Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 163: She Doesn't Forgive Twice

Mariella didn't feel like arguing anymore. She pulled out her handgun and fired at Number Four, who was lying on the ground.

Bang! A bullet tore through the center of his forehead. His head dropped. He stopped moving.

Mariella lifted her eyes and looked around at her team. Her voice was cold. "I executed Number Four. Anyone have a problem with that?"

She didn't look at Chandler or Matthew. The question wasn't meant for them.

The others froze for a second. Then Number One spoke first. "I've got no problem! If it were up to me, we should've taken him out last time!"

Once he spoke, the rest quickly followed.

"Yeah, we never should've let Number Four and Number Seven go. That almost got us all killed!"

"Good call! Ms. Townsend was too kind before. She spared them, and it nearly came back to bite us!"

"She's right. Betray once, and you can't be trusted again. If we don't deal with him now, next time he might get us all killed!"

...

No one knew who fired the next shot at the body. But soon, everyone joined in. They all fired at Number Four's corpse.

Their actions said it clearly—traitors get no mercy.

Watching her angry teammates, Mariella didn't regret letting Number Four and Number Seven go before.

If she had killed them back then, it might have scared her team. They might've seen her as cold and ruthless.

She didn't want them to feel unsafe around her. She needed their trust. She needed their respect.

So she gave those two a way out, but they chose this path themselves. Now, she had no reason to hold back.

Mariella had done more than enough. And now, the team fully stood with her.

Number Ten let out a sharp scream. Her whole body shook.

Mariella turned the gun toward her and gave a small smile. "Since you said you truly love him, I'll send you to be with him."

"No—don't kill me!" Number Ten blurted out. "I—I don't love him! I know he's a player. He was never serious about me!"

"Oh? Weren't you two supposed to die with each other just a moment ago? That was fast," Mariella said, her voice full of scorn.

Number Ten ignored the mockery. She stammered, desperate. "I—it's my first offense... you can't kill me! Just let me pack my things and leave! I'll go right now. I swear I'll never come back!"

Mariella let out a short laugh, like she had just heard a joke. "No wonder you've been acting so bold," she said. "So this was your plan all along. Last time, I let Number Four and Number Seven go. That made you think you could betray me and still live. At worst, you'd just get kicked out. Right?"

Number Ten's eyes flickered. Her confidence dropped fast. "I... I wasn't thinking straight."

Mariella cut her off coldly, "I didn't kill Number Four and Number Seven because they were in real danger during a mission. If they hadn't surrendered, they might have died.

"I understood their situation. I didn't expect them to die just to stay loyal to me. I could accept what they did. But I don't tolerate betrayal, so I sent them away. I didn't go after them."

She paused, then looked straight at her. "But you are different."

Number Ten trembled. She sensed what was coming. Her anger flared, but it was weak. "Why am I different? You're targeting me!"

Mariella's gaze turned even colder. "Because you were never in danger. No one forced you. Everyone thought you were sick. They protected you. They kept you off missions.

"You stayed in the dorm and secretly passed messages to Number Four. While your teammates were fighting on the roof, you tried to open the gate and let the enemies in.

"When Number Six stood guard at the door and got in your way, you turned around and accused him instead.

"You knew exactly what would happen if that gate were opened. And you still did it. No one held a gun to your head. You chose this."

She took a step forward. "And you think I'd be stupid enough to give you another chance to stab us in the back?"

Mariella didn't hesitate. She pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Number Ten right in the forehead. She dropped at once.

The others fired a few more shots, showing where they stood.

Mariella slid her pistol back into the leather holster strapped to her thigh.

She glanced at her still-fired-up teammates and smiled slightly. "Ammo's not cheap," she said lightly. "No need to waste it like that."

The team looked a little embarrassed. "We just wanted to show you where we stand."

Anyone who betrays the team deserves what they get.

Mariella told Number One to arrange for someone to deal with the bodies of Number Four and Number Ten. Then she turned to Number Five. "Still okay staying in the same room?"

Number Five didn't even blink. "I've been in two fights. I've killed before. And I've done nothing wrong. I'm not scared of anything."

Mariella nodded. "Good. Clean up the room. Keep anything useful she left behind. Throw the rest out."