The Devil I Thought I Knew

"This isn’t how it’s done, Nessa..." the man beside Marco shouted, his anger rising.

"And how is it done, Brian?" Vanessa tilted her head in his direction, her voice calm but sharp.

"To get killed for being tested? Then I probably should’ve killed you back then, too," Vanessa replied without blinking.

The room fell silent, and everyone exchanged bewildered glances. It was the first time in years Vanessa had spoken at such length.

"Do you know her?" Brian asked, but Vanessa ignored him completely, not even sparing him a glance.

As she turned to face Olivia, Olivia swiftly grabbed the sword lying on the floor and charged toward Eva, who was still sprawled on the ground, covered in her own blood.

Vanessa sighed, weary. She didn’t want to interfere anymore. This wasn’t a place for the weak, after all. All she needed to do now was watch.

As Olivia moved to stab Eva again, Eva twisted from her spot, slowly rising to her feet. Her hand darted to her boot, retrieving a hidden substance.

Olivia frowned at Eva’s sudden movement. Eva was supposed to be weak and powerless now. How had she managed to dodge the strike? Turning fully to face her, Olivia was met with a sharp spray of tear gas. The gas hit her directly in the eyes, leaving her momentarily blinded as her eyes burned fiercely.

Vanessa sighed again, her gaze fixed on Olivia, then clicked her tongue in mild annoyance as she began to leave the ring.

"See that? That’s cheating..." Brian started to step forward, but Vanessa’s sword was suddenly at his neck, stopping him in his tracks. The move was so swift that everyone blinked in shock. Marco remained silent, observing without a word.

"There’s no rule against cheating if it’s about survival," Vanessa said, her voice slicing through the tension like a blade. "Or do you disagree?"

Brian swallowed hard, his anger giving way to uncertainty.

"Retreat," Marco finally said, his voice firm. At his command, Vanessa lowered her sword and stepped back.

"It’s a self-created rule: use whatever method you can to bring down your enemy," Vanessa said, walking out of the ring while Olivia groaned, using her hands to find her way.

Vanessa’s words lingered in the air for a long moment. Eva took a sharp breath, still reeling from the pain, but something in Vanessa’s words settled deep in her chest—a strange, nostalgic feeling. But she didn’t dwell on it. After all, she’d never seen Vanessa in her life.

She looked up, expecting everyone to cast hateful glares at her, but none came. Well, pity shouldn’t be a part of Mafia rules, right? Maybe that’s what she thought.

Marco’s gaze shifted from Eva to Vanessa, and for the first time during the test, a small smirk played at the corners of his lips.

"Prepare a welcome party for our new clan member," Marco said finally, walking away with two others beside him.

"Training’s canceled for today," Brian added, following Marco and the others.

Eva smiled softly, but the smile quickly faded as she collapsed, losing consciousness.

******

Eva slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first. The room was quiet, and her body hurt all over, especially her bandaged stomach. She pushed herself up a little, even though the pain made it hard to move.

"Take me to see godfather" she said weakly.

The nurse by her side shook her head and gently pushed her back. "You can’t. You need to rest. You’re not well enough to move."

Eva frowned, trying to sit up, but before she could say anything, a voice came from the door.

"I don’t think you can, not like this. But I must admit, you’re tough."

Eva turned to see a girl standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. She looked calm but confident.

"I’m Sunshine," the girl said, walking into the room. "I handle all things tech." She winked.

Eva nodded lightly.

"I need to see Lord Lorenzo," she muttered.

Sunshine raised an eyebrow and gave her a small smile. "Then go. You'll find him in the same room you were sent to yesterday."

The nurse turned to face Sunshine, who simply shrugged, clearly unconcerned.

Eva whispered a thank you and slowly got out of bed. Pain shot through her stomach, making her clutch her bandages tightly, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.

"You’re being reckless,"the nurse muttered, shaking her head.

Eva ignored her. She forced herself to walk, each step sharp and painful. As she made her way down the hallway, she spotted someone familiar walking ahead of her.

"Vanessa…" Eva whispered softly, almost to herself.

Vanessa didn’t stop or even turn around. She kept walking, her steps calm and steady, as if she hadn’t heard anything.

Eva took a deep breath as she continued toward the room. When she reached the door, she knocked firmly. No one answered.

She frowned, noticing that the guards who had been there yesterday were gone. It felt strange, yet she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was empty. Her eyes scanned the space, her eyes falling on a small box under the chair Lorenzo had sat on yesterday. Her curiosity grew.

Looking around to make sure no one was there, Eva took a step forward. The room was silent, giving her the courage to bend down and reach for the box.

But before she could grab it, the sound of running water stopped. A door inside the room opened, and Eva froze.