PROLOGUE

Hands are tied. Eyes are blindfolded.

I do not know where they are going to bring me because they just dragged me in the middle of the night and did this to me. I had enough of shouting and asking, so I just kept my mouth shut and waited for them to bring me somewhere. They wouldn’t listen to me, so what’s the point of fighting?

I know that they didn’t drag me because they will end my life. Something will happen, but not that. The beast isn’t that dumb to dispose me just like that because I am an ace to his plans. I am his key to lure my father. He doesn’t hold any other precious thing that will make my father go out of the shadows.

I waited for them to remove my blindfold, and when that happened, I found myself tied in a chair, and the beast was sitting in front of me. His presence is shouting ruthlessness, and eyes staring at me blankly like it was also the coldest thing that I ever encountered.

“Speak and tell the truth. What was your father’s plan and who were the people helping him?” he asked, which made my brows furrowed. What is he talking about this time?

“I told you; I do not know anything. What he said to me is he will go to America to attend his 2 weeks of business meetings and seminars. I didn’t even know that he was still in the country and lied to me,” I repeated the same truth that I kept telling them for three days straight now. But like what they always do, they kept on being deft.

They just don’t know how to listen!

“Do you think we will buy that lie?” I frowned. I already expected that he would not believe my words again. Does he think that if I knew that this would happen, I wouldn’t prevent it?

Dad is my life since we only have each other, and I will never let him do something like this if I am aware! I will not let him do this thing that will bring not just him, but also me, and our people in danger!

My father knows that I hate attention and feuds!

I was pulled from my thoughts and my brows furrowed when the beast suddenly showed me a CCTV clip on his phone that made me confused as I watched it. It was my dad. He escaped on their watch because someone—no, a group of armed men helped him. The men on the video weren’t familiar to me. I never crossed paths with any of them before.

“Now, speak before I lose my patience!” The beast shouted at me.

“I don’t know—stop!” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence when I shivered in the cold because a bucket of ice was poured on me. This made me quickly feel sick. I have a weak immune system since I was a child, and now, I think I already know what will happen to me after this.

“Talk now, lady! Or I’ll swear! Your father and his group will die in my own hands!” The beast warned again and grabbed the bucket on his man and was the one who poured it on me. I gasp for air and keep my mouth shut while I shiver in the cold again because even though I speak the truth, he never listens. He never does. So, what’s the point of arguing with him?

“I said, talk!” I inhaled sharply as he held my jaw with forced and made me look directly at him. His expression looks so dark that anytime, he will explode in anger. He might hurt me at this point.

“I-I told you; I d-do not have any i-idea!” I answered, but they never listened. He quickly let go of my face that made me close my eyes tightly. My struggles gave them satisfaction, I see, because they didn’t stop on what they were doing.

This beast is deft and only believes in himself; but I will never let him see that I am giving up. I will never let him win and prove that I can stand every hardship and torture that he will give me.

Let’s see who’ll win your game, Kristoffer dela Merced.