Chapter 18 Falling into the Abyss
On the opening day of "Heart of the Piano," the sun was shining brightly.
Victoria stood at the studio entrance in an elegant white gown, her long hair gently curled, receiving congratulations from friends.
Monica was nearby, excitedly greeting guests.
As the ribbon-cutting ceremony was about to begin, Victoria kept glancing towards the door, but the familiar figure she was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
"Strange," she whispered to Monica, "My dad promised he'd be here for the opening, but he's not here yet. I can't reach him on the phone either."
Monica tried to reassure her, "David might be stuck in traffic. Don't worry."
Everything was ready, and the crowd gathered on stage, cameras flashing all around.
Suddenly, Victoria's phone rang. It was an unknown number.
She stepped aside to answer, "Hello, who is this?"
A harsh, menacing voice came from the other end.
"David is your dad, right?"
Victoria's heart skipped a beat, "Who are you?"
"Your dad's at Golden Fortune Casino. He lost three million dollars!" The voice was ruthless.
"He's with us now. Bring the money within an hour. Remember, cash only! If you call the cops, you'll be picking up his severed hand!"
Victoria's face turned as white as a sheet, and her phone nearly slipped from her grasp.
"Victoria, what's wrong?" Monica noticed her distress and walked over, concerned.
"Monica, can you handle the opening ceremony for me? There's an emergency at home, and I need to leave immediately."
"What happened? I'll go with you..."
"No need," Victoria interrupted, "I can handle it myself. Please take care of things here."
Without even changing out of her formal white gown, she lifted her skirt and rushed out.
Victoria drove, running countless red lights, so focused on her destination that she didn't notice a black sedan tailing her.
Golden Fortune Casino, a place reeking of greed and decay.
As Victoria rushed into the smoke-filled lobby, the two men in black following her were about to enter when a sudden gust of wind hit the back of their necks.
They turned just in time to see two heavy burlap sacks being thrown over their heads, followed by the brutal impact of steel pipes on their backs.
The dull thuds of the blows blended with the shuffling of cards in the casino, drawing no attention.
One of the men grunted, tearing at the sack, ripping it open. Through the gap, he saw three men in black tank tops swinging steel pipes at them.
"Shit, it's a trap for Miss Chase!" one of them yelled, kicking the nearest attacker, the sound of his knee hitting ribs echoing clearly.
The other man tore off his sack, grabbed a metal trash can from the entrance, and hurled it, the crash finally catching the attention of a few gamblers, though they quickly returned to their bets.
Meanwhile, Victoria ignored the countless hostile stares in the lobby, grabbing a waiter, her voice trembling, "David! Where's David?"
The waiter pointed to a large private room on the second floor.
She pushed the door open, the stench of blood hitting her immediately.
David was pinned to a massive gambling table, surrounded by several menacing figures.
One of them held a sharp knife against David's trembling arm.
"Dad!" Victoria screamed.
"Victoria! What are you doing here? Get out!" David shouted desperately, struggling, "I owe the money, not her! Kill me, sell my organs! That'll cover the three million!"
The scar-faced leader ignored David, smirking at Victoria, "Miss Chase, your dad's luck ran out. He lost three million dollars. You seem to have forgotten I said we need three million in cash to release him."
Three million in cash—where could she get that?
Victoria forced herself to stay calm. She pulled out a pen and paper from her purse, quickly writing a note.
"I don't have that much cash right now," she held up the paper, "This is an IOU for three million dollars. I'll pay it back with interest in six months!"
The scar-faced man looked at her like she was crazy, "Victoria, do you think this is a joke?"
"What do you want then?" Victoria asked, glancing at David, "No matter what, I'm taking my dad with me!"
"What do I want?" The scar-faced man laughed cruelly, "Your dad's an old man, not worth much. But you, you're worth something. You'll pay off his debt!"
At that moment, a hand reached from behind Victoria, pressing a chloroform-soaked cloth over her mouth and nose.
"Mmm..."
"Victoria!"
Victoria's vision went black, and she collapsed.
Before losing consciousness, she saw Ralph's face.
Ralph patted her cheek.
"Miss Chase, it took some effort to catch you. Nathaniel really values you, always having someone protect you! If it weren't for luring your dad into gambling, we wouldn't have gotten you here."
The scar-faced man looked at Ralph obsequiously, "Mr. Cook, don't forget me when there's good stuff in the future!"
"You did well. Don't worry, there'll be benefits for you!"
Ralph waved, and someone immediately dragged the unconscious Victoria away.
"Nathaniel, your little sweetheart is in my hands. Let's see how you fight me this time!" Ralph grinned, his face shaking with laughter as Victoria was carried away in a burlap sack.
Victoria woke up to violent jolting.
She wasn't in a car.
She moved, realizing she was crammed into a narrow, cold iron cage. The air was thick with a mix of rust, saltwater, and a nauseating stench.
Waves crashed against something, making a dull "thud" sound.
Was she on a ship?
She gripped the cold bars, standing up. Dim light from a small window revealed her surroundings.
It was a massive ship's hold.
Around her were rows upon rows of iron cages, each packed with several, sometimes dozens of women, their expressions vacant, like livestock awaiting slaughter.
"Awake?" a woman in the next cage spoke weakly, "Newcomer, you look pretty innocent. Where'd they snatch you from?"
Kidnapped?
Victoria was confused, still piecing things together.
Had she really been sold to pay off the debt?
Just then, the iron door clanged open, and guards dragged two girls, tossing them into Victoria's cage like garbage.
The door slammed shut.
The girls were covered in whip marks, barely alive.