07:10 Mon, 7 Jul VG.
Mon, 7 Jul
The private room was bathed in dim, suggestive lighting, the echoes of men’s lewdughter
Matilda slumped onto the floor, clutching a bottle in one hand while her other hand weakly pipped the ss coffee ta, Serweral empty hottiesy scattered around her, on the table and at her side.
Her oversized T-shirt was being yanked down over her shoulder by a groping hand, exposing most of her smooth, rounded shoulder, yet she remainedpletely oblivious in her drunken Mupor.
Her head, which had been hanging limply, finally reacted to the sound of the door being kicked open. She turned stiffly, almost robotically, to look in that. direction, struggling even to open her eyes.
Her usually bright eyes were new zed over and unfocused, a clear sign she was no longer in her right mind.
On the sofa facing the door lounged a burly man with a horizontal scar across his <b>face</b>, clearly in his fies, exuding an intimidating presence. At his fant knelt a battered man, sobbing and sniveling, his face streaked with tears and snot.
With tears streaming down his face, <b>Drake </b>pleaded, “Han, please! You can’t do this. I’ve already given you 300 thousand dors. Just let my sister go I’m begging you! Please<b>, </b><b>have </b>mercy on <b>us</b>!”
Han Pierce didn’t hesitate. He brutally kicked the man in the head, grinding his boot into the side of his face. With a mocking, predatory gaze, he raked his eyes over Aubree and sneered, “So, you figured one girl wasn’t enough to settle <b>your </b>debt, and brought me another one?”
The quick–witted sidekick nearest the door shoved Aubree inside and mmed the door shut behind her. “Looks like Drake finally got a clue Han, this chick’s way hotter than the one on the floor,” he sneered.
His finalugh dripped with sinister implication.
Han reared withughter. “Aher I’m done <b>with </b>them, they’re all yours”
Aubree clutched at her cor and took two steps back, her brows furrowing involuntarily. She thought, ‘Damn it, I was way too reckless, barging in like that… Now I’vended <b>myself </b>in danger too
Wonly I’d at least <b>ghen </b>Aban a heads–up!
Matilda<b>, </b><b>still </b>slumped on the floor, finally regained a bit of sobriety. Her eyes narrowed in rm as she recognized the neer. Summoning all her strength, she staggered to her feet and smashed the bottle in her hand over the head of the creep groping her. “If <b>you </b>darey a finger on her,” she smarked, “ril fight you to the death!”
Drake, who had just been sobbing and begging for mercy, erupted into exaggerated wails when he saw his sister fight back against Han’s men, his cowardice surfacing faster than anyone else’s “Matilda, are you trying to get us killed?” he cried hysterically, “How could youy <b>a </b>hand on Han’s <b>Cuys</b><b>? </b>Apologize now! Let’s just beg for mercy again, maybe they’ll let us go!”
He truly didn’t want to see his sister get bulled, but crossing Han was thest thing he wanted.
esilently demanding, “What the
Matilda stepped <b>before </b>Aubree, who quickly reached out to steady her, gripping her arm. Their eyes met, Aubroe’s gaze s hell is going on here?”
“My brother has gambling debts,” Matilda gritted her teeth and looked <b>away</b><b>, </b>unable to meet Aubree’s eyes
Matilda had always kept to herself at school,rgely because of her family situation.
They weren’t bad to her, but this family could hardly be called <b>a </b>safe haven
Her brother was a gambler, drowning in loan shark debts and never learning his lesson. But this same brother woulde homete at night with midnight snacks for her, stand up for her whenever she’s <b>bullied</b><b>, </b>and, after drinking with bloodshot eyes, choke out an apology. “I’m sorry just stop worrying about me.”
<b>1/3 </b>
– <b>??? </b>
Her parents were somewhat traditional, always favoring their son over their daughter, clinging to him even when he’d berge at her expense. Yet they remembered everything she loved. Her mother would prepare all her favorite dishes at dinner, and little toys or snacks after work, smiling as he tried to cheer her up.
<b>Matilda </b>couldn’t bring herself to abandon her family. All she could do was try to save herself and drag them out with her
a good for nothing, even or father would bring home
Scated at the head of the table, Han didin’t even get angry when he saw his sidekick get hit. Instead, he just chuckled and sneered, “What a fisty te thing”
a Gre
His words dripped with sleazy insinuation.
Han sneered. “Now now, don’t get mad. We’re all reasonable people here. Since you can’t pay up, I’m just letting you drink to settle the debt. 30 thousand dors a bottle, you’re getting a sweet deall Looks like you can’t handle your liquor, but as long as you pay what you own, we can work something out.”
Han sneered maliciously. He could tell just by looking that the girl who’d burst in wasn’t carrying anything valuable. Still, he fancied himself a man of principle, someone who always yed by his own twisted code.
Aubree’s frown deepened as she thought, <b>Wait</b>, Matilda just won over 3 million dors in prize money and still couldn’t pay off all the debt?
<b>Even </b>if Matilda’s family gambled, could they really have borrowed that much?”
Matilda clutched the bottle even tighter, like <b>a </b><b>cornered </b>animal, her voice trembling with fury and desperation. “You shameless bastards!” she snarled “My brother only borrowed 1 million from you, and I’ve already given you over 3 million!”
Han’s face darkened. “Don’t y dumb,” he sneered. “You think I’d lend your brother money for nothing! That 3 million was just the interest, there’s still the one million principal you ove me.”
Han’s scar twitched along with his crooked grin, making him look every bit the shameless thug he was
Matilda was about to argue further when Aubree tugged at the hem of her shirt and silently shook her head.
“Don’t try to take them head–on,” Aubree warned, tightening her grip on Matilda’s sleeve
Aubree thought, ‘If it’s just about the debt, that’s not so bad. I’ve still got money,
‘Alll need to do now is get out of here!!
Aubree steadied herself slightly, her free hand cautiously feeling for her phone in her pocket. “Mr. Pierce, right? If understand correctly, my friend awes you I million dors, I can pay that”
Han responded briskly, “Wire the money now. <b>Once </b>it clears, then we’ll see
Han thought, Isaid we’ll see, not that you can leave.
Aubree quickly caught the wordy in his response. As the sidekick beside her rattled off the bank ount number, she knew better than to make any <b>rash </b><b>moves </b>in this situation.
Aubree obedientlyplied and transferred the money. As she pocketed her phone, seizing a moment when no one was w
a contact, her phone only had three contacts saved, her teacher, the members of God’s Fury, and Bowen
Anyone, please, just realize I’m in danger Aubree thought desperately.
“The money’s transferred,” Aubree said, keeping her voice steady. “We can go now, right?”
she randomly dialed
Seeing the one million <b>dors </b>hit his ount, Han smirked and kicked Drake aside with <b>his </b>foot. Then he leisurely rose to his feet. “Well, well,” he drawled, “didn’t take you for a rich little girl”
Han sneered. “But what I said was<b>, </b>“we’ll see, I never said you could leave.”
“You’re going back on your word!” Matilda snapped.
“Now, don’t put words in my mouth, sweetheart, When did ever say you could leave just because you paid up? Sure, the debt’s settled, but what about the guy you just hurt? That’s not something I can just let slide. But since you’re both youngdies, I won’t make things too hard your friend already finished seven out of ten bottles, so you just drink thest three <b>as </b>an apology to my man. Once you’re done, you can go. Though, if you can’t walk afterward. I would be more than happy to lend a hand.”
As for what kind of “help” he meant, that was anyone’s guess, but it definitely wasn’t anything good.
All the liquor here was high–proof spirits, even a grown <b>man </b>would be in bad shape after downing three bottles. A girl this young was bound to gat wasted, and then he could have his way with her.
No sooner had Han finished speaking than his sidekicks brandished liquor bottles and closed in on Aubree. Whether she wanted to or not, those drinks were going down her throat, she had no choice in the matter.
In a private room not far away.
Bowen had left his phone on the couch, the pounding music drowning out any sound of an iing call. By the time he returned from the restroom, all that was left on his screen was <b>a </b>single missed call,
Bowen thought, ‘It’s Bree! She never calls me unless she’s in trouble! I wasn’t seeing things earlier, that was definitely her!”
Just then, a waiter hurried in with a grim expression and went straight to Olle “Mr. Lane,” he said urgently, “the girl you asked us to keep an eye on is here. She went into private room 1005. Han has that room booked for tonight.
Ollie’s face darkened. He recognized the guy to be a loan shark.
Bowen
snatched up his jacket and bolted out.
AD