"No need for that," said Hope with aplomb. "Knowing him, we both know calling for more people won't work anyway.

Sydney couldn't agree more. Tom Blackford and his gang had ties to prominent figures in Oakwood, including nobles. Nobody dared challenge their authority because they were obscenely wealthy and powerful.

"Then what should I do?" Her friend uttered, worried.

"There's no other way but to meet him in full flesh."

"Are you sure about this? I mean can you really? You do know life has many options, right?"

"Cut the crap, Sydney. I need to do this and clear the air once and for all."

Hope paced through the way and slammed the door open. She was too adamant to carry on with the deed because of the incident that happened last week. The stigma and trauma of his power tripping still lingered in her mind. She could vividly remember how he viciously attacked her. Tom dragged and pressed her against the couch and tried to peel her dress off of her body. Luckily, her reflexes were fast, she quickly grabbed a bottle of wine and whacked his head with an intense hit. Of course, he was incensed but the hell she cared. She was harassed mercilessly!

After that, everyone fell silent as she drew their attention to her. Without wasting another minute, Hope rashly rummaged through the bar cart, grabbed out one pricey bottle, and slammed it directly against the douchebag's head. Yes, for the second time. Her chest heaved up and down while she looked down on him. Tom was knocked out and unconscious on the tiled floor. Tom Blackford's hooligans went uproar, throwing daggers at them.

Then someone from his gang screeched. "What are you doing? Call an ambulance! We need to take him to the hospital, fuckers!"

"What?! Are you nuts?" Sydney yanked her arms, pulling her into a secluded corner. "Why did you do that?!"

"I had no other choice. He deserved it, anyway."

While others were busy comforting their stupid boss, Sydney took that chance and willfully dragged her disoriented friend out. They left the bar and took a cab for a ride home. The following days were blurry, which Hope found quite unusual. It was as if nothing happened because none of Tom Blackford's minions went after her. Call her paranoid, but she felt like the deities were telling her to stay calm before the storm hit.

She shooed the negative thoughts rounding up in her head and relaxed for the rest of the day. But not until she received a call from her workplace. Mr. Cage, her boss, learned about what happened to result in her getting fired.

What's worse, two days later, she received a call of dismissal from the school. This was the thing she scared the most. The school administrator even asked her sympathetically if she offended someone, some powerful ones.

The world crumbled on her feet; she felt helpless. She lost her job, was kicked out of school, and had nowhere to go. At that point, Hope buzzed in her thoughts for a considerable amount of time, leaving her feeling quite depleted overall. As she knocked some sense into her head, an idea popped out. This was the only way to solve this. She knew they would not let her go so easily and this was the consequence she got.

She rushed to her workplace to seek help, asking for Tom's digits. It didn't take long before she finally phoned the latter. After three rings, she heard him speak from the other line.

"Who's this?"

"Hello, Mr. Blackford. This is Hope Lancaster and I want to have a word with you." She pleaded in a soft, almost inaudible voice.

Tom scowled sarcastically while biting into his cigar and fiddling with a lighter in his hand. The prey was in his hands again. Effortless. Hope could imagine his lips pulled taut into a nasty grin.

"What the fuck did you say? I can't hear you, brush." More sarcasm.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," she lamented, gripping the phone tightly. "I want to apologize to you in person. Are you free tonight?"

Tom didn't respond. Nothing but a long stretch of dead air though she knew he was still there. Frustration coiled into her gut; she squeezed her eyes shut. Empty and numb. That's what she felt as she stared at the blinking lights hung around the ceiling of Sybarite. She wanted to cry her heart out but even her tears won't fall. She couldn't help but wallow in her misery. She held tighter to the gadget and was about to drop the call when she heard him snicker.

"Sybarite, room 208. I want you there at 8 o'clock sharp next Tuesday night. No tagging along of dumb friends. Are we clear on that?"

"Noted. I'll be there on my own."

"You should be. Bye, harlot!"

His voice echoed in at the back of her head as if the bastard was actually there. Eventually, she busied herself thinking of what could've been. Tom chose that same place for a meet up which only proved how bad his intentions were.

Anxiety started to creep into her system. She was not a hypocrite; she was worried sick down to the roots of her hair. However, it was nothing compared to being dismissed from the school. He must have checked her background, so he immediately struck her weak points. Minutes passed before Sydney followed her there. In a snap, she told her everything.

"How about we try another tactic? I know there are a lot of ways to fix this issue."

She had already thought about what Sydney's out-of-this-world ideas were, that's why she had to purposely decline her suggestions.

"I think you should head first to Mr. Cage and explain the situation to him. Then I'll call you later for the updates."

"Shut up! I'm coming with you." Sydney insisted but she refused.

"No, you can't. He made it clear. I have to be with anyone but myself."

More importantly, she wouldn't want her best friend to be involved in her stupidity. She had to protect Sydney and their friendship at all costs. That's what all she got after all. No matter how hard Sydney persuaded her, there was nothing she could do.

"Fine. Go all you want but promise me one thing. You have to come back to me in one piece." She gently held her hand and folded it in hers. "You have to call me; update me from time to time. If it doesn't work, I will go to the police. I don't believe that the police really can't control him!"

"Yeah, of course. I promise."

Sydney left after an hour. Came Tuesday night and Hope was at the height of disturbance. She bravely headed on to the site and took a deep breath before buzzing the doorbell. But then she noticed the slight opening in the door. What? Were they testing her? This bunch of assholes was getting on her nerves.

"Come in." Someone from back there prompted.

With trembling hands, she pushed the door open and was greeted by a dozen people inside. More likely half of his men were there; the filthy rich squad of the second generation who were also present last time. Once completely inside, they taunted her, booed, and cat-called like a shit.

"Look who's here! The girl with a brave heart who smashed you in the head and the very reason why we rushed you into the hospital!"

It was then she saw Tom Blackford sitting in the dark corner. He was like a king ready to punish the slave. Their eyes met but it was too dark to read his expression.

She had to deal with her actions; to own her mistake. She was there to the point of no return.

Hope stood at the doorway, unmoving. She just stared at the devil. The room was filled with a vile stench coming from the smoke and something she couldn't name. Tom urged her to come forward, which she did apathetically.

"I want to ask for your forgiveness. I'm sorry for hurting you and causing your gang trouble." She sincerely stated.

"I don't need your apology," he bit out. "Take off your clothes and move here on your knees. ."

Hope felt suffocated as soon as she heard his gibberish words. She's not a goddamn prostitute. For a moment, Hope was apprehensive, but she had to make amends. She'd better behave and negotiate with this piece of shit.

"I can't strip in front of you. How much more in front of all these people? But maybe I can serve you in another way. Please, forgive me."

Again, Tom pursed his mouth. However, one of his pesky members started to mock her.

"You hit our leader, and now you're acting cowardly? You only have two options to get out of this place and get that stupid forgiveness. Climb over, or you play a game with us. We will let you free if you have the guts to accept the challenge."

"What game? What do you mean?" Hope asked.

The only answer she got was a joyous scream from the crowd, indicating that they were aware of the game the guy was referring to. She could only hiss profanities at the back of her mind.

"This dumb would be the Apple carrier?!"

"No fucking way!"

"Set her in! This is going to be fun!" Another one from the crowd commented.

"I'm not putting my bet into that wench!"

"No. She's not worth it, anyway!"

"Yes, she is!" Tom stood up and grunted with great enthusiasm. "Bring that woman to me."

"Take your hands off of me! I can walk on my own." Hope shrieked. She was trying so hard to sound brave.

"Now, you must deal with the consequences of your actions." He laughed like a devil. She wanted to throw up in his face. "I have three tries. When I hit the apple, then you're free. If I don't, you sure know what would happen next." He continued.

The next thing she knew, she was already bound into a frame firmly attached to the wall. She felt like she was in a circus with an apple placed on her head. It was an absurd game on all levels! Hope gave her all to feign nervousness by acting cool in front of everybody. She was left with nothing but to fake it 'til she made it. She would not burst out crying in there and give them satisfaction.

'Fuck these creatures to hell!' She ought to herself as Tom threw the first dagger toward her. The blade almost hit her cheek, and her hair cascaded against her shoulders.

"That was close!" Tom squealed.

"Do it again! Do it again!"

"What? Do you want me to give her a cut?"

"Sure. That's better, boss!"

Tom pulled another piece and positioned himself to aim at the target. And when he released the blade, she did her best not to shut her eyes. She had to stay still and keep her acting natural, though, in reality, her insides were shaking in fear. Hope groaned inwardly just as the dagger went past her neck, scraping that sensitive part. She winced as she felt the searing pain again. Her eyes burned with tears, making her sight blurry. Yet, she still tried to contain herself.

"Please, stop this," Hope said, almost in a whisper.

"The little lamb is crying. That's what you get for aggravating me and entering the wolf's den." Tom burst into an evil laugh again. He was too adamant about punishing her.

To make the game more engaging, he initiated an insane suggestion. With that, he put on a blindfold before shooting another dagger. The motive was to scare the hell of her.

He was the game master and could play it even with closed eyes. It was the final blow, and the apple hit square, breaking into parts. Whereas Hope stayed still, the crowd roared in a boisterous chant.

The atmosphere became suffocating for Hope. People gathered around her like moths to the fire, took their mobile phones, and started to film her. She became a freaking show. The center of attraction. The entertainment.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Stan was with a group of friends in one of the VIP rooms on the third floor. He was fiddling with the cigarette between his fingers, and his expression was stoic. Stan was notorious for hiding his emotions, leaving him a mysterious impression.

"I heard you are going to the nightclub for the Williams Group?" Ashton Maxwell queried, grinning.

His voice was low yet controlled. "It's not certain yet."

"I can see that you're staying. What? Do you need to accomplish something here?"

Stan remained silent. He tapped the cigarette butt with his fingers, giving him a hard, serious look. Ashton was about to say something when they heard a loud thud followed by a scream. The guy was alarmed, but Stan kept his posture. He was so cool. He could freeze anything alive.

"What the hell was that? Is there an initiation happening somewhere?" Ashton kept on blabbering.

He then motioned for his bodyguard to check what was going on outside. Shortly, the bodyguard reentered and told them everything. With him was a phone.

"Look at what this jackass was doing to this girl. But why the hell engaged herself in this kind of game?"

"Give me that!" Ashton grabbed the phone and watched the video intently.

A gorgeous, youthful girl was standing behind a platform with an apple in her head as the target to be shot. And then his eyes shifted to the blindfolded man preparing to shoot arrows.

Shaking his head, Ashton cussed as he played it again. "Who the fuck organize this dangerous game?! They could kill this gorgeous lady in no time! Such beautiful DNA to lose."

"What happened?" The unbothered Stan dared to ask but didn't take a step forward.

Ashton handed him the phone. "Here. See for yourself."

Stan reached for the gadget and frowned once he saw the girl on the screen. He recognized that this was Hope Lancaster. The nerve of this girl to lie to him. She told him that she was here to attend a classmate's birthday party.

More so, he never knew someone not important would bother him—so much that it hurts.

Stan's lips pursed into a thin line. He was walking down memory lane as he recalled their conversation the last time they met. He was mad; he felt betrayed. Sure, he had no right to feel that way and should not be concerned about Hope. But he was undoubtedly worried about the young lady. With no preamble, he picked up his jacket and stood up.

"I'm going now," he said. He strode through the double brass doors in quick, long agitated strides.

"Where to?" Ashton curiously asked. "We're just getting started. Come on, don't spoil the mood."

Rolling his knuckles into balls, he answered, "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. There is something I need to work on with."

"Is that so? Okay, go fuck yourself somewhere. I'm gonna swim in these liquors until the moon falls and the sun rises."

Stan shot Ashton with a glare and left him in a flash. He dialed Hope's number and immediately hit the call button.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of Sybarite, Hope rested her back against the cold wall. She was damn exhausted from that stupid game of Tom. Pulling a deep breath, she closed her eyes, soothing and pacifying herself. Her phone kept ringing since earlier, but she was beaten to the nth level to even pick it up. Several dings and rings continuously passed before she dazedly answered the call.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Where are you?"

It was as if she woke up from a bad dream and a cold water was splashed into her face.

"Answer me, Hope. Tell me where you are right now?"

She was startled by his authoritative voice.

"I'm staying in one of the VIP rooms."

"Which one?"

"I'm still celebrating my classmate's birthday in the club. What's wrong?" She needed to divert the topic.

Silence enveloped them. All she could hear was a static mumble and his deep breaths brushing through her ears. Then, she heard the sound of a flicking lighter. She thought he was smoking while talking to her.

After a while, Stan spoke again. "I'm asking which room you were in. Tell me, and I'll be there in a few."

Hope contemplated all the possible reasons for his motives. But because she recently encountered the god of death, her head was currently a complete mess, making it difficult for her to even speak, let alone think. For wherever it may lead, she decided to be honest with him.

"I'm here at the entrance hall," she informed him.

"Don't go anywhere and wait for me there. This won't take long."

Stan ended the call and hollered down to the lower ground of the parking area. All the while, she waited for him to arrive. She had no idea why he was acting up like a concerned and protective Uncle at the moment.

Hope dropped her gaze onto the ground and anxiously waited for him to come over. As he was getting nearer, her heart beat rapidly inside her chest. Once she decided to look away, a pair of expensive loafers showed up before her. Although she was in deep apprehension, she managed to tilt her head and met his dark, luminous and seductive eyes. He was towering over her with his six flat height.

"I told you to ask for my help whenever you need to, didn't I?"

"Of course, I remember what you said. It's just that I don't want to disturb you with all my troubles."

Hope looked away and fixated her gaze on his footwear. She was sure her face was as bland and pale as vinegar now. She busied herself by screening his well-designed trousers. The fabric was hugging his legs. It was perfectly ironed without an ounce of wrinkles, but even this made her stressed. Stan could only breathe out a frazzled sigh. Then he walked to his car only to realize that the pesky girl didn't follow him.

"Are you gonna stand there all night? Come here, Hope. Ride with me."

Hope averted her attention to him, but she was too shy to obey. "It's alright. I can go home on my own. Actually, I'm waiting for my friend to come over."

Stan gritted his teeth. Why was the little imp kept on resisting him? In the end, he collected her from where she stood and purposefully dragged her to his body.

"Get in the car, Hope. Don't make me repeat myself."

She stood there for a while before she got into the car. Hope kept a distance, at least an inch between them. She didn't want to make small talk, so she decided to ignore him. Instead, she busied herself looking at the city lights twinkling along the road. To be honest, she would want to crash the window glass and jump out of there.

Good thing Stan didn't interrogate her and just focused on driving. Out of nowhere, she felt the twinge of pain on her wounded neck. She was sweating profusely throughout the way.

She was disoriented as the pain heightened in full blast. Her eyes went heavy. She wanted to recline the chair and sleep. Her whole body was aching from where it shook. If not for Stan's presence, she would probably lose consciousness on the spot. She shook her head and stifled a sob. But then hot tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.

This time, she couldn't hold back her tears, and they fell against her lap one by one. She was trembling in pain and fatigue. Soon, she lost it. She fell into the darkness and dozed off.