Velika: The story of a lover

"Oh hell." She rolled up her eyes, at the moment she had no choice but confront her husband, and she wasn't sure if he would give her the right cipher, well, hopefully, he would, but not after a twist. Like dramas, all Astoria Leontes wanted is a drama customized for Romeo Leontes.

'Cipher'. She texted Daniel Heinrich, no wonder he didn't know the cipher, but she texted him only to inform him that she was after another O'Sullivan, and she needed him to tell her where he and Clarabelle Lewis was. Daniel Heinrich swallowed nervously when he saw the text, he quickly responded 'lobby', as they almost got out, Velika O'Sullivan could never catch him as she was still on the third floor, unless she jumped from the window, which would either kill her or broke several bones. He started to worry this was a trap, as Astoria Leontes didn't even tell him about the new kind of bomb, she wanted him to collaborate with Velika O'Sullivan, but she didn't acknowledge him any of the new developments in Natural. Surely, she didn't trust him, however, by informing him, her plan could go even better. Either a trust test or a trap, he thought bitterly.

He excused to use the bathroom and left the operation center, went to Nicholas Watson straight, and told him briefly of what was going on, asked him if he could do anything.

"Well, you know they may trace the signal back to me, right?" Nicholas Watson frowned, "Ok, screw it, I'll do it anyway, the dominatrix makes me feel sick."

Nicholas Watson wasn't an IT tech, he was only a field agent with special talents in IT, but he was, as what he said, slightly better than the technicians hired in Natural, and he would never join the team and became a real nerd instead of looking like one. He breached into the system of building maintenance department and sent a fake report that the vent at the east of the lobby wasn't working.

"I love the company that has weird departments." Nicholas Watson put his thumbs up.

"I'll buy you a drink later." Daniel Heinrich patted on his shoulder, smiled, and left quickly.

"Thanks, mate." The computer guy winked. He took a very deep breath after his new friend left, currently, he had really gone on a road with no return.

Daniel Heinrich went back to the operation and saw Dean O'Sullivan was asked to check the east vent by the manager, the explosion had to be delayed, Astoria Leontes squinted her eyes, he knew she was thinking of something.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Well, our lovely sister is coming." She answered naturally, but her tone was extremely icy.

These two standing in front of the screen know each other's minds very well but couldn't mention a single word. That's how things operate when you want to keep your dark secret underneath the surface.

The manager was standing with his back to her, so she could easily knock him down, no threat from the manager. No sign of Clarabelle Lewis, Dean O'Sullivan must have asked her to get out first, which was good, the only threaten left was her husband, she had to fight him if she couldn't talk him over and she knew she probably had to fight as this was a drama, after all, Astoria Leontes needed the theatrical effect, so Romeo Leontes would believe in Velika O'Sullivan's loyalty.

She counted down from three, and ran down the stairs, knocked on the manager's head from his back before he could aware, he passed out without any shouting or screaming, now she was totally exposed, came into the sight of Dean O'Sullivan and the rest of people in Natural.

"There you are." Daniel Heinrich heard Astoria Leontes whispered, with a complicated smile on her elegant face. Sometimes he felt sorry for her, she was such a gorgeous creature that supposed to be treated well, but instead, after went through what she experienced, she hid a serpent under her innocent appearance.

The meeting of the couple marked the beginning of the drama, they were actors and the woman with a strong Northern European accent was the director, observing from the screen, waiting to edit and presented it to their only audience, Romeo Leontes.

"Hello, dear wife." Dean O'Sullivan said when he saw Velika O'Sullivan, he wasn't surprised at all. His tone was cold, his words are restricted to the already written script.

"Dean, I need the cipher." Velika O'Sullivan frowned, different than him, she had to react from what he said and went along with it, like knitting a web of lies. For the first time in years, she felt the anxiety in her heart, since this time, it was her husband that playing as her antagonist, and she couldn't decide whether to take him as an ally or enemy, or neither of them.

"You know everyone's watching, right?" He smirked, "You have nowhere to hide."

"Well, you can still give me the remote and tell me the right cipher." She stepped up a bit, reaching out her hand to him, hoping he would give her the remote. Every step had to be cautious and delicate, any mistake, no matter how small it was, the whole game could have gone wrong. The O'Sullivans were assigned not only to fool the smart Romeo Leontes but also to the people in Natural.

"Get it if you could." Her husband stepped back, took out the remote from his upper pocket, swung in front of her eyes.

"Oh, honey, you pushed to the limit." Said her, glared at him.

Suddenly, she took her first strike, she reached out her hand, managed to seize the remote from his hand, but he was faster than her and put the remote back to his pocket again. A fight was inevitable. Of course, there had to be a fight, just like the scenes in the action movies. He punched her on her cheekbone, caused her a little concussion, she bent down and tried to stay focus, then she straightened up before he could punch her again, she pulled one of his arms and ready to give him a strike, but he was a man, after all, stronger than her, he used his spare arm grasped her neck, choked her, she started coughing, nearly out of breath.

"You are much weaker." Said him, complacently.

She didn't respond, she elbowed him in the abdomen, he released her and stepped back, he tried to catch her but she bent a bit and swiped his leg, nearly made him fall, but he got his balance. When he was getting his balance, she slapped his cheekbone as revenge, gave him a little concussion in return of his favor. She took the remote out of his pocket when he was dizzying, however, she still didn't have the cipher.

"Cipher." Velika O'Sullivan said seriously. She turned to the surveillance camera and gave out her middle finger.

Daniel Heinrich held back his laughter and noticed Astoria Leontes rose her eyebrow.

At the meantime, Dean O'Sullivan came back to sober, Velika O'Sullivan didn't notice him as she was standing with her back. Daniel Heinrich nearly shouted, 'watch out', but he knew that was no help. Dean O'Sullivan approached her quietly, and in a flash, he twisted her right arm to her back, but she was alert enough to switch the remote from her right hand to her left hand.

"Stop fighting," He said cruelly, "Unless you want to break your arm by yourself, I wonder you can take the pain."

"What do you know about pain?" She said nonchalantly, "You have never experienced what I went through."

Absolutely the most messed up couple he had ever seen in his life, Daniel Heinrich thought bitterly, they were doing nothing but acting a scene for others, why they had to make it so real? Or did they even realize they were in a scene, not real life?

She then turned around and he heard the sound when her bone broke, he was surprised and almost stiffed, she punched his cheekbone again, he trembled, she fisted his jaw, and finally, he fell. She grabbed his collar, pushed him against the wall, and sat on his thigh, hiked up her skirt, and took out a knife.

"Do you know why I didn't use it in the first place?" Velika O'Sullivan gritted her teeth.

"Fair play?" Dean O'Sullivan squinted his eyes.

"Because this is a gift from someone I care, I slaughtered dozens of people with it, but not you," She held the knife up to his throat, gritted her teeth, "You gave me it."

Dean O'Sullivan held his breath when he saw the knife Velika O'Sullivan holding was the gift from him, he gave it to her on her twentieth birthday, as a weapon for self-defense. He didn't know she still kept it along with her, that was just so, 'sentimental'. And now, she was using it against him, how sarcastic.

Slowly, Daniel Heinrich began to think even though a small part of Velika O'Sullivan still loved Dean O'Sullivan, there was another part of her hated him more than anything, or anyone else.