Heartless || •OG• ✔️

Chapter 2 - Charlotte

Charlotte despised meetings more than she despised the stench lingering in the bathroom of her estate. Riches aside, the bathroom still appeared as though it hadn't been cleaned in twenty years. The space was cramped, dust bunnies staring at them while they stood, shower curtains stained with blood. But none of that compared to the way he was looking at her. Glaring at her, was more accurate.

"You should've let me kill him," he said, Charlotte leaning against the crusted wall. It was a tawny shade that matched the man's mood. Or maybe it needed to be a shade or two darker.

"I made a promise to Mr. Belmour that Mr. Novak would not be harmed." She stepped forward, but Mr. Seong didn't so much as flinch. Their height difference wasn't much. He was on the shorter side, especially for a male, but his muscle mass and agility made up for it. "Are we breaking the rules now, Mr. Seong? Would you like to wake up with a bullet in your head?"

"Jericho has been our rival for years, and we had a perfect opportunity to kill him. I acted when you didn't, and now this is my fault?"

"Mr. Belmour has a voice recording of me giving my word to him. My word that Mr. Novak and whoever he brought would not be harmed. Yet you go against my direct orders to bring them peacefully to our estate. Are you trying to get me killed?"

"I would've killed him, not you," Mr. Seong replied, pointing his finger toward her as if it made his argument valid. "I would've broken the agreement. The war would be over, and I'd have saved all our lives. Sounds like a worthy cause to die for."

"You are one of my most trusted allies. A higher-up in my establishment. You think Mr. Belmour wouldn't kill me after one of my inner circle members shot and killed Mr. Novak? I didn't know I needed to babysit you and pull out the rule book, but this is first grader material. Once someone gives their word to Mr. Belmour, it cannot be broken under any circumstance. How the fuck do you not know this? Are you 25 or 5?"

"Kayden gave the order, so I executed it. And he's right, y'know. He wanted to get rid of Jericho for good. Char, this was our chance to make a move."

"You and your violence," she said, crossing her arms over her body and pretending the flickering lights didn't bother her. "Kayden is my right hand, but he is not me. When doing something as serious as killing my rival, that is something you go to me and me only about. Do you understand?" No answer came. "Then let's get back to our guests, shall we?"

He grabbed her and stopped her from leaving the room. Her back ended up against the closed door, but her eyes remained steady on his face. The face that was so soft yet so scarred at the same time. And she didn't mean physically. His irises were dark, his nose slim, his lips plump and smooth. His cheeks were easily the most noticeable part about him, though. The way they appeared sharp yet fat at the same time. Maybe fat wasn't the right word, but his cheeks had extra skin there compared to the rest of his tiny body. He was as skinny as her, which was terrifying to her sometimes. It made his face stand out more. She wasn't sure if that was in a good way or not.

"You're going to regret this decision, you know that, right?" he said.

"Why are you such an asshole?"

"You liked that once."

"Never will again." She placed her hands on his chest, shoving him away. He brushed his hair back, his arms crossing over his body afterwards. "You disobeyed my orders. Consider yourself demoted."

"The orders came from Kayden. If you want to blame anyone, blame him. I should be your right hand, you and I both know I'm better than Kayden. Why am I not above him?"

"Maybe because you blindly follow Kayden's orders without consulting me first."

"No, that's not it," he said with a hand wave, stepping closer than Charlotte wished he did. "It's because of our relationship, isn't it-"

"Our old relationship has nothing to do with this." He halted in his tracks, poking his tongue against his cheek. "That relationship is the only reason why I put a bullet in your friend's head instead of yours. Don't you trust me?"

"Not even a little bit."

She opened the door, offering him her hand. "If you'll excuse me, I have guests. Are you coming or not?"

"Go on, I'll join you in a minute." She stepped out, but him clearing his throat made her pause. "You look good tonight, by the way."

Her eyes snapped back to him. He was in his usual attire of a dark, buttoned-down long sleeved shirt, his pants matching his top. It matched his hair too. "I would say the same, but I'm a little mad."

There was a beat of quiet. "See you in a minute."

"Jimin," she said. She wasn't sure if it was a plea or a question. Maybe it was both.

"It's alright, Miss Evermore. I'll be fine."

That was a lie, and they both knew that. Jimin hadn't been fine in five years. Ever since they first met. Regardless, she chose not to dwell and instead departed the cell known as the bathroom.