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You see, being a contact killer came with many pros, the freedom of choosing your clients was one of the main advantages, another one was the money. Within this society, money meant everything, the wealthier you were, the more power and influential you were.
With pros comes with even more cons. The danger, the uncertainty with the nature of the occupation as well as the risks it poses for you if ever you wanted to retire from the industry.
Admittedly, you weren’t the best at your job, this was the reason why only took on requests that you knew you could carry out with a high success rate. A little no-named killer, that’s who you were.
Though sure, murder is wrong but is it really?
This was a job which really tested your moral compass. Constantly making you question the justice system that were proven time and time again that it was filled with nothing but corruption and entitlement to those who hold power. Which brings everything back to a full circle, those who hold this power are the ones with the money. So, imagine your surprise when you were approached by a bunch of fancy looking men who were offering you fortunes and the peaceful future you had envision for yourself in exchange for taking out one of the richest men on Earth.
The CEO of Lamentation Corporation, Mammon.
There was barely any need for you to research about him because who didn’t know Mammon. This man always found his way on the news with his seemingly reckless behaviour when it comes to money, being found most often in casinos and celebrity parties with a new car and a blonde-haired babe in his arms every night.
“It has to be you.” The main in a pristine black suit slid a suitcase towards you. You didn’t have to open it to know that it was filled with more money than you could ever imagine.
“Why me.” You let out a deep breath as you tapped your finger on the table.
“The fact that you’re not very well known would be highly beneficial, that would mean you’d be able to approach him easily without raising too much suspicion.” He raised each of his fingers up one by one as he starts listing his reasons. “And I know you don’t want to be in the profession forever. Make this your last hit and we have nine more of these waiting for you.” His gloved hand gestures to the suitcase which you had unknowingly already settled your hand over.
You weren’t sure if it was your mind or your heart that took over but the voice that echoed within the room was no other than yours.
“Okay.”
It was worryingly easy for you to find Mammon. Waltzing into the biggest, grandest looking casino in Las Vegas, there he was surrounded by a rather rowdy crowd, cheering for the white-haired male as he wins another round of poker.
Perhaps it was quite predictable for you to go for a honey trapping method, but you trust your skills —though it’s not that you’ve ever done anything like this before— Dressed in a white satin dress, the fabric loose yet stuck to your body in the way it left little to no secret. Your hair was held up in a clip with some loose pieces framing your face in a flattering manner. In no way were you considered attractive, at best you were average in appearance but that doesn’t mean you didn’t know how to use your charms.
Your heels clicked across the floor as you took a seat directly across your target.
I’m going to make sure that after tonight, you won’t be able to think of anything other than me.
This was your determination.
Flashing a small smile to the dealer as he passed you your cards.
Throughout the night, you played your own game within the game. Pulling and pushing with the CEO, taking win after wins every time you revealed your hand. This was just a simple game of psychology and maths, balancing the possibility of the winning rate of the game with a tactic of making your opponent’s fold against their will by crushing their hopes of winning over you.
Overtime, the crowd around Mammon slowly begin to diminish as they start to see that his winning streak was running out. His patience running thin as he loses another round, cussing out loud as he downs the rest of his alcoholic drink— Jack Daniel’s was his favourite, according to your research— He sighs as he as he takes a glance up towards you, your eyes met the middle of his gaze as if accepting his challenge. The corner of his lips curled up in amusement, fingers tapping against the table to signal the dealer to start a new round.
Hook.
You watch his reaction to his cards carefully, reading into every lingering looks at any specific cards. Each blink was meaningful to you, a breath that was shallower than his usual ones, the way he positioned himself over the table.
Taking a quick look at your cards, they were spectacular.
But this wasn’t want you needed. You could tell that the hand that Mammon currently had were shit but he held on. Taking a gamble by raising his bet by a couple ten thousand, the action was like second nature to him, as if he was casually asking for extra napkins at a restaurant.
Two can play the game.
You followed through with his bet, matching the sum with a sly smile.
This only left him with only two choices. Either he’ll fold and lose all his money and turn away in shame or follow through with his bluff and raise an even higher stake.
Of course, you know Mammon was a man full of greed, there was no way he was going to admit his lost like this, reraising another couple ten thousand.
Line.
You hid your smirk, instead presenting an expression of grief as you threw in your hand, admitting defeat.
If you could capture the moment on camera, you’d replay it every day. The way his face lit up when he realised he had won, leaving him with more money than he had originally started with.
You watched as the rush of adrenaline hits his system, cheering and celebrating, catching the attention of the very few people who were still around to witness the game.
A genuine smile slipped onto your lips as you couldn’t help but clap your hands for him, seeing him so happy and excited just from a game made him seem so childlike until you remembered just how much money this guy makes on a daily. This shouldn’t even make a dent in his wallet.
As you prepared to slip yourself away from the crowd, having made your appearance for the day, this was all you needed to do; get into his mind and show up randomly throughout the next few weeks of his life.
But your plans come to an instant 180 when he suddenly speaks up.
“Can I offer you a drink?”
Oh, this was easier than you thought.
“Of course.”
And, sinker.
A drink turns into two and two turns into three.
Conversation flowed throughout the night without you even having to make any effort. It was weird how well you seemed to be connecting with the man you were supposed to kill.
Even weirder as you found that you were able to joke and tease him however you pleased without feeling as if there was a barrier separated between you. Like there weren’t several billions of dollar bills built between you.
More so, as the night progressed, he stayed his distance without showing any other ulterior motive, respecting your boundaries when you seemed uncomfortable.
Perhaps you weren’t trying hard enough or maybe he was just a little slow to realise your advances.
The alcohol was weak, but you acted otherwise, slurring your words a little as you let the strap of your dress fall naturally to reveal the top of your breast.
The moment that Mammon noticed, his face flushed bright red and looked away immediately. He could barely stutter out his sentences as he gestures to your shoulder which brought even more confusion to you.
You thought this guy was supposed to be someone who always appeared in the media with a new woman beside him, why was he acting like he was going to get a nosebleed from a bit of a shoulder.
“Oh- Sorry.” You laughed it off as you fixed the strap on your dress, tilting your head down as a polite gesture.
Mammon shook his head, making sure you were decent again before flashing you a bright grin. “It’s getting a bit late actually, would ya like to come up to the hotel room with me?”
Finally, his true colour is coming out.
Nodding your head, you leaned in closer towards him with a small smile of your own.
“I’d love to.”
“I gotta say, that game earlier was so good! Do yer always play?”
Sure, he took you up to his hotel room but what the hell was this.
Not only has he not made a single move on you while the two of you were sat on the bed, but he also ordered room service?
With a plate of fries and some burgers shared out in front of you, you guessed that this was the only way to continue on with the night and see if there was an opportunity for you to strike.
Actually, who were you joking. Within the time you’ve first met Mammon, he had presented you with maybe about 12 ways to kill him already.
There was just something in you that was holding you back.
Right now, is not the moment.
“No, today was my first time playing.” You admitted with a soft chuckle.
“Wha— No way that was your first time and ya almost emptied my pockets!”
You found it fun talking to Mammon, the things he brought up were always light-hearted and made the topic flow rather seamlessly. It didn’t seem like you were talking to a CEO at all but rather like lifelong friend who were catching up over a cup of coffee.
“So, talk to me. I wanna know more about you.”
You looked up from your plate, licking your fingers that were dirtied with the grease from the fries. It was amusing how a simple action like this brought a blush so strong that you could see the redness spread to the tip of his ears.
Cute.
It wouldn’t hurt to share a bit about yourself, right? It wasn’t like any of this was going to matter by the time you’ve completed your deal anyway.
Pushing the plate away, you settled a little closer to him, making yourself comfortable.
“Hm, where to start… I can’t say I’m very fortunate in my life, I didn’t have the best childhood. I grew up with just my mother but we weren’t that well off so, she would always be out working at her part-time jobs to be able to feed and keep me warm.” Your voice softened as you begin to reminiscent your past, there was a moment in your life where you couldn’t even talk about your mother without crying but now it was a bittersweet memory that you kept close to your heart.
You looked at Mammon, expecting to see him looking at you with something like pity and remorse but he didn’t. In his eyes, you looked at you with the softest expression, the calmness within the blues of his eyes drawing you in even closer. You never intended to reveal too much about yourself but for some reason, you couldn’t stop.
You wanted him to know more about you.
“My mother was diagnosed with stage four pancreas cancer a couple years ago. Coming from a family with no name, no background, there was no way we could afford the treatment without some type of miracle.”
“Is she—”
You shook your head with a sad smile. “She passed away within a couple month of being diagnosed. I didn’t even have enough money to give her a proper burial.” You swallowed as you looked away, you couldn’t stand to look at Mammon any longer. You really wished he looked at you in disgust or scoff at how poor you were but there was nothing but acceptance and understanding in his eyes.
“Yeah so, that’s why after that, I started studying business. I became obsessed with figuring out the fastest and most efficient way of making money. Because,” You paused as you took in a deep breath, tilting your head until you could look at Mammon with determination again. “With money, you have the power to do anything you want.”
Those words were directed to him.
Damn.
Now you’ve gone and screwed everything up.
He’s gonna know that something up- I was so close, so close and I’ve messed it all up now. Fuck- Why did I say that and fuck it all up. I need to do this, I need to finish this now, I need to ki—
Just as your hands reached to for the concealed knife that was strapped to your thigh, Mammon reaches over to brush back a lock of your hair that came loose from your updo. His head was tilted down so his bangs covered his eyes but as he moved back, you swore his eyes were slightly glossed over as if he wanted to cry.
The room was silent as he moved up to walk over to your side of the bed, his hand stretched out as an offer to you.
“It’s getting late now, let me send you home.”
His voice was soft and warm like honey, all you could do was nod and place your hand within his.
There was absolutely nothing in your mind as he led you out the room, down to the car park. He made a quick phone call to his chauffeur to bring his car over, opening the door for you and making sure you were seated in safely before climbing in on the other side.
When he had asked for your address, you could have easily said the name of any nearby hotel but before you knew it, you had already given him one of the addresses to the closest apartment under your name.
You had no idea what had led you to trust this man so much, but you do. This man that was supposed to be ticket out of the miserable life that you had endured all your life, but he was nothing like you had imagine. In your mind, you had pictured an entitled asshole who cared about nothing but himself, carelessly spending money on cars and prostitutes and lavishing his nights with parties and drugs.
But how come you saw none of that.
Sure, you saw picture of him with women on the internet but none of them could be use as damning evidence.
Even this night, you had watched as he gambled and played with money, but could you really condemn him for it? Who were you to judge how he spent his earnings and, it wasn’t like he was hurting anyone. And you’d be lying if you said that you never had the wishes or desire to own something materialistic that you didn’t need, was it that bad to be a little selfish sometimes?
You turned your head to glance at Mammon, he was facing the window, the bright city light illuminating his face as he watched the world go past. His hand moved from his lap to rest on the middle seat, flipping it over so his palm was facing up. You struggled to hide your smile, not that he was looking anyway, but you had a feeling that he knew.
Reaching over, you placed your hand gently within his, the heat of his palm bringing warmth and comfort to yours as he moved to interlock your fingers.
There’s nothing wrong with being a little selfish, right?
As the car pulled up around the corner, Mammon was the first to get out, coming over to your side and opening the door for you before you could even get your seatbelt off. With a soft smile, you gave him your thanks as you took his offered hand, helping you step out of his fancy ride.
“Let me walk ya to your door.” Was what he had insisted even though you were practically home anyway. You were going to decline his kindness until you felt something drape over your shoulders, glancing back, you felt his jacket providing you the warmth that sheltered you from the chilly summer air.
How does he keep doing that, leaving you speechless with each of his actions.
Was this all an act?
Were you being played?
I knew it, he definitely knows about me. He thinks this is all just some game, bet he finds this so fun to find ways to humiliate me and manipulate my feelings like this—
“Is it okay if I take you out for dinner tomorrow?”
“Huh-“
You looked up from where you were standing, having been lost in your thoughts, you didn’t even notice that your body moved in autopilot and had led the two of you to the front of your door.
“Well, I— I really enjoyed tonight, and I was hoping that I could meet you again, tomorrow.” Though it was dark, you could tell by the way he shifted on the spot that he was flustered.
Cute.
That thought wouldn’t stop popping up in your head no matter how many time you tried to push it down. You gave him a bright smile as you nodded your head.
“I would love to.”
You accepted his invite because this was going to be your last chance to get close to him. Tomorrow night would be the night you made your move and put this life behind you. You accepted his invite purely for the fact that it was related to your work and not because you wanted a date with him.
Definitely not.
Mammon seemed to have been surprised with your response, expecting rejection instead as his face was filled with worry. But now, hearing your reply, he smiled like he had heard the greatest news of relief in his life.
You watched as he slowly leaned in, you had expected this, no way he would end this without a goodnight kiss. Closing your eyes, you waited for the impact that never came. Instead, what you felt was him tightening his jacket a little snugger over your shoulders. As you opened your eyes again, you saw that he was watching you this entire time, gentle eyes with not one hint of the usual hunger that men constantly looked at you with.
“You should get in, it’s gettin’ colder.” His voice dripped with softness, a tone of concern that you never thought you’d hear again.
You gave him a soft hum as you turned to enter in the code for your door.
“I’ll send someone to pick ya up at 8 tomorrow,” Mammon took a step back once he saw you were safely inside, placing his hands in his pocket as his shoulders relaxed. “Sleep well and— Thank you for tonight.” And with that, he turned on his heel and walked back to his car.
You didn’t close the door until the car was out of sight.
Your back met the wall as you slid down onto the floor, groaning into your hands before fisting them in your hair.
That must have been one of the biggest fuck up you’ve ever had in your life.
You were presented with so many opportunities to kill him tonight, yet you let your emotions get ahead of you and allowed him to take you out again tomorrow.
This has never happened before. Even amateurs know not to get attached to their target yet here you were, undoubtedly intrigued by one of the wealthiest men who was rumoured to be swallowed by nothing by greed yet everything you had saw tonight have suggested otherwise.
Not only did he didn't attempt to show off his wealth but he listened to you. He allowed you to open up to him without an ounce of prejudgment but rather surprisingly, seemed to sympathise with you.
This is ridiculous.
What does a man like him understand anything about me.
This must be all a trick, a façade he takes on to get women into his bed by pretending to care.
That must be it.
You gave yourself a hard smack across your cheek, building up your resolve as you stood up again.
Mammon would not live to see after tomorrow and you would personally make sure of it. That was your promise to yourself.
Though that resolve of yours that you had tried so hard to build up throughout the night crumbles the moment you receive a parcel within the afternoon.
Inside the box was a similar white dress that you had wore the previous evening but you could tell this was of a quality of another level. You wouldn’t dare to imagine how expensive this was and there was only one person who you knew would gift you such a thing.
On top of the dress was a gift card which was signed in their own personal handwriting. The card was simple, the words were small, filling the paper with only six words.
Yet, with these mere six words, they were able to bring your heart racing.
These six words swirled around in your head the entire day, causing you to smile briefly from time and time again before you could stop it.
You placed the card safely aside before hanging up the dress carefully, ensuring that it was free of any wrinkles. And as you prepared for the dinner, you definitely didn’t take extra care in your appearance. You were just trying your best to accommodate the lovely dress, not because you could hear every word loud and clear ringing in your head in his voice.
Made me think of you. Mammon.
The driver knocked at your door the moment it reached eight and not a second later, he led you to a car which was different to the one you saw last night. The car journey was silent, making it seem like you were driving for an eternity, even though the overall time between your apartment and the final stop was less than 20 minutes.
When you had arrived, you noticed that it was also different to the one from yesterday, not that it was particularly surprising. A staff opened the door for you then proceeded to send you into the elevator.
“Mr. Mammon is waiting for you in the penthouse.”
You gave them a polite smile, pressing the top button and watched as the door gradually close.
The elevator music filled the awkward silence as you checked your reflection in the mirror, making sure that your appearance was flawless.
And flawless it was.
When Mammon laid eyes on you the moment you exited that elevator was like watching an fallen angel descend onto earth. The dress was asymmetrical, draping over your body as if it was your second skin. You appreciated that the material wasn’t too tight or too loose, it was comfortable yet alluring to the eye. For a man that had committed more sins than he could admit, Mammon felt like he was in no place to even look at you.
“You look beautiful.” He breathed out as he pulled out a chair for you.
You smiled as you placed a hand on top of his as you took a seat. “Hope I did this dress justice.”
Mammon shook his head, taking a seat opposite from you with a soft chuckle. “Do the dress justice? Ya brought it to court!”
At his joke, you couldn’t hold in a laughter of your own, feeling bashful from his constant praise. Shaking your head, placing a hand over your chest in a futile attempt to calm yourself.
“I have to ask, what about this dress reminded you of me?”
He pushed his lips together in thought before concluding with a small smile. “The first moment I saw you, all I could think of was ‘Wow, an angel.’ and I don’t mean that in a cringey way either, I genuinely thought that you were my guardian angel that God sent me to keep me in check.”
Your nose scrunched up a little at his confession, feeling a little embarrassed to be compared to something so pure.
“Do you want to know why I actually choose to wear white?”
Mammon perked up, nodding his head.
“I wore it for you. White is your colour and I wanted to be yours.” This was the lie that you had come up with to get his attention. But for somewhere along the line, you don’t think it was a lie anymore.
It was addictive.
Addictive the way he tried to subtlety cover his blush by coughing into his fist.
When had you became so infatuated with this man?
This question would only continue to swim around in your head deeper into the night, with Mammon’s personal chef serving course after course of the highest quality of meals. Even the wine was specially chosen and crafted to serve to bring out the essence of each bite.
Every sip only helped to loosen the atmosphere, quite quickly the room was just left with the two of you. Giggling as you tumbled over one another like tipsy teenagers who were sneaking out of their parents house for the first time in their lives.
Mammon was the first one to fall with his back meeting the bed. You followed suit, climbing onto his lap with one hand resting on his chest while you swirled the wine glass in your other.
His eyes meets the mischievous glint in yours as you tipped the glass towards him. He parted his lips slightly to let you pour in the last remaining drops of the wine. Once the alcohol was finished, you let the glass roll off to the side as you leaned in closer towards him.
And there you were, chest to chest, the distance between you were so small you could smell the hint of raspberry in the undertone of the wine on his breath.
Even now when you were practically all over him, his arms stayed by his side.
He’s never once touched you without your permission.
Your hold on his tie tightened as you reached to touch the hilt of your concealed blade that was strapped to your thigh.
This is it. If I don’t do this now then I won’t have another chance. This was nice while it lasted, if only I didn’t have to ki—
“Are you going to do it?”
All the blood in your body suddenly ran cold as his voice pierces the silence.
He knew about it.
He knows what you were here to do.
Instead of shock, it brought you nothing but anger.
Was he making fun of you?
Within that instance, the knife was no longer sheathed but pressed firmly against the side of Mammon’s neck. The pressure wasn’t enough to make a cut, but it was enough to make your threat known.
Mammon’s eyes were lifeless but never once taking them off you.
That’s the way it should be. He has to be lifeless. Mammon has to die. This was the only way.
But why did you hate that look on him so much.
Before you knew it, tears were running down your cheeks and you couldn’t stop them. You could almost taste the blood on your tongue from how hard you were biting down on your lower lip but your grip immediately loosened when you felt something swipe over your them.
Mammon had brought his hand up to lightly wipe away your tears, the pad of his thumb pushing the teardrops to one side before they lightly traced over the shape of your lips.
He’s touching you.
His hand is on your face.
Your gaze focused once more to see that your tears have dropped down to fall onto Mammon’s face and so when you looked down from your position, it seemed like he was crying.
“Please don’t cry, you can do it. It has to be you.”
What does he mean.
‘It has to be you.’
You’ve heard that before.
Visions of a suitcase full of money and men in suits filled your mind and suddenly everything made sense.
“It was you. You’re the one that hired me– Why?”
Mammon didn’t seemed to be phased that you had figured everything out, it was like piecing the last couple pieces of a puzzle, all there was left now was you.
“You know why. Yer not that well known, and you wanted outta this life, right?”
You shook your head; you knew all that but that wasn’t what you were asking.
“Why did you hire me to kill you.”
Even as Mammon looked away, his hand never left your cheek. You felt as his fingers twitched slightly before relaxing into the natural shape of your jaw. With each second that passed, the silence became more deafening.
The only sound you could head was the sound of your breath as you slowly tried to calm yourself, tears drying at the corner of your eyes as you waited until Mammon slowly took up the courage to slowly start speaking.
“I never asked for this life.”
What—
“Do ya know I’m one of seven brothers?”
Well of course, it was one of the most well-known fact about him, that he was second eldest and influential out of all the brothers.
“I’m only ‘ere cause of Lucifer.” He begins with a deep inhale, you would have probably missed it if you weren’t paying attention; his voice was so small and soft. “Lucifer was the one that gave me this company, he gave me this position and wealth. He’s the most powerful one of us and he just— gave me this… I dropped out of uni and even moved away to a different city to escape from everythin’, to escape from him.”
His hand drops from your cheek, back onto the bed, the same look of hopelessness returns back to his gaze as he continues. “But once I got a taste of money. Once I got a taste of the power that came with wealth. I was uncontrollable.”
Tears begin to fill his eyes as he thinks back to all the stuff that he was willing to do just to earn a couple of bucks.
“It’s scary. How dollar bills control me, they have me dancing to their commands. I would do anything to have it in my hands.” His voice quivers as he brings his arms up to cover his face, muffling his voice but was still more than loud enough for you to hear.
“And the worst thing is, I liked it. I liked how great having money made me feel, I was literally being eaten away by power-hungry demons and I couldn’t escape. Now— I’m nothing more but an empty shell of greed.”
Your heart panged as you listened to him.
How could you, a girl who has nothing, relate so well to a man who has everything.
At some point in your life, you were overtaken by the sight of money.
Nothing mattered to you unless it brought you digits in your bank account.
The knife in your hand was long forgotten, tossed aside on the floor as you pulled Mammon’s arms away, revealing his redden face stained with tears.
“And that’s why you hired me? Just for me to kill you so you can have an easy escape. Have you thought about what would happen to your family? Do you really think you can put a price on your life?”
All Mammon could do was watch as you lectured him, with his arms pinned and your body on top of him, preventing him from being able to shy away from your confrontation.
“Stop running and confront these demons, you won’t be alone.” You gulped as you slipped your hand into his. These words weren’t just for him but also for you, no longer were you shouting but rather lowering your tone into something much more gentler.
This seemed to make Mammon cry even harder as you brought your arms around him to pull him into an embrace, settling beside him as he silently sobbed into your chest.
“Is it not too late?”
“Silly, it’s never too late.” You hummed as you placed a soft kiss to the top of head.
“There's still plenty of time for you and me.”
While it was ironic that white was the colour that you had associated each other with, it was the colour which symbolised purity and innocence. Many people tend to overlook that white also has connotations with meanings of loneliness and isolation.
White.
A colour that was the easiest to taint and tarnish yet it was the colour of hope.
White was the colour that changed your life around.
Months have since gone by since that day that you were offered with suitcases full of cash.
You had chosen to retire from your old profession. While there was no way to fully erase your past, you took a different approach to helping those that actually sought for your help. Attending part-time classes in law, you worked as an intern at a fairly small law firm. You learnt to serve out the justice that you had always wished to receive, taking things in a legal manner rather than the ruthless violence approach.
Meanwhile, Mammon started implementing a lot more schemes and campaigns for his company. Improving the staff welfare as well as focusing the majority of his events around charitable causes which allowed him to donate the earnings that he no longer needed.
And when night comes, you would return into each other’s arms.
He would try to sneak up behind you, but you would always be five steps ahead of him, joking about how you could have stabbed him in six different ways the moment he stepped into the room.
Though for Mammon’s sanity, you were better off saying that it was just a joke and not something that you were very capable of doing.
Muttering your apologies, you couldn’t help but chuckle as you hugged him close to your chest.
While you had failed in your last mission, you had gained the whole world in return.