An Offer That She Could Not Refuse

June Henderson did not lie when she said that Suzie Simmons hailed from a poor neighborhood.

It was probably one of the worst, shadiest neighborhoods at Varmount.

If Irene did not know better, she would think that she researched the wrong Suzie Simmons.

Although Irene dressed down to a T-shirt, baggy jeans, a hoodie, and a pair of old sneakers, she still became the center of attention.

Heads turned in her direction and suspicious pairs of eyes followed her every movement closely.

The miserable inhabitants of Cutthroat Alley simply knew that this foreign girl did not belong there.

The question was whether she was a friend or a foe. Was she there to buy drugs or expose the drug sellers? That was an important question.

Irene's eyes darted to the side when she sensed movements behind her. Her hand flew to the stun gun in her hoodie's pocket. If any of the gentlemen dared to make a move, Irene was more than ready to take them on.

Luckily for them, they did not do anything other than tail her. Irene calmly walked up to a small dilapidated house. The rusty plate that was nailed to the front wall bore the number 14C. It was unclear why, because the house on the left was number 8B and the one on the right was number 25.

Irene knocked at the door.

She waited for a while, but there was no reply.

She knocked harder, and this time she heard a shrill scream coming from inside the house.

"GODDAMNIT SOMEONE ANSWER THE DOOR!!!"

What followed was the sound of someone cursing and tripping toward the front door.

The door opened slightly, the door chain rattled when it was stretched across the gap.

A pair of gloomy eyes looked up at Irene.

It was a little girl, and she was as thin as a twig.

"Excuse me, who are you???"

Irene recognized the voice owner before she even looked at her face.

Suzie too recognized her on spot.

"You!!!" she snapped.

Suzie removed the door chain impatiently and stepped outside.

She launched at Irene, intent on pushing her, but Irene pulled her into a hug instead.

"Suzie!!! I missed you so much. How are you doing??"

Suzie clawed at Irene's back. She wanted to spit curses at this crazy woman who dared to backstab her and then hug her out of nowhere. But then Irene whispered into her ear and caused her blood to freeze in her veins.

"Suzie Simmons, your brother has been missing for three days. He was kidnapped by a group of drug dealers because he failed to pay what he owed them. Are you interested to see him again?"

Suzie's body shook from shock and fear.

"You... who are you really?"

Irene released her and patted the dust off her shoulders.

"Why don't you invite me in for tea? Let's talk inside."

The house did not look better from the inside. The cupboard did not have doors, and there were a lot of DIY shelves across the walls. It looked more like a warehouse than a living space.

The old moldy carpet on the floor was dirty and wet in a few spots.

Clothes were scattered all over the furniture.

Irene was in a huge room that functioned as both the living room, the kitchen, and the dining room.

There was only one other room on the back side, presumably the bedroom for everyone in the house.

In the house, there were only three people. There was Suzie's old mother, Suzie herself, and her little sister.

Suzie sat opposite Irene, distraught about both her house and Irene's visit.

"What do you want?" she snapped impolitely.

Irene would have loved to take a deep breath if not for the smell that pervaded the poor living space.

"I want to know the reason for your visit to the Henderson mansion last night," Irene said, cocking her head to the side with a smile.

"None of your fucking business," Suzie said, crossing her arms before her chest in defiance.

Irene smiled.

"Are you sure that you are not interested to talk? Even after I told you what happened to your brother?"

Suzie seemed to have calculated the benefit in her head.

"My brother is a rotten drug addict," she said through gritted teeth. "He is an idiot, a good-for-nothing. Honestly, I am not at all surprised that he landed in this mess. He would, sooner or later. Even if you offer to break him free this time, I know that he will be in the same shit next month."

Suzie acted strong when she talked, but the trembling fists on her knees told Irene something else.

"Fair enough," Irene agreed. "What if I offer you something else?"

Suzie stared at Irene.

"Like what?"

Irene shrugged. "A chance for a new, better life. Not only for you but for your whole family."

Suzie's expression turned grim.

"If you are just talking about money, then..."

"Oh yes, but not only money. Support. I can arrange for the best care for your ailing mother. Entry into the best rehabilitation facility for your brother. A good job with a stable income for you. And education and a better future for your sister."

Suzie swallowed hard.

Irene could see the woman's resolution waver with her every word.

"Why should I trust you?"

Irene had expected her to ask this question. She prepared for an answer a long time ago.

"Because I stopped you from ruining your life at the dinner event. Imagine what June Henderson would do to you when you succeeded."

Suzie rubbed against her arms. As Irene predicted, the young woman did not think her actions through. She was driven by a momentarily lapse of fury.

"Alright," she said with a trembling voice. "But how do I know that you will deliver your promises?"

Just then, Irene's phone rang thrice.

She rose to her feet immediately.

"I don't need you to sing right away. We will meet again in three days. By then, I am sure that you are more than willing to talk."

Irene did not wait for Suzie to answer. She left the house and climbed into a car that stopped in front of the Simmons house barely a minute ago.