DOMINION [25+]

**

A streak of sunlight beamed straight between the shadows of the buildings on the dusty sidewalk, highlighting Mira’s cheap, slightly peeling loafers. Her sling bag and tote bag—outfitted with ice-gel packs—felt much heavier than they should have. And worse than that, her sales quota was proving brutally difficult to meet.

Her tote bag held several tester bottles and 90 small bottles of Biozym, a new probiotic drink that the company had been heavily promoting for the last two years.

She gently patted the sweat from her temple, recalling her boss's words from this morning.

"You've got to hit your target, Mir. Don't come back until you've sold at least 15 packs."

Despite being only eighteen, Mira was quite tall with straight shoulders, and her appearance carried a maturity beyond her years. Her thick, dark hair was neatly bunched up in a high clip, exposing a clean nape. Her healthy, light-olive skin and gentle gaze gave off an ineffable aura of positivity. Perhaps that was why she was immediately hired as a Health Drink SPG (Sales Promotion Girl) right after graduating high school.

Usually, she sold products from small retail shops to large stores. But today, it was her turn to do door-to-door sales through residential neighborhoods. After wandering through several housing alleys, Mira had only managed to sell five packs. It wasn't easy pushing health drinks lately; many people assumed it was just ordinary sugary water, making it tough to convince potential buyers not to fall for rumors.

Besides, she ignored the aching in her toes and calves from walking all day in slightly tight, worn-out loafers. She was doing it all for her mother—her only family left—who was elderly and constantly sickly.

In the past, her mother, Santi, had worked as a sex worker in a brothel. Her mother became pregnant with Mira at an older age. No one knew for sure who the father was; he was likely one of her mother's old clients. It was an unexpected pregnancy, even though her mother had regularly taken birth control pills. At the time, Santi was told to abort the baby, but she chose to run away and keep her child—Mira.

Through sheer luck, her mother managed to escape to the outskirts of the city and raised Mira all by herself. Now, it was Mira’s turn to work hard and repay all of her mother's sacrifices.

The sun still felt scorching, even though the clock already pointed to four in the afternoon. Large beads of sweat broke through the thin layer of foundation on her skin.

Along the streets she walked, almost everyone turned to look as she passed by. Some only glanced briefly, some gave cynical looks, and others openly stared with mischievous grins. A few men even whistled from a distance.

Some pretended to ask questions, acting interested in buying. But she knew most of them just wanted to flirt up close or drag out a conversation.

Mira knew and let it slide. She only replied with a thin smile, swallowing her discomfort and irritation as long as her products could sell.

Right now, she was walking down a residential area.

Most of the gates were tightly shut. Mira never bothered opening anyone's gate just to pitch her products. Experience had taught her that houses with closed gates usually closed themselves off to strangers—especially salespeople like her.

Because of that, she only approached houses with open gates or visible signs of life inside.

As she paused to rest for a moment at a corner of the neighborhood, her eyes caught sight of a large house at the far end of the street. The building looked striking, vastly different from the ordinary houses around it. A tall black iron fence with forged ornamentation stood firmly surrounding it.

She quickly got up and walked toward the house. Her eyes lit up even more when she noticed the front gate was wide open.

Ah... a potential customer, Mira thought to herself.

"Excuse me!" Mira’s voice was loud enough.

Yet, there was no answer from the owner of the house.

She dared herself to step inside past the sturdy gate, walking through the fairly spacious yard. A yellow frangipani tree stood in the middle of a small garden, spreading a soft, fragrant scent into the evening air—somewhat soothing Mira's exhaustion from the day.

From the outside, it was a two-story modern semi-classical house with a structure slightly sunken into the basement level. Mira guessed the house had a basement. This suspicion was reinforced when she caught a glimpse of a small window on the right side of the building, positioned very low, almost touching the ground like a basement vent. Meanwhile, on the left side, there was a wide garage that she estimated could fit two cars.

Shortly after, Mira arrived at the porch. She took a deep breath to calm herself and fortify her resolve. Putting on her professional attitude again, she knocked on the door three times.

She waited.

Several seconds passed in silence. Just as she was about to knock again, the door suddenly swung open.

A man in a simple black t-shirt appeared. His shoulders were broad, his eyes calm, and a light beard lined his jaw, adding a masculine edge. Mira guessed the man was in his early thirties.

What stood out most was his height, which made Mira feel like a dwarf. Even though Mira was 164 cm tall, she still had to tilt her head up just to meet the man's dark irises.

And his scent... expensive men's cologne. The fragrance was soft yet daring, clean yet bold. It wafted so close that Mira briefly held her breath to keep from losing her focus.

"Hello, I'm Mira. A sales representative for Biozym probiotic drinks. This product—"

"I'm not interested," the man cut her off curtly.

Mira maintained her friendly smile.

"That's alright, sir. Perhaps for your family at home? We have a special discount today, sir. At least, please allow me to give you a brief explanation about this product."

The man's gaze shifted quickly, weighing whether to accept or reject her.

Mira carried herself with such calm; her uniform was neat and modest. Her polite, composed demeanor made her different from most SPGs. Many of them used a more aggressive approach, throwing high-pressure tactics at potential buyers until they felt cornered into buying out of reluctance.

And this girl... well, she looked different.

The man let out a sigh.

"Fine. Make it quick."

Mira bowed politely.

"Thank you... may I know who I am speaking with, sir?"

The man paused for a moment, as if reconsidering.

"Nico."

"Alright, nice to meet you, Mr. Nico..."

Mira’s smile bloomed—the kind of smile that often melted potential buyers. But unlike the others, the man in front of her only responded with a flat expression.

Nico opened the door wider, gesturing for her to step inside.

The living room Mira entered was neat and smelled of bergamot and bamboo, instantly feeling both luxurious and calming. A dark gray carpet covered most of the floor. Most striking of all was a large painting of a black jaguar hanging on the wall. The beast was depicted half-emerging from the shadows, its piercing yellow eyes staring straight ahead, adding a mysterious, manly, and dangerous aura.

For a split second, Mira's instincts caught a hint of something wrong behind the luxury of the house. But she quickly brushed the thought away. She was just here to sell drinks, nothing more.

"Right, so Biozym contains good bacteria for the stomach and immune system, sir. Many customers who initially try one bottle end up becoming regular buyers because, according to their testimonies, their digestion becomes much smoother and they never suffer from constipation again," Mira began explaining.

"... The product comes in two flavor variants: Original and Peach. Both have a light and refreshing taste, though the peach has a slight tang to it."

Nico gave a brief nod.

"How much?"

"We sell them for 15,000 (Rupiah) per pack. One pack has six small bottles. If you buy three packs, you get a large eco-friendly shopping bag as a bonus," Mira explained brightly.

Nico thought for a moment.

"Okay, I'll take six packs of the original."

Mira's eyes instantly lit up.

"Right away, sir!"

With practiced efficiency, she took out the ordered number of bottles from her bag.

"Wait here," Nico said. "I'll go get the money."

The man's footsteps faded into the house, leaving Mira in silence.

As Mira placed the products on the table, her gaze swept across the room.

Light gray sofa, neatly arranged bookshelves, and... on the corner of a small side table, a glittering black smartphone. The charger was still plugged in with a green indicator light. An expensive brand and the latest model.

Thoughts of her mother and piling living expenses flashed through Mira's mind. The hospital check-up fees that kept rising, unpaid health insurance premiums, rent that needed to be extended next month, electricity and water bills—while her SPG salary was barely anything.

Her heartbeat raced. Her fingers squeezed each other over her thighs, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Amidst her anxiety, a wicked intent that had never crossed her mind began to surface.

Just this once.

She looked left and right. Silent. No CCTV. She stood up and began to move. With a swift motion, her hand grabbed the phone along with its charger and slipped them into her sling bag. Then she returned to her seat, trying to put on a professional calmness even though cold sweat started breaking out and her heart hammered wildly.

The next second, approaching footsteps echoed again. The man returned with a few bills.

"Keep the change," he said, handing over the money. "Consider it a bonus."

Mira froze.

"Ah, th-thank you so much, Mr. Nico," Mira said, bowing politely. Guilt gnawed at her mind, making her next words heavy on her tongue.

"Here you go, sir. These are six packs of the original flavor as you requested, along with two bonus shopping bags."

With polite movements, Mira extended both hands, holding the items closer to the man before her. Then she started packing up her bag, intending to wrap things up.

"I'll take my leave now. I hope Mr. Nico and your family are blessed with good health and smooth fortune." Once again, Mira flashed a smile that almost looked genuine, despite the wicked thing she had just done.

Nico gave a brief nod and walked with her toward the door.

Mira had just stepped over the threshold when a muffled ringing sound from inside her bag chimed softly yet clearly. A notification sound.

"Wait." Nico stopped. "What's that sound?"

Mira froze. The blood drained from her face instantly. "Th-this is... my phone," she said quickly.

The man snapped his head toward the small side table in the corner of the room. He clearly remembered leaving his phone charging there.

It was empty now.

His face hardened instantly. His eyes narrowed. "Lying!" he snapped harshly. "That ringtone... that's mine, isn't it?"

Just minutes prior, the man's tone had still sounded polite and formal. Now, everything changed in a flash.

The sudden shift in the man's aura left Mira jolted and speechless. To make matters worse, the ringtone was clearly not a typical feminine one. Heavy metal rock music echoed from inside her bag, making her nervousness even more obvious.

The man stepped closer.

"Show me," he said in an icy tone.

"If that really is your phone."

Mira swallowed hard.

Her hands moved stiffly to open the cloth bag on her shoulder. She pulled out the black smartphone with trembling fingers.

The screen was still lit.

The name displayed on it was unmistakable.

Eric Calling.

Nico's eyes widened. In one swift motion, he snatched the phone right out of Mira's hand.

"This is my phone!" he growled lowly.

His gaze shifted back to Mira, pointing a finger at her.

"Stay." A firm command for the girl not to move. He glanced at the screen for a moment, then swiped the green button to answer.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was loud enough that Mira, standing stiffly, could hear it faintly.

"Bro, you finally picked up. So..."

"Ric, I'll call you back later," Nico cut him off abruptly, ending the call before the other person could finish.

He lowered the phone slowly, his sharp, icy glare still fixed on Mira.

"So you're a thief, huh?" he said flatly. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"Should I call the cops so you get arrested right now, huh?"

Mira lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze. Her body trembled so badly that her knees suddenly went weak. In a wave of sheer desperation, she dropped straight to her knees on the porch floor, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"I-I'm sorry, sir... I'm so, so sorry!" Her voice was hoarse. "I lost my mind... I just, I just needed money..."

She bowed her head lower. The worst-case scenarios raced through her mind. If this man screamed and the neighbors came running, she might get dragged to the police station or, worse, beaten by a mob until she was at death's door.

"Please... sir, don't scream. Have mercy on me."

"Good thing my phone rang," Nico said flatly, lifting his phone. "Otherwise, you probably would've run off to enjoy your stolen loot by now, right?!"

Mira bowed even deeper.

"I was wrong, sir," she said softly. "I confess. Please have mercy on me."

Nico smirked faintly.

"How nice... just asking for forgiveness."

"I-I'll return your money, sir," Mira rushed to say. "I can give you more product packs too. For free. As long as... please, have mercy. Let me go."

Her hands trembled as she opened her bag. She pulled out the money the man had just given her, adding several product packs from inside her bag.

Nico didn't even glance at them.

"I don't need money," he said flatly, with a look of disgust. "Especially not your products."

Mira fell silent for a moment, confused.

"Then... are you letting me go?" she asked cautiously.

Nico stared at her for a long time.

"No," he answered coldly. "I hate thieves more than anything."

Mira swallowed hard.

"I-I'll do anything," she said quickly. "Anything at all. As long as you forgive me... and let me go."

Nico didn't answer right away. He just stared down at the girl in front of her.

A few minutes ago, this same girl had stood before him with confidence and innocent calmness, never imagining she would do something so reckless. Now, her shoulders trembled like a little child caught stealing candy.

Nico glanced at his still-lit phone, slipping it back into his trouser pocket. Only then did he look at Mira again.

Several seconds passed in silence.

"Lift your head," Nico said finally.

Mira hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her face. Her tear-stained eyes and smeared makeup contrasted sharply with Nico's calm yet intimidating irises.

Strange.

There was no explosive anger left on Nico's face. If anything, the tranquility radiating from him now was even harder to read.

The man was thinking something over. He studied Mira longer. The girl's face was clearly visible now; the powder on her cheeks was washing away from sweat and tears, her eyes red, and her fear painfully obvious along with the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Beneath all of that, Nico was certain the girl in front of him wasn't half bad without all that makeup.

"You just said you'd do anything, right?" Nico asked at last.

Mira nodded quickly. "Y-yes... anything."

The corner of Nico's mouth lifted slightly.

"In that case," he said softly, "I want to make a deal."

"A deal?" Mira repeated, confused.

Nico nodded slightly.

"Let's talk inside."

Mira hesitated for a moment, then slowly got to her feet. She stepped past Nico. Though reluctant, she forced her legs to carry her back into the living room.

Hardly two steps in—

THUD!

A sharp pain shot through the back of her neck. Mira's body instantly went limp. Her knees gave out.

Her world spun for a fraction of a second before everything went completely black.

Tbc*

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