Larisa's eyes shot open, a frightened look on her face as she looked around. She had just woken up from a nightmare, a terrible nightmare!

But as she looked around at the same hotel room it had all taken place in, she realized it was not just a nightmare; it was reality.

Everything happened in real life...her freedom was taken away from her at the expense of her life.

The ropes were gone, but her hands still felt sore, and though the room was empty, the fear in her heart still remained.

The two men standing by the door...

The guns in their hands...

And Julian standing right in front of her with an evil smirk across his lips.

She didn't know when she fell asleep or when he left, but she remembered everything else. Her desperate cries for help, and him telling her that no one would come to her rescue. It was like a horror movie and Julian Maverick was the psycho killer.

Julian Maverick...he wasn't just a thug or a businessman, he was the devil; heartless, a man who knew no mercy. She had begged him to spare her. She told him she wouldn't talk, that she'd delete the photos, but still he just couldn't let her go.

Larisa wiped her eyes when tears rolled down her cheeks, her shaky fingers lifting the thin material sheets off her as she sat up. She was wearing the same red dress she came here in.

Well, at least he had the decency to not touch her, or maybe she just wasn't his type...thank God she wasn't.

At one point, she thought he'd still kill her even after she agreed to his clause, but he had done the opposite, and she couldn't fathom why. She'd watched the movies, criminals never let witnesses go, and the fact that she was still alive was questioning.

It was probably a mistake, and that was why she needed to get away before he became conscious of it.

Larisa shuffled out of the bed and onto her feet. The sun was out, spiralling through the curtains and creating light. Her eyes searched the room for her bag. When she didn't see it, she shuffled through the sheets, ears twitching as something that had been beneath them fell to the floor. A phone...one that wasn't at all hers.

Her shaky hands slowly reached for it, and immediately the screen lit up with a text message.

'Little reporter...Good morning, you look beautiful on camera. I'll send you a location of where you should meet me tonight. Try anything funny and I'll anonymously release the following video.'

Larisa slid her finger across the phone, unlocking it and entering messages. There was indeed a video attached and though she was fearful to open it, she did...her heart slamming with vigour against her chest when she found a video of herself, making another life changing mistake on the same night.

It was a video of her stealing the attendant list from the security when he wasn't looking, and it extended into her rushing around a quiet corner and taking pictures of the names on the list...names that should've remain confidential to the owner as well as the employees of the club.

F*ck. Why was she such an idiot? Why didn't she look for cameras? No wait, she did...in fact, she was looking into the camera and didn't even see it.

F*ck, f*ck and f*ck agai~

Larisa's eyes shot back down to the phone when it started ringing. The fear in her heart was paralyzing, but still she managed to appear calm.

She looked at the caller ID, realizing it was the same as the message sender:

F*ck buddy.

Swiping her finger against the screen, she accepted the call and reluctantly put the phone at her ear. "H-Hello...?"

"Hello little reporter, I see you've finally woken up. Your shoes are beneath the bedside table."

It's funny how she hadn't even realized that she was barefooted. However, what she did recognize immediately was that voice, that same voice that had manipulated her last night, but was he...was he watching her?

Her hands and legs began to shake as she looked around for the camera.

"Don't bother, angel...you won't find it."

His words had her heart racing even faster. Why was he doing this to her? Did he by any chance watch her sleep?

"W-Why?" Her voice was croaky and dry, just above a whisper. "Why are you d-doing this to me?"

"Larisa sweetheart...don't blame me for what you've done to yourself. You invaded my private space first and now when I'm invading yours, you're getting all emotional. You see? This is exactly why I hate reporters."

A streak of tear slid down Larisa's cheek, her hand gripping the phone tighter. She was scared, scared of what he could do to her. "I'm sorry, it will never happen again...I promise. Just l-leave me alone...nobody will ever know about what you did to me...I'll live like a ghost."

"Of course, it won't happen again. By the time I'm done with you, you won't ever point a camera in my direction again." He chuckled, the sound taunting her in the most hurtful way possible. "Now, back to what I initially called you about. Again, I have your life in the palm of my hands, I can bury you where no one will ever find you, or I can let you keep breathing while the entire world watches your life fall apart. I'm that powerful, so I'd suggest you try your best to stay on my decent side."

He paused for a moment, then begun again. "Be a good girl, come when I call and keep that little mouth of yours shut. Everything will be fine for you if you do. I'll send you the address, be there by 7:00pm sharp tonight. I'll punish you even if you're just a minute late."

Larisa swallowed with a nod. She was more scared now than she was before. He was blackmailing her yet again, using her life and that video he had against her. There was no escaping him, was there?

"Answer me, little reporter...a nod alone won't do."

"Yes..." Larisa answered immediately. "I won't be there by 7:00pm, I'll be there as soon as the clocks strikes 6:00."

"Good, good...you're finally getting the drift. Until then, have a good day ahead."

And then the call ended, and Larisa jotted down on the bed, taking in a deep well needed breath. She was utterly hopeless now, she couldn't escape him or that would mean death...

Was this how it felt to be blackmailed?

Just then, another message popped up on the phone screen; the address...

'Harvin hotel

27 Harvin Street.

It's a popular hotel, I'm sure you know it...be on time, angel, tell the receptionist your name, they'll take you to me.'

Larisa walked out of the hotel on her shaky legs, her purse which she had found beneath the sheets tucked under her arm as she walked through the exit. She knew she looked like shit. Her eyes were red, her hair was a mess. The only thing that looked close to good on her was her red, velvety dress, and the wrinkles in the material did not make it perfect.

However, she didn't have time to go home and change. Sure, it wasn't professional to wear the same clothes she wore yesterday in the office today, but it was better than checking in two hours late.

Her boss would get angry, he'd treat her worst than he already did.

Larisa pushed her purse higher beneath her arm as she fanned down a cab, shuffling inside as soon as it stopped. She slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against the window as it drove off.

"Where to, lady?"

She swallowed. "Take me to..."

|`_--_`|

The driver got her to her workplace before she even knew it, and as soon as she paid her fare, she stepped out of the cab and onto the corridors that aligned the building. She sighed as she entered through the entrance, trying her best to remain calm.

She was a mess on the inside, but nobody needed to know that.

Combing her raven hair back, she bowed her head in greeting to her co-workers, and then took a seat at her desk, right before her computer.

"Psst...hey Larisa...Mr. Jackson told me to inform you to meet him in his office as soon as you come."

Larisa turned to Spencer, one of the few nice people she knew here. "I'll go now, thank you."

She shoved her chair back, ignoring the eyes that watched her as she walked towards the boss's office. She knew what was going to happen. He always did this whenever she did anything wrong.

He'd remind her that she wasn't essential to this company, that she had contributed nothing to its success, that she was replaceable. She was used to it, however today she felt like listening to him degrade her would utterly break her into pieces.

She knocked on his office door. "May I come in Mr. Jackson?"

"Yes..."

As soon as the approval came from the inside, she twisted at the doorknob, walking into a place she had never found happiness.

"Miss Bronc..." Even the sound of the door closing on its own behind her frightened Larisa. "Yes, sir?"

"Do you know how angry I was this morning when I came in and didn't see you?"

"Yes sir, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? I wanted coffee Larisa; I wanted a f*cking drink of black coffee so the stress of writing for the whole day wouldn't catch up to me. But when I came in, the person whose only importance is to deliver it to me wasn't here to do it. I wasn't just angry, what I felt was far beyond anger."

Larisa bowed her head. "I'm sorry sir, I won't be late again."

"You don't have to worry about ever being late again. You've never been reliable, Miss Bronc. Your stories were replicas of others, and even if they weren't, they were never big enough to reach a high number of clicks. You're useless and if not for delivering me my morning coffee...I don't believe I need you here." He gestured towards the door with a hand. "Pack your things, you're fired."

"W-What...?" Larisa's heart thumped in her chest, her eyes finally watering. "You can't do this to me, sir! I-I...I'll work harder...I promise I won't be late. I'll even deliver your coffee now...please."

"There's no use in begging. My final decision has already been made. Get out, I've already found a better replacement for you."

He lifted a sheet of paper, showing her the qualifications on a resume he had on his desk. "She's fully educated. She had even gone through college unlike some people, and she's an experienced writer. I've been looking for a spot to put her and it's so convenient that you f*cked up on the right day. Out...!"

Larisa gripped her purse, tears dripping down her chin. "Mr. Jackson...please."

"It's already done, Miss Bronc...good luck on your hopeless journey and I hope you have a great day ahead."

Larisa wiped beneath her eyes as she looked at him pleadingly. That was exactly what Julian told her on the phone today, and those words had her defence and confidence crumbling. She wouldn't win, would she? He had already made up his mind. If she went down on her knees and begged, she'd gain nothing but a deceased pride.

So Larisa walked out of his office, her steps as heavy as her heart as she walked over to her desk. She grabbed a scandal from her drawer and threw everything she had on her desk inside of it. "Larisa...?"

Larisa turned to Spencer, and it was then that she found that everyone was staring at her, making her feel even smaller than she already did. "What happened in there...? You're crying, Larisa."

Larisa wiped her eyes and smiled. "It's nothing...goodbye, Spencer."

With that, she started her second walk of shame for the day. Why was this all happening to her? Why was her life such a mess? And why was she so incapable of fixing it?

First, she was almost killed, then she was blackmailed and now she had lost her only source of income. How would she pay her rent that was overdue now? What was going to happen to her?

That company was the only company that hired her as a writer with only high school qualifications. She wasn't educated enough, so it was almost impossible to get a job anywhere else...

And now...And now...she'd lost it.

Larisa wiped her eyes as she turned down the street. She felt overly embarrassed. If she hadn't already felt lost, then she was utterly lost now, and she didn't know what to do.

But despite that, she knew she needed to find another job and quickly. When she got home, she'd do job hunting and write up some applications.

Life had pulled her down many times before. It wasn't a crime to get back up.

As she tried to feign her strength, Mr. Jackson's phone rang loudly in the office, making the middle-aged man jump in surprise...surprise and fear.

With trembling hands, he reached for the phone, picking it up and putting it at his ear. "Y-Yes sir...?"

"Is it done?"

"Yes, Mr. Maverick. I've fired her, she already left."

"Good...the cash will be transferred to the account number you sent me."

"Yes, thank you, sir."