THE TEMPTRESS

||Her||

•STEPHANIE•

I gently worked my fingers through my roots before dipping back into the dye container to finish up the remaining blond strands that were still standing out.

The black dye had made a mess of my plastic gloves, making my hands look like a globby mess. Even Russ barked his disapproval earlier.

But hey, it was all part of my undercover look. If I'm going to blend in as the prey in the predator's territory, might as well go all in, right?

After the black hair dye had fully set in, not a trace of blond was left. I was going to miss being a blonde; this dye was permanent.

Once done, I peeled off the gloves and rinsed my hands in the sink. While drying my hands, I checked out my new look in the mirror.

Well, the black doesn't look half bad. It's giving off a kind of 'mysterious' vibe. We'll see once I rinse and blow-dry it. Even if black hair doesn't suit me, it won't matter.

The only thing that matters now is blending in with this new look and catching the eye of the person I'm targeting.

"Come on, Russ," I whistled, and he followed me out of the bathroom into the living room.

I uncovered the whiteboard in the room and started taking everything down: the pictures, the notepads, the red string, and erased the writings.

I've got a fresh strategy and a new target. It's been two weeks since I dealt with Diego Martinez, and those weeks have given me plenty of time to dig into Luca Diesta.

It never occurred to me that he had a son. I completely missed that crucial detail. But now that I have it, the whole plan has changed.

Luca's son, Kaden, is my main focus. He's my way in, the key to getting closer to Luca Diesta. It's the perfect opportunity.

I had one of my reliable contacts from Steven's gang do a background check for me. Gave him a week to gather everything about Kaden, and now I've got it all.

His personal info, his inner circle's profiles, his pictures, recent whereabouts, favorite hangout spots, and more.

The fact that he's just a year older than me is the icing on the cake. Guys like him are easier to manipulate. Put on a pretty dress, do your makeup right, say the right things, and boom.

They're putty in your hands, willing to do whatever it takes to spend time with you. Kaden fits that bill perfectly.

From all the info my contact gathered, he's a party animal. Loves blowing his money on drinks and girls, and hangs out at Zion, an elite nightclub.

I pinned his picture in the middle of the board, with Luca's on the side. I drew an arrow with the red marker connecting them and made some side notes about Kaden.

I stopped and leaned back for a moment, staring at Kaden's picture. They share the same eyes. His have a playful glint, while Luca's possess a dark, evil gleam.

Their faces made me angry. I was tempted to grab my dagger and slice their pictures apart. The fact that he gets to live on like nothing happened disgusts me.

He had a son the same age as my brother back then, yet he killed him anyway. Monsters like him exist because they lack a conscience.

They kill whoever they want, even children, without a shred of guilt.

Luca Diesta needs to pay. I'll take everything away from him, starting with his one and only son, his precious heir to his empire.

After reorganizing my evidence board, my phone timer pinged, signaling that my forty minutes were up.

I headed to the bathroom, grabbed the showerhead, and stepped into the glass cubicle to rinse the dye from my hair.

Black droplets stained the tiles under my feet, flowing into the drain. My vision blurred, and a piercing noise rang in my ears.

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again. Blood stained the tiles, and I stumbled back in shock.

The pain and noise continued for what felt like an eternity before finally subsiding. It was like I'd narrowly escaped drowning.

I tried to catch my breath as my racing heart returned to a normal rhythm. I stripped off my wet clothes and decided to take a shower.

It happened from time to time. First, hallucinations, then my heart squeezed so tightly I could barely breathe, and my head throbbed.

The ringing in my ears would start small and grow louder, sometimes causing me to pass out from the pain.

I didn't know what triggered it, but it was the one vulnerability I worried about. If the wrong people ever caught me in that state, I'd be dead.

Which is why I'm grateful it only happens at home, where I can handle it alone.

But now that I'm about to begin with a new plan and knowing all the chaos that would follow, I can only hope that it doesn't happen in any situation where I have to depend on the wrong people, to help me battle my own demons.

I couldn't risk it.

I stepped out of the shower, wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror, and gasped when I saw my reflection.

I almost didn't recognize myself. That was a good thing. The black hair had transformed me into someone new.

Now, this is what a girl looks like when she's ready to start a war.

Unrecognizable. Invincible. And irresistible.

She's Stephanie Grey.