A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL : CHAPTER 71 – 80

A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL : CHAPTER 71 – 80

I stared at her for a long moment, my expression unreadable. “You think I’m distracted?”

She faltered under my gaze. “I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t concern yourself with my focus,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “I have everything under control.”

Her mouth opened as if to say something, but she quickly thought better of it and closed it again. I could see the frustration in her eyes, but she knew better than to push me. At least for now.

“I’m just looking out for you,” she mumbled, her eyes lowering to the floor.

I watched Mirabel from the corner of my eye as she lingered in the room, clearly waiting for my attention. Her gaze remained firmly down, her posture submissive, just as it always was when she craved my approval.

Her jealousy still simmered beneath the surface, but I could keep it in check with just a few well-placed words.

Moving closer, I placed my hand under her jaw, feeling the slight shudder that ran through her body at my touch. With the lightest pressure, I tilted her head up, forcing her to meet my eyes.

Her breath hitched, and I saw the familiar mix of fear and longing swirling in her gaze.

“You will always be my favorite,” I murmured, letting my thumb brush across her cheek. Her skin was cold, as always, but that didn’t bother me. It was her soul that I manipulated, not her flesh.

The moment I said the words, her entire face lit up. A small, almost childlike smile curled on her lips, and I felt the usual satisfaction knowing I had her exactly where I wanted her.

It had always been easy to make her do what I needed, to mold her into whatever shape suited my whims.

I stroked her cheek lightly, letting the words sink in deeper. “Always number one.”

Mirabel’s smile widened, and I could feel the shift in her. That desperate need for my validation was consuming her again, as it always did. She would do anything now, anything to prove that she deserved that title.

Easy. So easy to manipulate.

Even being a demon didn’t change the simplicity of it. I’d known many like her over the centuries. Demons with fragile egos and lewd dreams were always easy targets.

The ones who clung to the idea of being more than they were. The ones who believed they could possess me, control me, when in truth they were the ones being controlled.

Her voice, soft and breathless, broke the silence. “Do you need me tonight?” She asked, her eyes gleaming as she tried to read my expression, hoping for a hint of my desire.

I let a small smile tug at my lips. “Indeed.”

The word hung in the air between us, making her eyes light up even more, her anticipation thick enough to feel. “Wait for me, naked, before then,” I added, my voice low, commanding. “Tell the girls to give Selene a bath for me. I want her clean.”

Mirabel nodded eagerly, her smile widening as if I had just given her the greatest gift in the world. She quickly turned on her heel and practically floated out of the room, her excitement radiating off her like heat.

She would be happy now, content in the knowledge that she still held some kind of place with me. That should keep her stable, at least for the time being.

But the truth? She no longer held any real interest for me.

Once, she had been useful. More than that, she had been entertaining in her own way. Her loyalty had been something I could rely on, and her willingness to follow my commands without question had made her a valuable ally. But now… nothing seemed interesting about her anymore.

I let out a sigh as I watched her leave, her figure disappearing down the hallway. How many times had I done this? How many times had I indulged her need for validation just to keep her manageable? It was becoming tedious.

I could see the cracks in her, the desperation growing stronger every day. She was becoming more unstable, more volatile, and that was something I didn’t need right now. Not with everything that was happening with Selene.

Selene.

I frowned, thinking of her upstairs, probably still trembling from our earlier exchange. She was new, raw, and unpredictable. I liked that about her. She wasn’t like Mirabel, who I could read from a mile away. Selene still had fight left in her, still had the capacity to surprise me. And that, more than anything, kept her alive.

But Mirabel? I tapped my cheek thoughtfully, my fingers drumming lightly against my skin. Should I kill her?

The idea wasn’t new. It had crossed my mind several times over the past century, especially as she became more clingy, more obsessive. Killing her would be easy—too easy, really.

One flick of my wrist, one whispered command, and she would cease to exist. Her soul would be mine to do with as I pleased. But that wasn’t the issue.

The issue was whether she was still of any use to me.

A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL : CHAPTER 71 – 80

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