Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 196: The Cold Chain of Blood



Mercury adjusted her cap slightly, her hand steady despite the fire burning within her.

She stood across from the man who had once called himself their father, a man who had abandoned her and Milo years ago without so much as a backward glance.

The small café seemed far too bright for a moment like this, and the faint murmur of chatter around them grated on her nerves. Still, she kept her voice even, her gaze unwavering.

"You know why I'm here," she began, sliding a neat stack of papers onto the table. "Milo's contract."

The man looked up at her, his expression unnervingly calm, almost detached. His presence carried an ominous weight as if he were testing her limit with every second that passed.

He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile creeping across his lips, but Mercury wasn't going to let him unsettle her.

"Since Milo is still a minor," she continued, her tone sharp and controlled, "he needs the signature of his legal guardian to move forward with his beast mastery contract."

Her father's smile grew, but his eyes remained cold and unreadable. He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together as if this were nothing more than a casual conversation.

"And that guardian is me," he said, his voice smooth, almost amused. "How convenient, isn't it?"

Mercury's jaw tightened, but she refused to let him bait her. She had prepared for this moment, and she wouldn't let him manipulate the situation.

"Convenient for you, perhaps," she said, leaning forward slightly, her eyes narrowing. "You have the legal right to control Milo's future because you never relinquished guardianship. It doesn't matter that you abandoned us, that you left me to take care of him alone. On paper, you're still his father, and apparently, that gives you all the authority."

He didn't flinch, but his smirk faltered for the briefest of moments before returning. Then he leaned back, a mockingly sympathetic look spreading across his face.

"Does that mean you're finally stopping your harassment. You have sent half the lawyers in the city after me to challenge that, after all," he said, his voice dripping with false pity. "All that effort, all that expense, and yet here we are. You really should have saved yourself the trouble. I almost feel sorry for you, Mercury."

Mercury seized the moment and pressed on.

"I'm not here to argue about the past. I'm here to make this official." She slid the papers closer to him. "Sign these. They transfer all legal rights over Milo to me. No more decisions, no more weight of responsibility for a child you clearly don't care about."

Her father's gaze dropped to the papers and the pen that sat just within reach of his fingers. He stared at them for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

Then, slowly, his lips curled into another smile, this one colder, sharper. He looked back at her, his eyes gleaming with something almost predatory.

"You've thought this through, haven't you?" he said softly. "So practical, so efficient. Just like your mother was."

Mercury's eyes darkened, but she didn't react to the bait. Instead, she folded her arms, her gaze drilling into his.

"I'm giving you what you want," she said, her voice low but firm. "Freedom. No more ties to children you abandoned. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

Her father chuckled, the sound low and unsettling, like a predator toying with its prey. He picked up the pen, twirling it idly between his fingers as if savoring the power it represented.

Then he set it down without signing, leaning back in his chair with a languid ease that belied the tension in the air.

"Oh, Mercury," he said, his voice almost mocking, laced with a faux sense of regret. "I'm shocked. Truly. I never imagined you'd come to me with something like this. After all, I'm just a man who made errors with his life, right? Why would you think I'd want to abandon my own son?"

His tone was playful, almost teasing, but the malice underneath was razor-sharp. Mercury's hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms, but she forced herself to stay calm. She refused to let him see how much his words stung.

"Because it's what you want too," she said, her voice steady. "You're just playing games because you can't help yourself. But we both know how this ends. You sign the papers, I take Milo, and you go to Hell like any other day."

For a moment, he didn't respond, his gaze fixed on her as if he were dissecting her every word. Then, a slow smile crept across his face, colder than before.

"Ah, but see," he said, almost lazily, "that's where you've misunderstood me. You think I want to walk away. That I want freedom from Milo. But now?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with something cruel. "I think I've been... misguided. I see things differently now."

He paused, his smile widening as he added.

"Wonderful, isn't it? The timing. Milo's growing up, becoming quite the promising little talent. Makes me realize... maybe it's time to be the father I should have been all along. Maybe I can finally be there for my little boy."

Mercury's lips tightened, her fury barely contained as he went on, his tone turning saccharine.

"Too bad you were so slow," he continued, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I would have been there for you too, you know. If you'd just asked nicely... Well, it's never too late, my beautiful daughter."

The words hit like a slap, and Mercury began to tremble. Her hands pressed into the edge of the table, her knuckles pressing with force. The wooden surface groaned under the pressure.

"You want to play games?" she said, her voice cold and cutting. "Keep testing me and I'll show you how far I'm willing to go."

Her grip on the table tightened, the faint sound of wood splintering beneath her fingertips breaking the tense silence.

"Sign the damn papers."

Her father's smile faltered, just for a second, before he picked up the pen again, twirling it between his fingers. The moment stretched unbearably, the tension coiling tight between

them.

Finally, with a shrug and a dramatic sigh, he scrawled words across the papers. The scratch of the pen against the paper was loud in the oppressive silence.

When he pushed the papers back toward her, his smirk returned.

"There. All yours."

Mercury grabbed the papers, her hands steady at first, but her expression faltered as she glanced down at the writing. The confidence in her eyes dimmed, replaced by confusion and then seething anger as she realized what was written on the page.

'Chill girl, I do what I want' sprawled across the space where his signature should have been.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Her composure shattered. She slammed the papers onto the table and stood abruptly, her

chair scraping loudly against the floor. In one swift motion, she grabbed him by the collar, her voice a sharp hiss of fury.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she snapped, her hands trembling with restrained

violence.

Her father's smile didn't waver. Instead, his eyes gleamed with a cold, calculated satisfaction.

"Go ahead," he said, his voice low and taunting. "Prove to everyone here that you're mentally unstable. Touch me, Mercury. Just once. See how fast you lose Milo... and your career." Mercury's grip tightened for a moment, her knuckles white, before she forced herself to stop. Her chest heaved with rage as he continued, his tone dripping with mock wisdom.

"Life isn't a fairy tale, girl. It isn't some game where you can win just because you have power. You touch me, and you'll lose everything. That's how the real world works."

Her boiling anger reached a breaking point. She shoved him back into his chair and jabbed a

finger at the papers.

"Sign them," she demanded, her voice trembling with suppressed fury.

But he shook his head, his smile as cold as ever.

"Hm... No. You ignored my calls for the past year. Why should I respect your wishes now?"

Mercury's fists clenched at her sides, her entire body trembling.

"You don't even care for him! You're only here because he's successful! What's wrong with

you?!" she shouted, her voice cracking.

He leaned forward, his expression turning icy.

"And now I care," he said coldly, each word laced with venom. Then he smiled again, his teeth

flashing like a predator savoring its victory.

Around them, the tension was palpable. Other customers in the café glanced nervously at the scene, whispering among themselves. Mercury's trembling grew worse as she stood frozen in place, torn between fury and despair. Her father's smug gaze never wavered.

Finally, with a visible effort, she released a shuddering breath and stepped back. Her fists unclenched, but the fire in her eyes remained. She turned sharply and stormed out of the café, leaving him behind with his mocking smile and the insult he had left in place of a signature.