Sarafina leaned back in her tree trunk , that slow, knowing smirk curving her lips.
"Well, well, Rena…" she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "Six days gone and now you walk in like you own the place. Hair tipped in Red now white , eyes blazing… acting like the queen of the damned. What happened, hmm? Did married life suddenly turn you into this?"
Rena tilted her head, her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "And what's it to you, Sarafina? You've been counting my absences? Cute. Sounds like someone's got a little obsession."
Sarafina's smirk widened. "Obsession? No. But curiosity? Oh, absolutely. I mean, look at you." Her eyes swept Rena from head to toe, deliberately slow. "Shorter skirt, tighter blouse, legs crossed just so… And that face… Goddess help me, it's like you've been fed sin for breakfast."
Rena chuckled darkly. "You talk too much. Maybe that's why no one takes you seriously. All that power and still desperate for attention."
"Oh, sweet Rena," Sarafina purred, leaning forward, her elbows on her rode it . "Don't pretend you don't love attention. You walked in here today dressed to kill. You wanted every eye on you. Even mine."
Rena's lips curled. "I didn't dress for you. You're not my type."
"Funny," Sarafina shot back, "because I'd say I'm exactly your type. Dangerous. Beautiful. Strong enough to make you feel small if I wanted to."
Rena's eyes narrowed, a dangerous flicker in the gold. "Try it."
Sarafina tilted her head, her grin slow and wicked. "Oh, Rena… I don't need to try. You're already reacting to me. That stiff posture, that little twitch of your lip—don't think I don't notice. I could have you flustered in five minutes if I really pushed."
Rena's laugh was sharp, almost cruel. "You? Fluster me? Sarafina, you're just noise. Pretty noise, sure, but still noise. And I've dealt with far louder, far uglier things than you."
"Mmm," Sarafina hummed, clearly entertained. "You talk like you've been through hell. Maybe you have. But you're standing here now, looking like this… and I'm thinking hell changed you. Made you sharper. Sexier, even."
Rena arched a brow. "Careful. Compliments from you sound like threats."
"Maybe they are," Sarafina said softly, her voice dropping low. "Maybe I'm threatening to peel you apart just to see what's underneath all that fire."
Rena leaned forward now, elbows on her desk, eyes locked with Sarafina's. "You wouldn't last. You'd choke on it."
"Oh, darling," Sarafina's smirk was pure challenge, "I never choke."
The silence between them thickened, charged, their eyes locked like blades crossing.
Sarafina broke it first. "Tell me, does your dear husband know you're walking around like this? Skirt up to here, eyes that could burn a man alive? Or is this your little rebellion?"
Rena's smile was razor-thin. "What my husband knows or doesn't know is none of your business. And if you're so interested in my skirt, maybe you should just admit you're jealous."
Sarafina laughed low and rich. "Jealous? Oh no, Rena. I'm impressed. It's rare someone walks in here and makes me look twice. But you? I'm looking three, four, five times… and I'm still not done."
Rena tilted her head, mock sweetness in her tone. "Staring that much… people might think you're undressing me with your eyes."
"Who says I'm not?" Sarafina's grin was wicked. "And you're not exactly stopping me."
Rena's voice dipped, dangerous. "Maybe I want you to look. Just so I can remind you you'll never have the nerve to do more."
"Oh, sweetheart," Sarafina leaned back again, laughing softly. "You're poking a dragon and pretending it's a kitten. Careful, or you'll find out the difference the hard way."
Rena's smile sharpened. "You think you're a dragon? You're a spark. I could snuff you out with one breath."
"Mm… but you won't," Sarafina replied instantly. "Because you like this. You like me pushing you. You like the way I talk to you—raw, direct, no sugarcoating. I could say the filthiest thing right now, and you wouldn't even flinch."
Rena's eyes glinted. "Try me."
"Oh?" Sarafina's smirk deepened. "Fine. You're standing there with that perfect little waist, those legs that go on forever, and those lips…" She let the pause linger, deliberately slow. "Lips that could make a man forget his own name—or a woman, for that matter. And if I wanted, I could tell you exactly what I'd do to you in an empty room."
Rena's reply was immediate, biting. "And I'd tell you exactly how boring that would be for me."
Sarafina's laugh was sharp, almost delighted. "God, you're a brat. No wonder people whisper about you. And here I thought the rumors were exaggerated."
"Oh, they probably are," Rena said smoothly. "The truth is usually much worse."
"Good," Sarafina murmured, her gaze sweeping Rena again. "Because boring girls don't keep my attention. And you… you're the opposite of boring. You're trouble in heels."
Rena's smirk returned. "And you're wasting your breath."
Sarafina's voice dropped again, silk over steel. "Then let me waste it. I'd call you beautiful, but that's too small a word. You're dangerous. You're the kind of beautiful that gets people killed. I bet even your husband watches his step around you."
Rena leaned in slightly. "And I bet you wish you could watch me the same way."
"Oh, I do," Sarafina admitted, her tone shameless. "Every move you make… every glance… even the way you sit there, pretending you're not enjoying this."
"I'm not pretending," Rena said flatly.
"You are," Sarafina countered, voice rich with amusement. "Because here you are, still talking to me. If I was as boring as you say, you'd have walked away."
"I don't walk away from challenges," Rena replied.
Sarafina's smirk turned feral. "Good. Then let's be honest. You've got the kind of body that could make a priest break his vows. Hell, even your voice is enough to—" She cut herself off, eyes gleaming. "Well. Let's just say there's a reason I noticed you the second you walked in."
Rena's tone was ice. "And here I thought you noticed everyone."
"I do," Sarafina said, "but not like this. Not with this… pull. And don't flatter yourself—it's not just your looks. It's the way you move. Like you're carrying a secret. Like you could ruin someone without lifting a finger."
Rena's smirk deepened. "Maybe I could."
"I'd let you try," Sarafina murmured, leaning forward again. "Though something tells me you've already ruined a few people… maybe even enjoyed it."
Rena didn't deny it. "Some deserved it."
"And some didn't?" Sarafina pressed.
Rena's smile was slow, dangerous. "Who says I care?"
Sarafina laughed, low and dark. "God, you're worse than I thought."
"And you're still here," Rena pointed out.
"Oh, I'm not going anywhere," Sarafina said. "Not until I figure you out. Not until I know what makes you tick… or break."
Rena's gaze sharpened. "Careful, Sarafina. Push too hard and you'll find out I don't break. I burn."
"Then burn me," Sarafina challenged, voice thick with heat. "If you can."
---
Heat: Hello guys, did you like the chapter? Honestly, I don't know how girls fight, so I asked my sister and she told me that it was a fight about words or clothes. Is this true? I thought they were pulling each other's hair, honestly.