Extra's Ascent

Fiona stood firmly in Selina's path, blocking her way down the wide corridor.

Her posture was tense, her chest thrust outward, a clear signal that she meant business.

There was no room for pretence here.

"Ladies… Would you excuse us for a moment?" Selina's command was cold and precise, her voice carrying the authority she was known for.

She dismissed her entourage, which lacked the ever present figure of Saldrich.

The three girls, stylish and aloof, didn't hesitate to brush past Fiona, each intentionally bumping her shoulder with an exaggerated swagger as they moved past her.

Their stares were icy, their attitudes palpable.

"You need to put a stop to this now, Selina," Fiona's voice broke through the silence, sharp and insistent.

"A stop to what? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Selina responded nonchalantly, her face twisting into an expression of feigned ignorance.

"Don't play dumb with me, Selina. Knowing you, I'm sure you're already scheming a thousand ways to get back at me and Aldrich. I'm telling you now, Selina… Don't." Fiona's voice was no longer pleading; it was hard and warning, a stark contrast to her usual apologetic tone.

Selina burst into a mocking laugh, her amusement easily breezing through the tension. "So it's true... You two are dating?" She laughed again, a sneering, hollow sound that echoed down the corridor.

Fiona's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?"

"You have fallen that low, haven't you, Fiona?" Selina's words dripped with disdain, as she looked at Fiona with a mix of disgust and superiority.

"I'm warning you, Selina. Leave Aldrich out of this. It's between you and me, and let it stay that way."

Fiona's voice was growing more impatient, the anger bubbling under the surface, her patience thinning with every passing second.

"Wait… Aldrich?" Selina's tone shifted slightly, a hint of recognition lighting up her features. "Is he in any way related to Saldrich Aldaman?"

Fiona's expression darkened. "Selina…" she trailed off, her voice a warning, but Selina continued as if she hadn't heard.

"If he's Saldrich's brother, then this should make things easier than I thought. Not that I'd have any trouble dealing with a lowlife from the lower sector…" Selina's voice trailed off, her words with contempt as she walked past Fiona, purposefully ignoring her.

"SELINA!" Fiona snapped, her voice rising, shaking with fury.

"OR WHAT?" Selina whipped around, her voice sharp. "Or what?" She repeated, her calm tone only further riling Fiona.

The sudden switch in Selina's demeanour, her voice so calm despite the tension, struck a nerve.

Selina's fury slowly simmered, replaced by an even deeper anger.

But this time, she refused to back down.

"You hurt me, Fiona. And for that, you'll pay dearly. So will anyone who tries to associate with you." Selina's words were delivered with cold finality, leaving no room for doubt.

Fiona's gaze softened for just a moment, a flicker of regret crossing her features. "I know. And I said I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Selina. If I could have it any other way, what happened wouldn't have happened," she said quietly, her voice filled with a heavy guilt.

"But it did, didn't it?" Selina cut her off, her tone turning even harsher. "And sorry just isn't going to cut it."

"What do you want from me, Selina?" Fiona's frustration was beginning to show in her voice, the pleading from before gone. "Do you want me gone from here? I already told you, that can't happen—"

"Want you gone?!" Selina interrupted sharply, her voice rising in disbelief. "No, Fiona. I don't want you gone. What I want is for you to suffer the same way I did. I want you to feel the pain of someone you trust betraying you. I want your heart shattered into pieces. And when you're finally on the brink of collapse, then… I will accept your apology."

Without another word, Selina brushed past Fiona, her shoulder intentionally grazing Fiona's as she walked away.

"It's not my fault, you know," Fiona muttered, her voice laced with frustration as if trying to reach Selina before she disappeared into the distance.

"Edward falling for me and risking the relationship he had with you… it's not my fault."

Selina, already several paces ahead, didn't even pause.

Fiona's words had hit their mark, but they were as empty as the air between them now.

Selina's silence said more than anything could have.

But then Fiona spoke again, her words voiced through the tense atmosphere, and it got to her.

"Listen to me—"

"No, Selina," Fiona interjected, her voice suddenly hard, her frustration spilling out. "You listen to me."

Selina turned, her posture rigid, and for the first time, her gaze wasn't one of superiority.

It was one of expectation as if waiting for Fiona to falter.

But Fiona did not back down.

"I've done enough begging and pleading already, and I'm tired of taking the blame for what was never my fault," Fiona said firmly, her words unwavering. "Edward fell for me. He was dating you, and he kissed me. HE, Selina, HE, not me. Just like you, I was caught unaware. And just like you, I rebuked his actions immediately. So if anyone is to blame for all of this, it should be Edward. He came between us, not the other way around."

Fiona's fury burned through every word, her voice growing with undeniable power.

The truth she spoke—undeniable, factual—was something Selina refused to accept, but it didn't make it any less real.

"So, if you want to come at me for something that isn't entirely my fault, fine. Come at me. I can take it, however, and whenever. But if you so much as threaten those around me… and by that, I mean Aldrich—"

Fiona's face hardened, her expression turning fierce.

It was a look Selina had never seen before, a look that radiated power and defiance.

There was a reason Fiona had once ruled their group with an iron grip, maintaining the queen bee position before her five-year absence from society.

And now, standing in front of Selina, that power was more evident than ever.

Fiona wasn't just a victim of circumstance; she was someone who would fight back, fiercely and without hesitation.

The warning was clear in her eyes, in the fierce expression etched across her face.

This was not the same Fiona from before.

This was someone who refused to be pushed around.

Selina, however, remained unmoved, her anger smouldering beneath the surface.

Threatening the queen bee of the moment rarely ended well, and Fiona had just made a grave mistake by doing so.

But Selina's silence was her response.

Fiona had won this round does not Selina would not forget the confrontation.

When the time came, the retaliation would come in full force, several folds of what she had just received.

No one threatened Selina Von Degure and got away with it.

Fiona, however, had the last laugh in this exchange.

She turned and walked away, her back straight, leaving Selina standing there, seething with anger and frustration.

Fiona had reminded her, in no uncertain terms, of who she truly was and that was a dangerous thing to do.

The problem for Fiona was that she had just further enraged Selina.

And when you anger the queen bee, the price you pay is far steeper than you can ever anticipate.