Chapter 43 MY NAME ISN'T ERICA IF I DON'T MURDER YOU!
I turned the steering wheel and parked the car. Pulling my jacket tighter around me, I let out a slow breath.
\[“It’s at the waterfall area. Erica was shot!”\] The message flashed across my screen. I exhaled sharply and stepped out.
The moment I walked in, the blinding green of the forest swallowed me. Flowers burst from the ground in impossible colors—lilies and sunflowers shimmering under stray beams of light.
“Hi, please follow me,” the tour guide said, gesturing forward. I gave a small nod and followed, my focus straight ahead, my thoughts were nowhere near the tour.
But when we reached the waterfall, I stopped cold.
It was… unreal. Water spilled over pale stone in a silvery sheet, crashing into the river with a soft roar. The rocks glistened like they had been polished by centuries. The air smelled of wet stone it smelled nice, it made me feel tingly and reminded me of someone— it was rich, clean, almost sweet. Rose petals drifted lazily across the surface, collecting around the rocks like a trail.
“The waterfall was man-made,” the guide explained, “but the water comes from a natural spring miles away.”
I barely heard her. My thoughts were already racing. How was I supposed to find whatever Erica had lost here? The chances were almost non-existent.
“Thank you. I’ll take it from here,” I said. The guide smiled politely and left.
My gaze drifted back toward the waterfall—
But froze.
Someone was standing on the rocks.
“Hey!” I shouted.
The figure bolted instantly.
I spun, scanning the area...The bridge, without thinking, I sprinted.
“Wait!” I yelled, but the figure moved impossibly fast. I paused to a stop, my breath shaky. No one would be up there unless they were searching for what Erica left behind.
My pulse kicked hard. I cut through the path toward the flower bridge.
“Excuse me—sorry—move, please,” I muttered, squeezing through tourists. My eyes never left the figure’s hoodie. I reached out, my fingers brushing the fabric—
The figure sprang away.
“Damn it!” I hissed, lunging after them.
Then—
BAM!
I crashed through a door and stumbled into a room. Everything went silent.
Dozens of men turned to stare at me.
A casino? Hidden inside a tourist center!
Their eyes crawled over me, and a cold shiver slipped down my spine.
A small laugh escaped me...forced, nervous. “Uh… where’s the bathroom?” I blurted, trying to play dumb, turning to leave, but a thick arm suddenly wrapped around my waist. I froze.
A fat man stepped into view. “I’ve been waiting. You finally arrived.”
My brow arched. “Me? Wrong person.”
His grip tightened. “No. You.”
His stare was hungry, and the others weren’t any better, ny stomach twisted.
He dragged me to his seat. “Move,” he barked, and the girls beside him slid away, glaring daggers at me, I returned the favor.
“I’m not who you think I am,” I muttered.
He only chuckled, a low, filthy sound. “But you’re exactly what I need.”
He waved a hand, whispering something to a bodyguard. The man turned his gaze on me, then disappeared back into the room.
I reached for my phone, but the fat man yanked it out of my hand.
“No phones here, love,” he said with a slow, creepy grin.
Disgust churned in me. Whoever that hooded figure was… they led me here on purpose. And like an idiot, I walked right into it.
“Have a drink,” he said, pouring alcohol over ice. His other hand slid toward my bare back. I stiffened, my rage igniting instantly.
“Get your hands off me!” I snapped. The room went silent.
The girls stared. The guards stared. Even the dealer froze.
“You bastard,” I spat.
His expression darkened. I stood, straightening my dress, moving toward the exit, but two guards stepped in front of me.
“Move,” I said coldly. I was done pretending to be clueless.
“Miss, step back. Sit and drink,” one guard ordered.
My jaw clenched. I turned to the fat man. “Tell them to move.”
He chuckled, rising slowly. “Who said you could leave?”
My lashes flickered. He was right, he never gave permission. But I didn’t take orders from anyone.
“Do you know who I am?” I shouted.
“Oh, I know,” he said. “Of course I know you, Erica. You just look… different.”
My stomach dropped. Erica! Her past caught up with me.
I ran into the trap.
“Who are you?” I asked, though I already knew the answer wouldn’t help.
“Don’t pretend,” he sneered. “You remember.”
I didn’t, not his face. Not his voice, what did Erica have with this pig?
I started to turn, but a guard grabbed my arms and pinned them.
“Let go! Are you insane?” I snapped.
The fat man laughed, gripping my face, his nails digging into my skin. “You used to be such a little scaredy-cat. Did fame make you bold?”
The bodyguard from earlier returned, handing him a bottle.
“Hold her,” the fat man ordered.
I struggled. “Don’t you dare—”
“You’re in my house,” he growled. “Everyone here belongs to me.” My pulse hammered. The onlookers didn’t react they just watched, he was right!
He popped the bottle open. Forced my jaw apart......The cold liquid flooded my mouth.
I choked, twisting, fighting to keep from swallowing, but his grip was unbearably strong. Half the bottle spilled in before he finally released me and slapped me hard enough to send me crashing to the floor.
My hair tumbled around my face, wild and tangled.
"Hahahahahaha" I laughed, sharp...low, unhinged. The room stared in confusion.
I lifted my head. My eyes burned. I’m going to end him.
“Take her away!” he barked.
The guards lunged, but I was faster. I surged up from the floor and snatched a bottle from the nearest table, smashing it against the edge of a table with a shattering crack.
Silence followed.
“You,” I said, pointing the broken bottle at him, my voice steady and lethal. “If I don’t murder you today… my name isn’t Erica.”