothing. Nothing to give him away.
He knew something. She was certain, something he shouldn't. Something no one should.
"Oh goodness." She started. "I'm afraid I don't quite follow. 'Deserves to live or die'? That sounds rather…dramatic. Are you perhaps writing a play? Or a novel?" she feigned ignorance. His mouth twitched but he did not say anything. He could see through her acting.
"Black Widow. Nice name." He said again with a smug look but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of flinching. He was a threat that she was going to have to deal with, but for now, she had to keep putting up a façade.
"You must have me confused with someone else. I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying."
"Denying yourself is pathetic. You're usually not a coward." He said and got up, moving closer to her.
"If you're going to end Marcello, you had better do it quickly. He's an easy catch for you. Goodnight Louisa." He said and vanished out of sight. Her breath hitched by the mention of that name, goosebumps washing over her immediately.
Louisa! This man, whoever he was, was a fucking threat to her life and the earlier she found out who he was, the better.