03

Tracy’s POV

I was still asleep on my comfy bed in the clan when I felt a hand hit me hard and wake me up from my deep slumber. It was painful, but with the training I had been through, I could still withstand the pain.

I was on the verge of fighting whomever it was, and then I was shocked upon seeing the face. It’s him, the mafia lord. I froze in the process.

I tried to move after that but couldn't, and then the feeling of fear rushed into me. I tried to open my mouth to speak but couldn't. I didn’t understand the situation, but I knew he was the cause. So I determined I wouldn’t be leaving the spot I was in. I know I crossed his line, but that doesn’t give him the right to boss me around.

I was still deep in thought when I heard sounds like voices in my head. Since that moment, I have been trying hard to be myself. I didn’t have the chance to act in my own way; it’s more like I was being controlled like a remote robot.

All of a sudden, I got down from the bed without my consent, and I was being dragged to the hall by him. It’s so heartbreaking that my boss didn’t even step out to save me.

"Could it be that he feels I’m no longer useful to him anymore, and is that why he wants me to leave in two days?" I thought in great dismay.

All of a sudden, I felt a very cold breeze run down my spine inside the car. Before I could think of what triggered that, I suddenly found us in a forest. This alone is enough for me to start begging for my life.

Before I knew it again, something strange happened; we actually disappeared from the forest and appeared in what seemed like an ancient palace hall.

I was still trying to comprehend where I was and what's really happening when I felt him grab me, taking me to perhaps where I’d be losing my head. I screamed and tried all possible means to get free from him, but to no avail.

"Why’s he so strong?" I asked myself. Then he finally stopped at the front of a door and forcefully pushed me deep into the room. Before I could rush back to the door, I saw it jammed and heard it locked from outside.

"Why is he not killing me right away?" I asked myself. I banged on the door and continued to scream out loud on several occasions, yet to no avail.

I stopped when I saw no change and started apologizing. That’s not my thing, but I’m really helpless right now, and I already thought of it; stubbornness cannot free me from him; it will make me suffer even more.

After apologizing countless times to no one in particular, I got tired and fell asleep right on the bare floor, beside the door.

The following morning, I woke up and found out that I literally fell asleep on the cold floor. It’s certain I might catch a cold soon.

When I saw no one actually come to my rescue with the countless bangs, pleads, and screams, even this morning,I decided to gather up the strength left in me and move towards the portable bed inside the room and sit on it.

I began to look around the room and discovered it’d have been so dark in here right now if not for the dim red light. I can't believe there’s no single window.

I decided to go check the inner door, which, through normal thinking, should be the bathroom door. I entered and also discovered it had no window. The bathroom isn’t that big, but it still has enough space to do my things. On seeing the shower,it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't had my bath after the rough touches. I put off my pajamas immediately.

I wear long trouser pajamas with a matching shirt to sleep, and I thank God I do because only God knows the bruises I would have gotten from the drags all night long.

After putting off my pajamas, I was left with just my pants. I also put it off and went under the shower.

I found out the shower was cold when the water touched my skin, but I still had to proceed. The cold was becoming unbearable for me, so I tried to switch to warm water, but I was so wrong; there’s only cold water available in the bathroom.

I had to rush the bath, and when I was done, I saw a black towel on a stand, and I took it. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen a black towel. “Where the hell is this old village?” It left me bewildered.

I stepped out into the room and wanted to go search for clothes in the wardrobe, but then it dawned on me that there’s no wardrobe anywhere in the room to talk about clothes.

I went for the door and locked it from the back, even though it’s still locked from the front. I don’t want any guy to see me like this. It’d be the end of me.

I sighed and sat on the bed, thinking of what to do. A few minutes later, still in deep thought, I heard someone knocking on the door. I was contemplating opening it or not when I heard the door suddenly unlock and boom! It opened. Lo and behold, it’s Jayden! He's coming into the room right now, walking towards me.

I rose from the bed immediately and grabbed the hem of the black towel that just stopped beneath my butt cheeks with my hand. The last thing I’d want is to be molested by him.

I gazed into his blue eyes as he approached me. He held this dark aura as he walked. Then he stopped right at my front; he glared at me from head to toe, and that made me grab the hem of my towel pretty tight. I also tried to drag the towel down so it could cover more than what it’s covering, but hell no! It’s not working out; the towel is damn short!

He glared right into my eyes intensely with his pair of blue eyes. Unconsciously, I looked down. I couldn’t stand to stare at him for long anymore. I don’t know why.

All of a sudden, he grabbed my chin roughly and made me look right into his eyes. He brought his head down because he’s literally taller than me. Then he said, “The next time you stare at me or even dare to raise your head to look at my face, consider one of your emeralds gone!"

I shook in fear and immediately brought my eyes down upon hearing the warning. I don’t want to lose any part of my body; they are too precious to me, I thought while still shaking.

“That’s the first rule," he said. Then he continued: You’ll be given a dress; as soon as you’re done changing into it, meet me in my chamber. Then he turned around and left, leaving the door open. I was about to close the door when there was no sight of him when I saw a lady in her late 70s approach my door with something like cloth in her hands.

She smiled at me and handed over the dress to me, then turned to leave before I could even say anything to her. “That was fast; I muttered out loud."

I closed the door and locked it to get dressed in the short black gown that stopped at my thigh level and put on the flat red shoe that came along with the dress.

It's so funny how the door is now in my possession; he must have thought I had given up. "Who dares stay in this scary, abnormal place? It's definitely not me. I guess I can be plotting my escape plan now, I thought in my mind.

I was still in deep thought when I heard someone knock on the door. I went for it and saw the face of the person who locked me up in here in the first place, standing right in front of me.

I feel like removing his shades and giving him three hot slaps right now, but that’s going to worsen my case, so I restricted myself.

“Follow me,” he said.

I did as he said and followed him. After some walks, we stopped at a door. He asked me to wait outside while he entered through the door.

In a few minutes, he came out, telling me to go in. I summoned the courage in me and stepped into the so-called room. It’s not really dim here, although it has a dim blue light, and the room is seven times bigger than my room.

The room looks weird, though. I saw some paintings of many young people (both men and women) on the walls when passing by through the hallway to this so-called place I’m in right now, and they were all putting on red lenses. Now I’m seeing his own portrait on the wall with red lenses too, inside the so-called room.

Why are they all wearing red lenses? I asked myself in total confusion. I turned around to check the things inside the room, and there I found a very comfy bed, a large wardrobe, a couch, and, to my surprise, a window. This is totally different from my room.

I knew it was his room the moment I saw his portrait on the wall, but I couldn’t find him anywhere and decided to check the room out.

I was carried away by the fascinating room when I heard footsteps—more like two people approaching—and I didn’t bother to check who they were. I quickly tu

rned and bowed my head in their direction. I still need my precious emerald eyes.