Chapter Three

Amaya glanced at the only wooden chair in the room. There were leather belts on both hands and legs of the chair. She gasped fearfully once she recalled when Calvin once told her about such chairs – he said they were used to torture offenders of the law.

But why was it in the same room as she? She didn't commit a crime, did she? Amaya didn't consider the pendant as stolen since she found it, so it wasn't stolen, right?

All those thoughts flooded her head and not even a single answer could be found. Amaya heard the sound of approaching footsteps and felt thankful – maybe her questions might get answers.

Then a jingling sound of keys as they unlock the door from the outside. The door opened, and a man came walking gingerly in. 

Amaya was yet to get a glimpse of his face when he violently groped her cheeks, causing her immense pain. 

She cried out in pain, yet his insane hold didn't lessen one might, instead, it tightened. 

"Kris, don't hurt my new toy, okay?" Amaya would be damned to forget that cocky tone. Then again, how could she steal a glimpse when this man held her cheeks so brutally?

Her eyes fell on him and despite the pain she was going through, she noticed how gorgeous his eyes were. 

"My pendant"

Amaya assumed she didn't hear him, so winced more agonisingly. 

"My pendant, bitch! Where is my fucking pendant? Kross tells her to provide it now unless she's going to die!"

Pain. That was all Amaya felt at that moment – who wouldn't when his pointy fingers were being forced into the fleshy part of her cheeks?

She was certain his fingers had successfully been driven into her cheeks, and now drops of blood were streaming down her cheeks. Though that wasn't what was occurring, she felt it would if he didn't stop any moment from now. 

"Ah!" her cries were laced with utmost pain, yet he didn't seem to care. No, all that clouded Kris's head was his pendant; the ruby pendant gifted to him by someone who meant the world to him. 

That pendant was something he was ready to risk his life for, then again it went missing due to a silly mistake by someone. 

Due to his countless subordinates scattered all over the streets of NY, he got to know a random red-haired hair picked it up. Now that he has her, why wouldn't she provide his goddamn pendant?

His patience was running out at a fast rate, as he snarled nastily at Amaya. 

"Woman, speak! Where is it?" he growled aggressively at her while rough-handling her cheeks. "You're… You're hurting me" Amaya could no longer withstand the pain as her tears rolled seamlessly down her eyes. 

At the sight of her tears, Kris gritted then tossed her face roughly to a corner as he retracted. He glared menacingly at Amaya, who incessantly whimpered in sheer pain. 

He went mute as he slowly dipped his hand into his pocket, and watched her noiselessly. No one could comprehend the amount of desperation that was eating him up – he wasn't angry. Angry at himself for losing the pendant, but badly wanted it back. 

Why wouldn't she speak or rather give it to him already? His entire body steadily trembled due to the immeasurable amount of desperation which flowed through him. 

"You want to damage her or what? Do you have any idea how much trouble I went to get her?" the sultry tone of Kross spoke from behind, yet Kris didn't bother to gaze at him. 

He knew he'd come closer and truthfully, he did so. Unlike his brother, Kross was an addict when it came to smoking – always, a stick of cigarette would be stuck between those thin pinkish yet slightly dark lips of his. 

"She's a beauty, ain't she?" Kross grinned while he placed an arm on Kris's shoulder, yet he sharply slapped his arm off. "Don't touch me" he hardly spoke without even glancing at him. 

All his attention was fixed on the hurting lady in front of him – Kris waited until she was stable before he'd ask her any questions. 

Ultimately, Amaya stopped the flow of tears, but her cheeks retained their redness and the constant smoke which invaded her nostrils got her coughing violently. 

Kross smirked dangerously as he went closer. Since she sat on a chair, he had to squat just to lock eyes with her. 

"Remember me, red hair?" Kross's smirk was synonymous with cunning as he retained an unshakable gaze on Amaya. 

His set of dashing grey eyes was something she'd never forget – while narrating her encounter to Calvin, she made sure to exclude how otherworldly he was. Kross Phantom could melt any lady with a mere smile – any lady, but not Amaya Stanford. 

Her lips twisted into a deep frown as her eyes glared resentfully at him. 

"You!" she roared meanly at him, yet he smirked more. "Oh? You remember me. I'm so glad, red hair" he briefly took out the stick of cigarette in between his lips to let out smoke which engulfed Amaya's face. 

Again she coughed, but he didn't seem to mind. "You're intolerable to smoke, it seems. Better get used to it, red hair" his gaze fell on her lips. 

Oh, those same lips which attracted him like a magnet and pulled him to this beauty at The Elite Restaurant. He recalled perfectly how she rebuked and disgraced him at the restaurant – not like it was her fault; he was persistent. 

Kross gently leaned in for a kiss, but instead got a mouthful of saliva on his face – she spat disgustingly at him. 

Kris persisted with his cold expression despite how satisfying that scene was – his brother was a certified asshole. Kross gritted as he straightened up afterwards and brought a handkerchief which he used to wipe the liquid off his face.