BEHIND THE SCENE: ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴍʙʀᴇʟʟᴀ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ || 𝗧𝗨𝗔

Chapter 2

In the dimly lit office, a single word shattered the silence.

"Father."

Startled, Reginald Hargreeves glanced up from his mountain of paperwork, swiftly masking his surprise with a well-timed cough. He had anticipated his daughter's return to be a week later, considering the challenging mission he had assigned her.

She stood before him, an air of elegance despite the conspicuous splatters of blood staining her attire. Reginald's displeasure flickered momentarily, his gaze drifting to the crimson smears that threatened to mar the pristine environment of his office.

Despite the macabre ornamentation, the bloodstains seemed almost an artistic complement to her figure. She exuded an aura that could allow her to stroll nonchalantly through a park, unruffled even in the presence of law enforcement. This notion, while unsettling, momentarily fascinated him. He regarded her with a mixture of vexation and admiration, a complex emotion that underscored their relationship.

"You're a mess," her father remarked with a scowl, his attention fully diverted from his paperwork, which now lay forgotten.

"Didn't notice?" she retorted with a hint of sarcasm, an impudent smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. Her strides were measured and sensual as she approached his desk, elegantly brandishing a file in her left hand, a testament to her triumph. Reginald rolled his eyes, simultaneously exasperated and secretly proud of her latest achievement.

The sound of her laughter filled the room, a genuine expression that resonated with him despite the aura of severity that usually clung to his presence. She sidled behind him, her sudden embrace catching him off guard. Momentarily stiffening, he eventually relaxed, his hand tenderly reaching up to caress her hair, a gesture unfamiliar yet oddly comforting.

The facade of his stern demeanor cracked, revealing a gentler side that only she could invoke.

"Aww, Father has gone soft," she taunted playfully, prompting Reginald to pause his writing, his pen poised in mid-air.

"Shut it," he responded, a hint of affection lacing his curt words.

Their interaction shifted, and she withdrew from his embrace, presenting the files she had procured. Bloodstained, yet disregarded, they held crucial information that would remain concealed from prying eyes.

"Good job, bijou," he praised, a swell of paternal pride underlying his words. She merely hummed in acknowledgment, taking her place in his chair with an air of contemplative silence.

He observed her with a raised brow, but the moment was fleeting as he returned to his task, engrossed in his notes. The question she posed pierced the silence, shattering the unspoken barriers.

"What are you going to do to them?"

Their similarities were uncanny, but the girl before him bore an additional layer, one that was sadistic, tinged with a sinister edge that sent shivers down his spine. An enigma in her own right, she was like an angel masking a viper's venomous nature, a killer driven by a thirst for thrill.

She was extraordinary, both his daughter and someone entirely different. Her power was not what he had envisioned, yet her knowledge surpassed even his expectations.

"I adopted them," he replied, his voice laden with weariness, his eyes briefly closing against the throbbing ache that had settled in his temples.

She rolled her eyes, unperturbed by his enigmatic response. "I can see that," she countered, her resolve unshaken by his enigmatic aura.

A fleeting interruption shattered the tension, as Pogo's voice echoed through the room. Dinner awaited them, a mundane task that managed to infiltrate their enigmatic bond.

With a sense of begrudging obedience, she departed, leaving Reginald to ponder the complexities of their relationship and the secrets that lingered beneath the surface.

Alone once more, he retrieved a file from a hidden vault, studying it with a mix of trepidation and fascination. It held the answers he sought, a dangerous venom that could alter the course of their existence.

"Bothersome," he mused aloud, his gaze locked on the file, his thoughts a labyrinth of enigma and intrigue.