CHAPTER 3

“By the way, what happened to you last night? Who was that guy?” I asked, changing our topic.

She let out a deep breath before she drank water from her tumbler.

“I met him at the club, obviously. He was nice at first. He actually saved me from a group of men who tried doing something not so good with me. He literally got into a fight because of me.” She answered.

“Then, why did you run away and why did he look desperate to see you last night? He went crazy destroying the things from the restaurant.”

“Well, like I said, he was nice at first. Not until he tried kissing me and when I fought back, he tried forcing me, so I kicked his balls and ran.”

My face wrinkled. “That was a bad move of you.” I laughed. “Was he the one who gave you that bruise on your lip?”

She shook her head. “Nope. This was from the guy who he had a fight with.”

"Why would you kick him though?! He helped you like a real hero." I said while still laughing.

"He was aggressive. Another reason is, he is a freaking mafia." I finally stopped laughing. I looked her straight in the eyes, looking if she was kidding or not. But, she looked deadly serious. "I saw him earlier that night having a business deal related to guns with our regular customer. My other co-workers knew him and that is how I found out that he is a freaking mafia. People like him are dangerous, you know. They work on the black market and in the underworld. Someone like him is a kind of heartless criminal. I can't risk my life even if this seems pointless and going nowhere. I still love myself." She said before she finished her food.

"There's people like him in this place?" I asked, confused.

"Duh! This is a freaking big city. You can see all kinds of people here. Criminals work like businessmens, you know. They want to expand their business and connections because that means they will have more money to earn."

"Then, why aren't you quitting your job yet? That place is dangerous for you. Police won't probably notice that kind of thing, but how about those people's competitors. What if a bloody war happens between these people thirsty for power and money?" I sounded worried, and I am really worried.

"We have protections. Our boss made sure that we are safe from the dark businesses of our customers. As long as we don't get ourselves involved, we are safe and sound." She replied as if she didn't care if she was going to die or not.

"Whatever you say. Just don't get yourself in trouble and don't cause me a problem. We will be good."

"Of course. I can take care of myself, duh! All we have to think about right now is how we are going to pass our upcoming exams."

I drank my water when I finished eating my food. "It's not what I am thinking right now. I have bigger problems." I could hear sadness in my own voice.

"Is it work related?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It's more like a family problem."

"Oh, let me guess, it's your dumbass mayor uncle again." I slightly nodded my head. She rolled her eyes. "What does he get from pestering your family's lives?" She asked in an irritated tone.

I told her everything about my past. That is why she also hates my uncle and calls him dumb.

"His ego gets satisfied every time he succeeds in ruining my family."

"What does he want from your family now?"

"The house." I simply replied.

Alliyah's brows arched. "Why does he want to have your family's cheap house now? His children had their own houses, they got a huge mansion and a penthouse. That bastard is as heartless as those crazy mafia guys."

"I know right. How I wish his soul gets rotten in h*ll very soon. But, of course, I am not gonna let him have the only thing that was left for us. He already took away everything we had."

"What are you going to do? We can barely buy our own food."

"Well, there's probably other more ways I could look for. And besides, it will take a long process before they can actually take the house from us. I still have time to look for a solution. I am not gonna satisfy them." I said with so much confidence. But the truth is, I don't know what I am going to do. I don't know who I am going to ask for help.

All I know is I won't let them succeed this time.

We watched the sky slowly turn black.

"Is that why you have been looking lost since we got here in school?" Alliyah cutted the silence between us.

"Sort of."

"Sort of? What else are you thinking about?"

"There was an anonymous guy who called me earlier. He knows my name and when I asked him how did he knew it, he said how could he not remember me. It feels like he knows me or something. It's also impossible that he is a stalker 'cause I am not pretty nor rich." I replied.

"Well, then maybe it is someone sent by your dumb uncle again to scare you."

I hope that's exactly what happened. But, Instead of getting scared, my heart was overwhelmed.

My heart tells me that he is not someone close to my uncle. He is more than that.

I suddenly thought of what he said earlier. I looked at the time on my phone. It's already five p.m.

I still have my class until ten in the night. That means I still have time to think whether I am going to meet him or not. But, I am probably going to be late.

Wait, am I actually thinking of meeting him?

Something is wrong with me.