Bianca moved through the stench in the dark alley with her left hand placed over her nose. The old man's base smelt like death, she could hardly bear the stench. He was propped up against the wall when she saw him. He shoved a smoke against his lips and flicked the lighter on. He swipes a glance at her, and walks towards an abandoned container in the alley, scratching his festering wound as he walks.

Unlike the foggy darkness outside, the interior was bright.

But Lucius kept some places dark.

There were different murder weapons on the table, knives, axes and an empty gun. Lucius had emptied the bullets, the gun was not an active participant in his job, shooting someone would draw attention.

Bianca looked at him sternly. “What do you want?.”

“I don't like when you look at me like that.”

“Like what?.”

“With disgust.” He puffed a gust of smoke and cocked the empty gun.

“Because I am disgusted.”

“You never look at your mother like that.”

“She's nothing like you.” She clenched her fist beside her skirt.

“But you're everything like me, we both go for what we want.” His laughter rang in the empty container as he walked toward Bianca who was blinded by stifling rage.

“Isn't that so? My dear child.” He whispered, teasing Bianca who hated to be reminded she had a psychopath for a father. He was her biggest insecurity. When she was eleven years old, she had watched her father rape and kill a woman in a lonely field. The family of the deceased woman wailed beside her corpse the following morning. Bianca had remained tight lipped about the incident, she'd rather die than let anyone know her father was a murderer.

“Are you ever going to stop?.” She asked him, close to tears.

She was tired of cleaning after his mess. He was going to destroy all she had stolen from Ariel if he ever got caught.

“Are you sure she's dead?.” He asked the startled Bianca.

“I am, I saw her drown.”

Sighing, he took a blade from the old rickety table by the corner, and sharpened it carefully.

“That bitch saved me earlier.” He said.

“Ariel?.”

“Yes, I saw her face , she saved me from getting hit by a moving truck.”

“That can't be, Ariel is gone.” Bianca said in conviction, if Ariel was alive, then mountains could walk.

The chains they had bound her with was a hundred years old titanium chain, sold at an auction. No human on earth could break those chains. Especially not a weak girl like Ariel.

“She's the source of your fortune?.” He reminded Bianca. A reminder that made her heart churn. She balled her fingers into fists. There was nothing she disliked more than being reminded of the fact Ariel owned everything she had.

She had nothing, they were never truly hers, she had just been smarter.

“I helped you get those thugs to finish her off, that's what daddy is here for .”

He grinned wickedly, dragging a jagged stone along the edge of his rusted blade, the metal shrieking under the pressure. Sparks danced briefly in the dim light.

“How long do you plan to keep me your little secret, Bianca? It's unfair I hide in the shadows. No one knows I’m the legendary Athena’s father.”

Bianca didn’t flinch. Her gaze remained cold.

“You can come out if you want. I’m sure the police would be happy to see you .”

Lucius chuckled darkly, nodding as if savoring the thought.

“Fair enough. You’re right. I should make a grand reveal sometime. I’ve earned it.”

“How much do you want?” she asked flatly, arms crossed, her voice devoid of emotion.

His series of blackmail had dragged on for years. It began the year she started exploiting Ariel. Her father had come out of hiding— threatening to expose his identity as her father, and sink her blooming career in a wormhole. Bianca was exhausted, but all the same, the old man was useful.

She'd discard him in due time

She had recently been warned by the grim reaper as she had expected. Her dad had been on a killing spree for long, he had covered their dirty mess. But now, he had left them alone. If her father ever got caught, that'd mark the end of her career.

“Three million dollars by next week.”

“I can't afford that.” She replied flatly.

“You just don't think I deserve it do you?.”

“Yes, I don't. It used to be women, she muttered as she recalled the night he killed their neighbor.

“You advanced to killing children.”

“I'm helping humanity, sick children place a lot of burden and misery on their guardians. It does not hurt to help people right?.”

Bianca was livid. She looked at him with a stillness that said more than words ever could. Her eyes, wide but unblinking, held a strange mix of fear and calculation, like she was looking at a venomous snake calculating if it was about to strike.

Her gaze trembled at the edges, but never left him—sharp, cautious, trying not to provoke, yet silently asking: What have you become?

And beneath it all, a flicker of something colder—like her soul was beginning to retreat, slowly building a wall behind her stare, like she was looking at something dangerous.

He saw it.

And it infuriated him.

“I hate it!!!. I hate it when you look at me like that!!.” He rammed his fists on the table and yelled. Bianca shook, but tried to remain calm.

“All these years that look haunts me.” He turns to her in despair.

“What look?.” Bianca muttered, trying to mask her fear. He looked into her eyes. “That look of disgust, the one your mother used to have.”

“Your career path is disgusting.”

“That disgusting career path took that wench out of your way."

“The one you claim she's alive?.”

Lucius blinked in confusion, she had a point.

“Maybe I saw something wrong....

"But if I find anyone bearing even the slightest resemblance to our cash cow, I'll kill her to make sure she's dead.”

He assured Bianca.

“Make sure you do, only then will I find you worthy to be my father.”

“I don't need your approval, " he pulls up a photo of the smiling six year old Khan.

“I just need to get my next victim.”