Page 40 of A Kiss of Deception

Chaos erupts.

Patrons scatter. Glasses shatter. The music dies.

In the eye of this storm stands Meetha like a vengeful goddess come to the mortal realm. Her chest heaves. Her eyes blaze. The air around her crackles with barely contained power.

I watch, transfixed. This is Meetha in her element - beautiful, terrible, unstoppable.

As the initial shock wears off, a chorus of confused murmurs rises from the crowd. Some patrons edge towards the exits, while others lean in, eager for the unfolding drama.

Meetha towers over her victim, her voice cutting through the din like a knife. "That's for Korrine, you piece of shit."

The man groans, blood trickling from his split lip. Recognition dawns in his eyes, quickly followed by fear. He scrambles backward, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away.

I watch as Meetha towers over the cowering man, her eyes flashing with righteous fury. The air crackles with tension, and I can smell the fear radiating off him in waves.

"You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?" Meetha's voice drips with venom. "Cheating a desperate woman out of her hard-earned coin."

The man's eyes widen, darting around the room as if searching for an escape. But there's nowhere to run.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," he stammers.

Meetha lets out a harsh laugh. "Oh, don't play dumb. I know everything. How you forced Korrine to suck your pathetic excuse for a cock just so she could work. And for what? So you could turn around and steal it all back?"

The man's face pales, then flushes with shame and anger.

The pathetic wretch cowers before Meetha, his eyes darting between her and me. Sweat beads on his forehead, mingling with the blood from his split lip. The stench of his fear is intoxicating.

"P-please, I didn't mean... I never..." he stammers, holding up his hands in a feeble attempt to shield himself.

Meetha's lip curls in disgust. "Save your breath, you miserable excuse for a man."

I can't help but admire her fire. The way she commands the room, her power crackling just beneath the surface. It's... arousing. Meetha must sense my thoughts because she shoots me a quick, knowing glance, her eyes dancing with mischief even in the midst of her fury.

The man's gaze locks onto me, his eyes widening as he takes in my demonic form. A whimper escapes his throat.

"W-what are you?" he whispers, trembling.

I bare my teeth in a feral grin, enjoying this more than I anticipated. "Your worst nightmare."

He lets out a strangled sob, falling to his knees before Meetha. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, I'll do anything. I'll pay it back, every coin. Just don't... don't hurt me."

Meetha scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "You think money can fix this? You think you can buy your way out of the pain you caused?"

The man continues to grovel, his words a jumbled mess of pleas and apologies. It's pathetic, really. I've seen demons with more spine.

Meetha's eyes glint with malice as she towers over the sniveling man. Her lips curl into a predatory grin that sends shivers down my spine.

"Oh, don't worry," she purrs, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "I'm not here to kill you. Your karma has arrived all on its own."

The man's brow furrows in confusion, his trembling momentarily stilled. I can practically see the gears turning in his pitiful human brain as he tries to decipher her words.

Meetha leans in close, her breath hot against his ear. "How's that pretty little daughter of yours doing? Lila, isn't it?"

The effect is instantaneous. All color drains from the man's face, leaving him ashen and slack-jawed. His eyes widen in horror, darting between Meetha and me as if searching for some sign that this is all a cruel joke.

"W-what?" he chokes out, his voice barely above a whisper. "How do you know about Lila?"

I can't help but smirk at his reaction. Whatever Meetha has planned, it's clearly hitting its mark. The fear rolling off him in waves is intoxicating, and I find myself leaning in closer, eager to catch every nuance of his terror.

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