Chapter Two

"Or should I say, Soralina Russo?"

The words rang in my head the firing bullets,  while my own breath hitched in my throat.

How does he know that name?

The more I remain silent, the more his smirk grows as he stands up to his full height, stalking towards me.

He knows. He knows who I am. He knows I'm Soralina Russo.

"Go to your room. Lock the door. Don't open unless it's me. Go." I whisper to Theo in Italian, our native language, which we never use unless we need to be secretive and the things that only needs to be shared between the two of us.

Theo knows that this is used only in the most important occasions, because no sooner have I said it, she begins walking backwards while I shield her with my body to keep her from the prying eyes of the men. Once she is nearest to the staircase, Theo breaks into a run, rushing upstairs before I hear the clicking of a door, knowing she is safe inside.

Although she is small, I know she will have a lot of questions, some of which I really don't want to answer.

If these men know my past, it's no good news. But the main question is, who sent them?

"Who are you?" I demand with a glare, my hands in tight fists as I feel my car keys digging into my palms. The man only continuous to smirk, giving me a strong urge to knock it off his ugly head. "Take a guess."

What the fuck?

I sigh in frustration, rolling my eyes until something catches my eye. Something that, like everything else in the room, I haven't seen in five years. And the mere sight of it has chills running down my spine.

The tattoo in one, no- all the men's wrists or neck. The tattoo of a bleeding Dragon.

The Dragon Blood mafia.

Oh no...

"Louise..." I whisper out of reflex, while the man before me grins, like he just won the lottery. "Bingo!"

What does Louise want now? Or more importantly, how did he find me? After five years, when I have finally stopped running, when I finally thought he had forgotten about all this, only for him to come back.

Why? Why now? Is it...for Her? For his...daugh-

Snap out of it Lina! She is not his child!

"I have a clear idea of what you are thinking." The man said, stalking towards me once again. "How did he find me? Where did my plan go wrong? Why did he find me? Do you want me to tell you?"

"Don't bother, you will be lying anyway. That's what you all do. You lie." I deadpan, suddenly getting a surge of adrenaline shooting through my veins as the thought of someone being after my daughter flashes in my head.

No. Never. Over my dead body.

Pretending that none if this effects as me as much as it actually does, I casually walk to the kitchen, dropping my bag and rummaging through the shelves, pretending to look for food while in reality, my main target is the drawer full of knives.

"Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Suho, I'm the consigliere of Louise Choi, the boss."

So he did take over at last. That cunning bastard.

"And I should care why?" I ask, turning around after I finally reach my destination, glaring at Suho who I don't know why thought he should be a gentleman all of a sudden when his fingernails are black with dry blood of his victims.

But it seems like my question has the least effect of him, for he is doing nothing but smiling as he folds his hands behind him, his buff body pushing forward. "Because you, Miss Soralina Russo, are coming with us. And the child."

Suho didn't see it coming.  He didn't see the knife I threw at him in light speed before it stabbed him straight on the shoulder, but like the big oaf he is, he doesn't wince, not even once. Instead, fifteen pairs of gun point at me, the safety going off, but I can't care any less.

How dare he say that about my daughter? Come with them? Who me? My child? For what? To die?

They must think I'm mad.

"You are mad." Suho seethes, pulling out the knife effortlessly.

Yup. I was right.

"Theo will go nowhere. If there's anyone who is going somewhere, it's you bastards. Go back to where you came from, and tell your boss, that he can chew his own toe for all I care. Understood?"

Suho burst out laughing at my threat, which isn't a surprise because he and I both knew how things are looking right now. The consigliere of the deadly Korean mafia with his fifteen armed men and I’m what? Just a random unarmed girl with a five year old in my hands.

Oh, I have knives.

He laughs on and on, like I just said the funniest thing in the world, going so far as to even rub tears from his eyes.

Let me roll my eyes here.

"Oh dear Miss Russo, you sure are funny!"

"Glad to play the clown. Now get out."

"I don't think so."

Suho's voice takes an octave, turning deadly serious from sarcasm as he glares at me, blood dripping from his shoulder wound.

Before I know it, strong arms circle around my armpits, pulling my hands behind my back before a strong punch hits me square in the stomach, knocking the breath out of me.

Black dots appear in my vision, making it unable to see who the puncher is but I know that whoever it is, sure knows how to punch,  because now I feel like to cry. I feel like my insides have turned into porridge.

The only sound I make is a grunt though, and when the black dots finally disappear, I see who the puncher is.

It's Suho of course.

I chuckle to myself, feeling my chest burn for air. "You punch like a girl."

Another burst of pain to my gut, this time knocking me down to my knees as the men holding me drop me down.

Before I can even regain myself, someone grabs a fist full of my hairs, making me look up at him.

Suho glares at me, and yet that sinister smirk is back. "You wouldn't be saying that if I did it to your daughter huh?"

"You little fucktard-"

"Boss will have the girl, whether you like it or not, whether you give her willingly or not. But just for politeness sake, he sent me to ask you. He is going to kill you anyway."

I gulp, which of course doesn't go unnoticed by the giant.

"Now, if you don't want to see your daughter motherless, you might as well make up your mind, and it better be in Bosses favour. Think otherwise, and he will take her after bathing her in your blood. Oh, and I will let everyone in the world know, that Soralina Russo is still alive."

I hate his choice of words. I hate every single thing he is saying. But mostly, I hate how true everything is.

Louise Choi is the biggest sinner after my father that I have met in my life. He has committed every sin humanly capable. Bathing his own daughter in her mother's blood would be like baby shower party to him.

"You have three days." Suho hisses before dropping my head and standing to his full height.

He mutters something to his men in Korean, and soon they are all exiting the house. I try to stand, but the pain is just too much in my stomach.

"Oh and by the way," Suho suddenly says, stopping in the doorway with a sly smile. "We are not the only ones after her. Remember that."

And then, he is gone.

What the fuck was that?

Wincing to myself, I slowly stand up, holding onto the kitchen island for support while I stare at the mess. The bloody knife on the floor with drops of blood trailing all the way to the front door.

Great. Now I have to clean it up.

And then explain to Theo.

But I actually don't have the time for any if that.

Pushing myself towards the staircase, I knock on Theo's door, panting heavily.

"Theodora luv? It's me. It's mommy. Open the door."

Slowly, the door creeks open, and a small little almond eyes peeks at me while I force a smile. When she is sure it is me, she pulls open the door completely, jumping into my arms and making me hiss out in pain.

"Are you okay mommy? I was worried."

"I'm fine luv. It's nothing."

Bile rises in my throat at the thought of losing my precious angel to that monster. No. I can't let her go there. I can't lose her.

I promised.

Pulling her away, I brush her hairs away from her face, cupping her delicate cheeks in my palms as I stare straight into her eyes.

"You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes mommy."

"Good. Now get your coat. We are leaving."

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