the truth about monsters (Chaennie)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Sting of Betrayal

It all happened so very suddenly.

The elevator doors shut, but Jennie Kim was having none of it. She slammed the opening buttons so instantly that Rosie couldn't even see her hand until it came back to her side, clenched in a fist.

"Jennie." Rosie's voice was timid, and she was reminded of their earlier relationship, the one based in fear, and loathing.

Rosie thought she saw a little bit of that Jennie in her current actions.

Jennie, on the other hand, had either ignored her, or simply drowned Rosie out altogether.

Or, so Rosie thought.

"Stay." Jennie's voice was cold, hard, demanding. Yet, her voice was protective and concerned at its core.

Of course, Rosie never really was good at taking orders, so she figured she wouldn't start right then and there.

Rosie followed her as she strode into the expansive lobby, amidst the Infernos' cries of anger, Mino and Somi's intimate moment, and Darius' men tackling Lisa to the ground.

Jennie took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, willing her rage into her voice.

And then she projected.

"I WILL HAVE ORDER!" Jennie's call of authority reverberated throughout the great halls of her immense building, and everything fell silent.

Mino froze, Somi kneeled in front of his wheelchair, holding his hand tightly.

He murmured something to her, likely a reassurance.

Lisa's screams were immediately silenced. It seemed as if she were gagged by one of Jennie's people, her screams attracting too much attention.

Jisoo, who had clearly defied Jennie's order to stay upstairs, froze while trying to apparently beat sense into someone who'd said something against Mino, cold eyes locked on Somi.

Rosie gaped at Jennie, at the throbbing vein in her throat when she yelled, at the way everyone in the building dropped everything to pay their respect to her commands.

She was, truly and absolutely, the Colonel.

Jennie cleared her throat once, regally, glancing at her people, who all looked tense and ready to murder on her behalf.

They probably had, at some point or another.

Jennie spoke curtly. "Detain them. Both of them. Jisoo? Conference room. Fifteen minutes. Mino, you too."

Jennie's words were ice, cutting and caustic, and Rosie had to wonder what was going to happen to Lisa and Somi.

"Everyone else, disperse and shut up before I make you regret it." Jisoo's growl was warning enough, and the clumps of Infernos scattered like a wildfire, burning their way through the forests of Jennie's building, back to their hideaway offices.

Jennie whipped around, eyes avoiding Rosie's gaze. She kept her full lips pressed into a firm line, anger evident in the rage in her eyes as she stepped back into the elevator, Rosie freezing, unsure of whether to leave her alone or join her.

If Lisa and Somi were detained, shouldn't Rosie have been, too?

They were all that was left of her old family, and she couldn't lose them.

Jennie's eyes beckoned Rosie into the elevator and she held the door as Rosie wordlessly stepped inside, the doors rolling shut behind them.

Jennie said nothing, stiff and straight, eyes trained on the doors ahead.