As soon as they reached the studio, Valentino stepped outside the car carrying Cherri with Vox following close behind.
Velvet and Angel followed behind them carrying bags into the neon-lit building.
In the lobby smoking and gossiping on purple cushions were Dia and Summer. They paused their conversation to look at Val feeling absolutely perplexed about the woman he could be carrying with such care.
Valentino noticed their staring and coldly said, "Scram."
Without a second to spare, the girls shuffled away as Valentino and company reached the elevator.
It took Dia and Summer only a moment to remember what Valentino had announced on the news yesterday. That demoness had to be his long-lost daughter. They began whispering excitedly as they exited the studio and headed to the street.
Angel heard their excited whispers and cringed sadly as the elevator doors slid shut.
Valentino remained silent while still in the elevator, removing one hand from Cherri to text on his phone, while the other two overlords checked theirs.
Angel leaned back against the wall and glanced at Valentino's phone. Val was talking to his men about moving Cherri's other possessions out of her apartment.
Angel wanted to ask about it, but thankfully, Velvet did it for him.
"What are you texting?" Velvet asked, glancing at Valentino's phone. "Oh, are you moving Cherri's things?"
"Might as well," Valentino said, glancing down at Velvet before turning back to his phone. "Most of it, she'll want. The rest is garbage we can replace with better things."
"I'm moving forward with the plans to renovate her apartment," Vox said, looking up from his phone. "But it'll take a while. Hopefully, in the time being, my stepdaughter will bond with us."
"What if she doesn't?" Angel blurted out without thinking, immediately regretting his mistake.
The three V's fell silent as the elevator dinged and opened for the overlords and their guests to the Penthouse on the top floor.
Meeting them immediately was Vox's pet hammerhead Vark. He barked cheerfully as the three V's stepped out of the elevator. In his happiness, Vark knocked Vox over onto the thankfully carpeted floor as Velvet skipped past them into the room.
Valentino stepped into their living room, walked across the room, laid Cherri onto his long, purple designer couch with his coat over her body, and finally replied, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," before he planted a kiss on her forehead and stepped away to let her sleep.
Angel stood by the couch and dropped her bag, watching over Cherri and worrying over her future and worrying about what Val would put her through if she kept up fighting him.
"Hey, Val?" Velvet asked, picking up all the bags at once. "Which guest room are we giving to Cheryl?"
"Nothing too close or too far," said Valentino. "Don't want her uncomfortable. But I still want to keep an eye on her."
"Okay! I know just the one!" Velvet said, skipping off to the guest room.
Meanwhile, Angel got on his knees and held Cherri's hand.
Valentino and Vox noticed immediately.
They stared down judgmentally with Val only saying, "Pathetic."
"Still Angel has been Cherri's closest friend for almost 40 years now and has kept her safe," Vox said, gesturing for an imp servant to get them their drinks. "I think there's something to say for that."
"And what would be that be, Voxxy?" asked Valentino, as the two took their drinks and dismissed the servant.
"Loyalty can't be taken for granted," Vox said, before taking a sip.
"Makes him a good guard dog," Valentino said, rolling his eyes.
"And a confidant," Vox added. "Like it or not, she trusts him more than anyone else here."
"I'll be sure to make good use of it," Valentino replied, looking back to Angel.
Red smoke fumed from the gaps of Valentino's teeth as it snaked around Angel's neck and he said, "And you'll be happy to do it. Won't you, Angel cakes?"
Angel shook out of his state of worry and asked, "Do what, boss?"
"For starters, you will be telling us if she tries to share any thoughts of leaving, trying to kill me. You know, all that," said Valentino, the smoke morphing into a hand with an outstretched finger under Angel's chin.
Just then, Cherri began opening her eye.
Angel noticed but he said nothing and turned towards Val and said, "You want me to tell you if Cherri wants to leave, is planning anything bad, or anything like that?"
Cherri shut her eye and listened.
"Don't be so dense!" Valentino said angrily. "Obviously that's what I want!"
The smoke hand raised as if to slap Angel in the face.
"Don't be so dense!" Valentino snapped angrily. "Obviously, that's what I want!"
The smoke formed into a hand and raised as if to slap Angel, but a bomb flew through the smoke and exploded between Valentino and Vox.
The pair coughed before looking up at their assailant.
Cherri stood up on the couch, tossed Val's coat, and yelled, "Don't you fucking dare hurt Angel, you piece-of-shit!"
Cherri then tossed another bomb at the two bewildered overlords.
Valentino raised his hand, catching the bomb in his palm. He held up the bomb and snuffed out the light.
Meanwhile, Vox slithered over as a stream of electricity to Cherri's side grinning. She tried stepping back, but he grabbed hold of her wrist.
Valentino slipped on his coat, stepped forward, and asked, "Are you finished, darlin'?"
Cherri's eye narrowed into an angry glare at her bastard of a father.
"If that's a yes, how about we start with getting you settled into your new home?" asked Valentino.
"Fuck you!" Cherri snarled as she tried to pull her hand free from Vox's grip.
"Where's Baby Doll?" Valentino asked. "She could show her to her new room."
"Over here!" Velvet said cheerfully. "Awww! Is my niece acting out again?!"
"Fuck you three!" Cherri yelled.
"Yeah, she's pissed," Valentino said. "You wanna show her to her room?"
"I'd love to," Velvet squealed as Cherri attempted to kick Valentino.
Valentino chuckled at the attempted before turning away and walking to the window, looking out over the city.
Vox dragged Cherri over to the window and shoved her between himself and Val.
"You see all that, baby girl?" Valentino asked.
"See what?" Cherri asked sarcastically.
"The city," Valentino explained. "Just about everything in it is ours."
"I don't want it," Cherri said indignantly. "I want to go home."
"What home?" asked Valentino with a scoff. "That dingy place? I mean it has some style but home now is everywhere. All of hell. Anything you want is now within reach. Home is now here with me."
"God, that's so fucking cliched," Cherri said with an eye roll. "If anything that I want is now in reach, why in the hell do I have to stay here? You're full of shit. I'm no freer than Angel is."
Cherri then lifted her leg and kicked Valentino in the shin.
"AHHHHHH!" Valentino cried out as he hunched over and placed a hand on the window.
Cherri tried to take the opportunity to run for it, but while glaring at the window, Valentino breathed his red fumes that slithered over to Cherri. They first restrained her ankles and then her wrists before lifting her up in the air.
"Cherri!" Angel yelled as Cherri struggled unsuccessfully against the smoke.
Angel tried to rush over to her, but one electric gesture from Vox bid him to stay back.
Valentino quickly got a hold of himself and turned to look at his daughter. He turned around and slowly walked over to her. The smoke dissipated as he grabbed onto her arms and held her up to his level.
"As much as I love to have you around, I really wish you'd stop being a brat with me," Valentino said calmly.
"It's not like I asked to be here, sperm donor," Cherri shot back.
"Hmph," Valentino said, dropping Cherri in front of Velvet. "Take her to her room. Will ya?"
"Yes, sir, Val," Velvet said with a salute as she gripped her arm and dragged her down the hall. "Come on, niece!"
"This ain't fucking over, sperm donor!" Cherri yelled as she was being dragged down the hall.
Valentino pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with a grin as he said, "You got that right."
Angel turned to run down the hall after Cherri and Velvet.
"Not so fast, Angel," Valentino said.
Angel stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his boss.
"Stay here, won't you?" asked Valentino.
Angel looked hesitantly in Cherri's direction before he walked back over to the overlords.
"Daddy could use some time to…release some stress," Valentino said, stroking the side of Angel's face suggestively.
Angel shivered and asked, "What did you have in mind, boss?"
"Head for the bedroom," Valentino said. "I'll meet you there."