I had just hit the jackpot, winning five million in the lottery. As if struck by sudden generosity, my brother dragged six girls to a Karaoke bar and insisted I foot the bill.

What baffled me even more was how a simple touch of my hand somehow racked up a tab of three million. I froze, my jaw slack in disbelief, realizing I had entered a trap.

When I refused to pay, the six girls wasted no time. They called in reinforcements who tied me up without hesitation, threatening to “deal with me” if I didn’t hand over the money.

But my boiling anger turned into ice when I saw the Karaoke bar’s manager enter the room.

The familiar face sent a chill down my spine. Wasn’t that Margaret Beverly, my sister Brenda Miller’s subordinate?

Brenda, my fiercely protective sister, ran her gang with an iron will, allowing no room for foolishness, especially when it concerned me. Years ago, she got injured in a brutal clash with a rival gang. Furious, I didn’t speak to her for a month.

It wasn’t until she broke down, tears streaming down her face and swore she’d leave the underworld behind that I finally forgave her.

But who could have guessed that, years later, her loyal followers would return to their old ways?

And worse, they had the audacity to tie me up!

***

"I think you’ve got a death wish, daring to freeload on Maggie’s turf!"

"Hand over the money, or we’ll start chopping off your fingers!"

The same girls who had been sweet-talking me moments ago were now baring their claws, their threats sharp and merciless. One even pulled out a fruit knife, testing its edge against my little finger.

I jolted in shock, my heart pounding. Was this some kind of shady den?

No wonder they had the audacity to charge three million just for a single touch. This wasn’t a bill, it was daylight robbery.

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I forced my voice to stay calm as I asked, "Where’s my brother? Where did he go?"

If it hadn’t been for my lottery win and James Moore dragging me into this Karaoke bar, I would’ve steered clear of this place. Sure, the girls were stunning, each one as gorgeous as a member of a global group.

But as I mentally calculated the two million left in my account, I realized too late that no amount of beauty was worth this kind of extortion.

Were their hands made of gold? This place was as shady as it got!

When I brought up James, one of the girls sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You can’t even save yourself and you’re worried about someone else?"

"You came in here, ordered six girls like you were some filthy-rich heir and now you’re whining about three million? Stingy much!"

Her words hit like a slap, but before I could respond, she added with a wicked grin, "If you don’t cough up the cash, we’ll send you straight to Mentor Wilson. He’ll make sure you ‘work’ off the three million."

Panic surged through me and I blurted out, "I’m not going anywhere! Don’t you realize this is illegal? Kidnapping and extortion, this is a crime! Let me go right now!"

"What, you think freeloaders like you have the moral high ground? Pathetic. Fine, if you’re too scared for Mentor Wilson, then pay up! Or I’ll just handle you myself!"

Without warning, she grabbed a beer bottle and brought it down on the back of my head.

Pain exploded as the glass shattered and warm blood began to drip down my forehead, staining my vision with red.

Just as she reached for another bottle, I shouted in desperation, "I’ll pay! But I don’t have that much on my card! How about two million now and I’ll call someone to bring the rest?"

It wasn’t a lie. I had won five million in the lottery, but I had donated over two million to help poverty-stricken areas.

After taxes, only two million remained in my account.

Even if they beat me black and blue, I still couldn’t magically produce three million!

Before I could take another breath, a heavily made-up woman dripping in jewelry slapped me across the face.

"Head to toe, you’re decked out in designer brands and now you’re claiming you don’t have money?"

"Don’t think I’m stupid. If you dare pull any stunts or call the police, I’ll make sure you’re ‘dealt with’ immediately!"

"Maggie, why bother arguing with him? Just send him to Mentor Wilson! With his looks and body, a little ‘training’ will make him a gold mine!"

The words sent a chill down my spine. That was when I took a closer look at the woman they called Maggie. Something about her heavily painted face and flashy jewelry struck a chord. Wasn’t she… Margaret?

Margaret, better known as Maggie, had once been one of my sister Brenda’s trusted subordinates.

My sister ran a gang, commanding respect and fear, but when it came to me, she was a relentless control freak.

After we lost our parents, she took on the impossible role of being both my protector and my parent, raising me single-handedly.

When I was fifteen, she made a promise to spend my birthday with me. I had waited eagerly for that day, but instead, she ran off to face down our greatest rival.

I was furious and terrified and I didn’t say a word to her for a month.

Only when she came to me, tears streaming down her face and vowed to leave that dangerous world behind did I find it in my heart to forgive her?

I couldn’t believe it; after all these years, her subordinates were still tangled up in these shady dealings. To make it worse, they had gone as far as tying me up!

If it hadn’t been for her flashy, over-the-top appearance, I might not have even recognized her.

The thought left me both anxious and furious.

"Margaret, have you completely lost it? How dare you tie me up like this!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over.

Before I could say another word, one of the girls stepped forward and kicked me hard.

"Shut your mouth! Do you think you’re worthy to call our Maggie by name?" she snarled, her eyes blazing with contempt.

She raised a whip, poised to strike when Margaret suddenly stopped her. Her gaze locked on me, sharp and suspicious.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

Realizing I hadn’t mistaken her identity, I straightened up, summoning a shred of confidence.

"Because I’m Brenda’s brother!" I declared firmly.

"Let me go now, or if my sister finds out, you won’t get away with this!"

The moment Brenda’s name escaped my lips, Margaret’s demeanor shifted. Her tense posture eased, but her sneer deepened.

"You? Brenda’s brother?" she scoffed. "Do you have a death wish, impersonating someone like that?"

Panic surged through me.

"I’m serious! I’m her real brother, Orson Martin!" I insisted desperately. "I’m not lying!"

Margaret stepped closer, her fingers wrapping tightly around my neck. Her sneer was ice-cold as she said, "Brenda’s surname is different from yours. How does that make you her brother?"

"You must think we’re fools!"

I quickly explained, desperation tightening my throat.

"Brenda is really my sister. We just have different last names, one from our dad and one from our mom! If you don’t believe me, call her yourself!"

Margaret studied me for a moment, suspicion clouding her face. Finally, she pulled out her phone, her fingers hesitating over the screen.

"Arlene Jones, you’ve worked with President Miller the longest. Does she have a brother named Orson?"

A laugh came from the other end of the line.

"Margaret, have you lost your mind? Did some random boy trick you again?" Arlene replied, her tone dripping with amusement.

Margaret hung up abruptly, her expression darkening as she turned back to me. Without warning, she kicked me hard in the knee.

"You shameless liar! How dare you try to fool me? I’ll break your legs!" she snarled, her voice laced with fury.

I winced, the pain shooting through me as the truth suddenly hit me.

Brenda had always claimed to be an orphan to protect her family, even hiding it from her closest subordinates. I hadn’t realized that her secret would one day put me in danger.

Before I could process the thought, a man with a rugged face leaned in close to Margaret, whispering something in her ear.

"Maggie, I think I’ve seen this guy before," he murmured. "I’m pretty sure Brenda posted a photo with him on her private account. They looked close. Could he be her lover?"

The man quickly pulled out his phone, fingers swiping through the screen, desperate to find the photo.

Margaret’s gaze flickered with uncertainty. If the picture came to light, even if they mistook the nature of our relationship, at least she could save herself from the mess.

But just as the man was about to pull up the image, he shook his head in frustration. It had been deleted.

Margaret’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing into cold slits. She pressed a knife against my cheek, her voice dripping with venom.

"If you really are Brenda’s lover, then why did you order a princess?" she spat.

"The one thing I can’t stand is a man who’s as indecisive as you."

With a sneer, she threatened, "Pay up, or I’ll carve your pretty face open! Let’s see how charming you look then!"

Despair washed over me and I collapsed, my voice rising in desperation.

"I really am Brenda’s brother! If you harm me today, she’ll hunt you down and kill you!"

But my words fell flat, not even causing a flicker of doubt in Margaret’s eyes.

I felt a crushing hopelessness settle over me. I never imagined proving my identity would be this impossible.

Just as the blade was about to break through my skin, Margaret’s phone rang its sharp ring cutting through the tension.

With an impatient sigh, she slapped it on speakerphone.

"Maggie, President Miller’s here at the karaoke bar! She says she has something urgent to discuss and is already waiting at the door!"

Margaret’s face lit up with sudden excitement.

"Really? I’ll go greet her right away!"

With a dismissive glance at me, she barked, "Full of lies and nonsense!"

"Get rid of this scumbag. We can’t have President Miller walk in and spoil her mood!"

The only person Margaret ever referred to as "President Miller" was Brenda. Could it really be her?

A lump lodged in my throat, but there was no time for sentimental thoughts.

I had no idea what they intended to do with me, but I knew this was my one shot at freedom.

As the person who had tied me up dragged me toward the door, I seized the moment. In a flash, I slammed my nose into their face, my heart pounding.

The person let out a howl of pain, their grip loosening just enough.

I bolted, my feet pounding the floor as I ran for my life.

But the karaoke bar was dark, the dim lights casting long shadows that blurred my way. I wasn’t familiar with the layout and as I raced forward, my foot caught on a step.

I crashed to the floor with a thud; my body jarred from the fall.

My ankle twisted painfully and my forehead slammed against the stairs, leaving my mind in a haze.

But even in my foggy state, I saw her, Brenda, standing in the shadows, holding a wine glass.

A string of crystals dangled from her wrist, the very same birthday gift I had given her just last year.

I opened my mouth to shout, but before a sound could escape, someone clamped a hand over my mouth, silencing me in an instant.

Brenda glanced in my direction, a flicker of confusion in her eyes, but ultimately, she saw nothing.

The person dragged me back into the shadows and, in one swift motion, struck the back of my head with a brutal force.

"You bastard, how dare you run into me? Let’s see if you don’t regret that later!"

And with that, everything went black.

When I came to, I found myself tied up in a dark, cramped basement, tape sealing my mouth shut.

No one was around. Had they all gone to welcome Brenda?

I steadied my breathing, whispering to myself. As long as Brenda hadn’t left, there was still hope.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I struggled to sit up and inch my way to the corner, hoping to loosen the ropes that bound me.

Just then, I heard low voices drifting from outside the door.

I quietly moved closer, my heart skipping when I recognized James' voice.

A rush of relief flooded through me.

When I had been tied up, James had just stepped away to the bathroom and I'd been worried about him.

But now that I knew he was okay, my chances of escaping seemed much brighter.

However, as I listened to his conversation with the person outside, my hope shattered.

"Sis, did you get the money? Hurry up and give me my share!"

"You still have the nerve to say that? Didn’t you win five million? How come you can’t even come up with three million? Are you trying to scam me?"

"Sis, I swear I didn’t! I went with him to claim the prize. He’s just being stubborn. You’ll have to use stronger tactics!"

"Yeah, and earlier, he pretended to be President Miller’s brother. He’s really asking for it. But... he’s not bad-looking and he reminds me of my first love. It’d be a waste to just get rid of him! Hehe…"

The moment I heard those words, a chill ran down my spine.

For the longest time, I had believed James was completely unaware of what was happening. I had been counting on him noticing my absence and rushing to call the police to save me.

But to my horror, I now realized he was in on it all along.

I had treated him well and trusted him, so why would he betray me like this?

Was it really just for the five million?

I couldn’t bear to listen to their conversation anymore.

Instead, I threw all my energy into rubbing at the rope, desperate to break free. If I escaped, there was no way I’d let him get away with it.

Before long, I had managed to cut through one of the ropes.

A surge of joy rushed through me and I was just about to finish the last one when I heard keys turning in the door.

Panic gripped me. "This is bad!"

I grabbed the broken rope and quickly pulled myself back to my original position.

The door creaked open and in stepped a plump middle-aged woman who promptly yanked the tape from my mouth.