After giving her the medicine as she was done taking them, I laid by her side, my grasp gently holding her like a warm hug. I didn't want to lose her.

I didn't know when I eventually fell asleep. My eyes fluttered open from the rays of the sun as I shook awake.

I slowly stood up, my gaze on my mom, who was still slumbering. The sight seemed to take away the ache in my heart.

A knock caught my attention later, and I slowly approached the door. It was the landlord.

"Good day, Miss Sierra. I can see you've just woken up. I hope I didn't disturb your sleep. It's quite shocking to see you sleeping so peacefully, even though you owe me a lot," he said.

"I know you're here for the money, Mr. Ambrose, but I promise to get it. Please, can you give us some more days?" I pleaded.

"And how many more days will I always give you? I mean, this 'few days' doesn't seem to end in your calendar," he uttered as I watched his steps getting closer as he entered the house, giving a swift glance.

"So many things to fix. I just have to ask, why do you do this to yourself?" he asked.

"What?" I questioned.

"Why don't you just let me... Just be mine, and I will take care of all this. Just be mine for two nights, that's all I ask," he said, his expression changing as his legs grew closer to me, and mine retreated slowly until I gently leaned my back against the wall.

"Why don't we just let this—" he continued, his hand reaching for my face, but I flinched away from his direction.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ambrose. You must be mistaken. I'm not like that. Please..." I said, pushing him away from my side as I stepped away from him.

"You're not like that?" he scoffed. "Come on, you think I don't know what goes on there?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The Moonlight Club? I know what happens there with you," he stated.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Ambrose. Please leave. I'll make sure to get you your money soon," I said, wondering how he knew about me working at that club. Many had seen me coming out of the club, and a lady coming out from such a club is always labeled with the same assumption. Could he have possibly seen me at the club?

"Now, now, don't change things, Miss Sierra. I'm sure your dear mother doesn't know what you do for a living—how many men you've been with..." he said.

"Watch your mouth, Mr. Ambrose!" I uttered, blurting out in a raging flame before lowering my voice, remembering that my mom was just in the other room. The last thing I wanted now was for my mom to find out that I was involved in such activities.

"If it's your money, I can assure you that your money shall be brought to you, so please leave now, Mr. Ambrose," I told him, my voice firm despite my fear.

"Money? Well, if it's all about that, I would've surely kicked you out of the house a long time ago. But I just stood to be impressed. I wanted you, so I decided to let things slide. But if you choose to disagree, things aren't surely going to go as well as you may think. You wanna imagine having no home to stay in with your sick mother, roaming through the street? But nevertheless, I will give you just five days to think about it," he said, lighting up a cigarette and inhaling the smoke as he approached me.

"I hope you choose wisely now, Miss Sierra. You have been with many, so adding me up shouldn't be that much of an issue to you," he said before leaving.

I crumbled to the ground at the mere sight of him. But no matter what, the truth stood glaring at me. No matter how much I denied it, I knew it was true. But yet, I would see to it that I pay him. I can't imagine him and—no. But if I don't end up paying the money...

My mom? I can’t let that happen. Her condition was still critical, so I had to ensure her treatment and all. All I could hope was for her to get better.

And not to think that she was a burden, like she had always thought. Gently managing a step, I stood up, wiping out the little tears I had noticed crumbling down as I gave a sigh and then walked into the bathroom, bathing and washing up.

After getting dressed, I found my mom still asleep. Really, it felt nice to see her so fast asleep. It had been a while since I had seen her like that, so it felt overwhelming.

I wanted her every day to be like that—a day without any worries and many more days in pure health.

Approaching the fridge, I opened it up, my gaze upon the little portion of food left, which I was sure could not last us longer than today. I had to get some groceries now. As I checked my purse, my hope flickered at the moment. The little penny wasn't even enough for me to take a cab.

Where could I possibly be able to get any money today? I could only hope it was possible for me to earn just a small amount today. If I wasn't able to get some groceries today, it wouldn't be good. The last thing I would want was for my mother to be starving, even though she was sick.

Warming up some food, I left them covered for my mom before leaving the house after and walking through the road, bumped by each person passing by. Work days were usually crowded, especially in this area.

But now, knowing that the landlord knew about me working in the Moonlight Club, I had to watch my steps. I wouldn't want another person, who I knew, finding out. Today i was lucky, some other day I might not be, and my mom might find out.

Battling through the crowd, I finally arrived at the club. I gave a swift glance to my left and right before entering.

As always, the smell of burnt cigarettes and alcohol lingered in the air as the grasp of some drunken men came upon my wrist, which I quickly flung off.

"Come with me, sexy. Let's have some fun," one of them slurred.

I paid no attention to them as I walked up the stairs, entering the workroom. I sat down, my gaze on the mirror as I released a breath after another, applying some lipstick.

My ears picked up a knock at the door. "Come in," I uttered, only for my eyes to land on Nate entering.

A reminder of the last time still echoed in my head.

"A new customer has booked you, and they'll be coming soon. I hope you don't disappoint like the last time. This time, you won't be getting out of it that easily if any of the clients ever lay another complaint on you," he sneered, leaving in an instant.

I was lucky to be alive, I would say. The club was owned by one of the most feared mafia lords, and I had tried drugging one of his customers with sleeping pills, aiming to extract some money from him while he was fast asleep. They didn't pay me well here; I was only meant to obey and never turn my eyes away or run off.

I had heard of many who had tried quitting or running away after signing and violating the contract—all of them had gone missing, none to be found.

Nobody knew if it was due to fear or if something had happened to them.

It reminded me of Rose, a girl whom I had met here on my first day. She was always smiling, until one day, after so many years, I watched that smile wear off and turn sober. She had confided in me that she was going to escape from this place and run away. I warned her so much against it, but it was all in vain. After she took action, I hadn't been in contact with her for five months now, which stood to my wonder, for it wasn't like her not to call me up after finding a safe place.

All I could do was hope that she was alright and unharmed.

After giving her the medicine as she was done taking them, I laid by her side, my grasp gently holding her like a warm hug. I didn't want to lose her.

I didn't know when I eventually fell asleep. My eyes fluttered open from the rays of the sun as I shook awake.

I slowly stood up, my gaze on my mom, who was still slumbering. The sight seemed to take away the ache in my heart.

A knock caught my attention later, and I slowly approached the door. It was the landlord.

"Good day, Miss Sierra. I can see you've just woken up. I hope I didn't disturb your sleep. It's quite shocking to see you sleeping so peacefully, even though you owe me a lot," he said.

"I know you're here for the money, Mr. Ambrose, but I promise to get it. Please, can you give us some more days?" I pleaded.

"And how many more days will I always give you? I mean, this 'few days' doesn't seem to end in your calendar," he uttered as I watched his steps getting closer as he entered the house, giving a swift glance.

"So many things to fix. I just have to ask, why do you do this to yourself?" he asked.

"What?" I questioned.

"Why don't you just let me... Just be mine, and I will take care of all this. Just be mine for two nights, that's all I ask," he said, his expression changing as his legs grew closer to me, and mine retreated slowly until I gently leaned my back against the wall.

"Why don't we just let this—" he continued, his hand reaching for my face, but I flinched away from his direction.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ambrose. You must be mistaken. I'm not like that. Please..." I said, pushing him away from my side as I stepped away from him.

"You're not like that?" he scoffed. "Come on, you think I don't know what goes on there?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The Moonlight Club? I know what happens there with you," he stated.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Ambrose. Please leave. I'll make sure to get you your money soon," I said, wondering how he knew about me working at that club. Many had seen me coming out of the club, and a lady coming out from such a club is always labeled with the same assumption. Could he have possibly seen me at the club?

"Now, now, don't change things, Miss Sierra. I'm sure your dear mother doesn't know what you do for a living—how many men you've been with..." he said.

"Watch your mouth, Mr. Ambrose!" I uttered, blurting out in a raging flame before lowering my voice, remembering that my mom was just in the other room. The last thing I wanted now was for my mom to find out that I was involved in such activities.

"If it's your money, I can assure you that your money shall be brought to you, so please leave now, Mr. Ambrose," I told him, my voice firm despite my fear.

"Money? Well, if it's all about that, I would've surely kicked you out of the house a long time ago. But I just stood to be impressed. I wanted you, so I decided to let things slide. But if you choose to disagree, things aren't surely going to go as well as you may think. You wanna imagine having no home to stay in with your sick mother, roaming through the street? But nevertheless, I will give you just five days to think about it," he said, lighting up a cigarette and inhaling the smoke as he approached me.

"I hope you choose wisely now, Miss Sierra. You have been with many, so adding me up shouldn't be that much of an issue to you," he said before leaving.

I crumbled to the ground at the mere sight of him. But no matter what, the truth stood glaring at me. No matter how much I denied it, I knew it was true. But yet, I would see to it that I pay him. I can't imagine him and—no. But if I don't end up paying the money...

My mom? I can’t let that happen. Her condition was still critical, so I had to ensure her treatment and all. All I could hope was for her to get better.

And not to think that she was a burden, like she had always thought. Gently managing a step, I stood up, wiping out the little tears I had noticed crumbling down as I gave a sigh and then walked into the bathroom, bathing and washing up.

After getting dressed, I found my mom still asleep. Really, it felt nice to see her so fast asleep. It had been a while since I had seen her like that, so it felt overwhelming.

I wanted her every day to be like that—a day without any worries and many more days in pure health.

Approaching the fridge, I opened it up, my gaze upon the little portion of food left, which I was sure could not last us longer than today. I had to get some groceries now. As I checked my purse, my hope flickered at the moment. The little penny wasn't even enough for me to take a cab.

Where could I possibly be able to get any money today? I could only hope it was possible for me to earn just a small amount today. If I wasn't able to get some groceries today, it wouldn't be good. The last thing I would want was for my mother to be starving, even though she was sick.

Warming up some food, I left them covered for my mom before leaving the house after and walking through the road, bumped by each person passing by. Work days were usually crowded, especially in this area.

But now, knowing that the landlord knew about me working in the Moonlight Club, I had to watch my steps. I wouldn't want another person, who I knew, finding out. Today i was lucky, some other day I might not be, and my mom might find out.

Battling through the crowd, I finally arrived at the club. I gave a swift glance to my left and right before entering.

As always, the smell of burnt cigarettes and alcohol lingered in the air as the grasp of some drunken men came upon my wrist, which I quickly flung off.

"Come with me, sexy. Let's have some fun," one of them slurred.

I paid no attention to them as I walked up the stairs, entering the workroom. I sat down, my gaze on the mirror as I released a breath after another, applying some lipstick.

My ears picked up a knock at the door. "Come in," I uttered, only for my eyes to land on Nate entering.

A reminder of the last time still echoed in my head.

"A new customer has booked you, and they'll be coming soon. I hope you don't disappoint like the last time. This time, you won't be getting out of it that easily if any of the clients ever lay another complaint on you," he sneered, leaving in an instant.

I was lucky to be alive, I would say. The club was owned by one of the most feared mafia lords, and I had tried drugging one of his customers with sleeping pills, aiming to extract some money from him while he was fast asleep. They didn't pay me well here; I was only meant to obey and never turn my eyes away or run off.

I had heard of many who had tried quitting or running away after signing and violating the contract—all of them had gone missing, none to be found.

Nobody knew if it was due to fear or if something had happened to them.

It reminded me of Rose, a girl whom I had met here on my first day. She was always smiling, until one day, after so many years, I watched that smile wear off and turn sober. She had confided in me that she was going to escape from this place and run away. I warned her so much against it, but it was all in vain. After she took action, I hadn't been in contact with her for five months now, which stood to my wonder, for it wasn't like her not to call me up after finding a safe place.

All I could do was hope that she was alright and unharmed.

The car stopped inches away from me, its tires screeching loudly. I fell backward, hitting my head and hands on the ground. Blood trickled down my forehead.

I tried to sit up, but everything spun around me. "Was this it? Am I going to die here? Mom... I'm sorry," I whispered silently, watching a man step out of the car and approach me. My eyes gave way, and everything went blank.

"

"Get me the doctor," a voice called urgently. "She's bleeding profusely. We have to stop the bleeding now." Other voices followed, accompanied by various sounds.

I had no idea where I was. My eyes could only catch a glimpse of the bright light that gleamed through as they slowly shut again, and everything turned blank once more.

Everything fell silent for a while as all I could see was darkness, which was slowly subsiding to a slight gleam of light. I gently opened my eyes, scanning the area and realizing I was in a hospital. My entire body ached, followed by a shooting pain in my head. The memories of the incident before the accident hit me—the sight of Dominic killing the three students echoed in my mind like a horrible nightmare that I desperately wanted to escape.

The ward door creaked open, and a man walked in. "Hi," he greeted, and I looked up at him. I was struck by his looks. His eyes were an incredible blue, but they seemed cold, too. It was like gazing at a beautiful, frozen lake."

"What happened? Why am I here, and who are you?" I managed to ask.

"Well, you ran straight into my car, and I guess here we are," he uttered with simple words.

I had no idea who he was, but I couldn't deny the situation I was in. However, I couldn't blame him—I was the one running, and I was drunk, so my steps weren't very steady.

I tried to sit up, and his gentle hands came to help me. "Be careful," he whispered.

It felt strange to me, as I hadn't received such care before. Many men who had crossed paths with me had only looked down on me like I was nothing, nothing more than a tool to quench their desires.

"So, do you want to tell me what happened? Who were you running from, or were you trying to commit suicide?" he questioned, his brow furrowed.

"It's nothing," I said, cutting the topic off. "Thank you for saving me and bringing me here to get treatment."

"You shouldn't really be thanking me. I couldn't just leave you there to die," he said, his hand gently touching my wrist, his eyes fixed on mine.

I truly owed him all the thanks. Not everyone would have taken that step. Most would have left the body or buried it, or even run over it again as they drove off.

"I-I need a phone," I whispered.

Mom must have been worried. I didn't come home last night, and the last thing I wanted was for her to be hooked up, thinking about my whereabouts in her current state.

"I need to call someone. Please, I need a phone," I pleaded in another whisper.

I watched his hands reach for his phone in his pocket, bringing it out and handing it to me. I opened it up and dialed my mom's number, calling my house landline, which persisted in ringing on and on, leaving me with no answer.

"They didn't pick up," his voice came through.

"Yeah, I think I'll try again," I replied, dialing the number once more, but there was still no response. Growing worried, I decided to try Mr. Ambrose’s landline instead, hoping he could check on my mom and let her know I was okay.

"I'll be right back," he said, standing up as I watched him leave the room.

My mind remained focused on the call, which persisted for a while before he finally picked it up.

"Good morning, Mr. Ambrose. Please can you--" I began.

"You! So you finally called," he uttered, a burning rage apparent in his tone.

"If this is about the money, Mr. Ambrose, we already discussed this. Please, can you check on my mom? I know it's a lot to ask, but--"

"Money? You can keep your damn money. I don't want you anywhere near the house. I never expected my life to be on the line for your sake," he said, cutting me off.

"Your life? On the line? What do you mean, Mr. Ambrose? I can't leave the house. My mom is sick; just give me a few more days to gather the money."

"Oh, it seems you don't know."

"Know what?"

"Well, while you were having fun last night, some men came in and attacked your mother." His words left a numb ringing in my ears, my face paling as I jolted.

"Attacked my mom?" I stammered through each word.

"What are you saying, Mr. Ambrose? What do you mean my mom got attacked?"

"If you want details, why don't you go check on her at St. Margaret's Hospital? Thankfully, I was let off with some threats and a minor attack; otherwise, I'd be dead by now. I don't want to ever see your face here in my house, Sierra. Don't even think of stepping foot here."

"Please, Mr. Ambrose, is my mom okay? Is she alright? Please tell me what happened, Mr. Ambrose." My pleas were met with an echo of silence as he hung up the call.

I laid the phone down on the bedside table.

"Mom? Why? Who could have done this?" Many questions resonated through each thought, but one thing was clear: I had to check on my mom. I had to see if she was okay. Nothing must happen to her.

My eyes flickered around, blurred by my tears that came crumbling down.

I carefully removed the IV drip and disconnected the blood transfusion line attached to my arm. I tried to steady myself as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, but as soon as I stood, my legs gave out, and I crumpled to the ground.

"I'm coming, Mom. I'm coming. Just wait for me," I said, using the bed as support, trying to get back up. My steps moved in a hazardous manner as I leaned against the wall for support.

Leaving my room ward, I gave a swift glance to the right and left for any nurses passing by. With none in sight, I picked up my pace, walking through the little crowd as I managed a way out of the hospital.

My breath was shaky, and my legs were almost giving way as I struggled through the street, limping with each step.

I couldn't even hail a cab; I had no money for that. How could my life possibly turn so much against me?

Luckily, the St. Margaret's hospital wasn't that far ahead. After a painful walk, I finally arrived at the hospital and approached the receptionist.

"Please, I'm here to see my mom. Where is she, please?" I mumbled, my hands cradling on the receptionist's desk as I leaned for support.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" The nurse's eyes flickered with concern, taking in my disheveled state.

I admit I wasn't healthy yet, but that wasn't my primary concern. The least it could do was leave me unconscious again, but I needed to see my mom and ensure she was okay.

"Please, Nurse, just tell me where my mom is. Her name is Emily Monroe." The nurse's gaze remained on me for a few seconds before refocusing on the screen displayed in front of her, presumably a tablet. Her fingers swiped through each page, scanning each name.

“She’s in Ward C, Room 305," the nurse replied, pointing down the corridor. "Take the elevator to the third floor, turn left, and her room will be the fifth door on the right.” The nurse uttered, prompting me to rush hurriedly toward the elevator. I tapped the third floor button, and the elevator doors slowly closed. I cradled my hands, and it gently lifted me up, arriving at the third floor. I rushed out, my eyes scanning and trying to locate my mom's ward without getting lost.

As my eyes caught sight of my mom's ward, I rushed inside without a second thought.

"Mom, Mom! Where is my mom?" I uttered breathlessly, my voice shaky with each attempt to utter another word.

The nurse's and doctor's eyes fixed on me, and between them, I witnessed a lady whose face had been covered up.

"Emily Monroe, time of death: 9:00 AM. Died through excessive bleeding," I heard the doctor utter.

My legs froze at the distance, my heart beating with each pound. My steps moved slowly, approaching further. The nurse and doctor present left the ward, leaving me alone to echo in my despair.

"Mom? Y-You can't do this to me, Mom. You just can't..." I uttered, my voice barely audible, overcome by my weeping breaths and the tears streaming down my eyes. I found myself crumbling to the ground, my hands gently cradling at the clothes as I slowly removed them, only for my eyes to gaze upon my mom's lifeless body.

How could this be? She couldn't just leave me like this. How could she do this to me? She was my only family left, the only one I had, and the only reason I saw for living.

But now she was gone, just like the rest I had known, and I was left alone in the end.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I wasn't there to protect you. I wasn't there to save you when this happened. I'm sorry, Mom. It's all my fault. Please, Mom, don't go. Please don't leave me here all alone, Mom. Please!" My hands tapped, hoping for her to wake up, hoping for her to just open her eyes.

To feel those warm hugs of hers again.

But I was left glaring at the truth. It felt like my heart had shattered into millions of pieces at the very sight. I couldn't catch any glimpse of understanding.

My eyes downcast, followed by my continuous weeping, persisted for many minutes until they ceased to flood anymore.

Wiping away the tears, my eyes caught sight of something on my mom's palm. As I opened up her clutched hand, my eyes landed on a ring necklace, with a symbol drawn around it. It felt like a shroud of pain hitting me as it all came to my remembrance.

It was the same ring necklace that I had witnessed around Demonic's neck while he ordered those students' deaths. Could this be them?

Could they have possibly found out that the one who witnessed it was me?

So my mom was dead, all because of me.

I had joined the club to save my mom, and in the same club, I had lost my mom.

"This can't be happening!" I yelled.

"It can't, no! Why? Why did this happen? Just why?"