Miss Chan folded her arms tightly, trying to maintain the confidence she had moments ago, but something about Benny's presence made the atmosphere feel unbearably heavy.
Benny smiled softly.
But her eyes were cold.
"You know…" she began casually, "where I come from, people like you wouldn't even dare mention Oliver Queen's name."
Miss Chan frowned.
"What do you mean by that? "
Benny tilted her head slightly.
"Oliver Queen is not supposed to be discussed by mere ants."
The words landed sharply.
"And because Dinah happens to work in the same building with riffraffs like you," Benny continued calmly, "you suddenly think you're on the same level as her?"
Claribel instantly lowered her gaze.
Even she could feel the dangerous energy radiating from Benny now.
Miss Chan, however, still refused to back down completely.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" she scoffed nervously. "You're all acting like Dinah is some kind of queen."
Benny's smile deepened slightly.
If only you knew, she thought.
Ever since Benny joined New Day Publishing Company, she had quietly observed everything happening around Dinah Wellington.
She noticed the whispers.
The jealousy.
The passive-aggressive comments.
But among everyone in the company, Miss Chan stood out the most.
The hatred she carried toward Dinah was excessive.
Unhealthy.
At some point, Benny genuinely began wondering if Dinah had unknowingly stolen something precious from her.
Because no sane person hated another human being this deeply without reason.
And Benny understood hatred very well.
After all
She was the daughter of Belial.
One of the most feared demons in existence.
A being born from lies, manipulation, and wickedness.
Unlike humans, Benny could smell emotions clearly.
Jealousy.
Bitterness.
Resentment.
Miss Chan practically reeked of them.
What irritated Benny the most was the audacity.
How dare a mere human insult Dinah Wellington so openly?
Even though Dinah herself still knew nothing about the supernatural world…
Even though she hadn't awakened her powers yet…
Even though she currently lived as an ordinary human born into a normal family…
That did not change who she truly was.
Dinah Wellington was the reincarnation of the woman once revered by supernatural beings.
The future Queen tied to Oliver Queen himself.
The woman destined to stand beside the ruler of werewolves, demons, and vampires.
And while Dinah remained unaware of her true identity…
There were guardians protecting her from the shadows.
Guardians like Benny.
Benny narrowed her eyes slightly.
Humans were protected by strict laws in the supernatural world.
She couldn't kill Miss Chan simply because she annoyed her.
Unfortunately.
But teaching her a lesson?
That was still possible.
And Benny had never been known for patience.
The hunter had officially become the prey.
Slowly, Benny walked toward Miss Chan.
Each step echoed softly across the restroom floor.
Miss Chan instinctively stepped backward.
"W-What are you doing?" she asked uneasily.
Benny stopped directly in front of her.
Then slowly
She locked eyes with her.
The temperature inside the restroom seemed to drop instantly.
Miss Chan suddenly felt her throat dry.
For the first time since Benny entered, fear crept into her chest.
Benny's playful expression disappeared completely.
What remained was terrifying calmness.
Then
SLAP!
The first slap landed so hard that Miss Chan staggered sideways in shock.
Before she could recover
SLAP!
A second slap struck the opposite side of her face.
And before anyone could react
SLAP!
The third slap echoed loudly across the restroom.
Complete silence followed.
Miss Chan stood frozen.
Her brain completely blank.
Claribel Stone stared in horror, unable to move.
Even Dinah was stunned speechless.
Benny leaned slightly closer toward Miss Chan.
Her voice came out soft.
Dangerously soft.
"Stop messing with Dinah," she warned coldly. "Next time… I won't be this polite."
Miss Chan's lips trembled.
For some reason, Benny's words didn't sound like a threat.
They sounded like a promise.
And somehow…
Miss Chan believed her completely.
What nobody there knew was that Benny was actually restraining herself heavily.
Years of military-level combat training and supernatural battles had shaped her instincts into something brutal.
The real Benny Smith would not hesitate to snap someone's neck if necessary.
Human laws meant nothing to her.
Even supernatural punishment barely frightened her.
At worst?
She would serve a hundred years of punishment.
To beings like Benny, a hundred years was practically a vacation.
Even though her longevity is not like other demons … she can still live longer than a thousand years
But she controlled herself.
For one reason only
Dinah.
She didn't want to scare her.
Because despite everything, Dinah was still human.
Still innocent.
Still unaware of the terrifying world surrounding her.
So Benny settled for three slaps instead of destruction.
Claribel remained rooted to the spot in complete shock.
She had never seen anyone humiliate Miss Chan like this before.
And the most frightening part?
Miss Chan didn't even fight back.
It was as though fear had paralyzed her completely.
Without another word, Benny casually grabbed Dinah's hand and pulled her toward the restroom exit.
Dinah followed almost automatically.
Her mind still struggled to process what had just happened.
The restroom door closed slightly behind them.
Only then did Dinah finally blink repeatedly.
"Benny…" she started slowly. "Did you just slap her three times?"
Benny shrugged casually.
"She talked too much."
Dinah stared at her in disbelief.
No one had defended her like that in years.
Only Adah her childhood best friend had ever stood up for her so fiercely before.
And now…
Someone she had known for less than a month just protected her without hesitation.
It felt unreal.
Even as they walked down the hallway together, the sound of those slaps still echoed inside Dinah's head.
She subconsciously touched her own cheek.
Then immediately imagined herself on the receiving end of Benny's anger.
Dinah shivered slightly.
No.
Absolutely not.
She could never afford to become Benny Smith's enemy.
Curious, Dinah glanced backward one last time toward the restroom entrance that is not properly closed.
Miss Chan still hadn't moved.
She remained standing exactly where Benny left her, completely frozen.
And beside her
Claribel Stone still looked traumatized.
Dinah swallowed softly.
"Benny…"
"Hm?"
"You're actually scary."
Benny suddenly burst into laughter.
The dangerous aura around her disappeared instantly, replaced by her usual playful expression.
"Too late," Benny grinned mischievously while wrapping an arm around Dinah's shoulder. "You're already stuck with me now."
Dinah couldn't help laughing softly too.
But deep down…
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
For the first time in a long while
She no longer felt completely alone.