Chapter 1 "Escape"
It was a sunny day.
I stood in front of my father’s grave with swollen eyes. The burial had just ended, and all the mourners left me alone in the lonely graveyard.
While looking at the epitaph on the gravestone where my father’s name was carved, my phone vibrated. I shoved my hand inside my pocket and checked the message I received from an unknown number.
[“You must pay your father’s debt, Miss Agatha Samson. The debt is $2.5 million. Today is the due date. If you don’t pay it by 4 pm, I have no choice but to use force ^^.”]
$2.5 million. Hah!
I just graduated from college and haven’t passed the bar exam yet. My dad was arrested for tax evasion and lost the right to own the company. Then, he died in a car accident, leaving me with $2.5 million in debt!
THERE’S NO WAY I CAN PAY FOR THAT!
“I need to escape.”
I put my cell phone back in my pocket and looked at my father’s grave for the last time.
“I never blamed you, Dad,” I mumbled. “Until the end, I know that you are innocent. However, there’s nowhere for me, so I must go.”
Today is the due date. Probably, the loan shark was waiting for me to come back home. However, I have no plans to go back. Before attending my father’s burial, I had packed my things and secretly placed them in the public locker.
All that is left is to get my things and fly outside the country.
‘A place where no one knows me.’
“Goodbye, Dad,” I said, sobbing. I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath.
‘I need to be strong and survive.’
My heart felt heavy as I turned against my father’s grave and exited the graveyard. I don’t know what will happen to me after this. But first and foremost, I need to escape.
Ting~!
Another message?
I picked up my phone again. The message was from an unknown number that had texted me before.
[“It’s 3:59, baby. You are running out of time.”]
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
‘Who cares? You would not see me anymore!’
As I was about to step North, my phone rang again.
Ting~!
[“You look sassy when you roll your eyes.”]
What?”
Ting~!
[“But you look prettier when you cry.”]
I froze in total paralysis as my eyes and hands trembled while looking at the text. Holding my breath, I looked around.
Every time I turned my head, I felt the pounding inside my veins, pulse, neck, and chest. Not long after, I saw a black car.
Inside the car was a man looking at me through the window. When our gazes met, he raised his hand and waved at me.
‘Sh*t!’
I dashed in the opposite direction and walked into the narrow alleyways.
‘Damn! Damn! Those are the loan sharks! I thought they were waiting in the house, but they have followed me instead!’
It was foolish of me to think that evil men like them would show sympathy during my father’s burial. I was stupid.
“Haa, haaa, haa…” huffing, I looked around the unfamiliar alleys.
The sun was about to set.
‘Can I escape them and arrive at the airport before it’s too late?’
That is only possible if luck is on my side.
“She is here!”
When I heard the voice from afar, I ran to my left. Pushing my arms back and forth, I jumped over small potholes, pumping my legs as fast as they could! But…
“Hello!”
A man with a tattoo on his arm blocked my way. I changed my destination and ran to the West. But another guy was waiting for me at the side.
“Where are you going, little bunny?”
Walking backward, I stumbled to escape and entered another complicated maze.
“Get out of my way!” I shouted to the group of people talking to each other in the middle of the alley.
I saw their eyes widen when I shoved them and passed through them.
“Hey!”
“Look out, b*tch!”
I heard them curse behind my back. Not that I care. On this particular humid day, I don’t f*cking care who’s who and what’s what.
All I want is… to live and survive. I sped past the closed shop and ducked around the corner. Behind me came the crash of the empty boxes and the loud voice of my chaser.
“Oh, Miss Agatha~.”
When I heard that cold, menacing, I felt all my hope crumble. Then, I found myself standing in front of a huge wall.
‘It’s the dead end.’
“For goodness’ sake, stop wasting your energy.”
Turning around, I looked at the man whom I met my gaze before.
My knees trembled.
Tak.
Tak.
Tak.
He stepped closer, and I saw his face, which emitted a murderous aura. He has jet-black hair, pale skin, rounded eyes, and red lips stretched for a sneer.
This man is someone whom others might mistake as a handsome vampire. But as for me, I have time to admire this devil.
For a prey like me, there was no reason to adore a beast that might kill me RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
‘Tak, tak, tak…’
He jolted closer, much closer than his footsteps made my heart pound inside my chest, like a hammer slamming on her ribcage.
‘Am I really going to get caught? Is this really the end for me?’
I saw a metal bat on the side and picked it up.
“D-Don’t come! Stay away!” I threatened and swung the bat left and right, right to left. “If you step closer… I will… ahhh!”
Clang!
It was too fast.
I didn’t know how he snatched the bat from me and threw it on the ground. When I opened my eyes, I could only see his skittish image.
“That’s not cute,” he murmured, wrapping his hand around my neck.
“Urk!”
He pinned me to the wall. I wriggled my hands to escape his grip and waggled my feet. But to no avail; it was futile.
“Uck!” I groaned in pain. “I… I c-can’t br… b-breathe.”
My ears throbbed in great pain, and my throat miffed as if soon, I’d vomit blood.
A feeling of swelling inside my tongue and light-headedness made my sight turn so blurry. Bit by bit, I was losing my strength.
‘This is it. I am going to die.’
"People plead when they need money. But when it is paying time, they tend to flee as if a monster is chasing them. Am I correct?" he whispered before I felt his hand loosen around my neck.
Second next, I fell on the ground while coughing so hard.
“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!”
While I was regaining my strength, he knelt. He touched my chin and lifted my head to meet his gaze.
‘His eyes looked at me as if soon he’d devour my entire being.’
I am scared.
Dad.
I am so scared.
“Were you trying to escape, baby girl?”
I swallowed my tears as I pursed my lips tightly.
“You think I would not know you bought a plane ticket in the underworld? That’s funny. I ruled the underground city.”
Clenching my fists, I looked into his eyes and detached my lips.
“I have no money. I HAVE NO MONEY TO PAY Y… HFF!”
He squeezed my cheek with his large hand and pulled me closer to his face.
His breath, which was brushing my skin, was warm. But my heart felt cold as I looked into his gray eyes.
“I don’t care if you don’t have money. Because I know a way how you can pay me back.”
After he dropped those words, I felt his eyes scanning me from head to toe.
He leaned closer, put his lips on my ear, and whispered.
“Use your body.”