Buk!
Buk!
Buk!
My eyes sparkled with excitement as I watched the green-eyed man repeatedly punch a helpless man who lay on the ground, his face covered in blood and severe bruises.
"I swear, I'll settle everything as soon as possible, bro..." The beaten man dropped to his knees, clutching the green-eyed man's legs in desperation.
The green-eyed man remained expressionless. He motioned toward one of the muscular men standing nearby.
I managed to catch what he said.
"Beat him to a pulp, but make sure he doesn't die. If he can't pay his debt, we can use his little sister as collateral."
The muscular man nodded.
"Ahh, please, Chan... I swear I'll pay, but don't you dare touch my sister!" The battered man begged, hugging Chan's legs.
Chan responded by stomping on his hand.
Crack!
I flinched at the sound of breaking bones.
"Take him to the torture room."
The muscular man nodded before roughly dragging the man away.
"Arghhh!!"
That was the last thing I heard before I felt a tap on my shoulder from behind.
"You saw that, didn't you? Are you still willing to take the risk of joining this gang?"
Rayqal's face was serious as he looked at me.
I let out a cold laugh.
"For your information, I've done much worse than that. For someone as ruthless and merciless as me or Chan, this is just child's play."
Rayqal nodded slowly, absorbing my words.
"Ahem, come on then. Didn't you say you wanted to meet Chan?"
Alvin grabbed my hand, pulling me along, while Rayqal followed behind, shooting daggers at him.
We entered an extravagant room. Seated in a lavish chair was a figure, his presence radiating power.
"Uhh… Chan, Ray and Alvin want to see you."
The man named Chan turned and smirked.
My eyes widened in shock as I looked at the man standing before me.
"Ahem, Farah. This is Chan, our boss. The strongest and most powerful person here."
Alvin's words sent another jolt through me.
Impossible! Isn't this Amir? The same guy I just beat up earlier?!
I blinked repeatedly, trying to process what I was seeing.
Grabbing Rayqal's hand, I pulled him outside.
"Please excuse us for a few minutes."
Alvin and Chan nodded.
"Hey, are you insane? That guy is Amir! How the hell is that lunatic here?!"
I hissed in frustration.
Rayqal rubbed the back of his head.
"You're mistaken, Farah. His name is Chan, not Amir—the guy who came to your house that day."
My confusion only deepened.
"Then why does he look exactly like Amir?! Are you blind?! Their faces are identical!"
Rayqal chuckled.
"Sigh… Yeah, I know. But for your information, before I even met you or Amir… I already knew Chan. So, in conclusion, maybe it's just a case of two people looking alike. Can you stop thinking so negatively?"
I scowled, unsatisfied.
There's no way that's just a coincidence!
But maybe Rayqal was right. Maybe it was just an uncanny resemblance.
"Fine, let's go back inside. I'm good now."
I tugged at Rayqal's shirt, leading the way back in.
"What took you so long?"
Alvin's tone was laced with sarcasm.
"It's nothing."
I shifted my gaze toward the silent man before me.
"Ahem, so why did you want to see me?"
Chan's eyes darkened as he smirked.
"And who is this pretty girl? A new plaything?"
His words made my blood boil.
"Errm, no, Chan. This is my girl, Farah Aida. Or just Ara."
Chan gave a small nod.
"So, what brings you here, girl? Are you volunteering to be a plaything? Or are you looking to borrow money?"
I shook my head, casually fixing my hair.
"Well, Chan, she came here because she wants to—"
Slap!
Chan abruptly smacked Rayqal's shoulder.
"I'm not asking you. I'm asking this pretty girl."
Chan poured a glass of amber-colored liquid and handed it to me.
I accepted it cautiously.
"Now, you and Alvin can leave. I want to have a one-on-one conversation with her."
Chan's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Rayqal and Alvin quickly scrambled out of the room, but before leaving, Rayqal discreetly signaled for me to be careful.
Bang!
Chan locked the door before settling back into his luxurious chair.
"Sit."
I took a seat, but he dragged the chair aside.
"Not on the chair—on me."
I clenched my fists, tempted to punch Chan in the face. Just like any other sleazy man!
Reluctantly, and with great disgust, I sat on his lap.
"So, tell me. Why are you here?"
I adjusted my position.
"I want to join your gang, but Ray said I had to meet you first since you're the boss here."
Chan burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the table.
"Oh, I see. So tell me, what can you do for this gang, hmm?"
I smirked coldly and stood up.
"I can kill, I can fight, I'm good at cheating, and I can destroy anyone I want."
Chan clapped his hands.
"Interesting, baby. So show me."
I grabbed a glass from the table and threw it onto the floor.
Picking up a sharp glass shard, I tightened my grip around it.
I lunged at him, but he remained still.
"Show me your skills. I won't fight back or interfere."
I nodded, grinning widely.
Chan signaled to one of his men to attack me.
I readied myself, the sharp glass in hand.
"Try to kill her."
His subordinate nodded.
I dashed toward the man, aiming to stab his stomach, but he dodged in time.
Buk!
I punched his cheek, and he retaliated by kicking my leg to make me fall. But I was faster—I evaded and struck his chest.
Zap!
The man collapsed onto the floor. Blood poured out, fueling my instincts, but I held myself back.
"Good, darling. You're really a smart girl."
Chan clapped while gripping my shoulder.
"Alright, I'm accepting you into my gang. Congratulations!"
He hugged me roughly.
Forcing myself, I returned the hug.
"Oh yeah, I'm Emir Louis Chan. But yeah, also known as Chan."
I froze.
His name was almost the same as Amir's!
Could my suspicions be right, or was this just a coincidence?
I stared into his green eyes, searching for similarities between him and Amir.
"Why are you looking into my eyes so deeply? Are you trying to seduce me now, dear?"
I slowly shook my head.
"Nothing. Your eyes are beautiful." I forced a smile.
"I know. These eyes are my most valuable asset."
He winked before sitting back in his chair.
"Same face, but a different guy."
I shook my head slowly.
---
I gritted my teeth, trying to contain my irritation as Rayqal insisted that I meet his sister, Reena.
"Why the hell do I have to meet your delusional sister?" I snapped in frustration.
Flick!
He flicked my forehead with a wide grin.
"Excuse me, but my sister became delusional because you gave her fake hope, fake love!" Rayqal shot back.
I glared at him.
"Hey, it's not my fault your sister is stupid. I never begged her to fall for me. It's her own damn problem that she can't tell the difference between a real man and a woman. Even you figured out I was a girl the moment you met me! So did Amir!"
I stared at him sharply.
He chuckled.
"What's so funny?" I shot him a deadly look.
"So, there was never any fake love or fake hope to begin with."
I shoved him backward.
"Hey, what are you guys arguing about? I've been hearing 'fake love' and 'fake hope' for a while now… Are you two breaking up? If so, can I take my shot with Farah?"
Rayqal shot Alvin a death glare while making a throat-slitting gesture.
"Keep dreaming. Farah and I are fine. No one's breaking up."
I crossed my arms, unwilling to get involved.
"Get lost already. Stop interrupting my date with Farah!"
Alvin pouted.
"Yeah, date, sure. All I hear is 'fake love' and 'fake hope'!"
He walked away, but not before sticking his tongue out at Rayqal, whose patience was already wearing thin.
"I'm so sorry but this is fake love!
Fake love!
I'm so sorry but this is fake love...
Fake love!"
Alvin sang mockingly from afar, making a broken-heart gesture toward us.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"Hey, shut up! If your voice was nice, I wouldn't mind, but you sound like a buzzing mosquito!"
I burst into laughter at Rayqal's savage remark.
But Alvin? He just laughed even louder.
"Anyway, back to the topic. I still want you to meet Reena."
Rayqal's tone was firm as he looked at me.
I shook my head quickly.
"No way. Don't you get it? I've already cut ties with all of them!"
Rayqal was momentarily speechless.
"Do you even know what my men told me? Reena is severely depressed. On top of that, she has to take care of my father. Have some sympathy for her."
I scoffed in annoyance.
"Oh, so now you're saying she's stressed because she's taking care of your dad? Then what about you? You're his son too. Isn't that your responsibility as well? Why are you dumping everything on Reena? It's obvious you're just running away from your responsibilities!"
My words came out harsh and direct.
Rayqal sighed heavily, rubbing his face.
"I have my reasons for all this, Farah. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have done it this way, but…"
"I don't care. What I do know is that my answer is still no. I don't want to!"
I snapped at him before storming off, leaving him standing there, dumbfounded.
---
"Huff... Huff!"
Panting heavily, Reena sprinted toward Nara, who looked visibly anxious from a distance.
"Wait, seriously? Amir is missing?"
Nara nodded, still clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath.
"Yeah, you were the last one with him, right?"
Nara dropped onto the sofa.
Reena nodded guiltily.
"Then… you didn't see where he went?"
Nara grabbed Reena's shoulders and shook her.
"N-No… I ran straight home. I didn't see where he went."
Reena's voice was weak.
"You didn't even turn around to check on him?"
Reena shook her head again.
Nara let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'm sorry, Nara… If only I hadn't left him behind… But wait, how do you even know he's missing? It hasn't been 24 hours yet."
Nara took a deep breath before answering.
"I went to his house. His mom said he hasn't been home for three days."
Reena's eyes widened in shock.
"Three days? Then… where was he for the last two days before disappearing?"
Her forehead creased as she tried to piece it all together.
"Ugh, the more I think about it, the more frustrated I get!"
Nara ran her fingers through her already messy hair.
"Just stay calm. His mom already filed a police report. If there's any news, she'll inform me."
Reena massaged her temples.
"Wait, where's your brother?"
Nara peeked around, searching for Rayqal.
"That's another problem. He's missing too. He only left a letter saying don't look for me. Otherwise, I would've reported him missing as well."
Nara nodded in understanding.
---
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
"Good. Now, your turn."
Chan handed me a sleek, golden pistol, its surface gleaming under the light.
"Me?"
Chan grinned and nodded.
"You need to learn how to use a gun because in a few days, I'm giving you a job."
He demonstrated how to hold the gun properly. I followed his lead, impressed.
"Hmm, by the way… where are you staying now?"
His sudden question made me smile sweetly at him.
"Anywhere that works."
I replied vaguely, baiting him.
"Wait… you mean you don't have a place to stay?"
I gave a weak smile and aimed the pistol at the marked target.
"Why didn't you tell me? You can stay with me. Or are you scared of Rayqal?"
He shot me a playful glare.
I chuckled softly and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
"Nice shot!"
His praise made me smirk slightly. I set the gun down on the table.
"Why do you even care about Rayqal? What does he have to do with my life?"
I asked, twirling my fingers along his arm.
"Aren't you his girlfriend, hmmm?"
He teased, pinching my cheek lightly.
"Hmm, to be honest, he means nothing to me. He just assumed I liked him."
I winked at him.
"Wow, naughty girl… So, you're saying there's nothing between you two?"
The bait was working.
I nodded slowly.
"So… can I know who's really in your heart, pretty?"
His fingers played with my hair.
I let out a small laugh.
"Oops, he's right here. Standing with me now."
I shot him a flirtatious look.
"Oh really?"
He smirked devilishly.
"Then, prove it."
I gave him a playful glance.
"Then, I accept your offer to stay with you."
Chan laughed in delight.
"Oh yeah, looks like I just stole your heart now!"
He grinned proudly.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Tonight, come with me. We're going home—to our castle."
He winked at me.
I smiled briefly and nodded in agreement.
Finally, I had gained the trust of the most powerful and influential man with ease!
As I stepped out of the luxurious room, a wave of mixed emotions washed over me.
Was he really not Amir?
However, just as I was about to step toward the door to leave, I felt a firm grip on my arm, pulling me backward.
I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Chan, who was still holding onto my arm with a lopsided smirk.
"Is there something else?"
Instead of answering, Chan tugged me back into the room.
"Yes."
He sat back down in his luxurious chair, crossing one leg over the other as he looked at me.
"What now?"
I folded my arms, standing my ground.
"I want you to treat me."
His fingers casually played with a pen on the table.
"Huh?"
"Serve me, Farah. You don't get it?"
His tone was firm, but the mischievous glint in his eyes never faded.
I quickly shook my head.
"Why should I serve you? I came here to be part of this gang, not to be your plaything or any man's!"
My voice rose slightly in frustration.
Chan burst into laughter, slapping the table, his smirk never leaving his lips.
"Hahahaha, you're really funny, Farah. Do you think I'm that desperate for something like that?"
He leaned forward, his smirk widening.
"The kind of 'treatment' I mean is simple—make me a drink, tidy up my room, massage my shoulders when I ask, and..."
He stood up, circling around me like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Be loyal and never betray me.. "He said with to me whispering. I nodded slowly.
I kept a sweet smile on my face, but inside, I was cursing him endlessly.
Men like him—pretending to be kind, acting all tame—were the ones I despised the most.