Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Back to School, Bound by Rules

Noah’s

It had been a week since I got dragged into this absolute nightmare. A week since Enzo had pulled me away from his creepy friend, Dean, his eyes cold as he told Dean to stay away from me. I still didn’t understand why I was here, stuck in this huge, dark house, cleaning rooms and following rigid rules like some kind of prisoner.

Every single day was exactly the same—sweep the floors, dust the shelves, keep my head down and quiet. I was doing nothing productive, just simply existing, and it was genuinely driving me crazy with boredom. What did Enzo truly want from me? Why would he keep me here if all I did all day was chores?

I stood now in Enzo’s massive office, my old school uniform scratching uncomfortably against my skin. It was the same one I had worn before my dad sold me out, faded and a little too tight now, but it was all I had left to wear. Enzo sat behind his large desk, his eyes locked directly on me, sharp and completely unreadable.

Ren, the guy with the scar on his face, stood directly behind Enzo, his expression as cold and blank as ever, acting like he didn’t care about anything that was happening around him. I shifted nervously on my feet, my heart racing with anxiety. Being in the same room as Enzo always made me feel like I was standing dangerously on the edge of a high cliff, just waiting for the moment I would inevitably fall.

Enzo stood up slowly and deliberately, and walked straight toward me. I froze in place, my breath catching painfully as he stopped right in front of me, so close I could clearly smell the whiskey on his breath, mixed with something sharp and unfamiliar, like pure danger itself. I looked up at him, my voice shaking with fear. “What is going on right now?” I asked, trying desperately to sound much braver than I truly felt. “Why am I here in your office?”

He chuckled, a low, rough sound that instantly made my skin prickle with goosebumps. “You’re going back to school now,” he said, his eyes glinting in the light. “But you look terrified, kid. Like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

I blinked in confusion, my head spinning with the unexpected news. School? After everything that had happened? I didn’t know whether to feel overwhelming relief or intense suspicion about his motives. “What exactly does that mean for me?” I asked, my voice barely above a nervous whisper.

Enzo glanced briefly at Ren, who immediately stepped forward, his face still completely blank. “There are rules you must follow,” Ren said, his voice flat and warning. “One: you do not tell anyone that you were sold to us. If you do, that person will die before they can spread the story. Two: you do not get comfortable or close with anyone except Master Enzo. Three: you never come home late from school.”

I stared at him, my mouth dry with shock. Master Enzo? Die? The words hit me forcefully like quick punches, each one much heavier than the last. They were not just simple rules—they were unbreakable chains, actively tying me to this horrible place, and to him. I looked straight at Enzo, hoping desperately for something, anything, to make this whole situation make sense to me. He just smiled, a small, smug smile that instantly made my stomach twist with dread.

I nodded once, not because I agreed with the terms, but simply because I didn’t know what else I could possibly do or say. My throat felt tight and constricted, and my hands shook uncontrollably at my sides. Enzo’s smile widened, clearly knowing that he had me completely trapped. “Good,” he said, turning back to sit at his desk. “Now go.”

Ren grabbed my arm firmly, not aggressively but with a strong, non-negotiable grip, and led me quickly out of the office. My head was a complete mess of thoughts and fear as we walked through the large house, down the long hallways with their dark, heavy walls and thick, oppressive air. I kept thinking about those terrifying rules he had just laid out. Don’t talk. Don’t get close to anyone. Don’t be late. It felt like Enzo wanted to control every single part of my life, even the moments I spent outside this house.

We stepped outside, and a sleek black limo waited silently in the driveway. Ren opened the car door, and I slid inside, the expensive leather seats feeling cold against my legs. The ride to school was completely quiet, only the low hum of the engine and the sound of my own shaky breathing filling the space. I stared out the window, watching the city blur quickly by, my heart heavy with sadness. I used to walk to school, my sneakers scraping the pavement, sometimes dodging bullies like Jake. Now I was in a private limo, like some rich, spoiled kid, but I had never felt more intensely like a trapped prisoner in my entire life.

When the car pulled up to the school building, I felt every single eye focused on me. Kids stopped what they were doing, staring openly as I climbed out of the huge limo, my faded, old uniform looking drastically out of place next to the shiny black car.

Whispers followed me instantly, sharp and curious, like I was some kind of public freak show being put on display. A poor kid like me didn’t belong arriving in a ride like that. I kept my head down, my face burning with acute embarrassment, and started walking toward the main school building entrance.

Ren stayed in the car, his eyes intensely focused on me through the tinted window. “Remember all the rules, Noah,” he said, his voice cold and emotionless. I nodded quickly, my throat tight, and watched as he drove away from the curb, the limo disappearing quickly around the corner.

I took a deep, shaky breath and walked inside the building, the hallways loud with kids laughing and talking loudly. It felt so incredibly normal, but I didn’t belong here anymore. Not truly. I kept my eyes focused on the floor, desperately trying to blend in with the crowd, when a hand suddenly landed heavily on my shoulder. I jumped violently, turning around to see James, my best friend, grinning widely at me like nothing had ever changed in my life.

“Dude!” he said, his voice loud and excited. “It’s been a whole week! Where have you been hiding? And what was with the fancy limo? Did you finally manage to snag yourself a rich boyfriend or something?”

I stopped dead, my chest tightening painfully. James didn’t know anything about my terrifying reality—not about my dad, the debt, or Enzo. He was just joking around, like he always did, but his careless words cut deep into my heart. I looked at him, his goofy, innocent smile so completely out of place with the emotional mess in my head. “If you truly knew what my life is like right now,” I said, my voice low and choked with emotion, “you’d only feel terrible pity for me.”

His cheerful grin faded instantly, and he called after me, concern in his tone. “Hey, come on now, Noah! Don’t be mad at me! I was just totally kidding around!”

I kept walking quickly, not stopping or even looking back at him. My heart pounded hard, and my hands shook desperately in my pockets. I couldn’t talk to him, not honestly. Not with Enzo’s deadly rules constantly hanging over my head. Don’t get comfortable. Don’t tell anyone. I felt like an invisible ghost, moving quickly through the busy halls, surrounded by hundreds of

people but completely and utterly alone.