Chapter 102: The Vampires
Tatiana had never seen the young woman sitting across from her. She was unfamiliar... unknown in the criminal underworld and certainly not someone who should have any quarrel with Imperial Haven. And yet, here she was, calm and unbothered, having walked through Tatiana’s defences like a knife through butter. The power her subordinates had demonstrated was not something Tatiana could overlook.
She studied the woman quietly for a few moments. Despite the tension in the air, this girl remained composed. Not a flicker of fear or any other emotions. Tatiana narrowed her eyes. She decided to test the waters... with intimidation.
"Young Miss," Tatiana said, voice steady, slow, measured, "I don’t know who you are, but this is not a place where you can run wild and do as you please. Don’t assume that the small fries you defeated are the backbone of Imperial Haven. If that were true, I wouldn’t have held this post for years. What you did here... damaging property, harming my men... you’ll need to pay for it."
Her gaze hardened. "You’re locked in here with me now. The facility is sealed. No one from the outside can help you. So, I suggest you start cooperating."
But Eleanor remained perfectly still, her expression unchanged. If anything, she looked more bored than threatened.
"Major General Tatiana Lebedeva," Eleanor said in a voice so calm it felt like a breeze before a storm, "even after retirement, you wear your uniform in hopes of inspiring fear. I’m sorry to tell you... it didn’t work. And even if you were still in active service... I still wouldn’t care."
Tatiana’s brows furrowed.
"I came here to talk," Eleanor continued. "But your people made it abundantly clear that diplomacy wasn’t welcome. Two of your teams attempted to kill me. They’re now buried beneath the ocean. I didn’t come to pick a fight... I came to end one."
Her eyes shifted briefly to the laptop screen that showed live footage of the hall.
"You think sealing the place and jamming signals would prevent me from reaching the outside?" she asked dryly. "That’s cute. But I don’t allow others to control my surroundings."
With that, Eleanor reached for the chain around her neck and pulled out a diamond pendant. It shimmered with elegance, catching the dim light. She pressed it lightly.