Chapter 106 I CAME HERE FOR YOU
\[SICILY, VIPOISON ORGANIZATION\]
Power has class, taste and authority. Rules are meant to be broken, vows aren't. Vows are loyalty, and the Morozovs take them seriously.
Iron, steel, metals, bronze, and marble dominated the Vipoison organization. Everything in there is done with care and precision. Taking absolute measures and precautions. The rules are simple... trespass with the Morozovs, pay with your life.
The place reeked of drugs, weapons and ammunition. The guard's fingers curled tightly around the trigger. They are always ready. No one knows when an enemy will attack. The maids, all dressed in tight leather pants, are not useless. They are trained. Behind their pockets was a knife used when attacked.
"Hurry up, they need to be shipped today," a voice said, hands folded behind him. His eyes were as sharp as a blade as he supervised the guards packing the drugs.
Another rule of Morozov's is to trust no one, not even yourself.
Somebody walked in.
"Boss, J. K requests to see you," he said with a bow.
The person faced him, his height dominating everyone in the room. A smile played on his lips. Don't let those smiles fool you. Slade.
Slade's hands met with the person's shoulder, sending shivers through him.
"Eyes on them," he said, and took out a knife from his pocket.
Slade pressed the knife into his throat.
The man trembled, for fear of getting sliced.
"Nothing should go wrong."
"Y... Yes boss."
"Good." Slade stretched the good and sliced his throat. Not too much to kill him, but enough to injure him.
The man winced but dared not say it out.
"This is a reminder." Slade tossed the knife aside and called a maid.
"When he finishes his supervision, treat his wound." He walked away after casting each one of them a glance.
His feet echoed in the cold, silent hall until he got to a room.
J. K Morozov's room.
"Father," Slade settled down.
"Are the drugs ready?" J. K asked, glancing at the window.
He was not wearing his mask, and he had a pupil. The pupilless mask was to scare people. He visits people while wearing the mask because it intimidates people. It helps give him the authority he deserves. But now, there was no mask, and he had an eyeball.
There was no single grey hair in his hair, and his face still looked young in his early forties. They added to his striking, intimidating aura.
"They are on it," Slade replied, and brought out a cigarette.
J. K nodded and glanced at the window.
Slade noticed it.
"Why the constant glance?" He took a drag and let it sink into his throat before blowing the smoke out.
"I haven't seen my daughter-in-law since this morning. Think she's with that intruder?"
Slade laughed cruelly. "You know, Father, she can see him all she wants. What matters is that Nelly belongs to me."
"I don't understand why you insisted on keeping him alive. We should have sent his dead body to his friends."
"That will be no fun. He's locked up like an animal, suffering. It's just a matter of time before death takes over. He's also the key to how I could get Nelly. He's useful. Nelly can't watch him suffer for long, and soon, she will run into my arms." He spread out his arms in demonstration, laughing.
J. K had a proud look of admiration as he stared at his son. Who would have thought his son, who was once interested in painting canvas, would turn out to be crueler than he... the mastermind. Blood, indeed, they say, is thicker than water.
\--
\[NELLY'S ROOM\]
Nelly had an icy expression on her face as she packed her hair in a loose bun. Her glasses and nerdy nature were gone. Her smile was also gone throughout the eighteen months.
Her past has come back to haunt her. Her present is also haunting her. Eighteen months of being in this sickening clan, whereas she should be looking for Ixora. Her best friend disappeared into thin air with no trace of her. Her heart was pure, and Drexton had the guts to play her.
Eighteen months of Maddox sacrificing his freedom for her sake. But the thing is, she doesn't care. She had told him not to follow her. Had told him to leave when he snuck into the clan to take her out. All those sacrifices didn't matter to her. He joined his best friend to play with her friend's emotions.
Her eyes caught a maid carrying a tray of food. She quickly rushed to her.
"For the prisoner?"
The maid nodded in reply.
"I will take it to him." She offered and collected the tray.
The maid didn't act shocked. Everyone in the clan knew she was the one who gave him his food most of the time. Slade and his father were aware, and they didn't even try to stop her.
She knew if it were up to them, they would leave him to starve to death. She admits she hates him, but doesn't want him to die. At least not until they find Ixora.
She stared at the door to the confined room. That's right. The room was the smallest in the clan, almost like a dog house.
Maddox was locked in there.
She slightly pushed the door and placed the food on the floor.
She was about to close the door when his voice stopped her.
"You won't come in today?" Maddox asked.
He was sitting on the floor, his back facing her.
His hair was packed since it had grown longer. He was looking thinner, and his skin was slightly pale.
Nelly sighed. "I only came to give you your food," she replied in a cold voice.
"Come here and give it to me," Maddox said without turning.
Nelly thought about leaving. If he's hungry, he'll eat his food. She changed her mind and carried the tray.
She bent down and kept it before him.
He raised his hair, and their gaze met.
"I can take you out of here."
"Who says I don't like my stay here?" Nelly asked back, almost with clenched teeth.
In the blink of an eye, she was on the floor, hands above her head as Maddox stayed on top.
"I can see it in your eyes, Nelly," he said.
"And who are you to make that decision for me? You can leave if you want. I didn't ask you to come here in the first place." She glared.
"I came here for you. To take you out of this godforsaken place."
Their gazes were locked in place as their breath fanned each other.
"Maybe this godforsaken place is better than you, Maddox. Oh, you want my trust so you can play with me the way your friend did to my friend. You, Drexton and Jaxon are the same." Looking at her, you'll see she's trying to fight the tears that are threatening to fall.
"Your anger is justified, but this isn't about Drexton and Ixora. It's about you. What you want. How do you even know such people in the first place? And why does the old man keep calling you his daughter-in-law?" Maddox said, his voice unusually soft.
"Maybe this is the thing I want. To get away from you. To find my best friend. To destroy you for everything you've ever done," she drew in a long breath. "Off my body before somebody comes in here and gets the wrong idea."
"What wrong idea? They all know you hate me," he muttered and nodded his head. "Fine. You want to destroy me. I will keep surviving here. You owe my life."
"Take your madness off my body." She shook her body and pushed Maddox to the other side.
"The next time you try this, I will have Slade beat you up." She threatened, her voice leaving no room for jokes.
She began leaving the room.
"My mission here is to find out who Slade is. How do you know a place like this? And take you out of here," he said in a cold voice, his gaze on Nelly's figure.
"A person who hasn't saved himself since eighteen months..."
"Can endanger his life to save the one needed."
He cut her off.
Nelly's fingers froze on the knob. She tightened her grip around it and pushed the door open.
Without sparing him a glance, she left the room.
Maddox let out a slight chuckle. Eighteen months of being locked up really humbled him.
He took the spoon closer to his mouth.
His finger stopped halfway as he remembered what happened those times.
"I'm here to take you back."