Chapter 21

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Roxanne's hands were moving at a speed that just kept her robotics team gaping. The screw was shut at the perfect angle even when Dean leaned in to examine out of pure curiosity. 

"what the..." Kitty just trailed off with a sigh breaking the others out of their trance, this wasn't the first time they were seeing it but it was after a while that Roxanne decided to create something in actual working hours instead of being an insomniac. 

The work moved inflow even when the sound of the door beeping for opening entered their ears. 

"Miss Roxanne, there are visitors for you" Caleen informed slightly urgently 

"tell them to wait in my office" Roxanne didn't spare a glance as she programmed her latest creation that just so happened to be the better version of the mechanical bodyguard she developed. In her defense of being a perfectionist, it was the government that wanted it.

"ma'am... it's the Serpentines" everybody in the room except Roxanne stiffened. It was natural to have contact with the underworld if you are developing security instruments that are inconspicuous but more lethal than anything. 

"the instructions remain the same" there was no change in Roxanne except the slight extra iciness in her tone. Just because some of her clients had more rough of a look doesn't mean she will bow down to them or prioritize them. They want something from her and this is business. 

"yes, ma'am" Caleen just sighed and walked out. Roxanne finally stopped fiddling with the coding to test run the smoothness of the movement. When the arm made absolutely no sound while transforming into a rifle she smirked and moved on to the inner plating for the woman structured robot. The only task she had to be creative on was how to make the inner structure look like human muscles, bones, and, veins to deceive even the more secure environments. 

"Rox, go. They are clients, I'll do the skin functioning like how you explained till then ok?" Kitty pointedly told Roxanne making mumble a few curses at being interrupted but nod nonetheless. 

Entering her office still in her lab coat Roxanne was faced with two parties of five and seven sit facing each other in the conference room couches. She turned to look at Zerithia with a raised eyebrow.

"your mates are businessmen" was the only explanation she got making her sigh 

"I already feel a headache coming on" Roxanne grumbled out taking a swig of her americano on the table

"That might be from the lack of sleep rather than the situation" Zerithia's tone was full of amusement watching the younger girl looking deadlier than usual with the dark circles under her eyes and a permanent scowl. Zerithia concluded that the siblings looked no less than the gangsters currently sitting a glass wall away when they were sleep-deprived and not in formal clothing when she saw Roxanne take of her lab coat showing off the sleeve tattoo in all its glory. 

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, please tell me how can I help you?" contrasting to the words, Roxanne's tone was basically telling everybody to fuck off. The glare she threw at the seven gang members also made them gulp, even the leader getting the hint that they probably interrupted something. 

Roxanne's mates on the other hand were at a cross between drooling and being confused at the girl's irritation. When Holwen slightly started a nudging chain did they snap out of it looking at Zerithia who just shook her head subtly mouthing 'bipolar' making realization and shame strike their faces for forgetting.

When Serpentines' leader- Chang, cleared his throat and stand up did Roxanne's facial expression turned into the ever neutral one. She firmly shook hands with the guy and sat on the chair that was pulled by a staff at the seeming head of the circle. 

"is it ok to discuss with these other tycoons present?" Chang asked skeptically examining her mates some of who had a guarded and wary expression. 

"We can change locations if you want but there is no reason to be worried about them. My business stays in my business" Roxanne's warning was clear to everybody in the room that at this point, this is her territory and anybody she deems as an obstacle to business will be thrown out regardless of personal relationships. 

"Then, miss Roxanne, our objective was to request a 4 of your holographic planners" Chan leaned back in his seat. 

Roxanne quirked an eyebrow at the man, the holographic planner was basically a device that could create a blueprint of anything be it a building or a nuclear bomb, details from the angle of the screw to the density of the metal could be shown on the device letting anyone create the object. 

"you realize that I am skeptical of your demand, yes?" Roxanne lazily let out 

"Stygian does not discriminate in clients but how can we let one client have the power to destroy our other sources of inflow? I mean, you of all people should understand that every customer is important" Roxanne's hands were fiddling with the Rubix cube handed to her by Zerithia. She needed something to work with or solve when she was thinking, Loman also said it makes her look much more intimidating so why not. 

"I completely understand, we are an influential part of the underworld but, we don't betray our benefactors. We haven't till now, trust us a little. If you require we will let you monitor everything we do with the machine you give us and it is in my knowledge that you know the reverse code to your engineering very well." Chan's smile was completely relaxed and having been a psychology major Roxanne knew that he was not lying and for some weird reason he trusted her. 

"I have three available right now, take the last one by evening, payment will be handled by Kitty. Pleasure doing business with you." Roxanne stood up to shake hands with a grinning Chan and nod at the bowing group behind him again before sitting down and letting Zerithia lead the group to complete the purchase. 

"You make business with the underworld too?" Roxanne knew this question was coming but didn't have the energy to care in the least. 

"yes, and the government knows. Both sides combined will not want to harm us since we're benefitting both, plus Stygian does not discriminate in clients is what grandpa and dad taught us." Roxanne answered in one breath slightly shrinking into her seat.  Rolkan was slightly impressed by how Roxanne already knew the questions that were surfacing in their minds, she never stops impressing them. 

"Don't worry, we were just curious. Everybody has their own way of running business" Holwen's comforting smile made Roxanne feel better, she didn't even know she was feeling scared of their reactions. How did she still have the energy to care? 

"can i...cuddle?..you?" she sheepishly looked at Holwen who was now shining brighter than the sun outside, nodding without hesitation. Roxanne let herself be placed comfortably on Holwen's lap just to wiggle and snuggle in deeper into his somehow soft white suit.

She had no idea how she drifted to sleep when she had a project to finish. 


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