POV — AZAZEL
Finally, I've got the floor back!
Gabriel Stone! And everything the WOMAN wrote after that!At first, I thought she had the wrong recipient. I, Azazel, still need to get used to the name Gabriel.
So Paula didn't completely ruin my chances with the capital-letter WOMAN after all. I thought Betty would avoid me from a distance after Paula's intervention, but I'm glad I was wrong.Uhhh, I, Azazel, was wrong!
Then another message arrived. From the number 1.
"I like this woman."
I would have gladly sent Lucifer to hell—but he's already there.
If Gremory finds that grimoire, and Number One can leave Pandemonium… well, he'll be able to snatch Betty right out of my hands.
I don't want to be pushy, but I need to move faster than Gremory.
I didn't reply to Lucifer. I have an excuse. I'm working.
So, in revenge, he sent a writer after me—and on top of that, I can't even read what she piled up about me.
PAID CHAPTER!
Two weeks until payday. And Gremory is no longer with us…
Seriously, how am I supposed to pay for my afternoon coffee?
Uhhhh… I'll shamelessly borrow money from Marduk. Of all people. From him.
Luckily, we eat lunch at the company, and I have a bus pass. I'll somehow survive these two weeks.
But back to work. I haven't had time to socialize in this department yet. I received my tasks by email and joined the workgroup from my office laptop.
That's when the argument broke out. That was when I suddenly had urgent business in my new boss's office.
I lied and said I had left my access card in her office.
I needed a witness that I had nothing to do with this argument. I'm more cautious with humans than I was ten thousand years ago.
"The whole earth was corrupted by the works of Azazel,and to him should be attributed the source of every sin."
Well, I wasn't the source of this argument. By the time I had "found" my access card, the commotion outside was already over.
My work in this department kept me busy, but I noticed that my thoughts wandered from time to time.
I thought about Betty more often.
Around noon, the writer messaged me too.
"Hey, Azazel, what you piled together there could have been written as four separate chapters."
"I'm not a writer," I replied.
She didn't answer again, but at least her identity was no longer a secret. She couldn't have written anything too terrible about me if she greeted me so casually.
Marduk wasn't home when I got back. I couldn't borrow money from him. I had no money for my afternoon coffee.
If Gremory finds the grimoire faster and gets Lucifer out of Pandemonium, Number One will snatch Betty from me. There was no time to waste.
The weather outside was beautiful, so instead of coffee, I looked for another kind of program.
I was new in the city, so I asked Betty to take a walk downtown, in the oldest part of the city.
She had no objection. Excellent.
The sun was shining beautifully again today. Betty arrived in a cheerful, floral dress, her hair loose.
She was beautiful without her strict, professional work attire.
I rarely observe—mostly I live in my thoughts—but even I noticed.
She told me about Paula and her revenge fantasy. We plotted against Paula together. Tomorrow I'll ask to be transferred back to the Rrr-Take department. If she wants me to be the boss there so badly, I'll oblige.Betty resembles Lucifer a little.Uhhh… and I still like Betty.
"Tomorrow Naberius is giving a live talk. Will you come with me?" she suddenly asked.
"Of course," I replied.
I was glad there would be a second date, but the fact that Naberius had suddenly become such a successful influencer surprised me.
He'll be surprised too tomorrow when I show up at his lecture with Betty.
🔥🔥🔥
POV — BETTY
The sun was shining pleasantly in the park when I met Gabriel. It was obvious that something was bothering him. Maybe his bank card had been blocked, and now he didn't even have money for coffee.
Who cares? It's much nicer out here.
It didn't bother him that I had become unemployed today. He supported my FREElancer plan.
I took a good look at him. His appearance is more than pleasant. But what truly caught me that afternoon wasn't his looks—it was his mind.
He made me laugh several times.
An extra point was that he knows Milton's work. The theme of hell could be discussed humorously with him. I know demons don't exist, but the mythological framework is interesting. He's quite knowledgeable about it too.
We were on the same wavelength. I dared to ask him for something.
It was about Paula. About revenge. That woman made three years of my life hell. I believe Gabriel Stone can knock Paula out of the boss's chair. The woman deserves it. Gabriel will ask to be transferred back to the Rrr-Take department tomorrow.
Gabriel Stone's appearance was a reward for me.
I invited him to Naberius's influencer talk tomorrow afternoon.
I think they'll be on the same wavelength too.
I feel almost devilish. We plotted against Paula.
"What though the field be lost?All is not lost; the unconquerable will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield."— Milton