Hope

Mila grabbed Jin's hand when they were out of Selena's sight and dragged her daughter into her bedroom. She sat Jin on the bed and stared at her fiercely.

The mom and daughter kept silent for some time as Mila analyzed Jin's body.

She felt furious about her daughter's face. Mila had a strategy for tonight, and this was a setback, but she could not let it hinder her plans.

"Who did this to you?" Mila asked and rested next to her daughter.

Jin didn't answer. She seems frightened to explain to her mother. 

Jin knew that Mila is not sympathetic to people when they do something wrong. And she did not want her mother to punish the person who injured her.

Mila grew annoyed. She sticks her fingers on Jin's bruise and presses into it. Blood escaped Jin's cut and flowed down her face.

"I will ask you again. Who did this to you!" Mila questioned Jin. She hates disrespect, and Mila needs her daughter to follow her obediently. She knew that if she and Jin were to win this battle, her daughter needed to recognize that there is no mercy for those who go against you.

Mila kept compressing the wound until Jin could not hold back. She realized that her mother would never stop until she gets an answer.

"It was Zac!" Jin screamed. Her body trembled from the pain and fright she had undergone. Jin should be used to this kind of torture since Mila is her mother. Yet, for every mistake Jin creates, Mila finds a new way to discipline her.

"Why would that bastard strike the hands that feed him? Has he forgotten that he owes me, and his life is mine? Since he dared to go against us, I have no choice but to put him down." Mila stated.

"No! It's not his fault! Selena did something to him!" Jin cried. She knew her mother would find it hard to believe her, but Jin was telling the truth.

"What do you mean? Selena is only an omega. She doesn't have the power to influence an alpha, not even a base alpha. Are you certain of what you are saying?" Mila asked.

"I am sure, mom. After Selena left Zac's room, she released her phenomena. But the scent did not smell right. Instead of her phenomena giving Zac the hunger to mate, it made him go insane. He got mad and attacked me. I swear that Zac had the same disgust Selena had in her eyes when he looked at me. It's like Selena's phenomena poisoned him with her resentment for me. I was fortunate that the effect did not last long, and he stopped attacking." Jin answered.

"Slap!" Mila hit her daughter in the face.

"Shut up! I am not blind. I know you love that scoundrel, that's why you are trying to defend him to save his life. So don't lie to me!" Mila screamed.

"I am not lying, mom! Selena is no ordinary Omega. Zac could not feel her emotions even when she sensed his feelings." Jin replied.

"That's impossible! Omegas don't have the power to block their emotions from their alpha." Mila uttered, she appears worried about this new knowledge.

Mila was deep in her thoughts when Jin questioned her. "Mom, what is the use of telling Zac to date me if you don't require us to be in a serious kinship?"

"I told you not to fall in love with him. Zac is just a chess piece in my plan. I did not permit you to be in a relationship with him because I desire him as a son-in-law. Remember that there next time you try to defend him. You can only be with a dominant alpha for you to secure the CEO position." Mila warns her daughter.

"How can that still be possible? Did you forget that I am a base alpha?" Jin reminded Mila.

"How can I foget that I have a useless daughter like you! Why didn't I give birth to a dominant omega?" Mila stated.

"You are just a base omega. Who are you to judge me?" Jin screamed. Mila grabs her daughter's neck and squeezes it tight.

"Mother, I can't breathe. Stop, please!" Jin whispered.

Mila releases her hands and wipes them with a handkerchief.

"Remember, I am only a base omega. But you don't want to mess with me. You don't know what I have been through and done to ensure my seat among the dominant species. So don't make me furious again." Mila warns her daughter.

Jin rubbed her hands against her throat. 'It's all Selena's fault that my mother is mad at me. I'll humiliate you twice with the embarrassment I just received.' She whispers to herself.

"Jin, change your outfits to something decent, we are going shopping. I heard that there's a banquet tonight, and a dominant alpha will be there. No one has seen his face except those close to him. But my source assured me he would stay in room 1001. We will get you an alpha tonight." Mila told Jin.

"How are you going to get an alpha? To be exact. How are you going to get the dominant alpha to mark me as his mate? That kind of alpha is rare and powerful. And they hate being messed with by low-class species. They are very proud and arrogant." Jin said.

"Don't worry. I have my ways. Your job is to look attractive and wait on my signal. Plus, this is our most important opportunity. Do not mess it up!" Mila warned her daughter.

"I will not let you down, mom!" Jin assured Mila.

"That's good! I will hire a makeup artist to cover up the wounds. And I want you to break up with Zac. We have no use for him now." Mila informed Jin.

Jin left her mother's room and proceeded into her room. "When are you going to let me live for me, mom? But it's Selena who's to blame. Why can't I compare to you even when you are just a rejected omega? But tonight I will kill two birds with one stone. Let's see if you can handle the disgrace I have in store for you." Jin whispered.

Selena laid in her bed, trying to figure out her next move.

"So far, everything is a disaster. My dad hates me. Plus, I can't leave the house without being endangered." She mutters.

"Knock!" A sound echoed from outside Selena's bedroom door. She did not respond or get up to open it.

"Hi, dear cousin.  Is your body exceedingly sore to open the door?" Jin teased as she popped her head inside the room.

"What do you want, Snake?" Selena uttered while striving to sit up in bed.

"Ouch, that hurt. Not! Selena, I recognize that you are angry because I used a sly method to destroy you. However, I aspire to provide you with a fighting chance since you are already a stray dog. There's a banquet tonight, and from what I gather, an dominant alpha will be attending. If you can get him on your side, that will be good for you. That is if you can get his attention. Hahaha." Jin said. She then walked out of the room feeling satisfied and closed her cousin's door after her.

"Jin, you just made the biggest mistake of your life. As you said, I am a stray dog, and a stray dog will do anything to get an owner. You have given me an actual opportunity to prevail. I should thank you for being hateful and overconfident." Selena whispered to herself.

"Now all I need is to get rid of this stink of rejection from on me for tonight. There should be some remedies to have the scent removed temporarily. However, they are rare and expensive, but that is not an issue. Still, I have to get out of this house with no one discovering my intention." She said before she got out of her bed and went into the bathroom.

When Selena removed her clothes, there were so many scars on her body that she could barely recognize her skin. Her hip appeared swollen, her chest had dark red bruises, and her back had a long red mark crossing it.

With so much pain gushing through her, Selena got into the shower and took the scrub.

Everywhere she washed aches, but the scorching rushing water sent a minor comfort to her soul with it touching her body.

After a few minutes, Selena stepped out of the tub, got clothed, and rushed out, making sure that she was not spotted.

Jin smiled as she watched Selena through her window. She took her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, I have a job for you. I need you to do a decent job and don't make any mistakes!" Jin said when the person answered.

"What's the job?" The person asked.

'Like you said Selena, I'm a snake. So don't hate me for being one. While should I wait for tonight when I can be freed from you now?' Jin thought to herself.

"I want you to get rid of an omega for good. Make it look like an accident." She replied and hung up the phone with a cunning smile on her face.