Chapter 3

• Sera tried to take a step back, feeling the walls closing in as the enormity of the situation sank into her bones. But the man by the door moved quickly, a wall of muscle and menace, blocking her path with a smirk that was as cold as the concrete outside. She felt trapped, the exit just out of reach, and a surge of fear bubbled up, turning her legs to jelly.
• The dark-haired man near the window straightened, drawing her attention as he moved closer. He was tall, his presence dominating the cramped room, and his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her shiver. His voice, smooth and deep, slipped into the air like a knife. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, amusement flickering in his eyes as though this was all just a game to him. “Your father has a debt to settle. A debt he can’t pay.” His lips curved into a chilling smile. “And I can’t have people who don’t pay their dues.” He paused, the silence thickening, and his voice dropped to a lethal whisper. “People like that… need to be eliminated.”
• The word hit Sera like a punch to the chest, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. She could barely process it, the realization slicing through her that this man—this stranger who oozed power and cruelty—was here to kill her father. Her mouth went dry, and her vision blurred around the edges. Beside her, her father let out a small, broken whimper, a sound that would have surprised her if she weren’t so terrified herself.
• Her mind raced, desperate for something, anything, that might change the course of this nightmare. “Wait!” she blurted out, stepping forward before she had time to think. Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. “Please, don’t… don’t hurt him. I’ll pay whatever he owes. I’ll… I’ll make it right. Just… please, don’t…”
• The man’s interest sharpened, his head tilting as he studied her. His cold amusement faded, replaced by a glint of curiosity. “Oh, really?” he murmured, as though entertained by her sudden burst of bravery. He arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms in a way that made his tailored suit stretch across his broad shoulders, the smooth fabric whispering of wealth and a life of calculated danger. “And tell me, sweetheart—do you have two hundred thousand dollars lying around? Can you pay that back in less than a week?”
• Sera’s heart sank, the weight of the number crashing over her like a tidal wave. She felt the blood drain from her face, and her voice faltered. Two hundred thousand dollars. Her mind reeled. She could barely afford to keep the lights on and feed herself with what she scraped together. Two hundred thousand dollars was an impossible sum—a mountain she couldn’t even dream of climbing. And he wanted it in a week.
• “I… I don’t…” She swallowed, her words dissolving into helplessness. “I can’t…” But she couldn’t let this be the end. Her gaze dropped, her mind grasping at straws as she struggled to find something—anything—that could buy her a sliver of time. Desperation tightened her chest, and before she knew it, she was on her knees, her hands clasped together in a silent plea.
• “Please,” she whispered, feeling her entire body tremble as she looked up at him. “Please… have mercy. I’ll… I’ll find a way. I’ll find some way to pay it back. Just… don’t hurt him. Please…” The humiliation stung like a brand, but she forced herself to stay there, her pride slipping away as she clung to her last, fragile hope.
• The man watched her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took her in, studying every detail of her face with a scrutiny that felt almost invasive. His gaze lingered on the tear tracks staining her cheeks, her bitten lips, her shaking hands. His expression was unreadable, a mix of interest and something darker, something she couldn’t name. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, and the air grew heavy as his gaze bored into her.
• Finally, he nodded, almost imperceptibly, and turned his attention to the muscular man holding her father. “Boulder, let him go.”
• The man—Boulder, as he was apparently called—released her father, who collapsed to the floor with a choked groan. He remained there, a pitiful heap on the ground, barely able to meet Sera’s eyes as he clutched his side. The dark-haired man didn’t look at him, his eyes still on Sera with that same eerie, consuming gaze.
• “I’ll let you off tonight,” he said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. “But make no mistake.” His tone sharpened, a blade wrapped in silk. “I’ll be back. And when I return…” He leaned forward, the corners of his mouth twitching into a cruel smile. “You’d better be ready to pay. Whatever I ask for.”
• Without another word, he straightened and turned, his hand sliding into his pocket with an air of dismissal, as if she were little more than a curiosity. He strode toward the door, Boulder and the other man following him in lockstep. The front door shut behind them with a loud, final click, the sound reverberating through the apartment like a gunshot.
• Sera stayed where she was, her knees pressing into the gritty floor, her entire body numb with shock. She stared at the door, her mind blank, struggling to piece together what had just happened. Her father’s sniffles broke through the silence, and she glanced over, watching as he dragged himself up, his face pale and his eyes downcast. He muttered something under his breath, a slurred, incomprehensible jumble of words, then pushed himself to his feet with a weak, trembling groan.
• Without so much as a glance in her direction, he stumbled out of the room, leaving her alone in the wreckage of the moment. A second later, she heard the familiar clink of beer bottles in the kitchen, followed by the hiss of a can opening. The anger simmered beneath her fear, growing hotter with each passing second. After everything that had happened, after the blood and the threats and the horror, he was back to the same tired routine. He hadn’t changed. He wouldn’t change.
• Swallowing the bitterness that rose like bile in her throat, Sera forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling beneath her. She took a shaky breath, her chest tight as she leaned against the wall for support. A strange numbness settled over her as she walked into the living room, her eyes drawn to the sight of her father, sprawled across the stained couch, a fresh can of beer in hand. His gaze was glued to the television, the flickering blue light casting shadows across his face, as if nothing at all had happened.
• The sight was almost too much to bear. She wanted to scream, to shake him, to demand why he had done this to her—why he’d dragged her into this mess, putting her life, her safety, her very future on the line. But she knew it would be pointless. Her father wasn’t here, not really; he was lost, buried beneath his vices and his addictions, and there was no way to reach him.