Thread: Root of (Evil)² {HeavenSundered & darjeeling}

Valerie could only shrug at the woman, not at her words but at the tone. She never expected to pour her life's story to this stranger, nor did she have any desire to do so. If anything, Zhanna's disinterest suited her just nicely, leaving her to focus on remaining as still as possible while still shielding herself from the camera. This version of blackmail always left her rather bitter. She knew that she was far from the most loved and her name was always spoken with a bit of vitriol even in Lodestar's dampest bars where her clients would hide away before her dogs inevitably found them. There was no doubt that the pictures would be met with mostly amusement and entertainment, though to say that they might jeopardize her position in the company was shaky at best. People were always doing stupid things, and Valerie was young enough to be forgive for one or two scandals. Besides, Sanctum dealt in worse things than partial nudity. She half expected Zhanna to wander over and break her hand for that crude gesture. Rarely was the CEO pushed to such measures, but considering her position, there was nothing much she could do beyond hoping she could overpower the woman and retrieve her letter opener. Don't hold your breath. Valerie replied with a sneer, her dark eyes following the piercing-riddled female's movements, not so much wondering where she was doing as she was wondering what was going to happen next. It was almost with a morbid fascination did she stare at the weapon trained on her, a faint expletive falling from her lips not at her predicament but at Sanctum's incompetent security measures. The gun should have been seized the second she walked through those doors, and considering they weren't full proof, visitors was to have their persons and belongings checked every time. Being threatened with a gun made all the difference and Valerie found that, once the very real possibility of being shot had sunk in, her chest had gone ice cold and it wasn't due to any lack of insulation. Regardless, her hand still shot up to grasp at the woman's wrist, nails digging into her skin as a fistful of her hair was pulled, issuing a soft grunt of pain as she was thrown unceremoniously against her own desk. The pain was nothing compared to the searing numbness as her cheek collided with the wood, her bruised flesh throbbing angrily almost instantly. Still seeing stars, she was only made aware of what was occurring when something distasteful and metallic slid against her tongue and if there was any time she felt fear, it was now. It was only thanks to her abrasive personality that she could not help but think the woman was stupid for asking her to respond with the barrel of a gun pointed at her gullet. Then again, that might have been her plan all along, finding any reason to shoot. Valerie remained perfectly still, not wanting to risk having Zhanna's finger slip against the trigger. The duality of the question was at such that she could not decide whether to shake her head or nod, the intelligence she boasted dampened effectively by the threat of having her brains blown out. Finally, she let out a soft, muffled whimper over the metal and inclined her head slightly in what might have been a show of submission.