"Fuck! That hurt," Ace muttered as he slowly sat up, wincing, Janice did not hold back with her kicks. He made no move to stand, though—not when little Ace was brimming with energy.
Apparently, the jolt of electricity that had surged through his body had done more than just paralyze him. It had stimulated him, sending an oddly pleasant tingle straight to his balls.
"Here," Janice pulled a brass compact powder case from her left earring and held it out to him instructing, "Look into it and chant: Mirror, mirror, make me most magnificent!"
Ace shot her a grudging look, making no move to take it. Instead, he pulled out a cleansing talisman, activated it, and let its energy wash over him, removing the spit and footprints that marred his clothes. Then, without a care for the very obvious tent in his pants, he stood up and turned his glare on Sonia.
"You better watch your back from now on," he said, his voice low and dangerous. A menacing smile graced his lips as he continued, "I'll chop you into a thousand little pieces and seal them in a thousand tiny Tupperware—for eternity."
Sonia sneered, "I'd love to see you try, pervert." Still, even as she taunted him, she made a mental note that she needed to figure out a way to counter being sealed away. Now that was her worst nightmare.
Ace shot back with a smirk, "Says the naked mutt wrapped in a mutt."
His words hit their mark. Sonia bristled instantly, her hands curling into fists. But neither dared to get physical. Ace had been waiting for the right moment to get back at her, aware that Mrs. Martins was eyeing their every move. Inside her Dusk Dominion, she could shut them both down with just a thought.
"Take that back!" Sonia snapped and said the four words that surprised everyone, "Scratchifer is not a mutt!"
"Fine," Ace said with a nod, his tone all too soft and gentle before he proceeded to ask her with a mock smile, "But we both agree that you are a mutt, right?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Sonia's face. It was no secret to everyone that her mind wasn't the sharpest tool at her disposal but the realization hit a second too late, as she yelled in rage, "That's it! You're dead, you son of a—"
With a furious snarl, Sonia lunged at him, forgetting all about her carefully laid revenge plan. At this moment, all she wanted was to end him. But just as she was mid-air—She froze. Matthews stepped forward, her curse energy restrained Sonia mid-attack.
"Settle down, Sonia," she said coolly eyeing Ace as she moved closer to him, informing, "He's just riling you up to avoid explaining himself to us."
Janice and Sonia's eyes widened as the realization sank in—they had been playing right into his hands this whole time.
Janice thought back to her first meeting with Ace, and then every interaction that followed. Piece by piece, the puzzle came together, and the truth hit her like a slap to the face. He's been playing her and Delores from the start… hiding behind that religious and naive act of his. Distracted by handsome looks they ate it all up off his palms.
Sonia, on the other hand, was taken aback by something else—Ace's complete willingness to harm and demean himself just to achieve his goals. She, too, was no stranger to pain or death, but that was different. She was practically immortal. Pain only made her stronger.
Sonia narrowed her eyes at him, taking in every detail. He's not just strong—he's decisive, ruthless, and cunning. Slippery when he needs to be. Unpredictable. That's a dangerous enemy. Someone like him couldn't be trusted, not a single word from his mouth could be taken at face value.
Thankfully, she had Scratchifer. Her Werefur's instincts had never failed her—they could see right through his lies and deceit.
"Sonia, pay attention," Matthews instructed, stepping in front of Ace. She completely ignored the bulge in his pants, dismissing it as nothing more than the aftereffect of Janice's attack. "Make sure he doesn't slip away with any more lies."
"Yes!" Sonia shouted nodding resolutely. She saw this as an opportunity—not just to get back at the most hated person in her life, but to sharpen her ability to utilize Werefur's instincts with precision.
Matthews locked eyes with Ace, studying him. She had to admit—she was impressed. Even when cornered, he kept up his act until the very end. That kind of discipline? That kind of composure? She liked that in an agent.
Of course, she was disappointed that he was no longer a viable candidate for the curse slave research, but if everything about him checked out… he might still have potential. Especially if Delores and Sonia's accusations about him turned out to be true.
"Talk," Matthews ordered, her voice cool and unwavering as she waited.
"The avocado prices are on the rise—" Ace started, blurting out the first thing that popped into his head. But midway through his nonsense, his throat seized. His words died before they could escape. His eyes widened in horror. What the hell? He quickly shifted his gaze to Mrs. Martins, raising his eyebrows in question: 'What's wrong?'
"Don't play smart with me." Matthews' voice was cold, unyielding. "Start from the very beginning. How did you become a Curse Master? Are you affiliated with a guild or a gang?"
She took a step closer, her presence suffocating. "For every lie you tell," she continued, glancing at his bulging crotch her tone dropping to a menacing whisper, "or every minute you waste, I'll crush one of your body parts."
Ace swallowed hard. She wasn't bluffing. It was no secret that Curse Masters operated under a very different set of rights in this country—but only if they were registered with the government.
This meant that if Matthews decided to kill him right here and now, no one would bat an eye. No one would come for justice. No one would hold her accountable. She was making that very clear to him.
"No, I'm not affiliated with any gang or guild," Ace answered, his voice even. "I like to work alone—" Before he could finish, Sonia cut him off.
"He's lying!" she yelled in a triumphant voice. She was enjoying the power she had over him.