Chapter 124 Trouble is never far
>>Seraphina
Right,
My usefulness, what else could it be but this. This is the sole reason I'm here, and most likely the only reason why I'm safe and sound.
"I see..." I looked at him and noticed him staring at me. His eyes lingering on my face, especially my eyes, "Um..." I didn't sense anything bad in his gaze but it looked like it was full of disbelief, "Is anything wrong?"
He closed his eyes, "No," Let out a sigh and got serious when he looked at me again, "Do you know where your father runs off to when he leaves the house?" He got straight to the point
I thought he might ask me a question like this. So, I decided to think of the possibilities. This would be an obvious fact that I'm not close to my father and we rarely ever talked even when he was home but I still wracked my brain beforehand for anything I could find, "I don't know for sure," I spoke hesitantly and then spared him a glance. He didn't interrupt me, he just kept his eyes on me with his arms folded, so I continued, "He once mentioned going to Loca island."
"Loca island," He repeated the name. That's the place he ran off to once he ended up in trouble with some other mafia, "Anything else?"
I shook my head, "He didn't want us following him, so he never said anything about where he goes when he runs away."
"Then where does your guess of Loca island come from?" There was something intimidating about Azef, or maybe I was just scared of the whole situation, "Just because he mentioned it?"
"He's an alcoholic," I replied, "And this one time he was dead drunk," I recalled that gloomy midnight where he sat in the corner under the dim light and I stood in the door frame, "I asked him where he was the whole time," He was so out of his mind, that he ended up saying it, "He said, 'Loca Island'"
"Hmm," He raised his brows in contemplation, "Well, at least you weren't completely useless," He stood up to leave
"Uh- Um," I don't know why I stopped him, I just saw him leave and felt like I had something to say. He stopped and looked back at me,
"What?" He wasn't pleased that I stopped him in his path.
"Thank you for the food..." I looked down, "And the medicine," I glanced at the tablet, then softly looked back at him.
...
He didn't answer, he kept his gaze on me for a few seconds with a frown, then looked away, and without a word he left the apartment.
Azef didn't specify anything on his visit. He didn't ask about anything else other than my father. So, of course, he didn't put any sanctions on me either and I still have a debt to repay, which he told me is my problem and I should deal with it on my own too.
I gulped as I walked towards my part-time job early in the morning.
Dragging my feet to work so I could earn some money, a knot of anxiety twisted in my stomach. I knew it wasn't safe. Merely a day had passed and I was out walking on the streets again. The fear of what awaited me was gnawing at my resolve, but bills had no sympathy for apprehension. So, there I was, walking to work, hoping everything would be fine.
When I reached the store, my heart sank as I spotted them – the debt collectors. They had the store surrounded, as if they knew I would come here. A chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively tried to backtrack.
I shouldn't have come here.
"Hey!!" One of them caught sight of me during my escape, "That's her!" He pointed at me and all of them turned to look at me. Panic set in as I broke into a desperate sprint, my heart pounding like a drum.
For me, trouble is never far. Somehow it's always waiting around the corner.
The men and their looming figures closed in, and despite the adrenaline urging me on, I felt the inevitable grip of their presence tightening. I zigzagged through the streets, but I couldn't lose them. There was no way I would attempt to go to my new place and let them know where I'm living, so I ran randomly. The hustle and bustle of the city only served to amplify the chaotic dance of evasion and pursuit.
With a burst of speed, I darted down an alley, I thought I had a slim chance of escaping, but fate had other plans.
Suddenly, strong hands grabbed at my clothes, yanking me back with a force that sent me stumbling. I fought against the relentless grip, my fingers clawing at the air in a futile attempt to break free.
"No! Let me go!!" I yelled as if they were going to listen to me. Two men had their iron grip on my clothes that didn't falter even when I attempted to jump away. Rather, their grip was so strong, they easily pulled me back.
I could hear the fabric tearing due to my futile resistance.
"Not today girlie," The weight of their grasp dragged me backward, "You put Hulio in the hospital and still want to run away." I was desperately trying to evade. It was a helpless struggle, my escape slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.
"Hulio?" I paused, my hands still reaching for them in a futile attempt, "He's alive?" There was a fleeting sense of relief that passed through my heart.
"Why?" As they hauled me back, "You regret he isn't dead?" I felt a surge of frustration and fear as one of them grabbed my hair and began to drag me to a darker alley, "You bitch, you're in for it today,"
Oh No...
Are they going to kill me for killing one of them?
>> Lilac
"Sir, we have the girl." An annoying subordinate, Ricky, gave me the report.
"I know," I rolled my eyes, "That's why I'm going to see her."
"But, young master!" Ricky kept being annoying, "You don't need to go and see her! We can handle this!"
I didn't pay much attention to him, "I'm going to take over this business, so why shouldn't I go?"
I banged open the door with a kick. I was a little annoyed at how my father still thought I wasn't ready because I messed up a little last time. Entering the dimly lit warehouse, my eyes scanned the space, looking for my little prey and it didn't take long to locate her.
I mean, she was being detained by my men. Her arms were crossed behind her back and she was made to kneel on the floor.
"It's you," I went and stood in front of her. Her black hair was covering her face till the point she heard me and raised her head.
!!!
As her face revealed itself, marked by a bruise on her cheek and a cut on her lip which was followed by a spark of defiance in her eyes, the gravity of the situation hung heavy in the air.
I paused,
She was beautiful in an almost unsettling way. The harsh light couldn't diminish the captivating allure of her features. Despite the circumstances, her face held a certain vulnerability and her eyes looked like it held the whole green forest.
My heart quickened its pace as I stared at her.
Ah! What?!?
No! I'm here to interrogate her!!
"Look who we have here," I crouched down and grabbed her face into my hand, squeezing her cheeks between my fingers as I talked, "The little troublemaker who tried to kill one of my men." I told the men holding her to release her and step away.
She met my gaze with a defiance that mirrored my authority.
>>Seraphina
The air in the dimly lit room grew heavy with tension as the debt collector's boss sauntered in, his imposing figure casting a foreboding shadow over the makeshift interrogation space. My pulse quickened, a ripple of fear coursing through me, but I held my ground, masking the anxiety behind a facade of confidence.
"Look who we have here." He grabbed my face roughly, "The little troublemaker who tried to kill one of my men." As I was let go, my hands landed on the ground, trying to support my weight.
I met his cold gaze with a defiant stare, my chin lifting in a subtle act of rebellion.
"I did not try to kill him. He was the one who-" I paused, "He did that to himself,"
He smirked a calculated display of disdain, "Cute. But let's cut to the chase. You're drowning in debts, and I'm here to collect."
"It's not mine," I glared at him, "Why do I have to pay for something I didn't do?"
"Because your father did it." His smirk deepened, "If not the man himself, the child has to pay up." He was staring into my eyes, "Those are the rules."
I gritted my teeth, "I have no money on me..." I pursed my lower lip, "He took everything and ran away."
"Hmmm," He moved my face to one side, then to the other, observing me, "How about you make a deal with me?"
"Huh?" His brown eyes looked awfully dangerous, "Deal? What deal?" A chill slithered down my spine as his words lingered in the dimly lit room.
"I heard you're a virgin," His sly smile widened, "Give yourself to me and I'll let you go for this month." His other hand landed on my thigh, "I'll treat you nicely."
!!!
It felt disgusting. A knot tightened in the pit of my stomach, a visceral reaction to the violation of my autonomy.
"Fuck you," I immediately began boiling with rage, "That won't happen!" I slapped his hand away, Anger flickered in my eyes, a defiant spark amidst the discomfort. How dare he think I would entertain such a degrading bargain? What is wrong with these men? Is violating a woman all they think about?!
He glanced at his hand that I threw away, then looked back at me. He then scoffed, a condescending laugh echoing in the room.
"You'll regret that. I'm offering you an easy way out." He looked down at my body, "With how beautiful you are, you shouldn't be drowning in debt." He brought both of his hands back and this time he grabbed my butt.
!!!
A gasp escaped my lips, "Just like that, do that for me," He whispered in my ear.
I felt the disgusting gazes of the other men around me, those nasty smiles that lingered on their lips made me feel sick.
"Don't you think you've suffered enough?" He squeezed my butt, making my heart jump out in fear.
Since they had let me go, my hands were free. And I knew I shouldn't do something like that when I'm surrounded by enemies but I couldn't help it. I felt so disgusted, I couldn't keep myself in control.
It wasn't even a decision, it just happened.
I took out my hand and slapped him across the face.