“Ha~” With an elongated spiritless sigh, I let my body plump down on the floor, my head resting on the seating cushions of the sofa in Mark’s office. My brain was on five percent battery, dislocating my spirit from my body, as if I could ask God to take me out for just a short while. Let my soul wander wherever souls go to be zen.

“I wanna die.” My eyes were vacant, matching my emotionless voice. Turning my head sideways, I looked at the door where Mark and Snake were standing, communicating words to each other that my ears couldn’t perceive.

My glazed eyes landed on Mark’s face, his eyebrows knitted together as he made hand motions to clarify his words. Staring at him made my eyes smolder with resentment, and I clenched my jaw. My hands turned into a pair of fists as I recalled with a flushed face the embarrassing moment that occurred when we stepped out of the car-

Correction when I got dragged out of the car. Mark had brazenly swung the door open, letting everybody’s eyes be burned with the image of me sitting on his lap. Everybody had turned their attention to us. Their eyes widening as they couldn’t fathom what they had just witnessed.

Well jokes on them. I couldn’t fathom what was happening either, as I was frozen, stuck in place. Only when Snake got out of the car to give me a helping hand did I attempt to run away, but Mark had none of that and kept me close at his side, his arm draped around my waist. I struck my heels on the ground, refusing to take another step, but with a smile on his face he forcibly propelled me forward, causing my heels to leave a long trail in the concrete floor.

And my colleagues. I could feel the back of my scalp sizzling from their burning stare. In a sad attempt, I tried to use my hair as a curtain to cover my face as I kept walking at a fast pace, with my shoulders slouched down.

My body was shivering as I feared Mark would leave me when we arrived at the den of fray hyenas that were waiting to rip me to pieces to get their questions answered. So, you couldn’t imagine the relief that washed over me when Mark was adamant to take me to his office, giving me a one-way ticket out of this mess. But the alleviation was quickly diminished and transitioned into dread as the tongue clicking sounds of my colleagues reached my ears as I walked away, causing every fiber in my muscles to clamp up.

“Argh…” I mushed my face into the seating cushions, letting a feeble groan escape past my lips as I ruffled my hair into a disarray mess; feeling my nails scraping the dead skin off my scalp.

“Is something the matter, Ms. Westwood?” A serene voice called, and I sighed in response as if every fiber in my body was deprived of its energy; turning my head up sideways to reveal my sullen face.

My eyes glazed swiftly around the room. “Where’s Mark?” I asked as I noticed Mark’s vacancy.

“He had an urgent phone call to pick up.” Snake answered. “So, what’s wrong Ms. Westwood?” He repeated his previous question.

I watched how Snake gracefully poured the hot water in to a flowery adorned tea cup where a green tea sack was present. He carefully placed it down on the coffee table before he erected his back straight again, peering down at me with his signature benign smile.

Feeling irked by his nonchalant behavior, I lowered down my eyelids into a pair of slits, glowering at him. “What’s wrong!?” I cried out incredulously and sat on the couch.

“I have been stalked by a deranged person for four years, I can’t glance at the opposite gender without being worried if they still would have all of their organs intact the next day, I am being blackmailed around the clock with the lives of my loved ones at stake and worst of them all is that I can’t do anything about it!” Intensifying the tone in my voice, I listed down all the points on my fingers; feeling the anger flaring up in me at every point.

“And you’re still asking me if something is wrong?” My voice came out pinched, coated in mockery as I smiled at him sardonically.

Cupping his elbow with one hand and stroking his chin with his other hand, Snake hummed thoughtfully. “You’re right, Mr. Moore shouldn’t have put you through all of that.”

A weight that has been pressing on my chest from frustration slightly lifted and my eyes widens in shock. “Y-You agree with me?” I asked, my voice freighted with surprise.

He nodded with a smile.

“Ha… ha” Letting my head hung low, I let out a dry laughter and exhaled, relieved feeling the tightness that was unwittingly exerted on my shoulders being released.

This was the first time that I could express my frustration, my true feelings to someone without being worried that Mark would cut their throat and snatch me from the map. And having someone agree with me was like a breath of fresh air. Relief and hope made their way inside me and I felt my expression simpering.

‘He’s really different from Mark and we seem to agree, so he may be able to help me out.’ I thought and raised my head to voice out my thoughts, but the next sentence that flowed out of his mouth rendered my thought process, shattering every good opinion that I had of him.

“He should have kidnapped and killed your family from the get go.”

“What?” My voice came out wobbly as I stared at him, baffled, with quivering eyes.

He gave me his ice-cold smile that supposedly was to calm me down, but it only managed the quicken my heartbeat. “Yeah, if it was me, I would have cut off every escape route of my prey. I would make sure that their voice never reaches a hearing ear. Their every choice taken away until they only have me in their life.”

My eyes blinked repeatedly, matching the hammering of my beating heart against my rib cage, causing me the inability to respond to his calm remark. His expression remained unfazed, as if his utterance that lacked any form of emotion was normal.

“Uh…” I licked my dry lips nervously as I tried to clear my throat. Snake’s eyes flitted to my lips, observing my behavior.

“Take a sip of your tea. You look” He paused. “A bit parched.” He gestured at the still fuming hot tea, his oily smile painted on his face.

I swallowed a big lump down my throat as I eyed at Snake nervously; leaning slightly forward, grabbing the filled tea cup. Ripples formed on the surface of tea that was caused from the turbulence of my hand.

Gritting my teeth, I quickly threw my head back and took a big gulp of the tea, ignoring the scorching liquid charring down my tongue and throat as I needed the pain to come back to my senses.

‘Stupid April! What made you think he was ‘normal’!? Of course, he wasn’t normal! He is a killer that works for Mark, for God’s sake!’ I berated myself inwardly as I slammed the teacup back on the table.

“You must have been really thirsty Ms. West wood.”

I snapped my head up and glared at Snake, whose lip was in a ‘o’ shape as his eyes went round. It was the first time a different face expression crossed his face, but his eyes that were filled mirth, mismatching his obtuse expression, rubbed me off the wrong way.

I didn’t let my feelings be shown on my face and instead put on a fixed smile that didn’t reach the eyes as I quipped out, “I understand now why your parents named you Snake.”

A smile overtook his face again, and he nodded, pleased. “I am happy that I am living up to my name. My parents would be proud.”

‘Of course, he’s proud.’ I let out a heavy sigh as I shook my head.

It finally hit me after having talked to three killers. Having a conversation with them is like trying to teach someone the recipe for ice water. If anything, having a conversation with them makes it feel like you’re the crazy one.

“Would you like another cup of tea, Ms. Westwood?” Snake asked.

I looked down at the empty cup where you could still see the fumes coming out from and I could feel every nerve in my mouth screaming and crying out in pain, as they didn’t want to go through that torture again.

I smacked my mouth open and close unconsciously and winced at the stinging pain of my tongue. “No, could I have a glass of water instead?” I croaked, clasping my hand around my throat as if that gesture would soothe the pain.

He nodded. “Certainly.” And smiled as he cleared the coffee table of the teacup, bringing it away to the small kitchen counter that was across the room. I watched as how he grabbed a glass cup from the small cabin that hung above the counter, filling it with faucet water.

“So, what is your killer name, Snake?” I asked, trying to change the subject as I wasn’t able to handle the discomfort air in the room.

“Don’t have one.” Snake simply stated with a smile, bringing the filled cup over to me.

“Why?” I reached out my hand and received the cup. I took a small sip from it and could hear the celebration of my taste buds as the cold liquid extinguished the burning pain.

I closed my eyes and breathed out, relieved.

He chuckles softly. “I come from a long family line of killers, so my parents named me Snake hoping I would act like one and because of that I thought that my name alone would be sufficient.” He explained.

“Hmmm.” I nodded as I hummed in wonder, my lips still clamped on the rim of the glass cup. My mind couldn’t help but wander back to the imposter Snake, filling itself with questions. I don’t think that he chose ‘Snake’ as a name coincidently. Mark mentioned that ‘Snake’ goes by many names, but why use ‘Snake’ as the main one?

I glanced at Snake as I took another sip of water. And Snake’s reaction when I asked if he was ‘Snake’ was really suspicious. He looked pissed, but why? I never said about which ‘Snake’ I was talking about, but his expression told me he was ascertain of who I was talking about. I mean, he obviously knows his identity, but what is his connection with him?

Snake’s eyes swiftly locked with mine, catching me in the staring act. I flinched and averted my gaze away, sipping the water awkwardly.

“Is there something that you would like to quire me about, Ms. Westwood?” Snake asked.

I hummed thoughtfully; my eyes aimed at the ceiling.

‘I properly shouldn’t ask him those questions. He will not answer it anyway, seeing how Mark had forbidden him to.’ I thought.

Trying to not look Snake in the eyes, I let my eyes dart around nervously around the room before clearing my throat as I spoke in a high squeaky voice. “I just wondered why a killer like yourself is serving Mark.” I asserted.

Not something that I wanted to ask, but still was curious about.

“Oh?” I froze with the cup still in my mouth as a shiver run down my spine. His voice that was mixed with politeness and calmness fell away like a discarded cloak.

I slowly craned my head sideways, moving away from the cup. I felt the beating of my heart coming to a halt and gasped when I met the cold hazel brown eyes that could even freeze peas.

‘Huh…?’

His smile fell together with the air of the room. I could breathe fine, I really could, but somehow my lungs weren’t able to get any oxygen. Instead, it felt like they were shriveling up with each breath I took, as if I was inhaling carbon monoxide.

I coughed and gasp for air, feeling an intense pressure being exerted on my chest. Tears prickled behind my eyes.

Snake bend forward, bringing his face closer to mine. His crescent-shaped eyes locking mine watery ones in place and with a dry smile he said the following,

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

My sight got blurry as I was still heaving and gasping for air. ‘What’s going on?’ Oxygen was not reaching my brain, transforming my thoughts into a puddle of jumbled and mushed goo, leaving me in a confused state.

Snake just kept staring at me, gauging my every reaction.

“You better dial down that bloodlust unless you want to feel this bullet in your chest.” A voice hardened boomed throughout the room, reigning everybody’s attention.

Blinking the tears away, I looked sideways at Mark. He had on a peeved expression, and his hand was holding a gun that was aimed at Snake.

“M-Mark.” The relief in my trembling voice could be detected as I called out to Mark.

Mark's eyes snapped to mine, and they turned three shades darker. Mark gritted his teeth callously as his grip on the gun hardened, so much that his knuckles were turning pale.

“Didn’t I tell you to tone down that bloodlust?” Mark gritted warningly.

With his hands clasped on his back and with his face aimed at Mark, Snake slowly straightened his back-giving Mark his nonchalant smile.

At the same time, I could feel the pressure on my chest being lifted, and I collapsed; lying lethargically down on the couch, my hands clasped around my throat as I was coughing up a storm.

Mark took big strides towards me and was swiftly at my side, cradling me against his chest.

“You’re back sir.” Snake's calm voice was back together with his begin smile.

But Mark was not having it as he narrowed his eyes, willing the raging anger out of his voice. “I really hope that your bloodlust wasn’t aimed at April, Snake.”

“It wasn’t, Sir.” Snake responded. “My emotions got the best of me when I heard Ms. Westwood’s her…” He paused and glanced at me before he continued. “question and I guess I wasn’t able to conceal it.”

I unconsciously clutched tighter at the thin fabric of Mark’s suit and, with eyes that were rimmed with red, I glared brazenly back in Snake’s eyes. Snake’s eyes flickered with something before he broadens his smile.

Mark tightens his hold around me and growls pissed at Snake. “Consider this, then your first and your last warning. Don’t. Do. That. Again.” He demanded callously as he breathed out every word with conviction.

Lenient Snake bowed his head. “Yes, sir.” He then looks at me and bows too. “And I am gravely sorry for putting you through that, Ms. Westwood.” His voice sounded apologetic but a tinge of mirth could be detected and with a chagrin expression I petulantly nodded my head.

“It’s okay.” I muttered.

Mark exhaled aggravated as he run his fingers through his hair. He glanced down at me, letting his finger stroke my check tentatively. “You okay?”

‘Do I look okay!?’ I thought angrily and exasperated. “Yeah… I’m okay.” I grumbled.

Mark's expressions softens. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you be alone anymore.” He crooned and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead before he stood up and waltzed to his desk.

I darted my gaze from Mark back to Snake, glowering at him. He met my gaze and smiled annoyingly at me, which I responded with a profanity that I only mouthed out so that it wouldn’t catch Mark's ears.

Bastard.