ch. 4 | REMEMBER ME

The aroma of citrus with coffee continued to permeate the room.

Darkened gaze fixed at one of the photos on the wall.

A smirk formed on one of the men's faces.

Throwing a dart at the photo, it perfectly landed in the center.

"Hm. Not bad." Dominic hummed as the side of his mouth lifted, his mullet, wolf cut hair perfectly glistening from the moonlight.

The men were at their own casino in their mansion, killing some time.

The room was dim, with only the small casino lights at the corners and the city skyscraper providing light. Their mansion is at least several floors. It's large and modern looking, just enough for their needs.

Each man has their own property, and they would leave the base at least once a week to spend time on their own homes and property. There was no doubt that each of these men was capable of owning such luxurious things, and their wealth could impress anyone.

Just like how the Takahashi brothers are leading Roppongi, in full control.

"Her again? How long will you be staring at that photo?" Lorenzo asked as he sat on the dark red couch, a cigarette in his mouth, resting on the couch as he leaned his head back, he puffed a cigarette and placed his arm on the top of the couch.

"You can't be fazed by a face you've seen before. You'd be more addicted." Dominic said, sipping a glass of wine.

"You sure she won't recognize us?" Lorenzo replied.

"We didn't even tell her our names."

Lorenzo could only sigh at Dominic's reply.

A chuckle could be heard from the other side of the room, where Leo was playing cards with Kanji.

"Ah about cards, how many digits did we get from our last gambling?" Toshiro inquired as he straightened his posture while playing billiards and striking the target with pinpoint accuracy.'

His eyes never leave the target. That's how Toshiro is. Determined. Cunning. Rational.

Anything can be valuable, they say.

"7 digits or so," Leo said, as if it wasn't just some high value. He leaned against the couch as he placed his feet on one of the tables, grabbing a glass of wine as he loosened his necktie around his neck, unbuttoning a few buttons on his shirt.

"Didn't even let me drop my cards." Kanji groaned as he threw the cards at the table, accepting his defeat at the game.

These are the executives of Regio. They comprise of half-Japanese men, as well as some pure-blooded men yet who are fluent in English and several other languages.

A few minutes had passed.

The men are still playing, just passing the time because this is the last week of having free time since the following weeks will be much more busy dealing with business.

Suddenly, the large wooden double door opened.

"Boss said it's time to go." One of the bodyguards said.

"It's time then." The men said eagerly as they exited the casino, each man entering one of their resigned rooms.

One entered a bank-looking one, where it was a room filled with armored weapons, illegal documents, gold bars, and glass pane walls that were bulletproof.

Leo walked inside the room, his eyes glistening from the weapons, and he grabbed his white leather gloves, which he wore effortlessly on his slender fingers.

Shutting and opening them as he raised his hand, he grabbed one of the weapons and skillfully glided his hands at the Glock.

They craved for this day to finally come.

The six men walked down their mansion's large staircase, which had golden pillars and a mix of silver and black, as well as giant glass railings with a shade of white and gold.

Each of the men was dressed in a suit, with a dark expression on their faces and a dark aura that never failed to intimidate anyone.

Going down to the basements of their parking lots, a slew of luxurious lined-up cars were parked in each slot.

"Do you think these weapons are enough?" Dominic asked this as he examined the weapons in the trunk of the car, holding a Glock in his hand and wiping the barrel with a cloth.

He can't help but smirk when he recalls that one time at the nightclub.

"No, thank you." Starting to get irritated at their blunt and cocky feedback from Allura's work, she started to walk away until she heard a gun click that made her body stop.

Allura's eyes widened with horror. She turned around to see Dominic, his head tilted and smirking, staring at her while twirling the gun around his long fingers as if it wasn't a heavy metal weapon, obviously showing her that he had a gun with him.

"Where are you going?" He clicked his tongue as his grin faded, his face turning stoic and furrowed. "Didn't we say to stay here?"

The fear of her, perhaps, was quite addicting to him.

The men entered their vehicles, skillfully driving out of their base.

"That's right, Allura. Keep your moves subtle."

"Allura, wake up."

Mai startled me awake, and I stretched and yawned as I looked around, groggily opening my eyes. I fell asleep during my shift, sleeping on the chairs behind the counter. It was uncomfortable, but I didn't have a choice. My body felt like it was giving up, and my eyes and mind barely kept up.

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep during my shift." I mumbled as Mai only laughed.

"You really need to rest," Mai sighed. "Stop overworking."

"Rest? I don't need it. I need to work, my mother's condition is still the same." I muttered with the slightest energy. My back is aching because of the times I slept on the chairs behind the counters. Also, I had barely been eating, carefully spending my left savings. I just hope I won't come to the point where I'm going to eat the customer's leftovers.

"I need to extend my shift so that I'll earn my salary early," I added.

"The hospital bills are getting higher and higher, Mai."

"Well then, I'll continue my work." I said. My friend could only sigh.

"I won't give up working. I have high dreams. I want to give myself a second chance. Fuck it. I ruined my chance in college." I said. There is no doubt that I'm a determined person who would work hard just to pursue her dreams.

"I have a bright future ahead of me, okay?" I added before walking away and starting my job.

Hours passed and it was almost one in the morning. The moon is shining brightly from above. Dark started to loom in the streets.

Cleaning and wiping off the table, I sighed as I was grabbing the utensils and cleaned the area.

Customers are still there, becoming intoxicated and some are just hanging out.

The last encounter with that group was days ago. Not to mention that I was gradually forgetting them, yet the peculiar sense was causing me to recall them.

My thoughts brought me hastily into cloud nine, dozing off as I was wiping the table. The towel almost slipped from my hand, but luckily I came back to my senses.

Shaking my head, I sighed deeply as I went back to the counter.

Stretching my arms and back, I yawned as I slumped onto the seat. I held my temples as I felt my eyes closing.

I felt exhausted, feeling my body giving up in pain and soreness. "I'm so tired... So fucking tired."

I closed my eyes and dozed off, but loud resonating footsteps that were familiar made my eyes shoot open.

Feeling my chest and heart leap out, I raised my head to peek from the counter, and there, what I saw made me widen my eyes in horror.

The same four men from that day.

Looking at the mullet, wolf cut man, his head turned in my direction, before he could completely spot me, I quickly lowered my head and hid at the corner of the counter. My heart was beating so fast as if I had just seen a ghost.

And there, my manager called my name. My manager came to me, noticing my trembling figure.

"Allura? Is something wrong?" My manager reassured me, but I pushed him back and shushed him.

"Huh?!"

"Allura, I told you, stop taking overtime already. Look what's happening to you, you need rest!" My manager stood up and fixed his stance as he scolded me.

I could only facepalm and curse him at my head.

"Damn, please give me a rest." You muttered.

"I am already!" My manager exclaimed.

"That's not what I mean! Dumbass." I spat as I turned my back to him. My manager couldn't help but chuckle at my reaction, despite the word that I said to him, he just ignored it.

"Well, I'll be going now," he said. "Take a rest after your shift."

But what they didn't know was that, from afar, someone was watching them.

"Allura," another employee called me.

"What?!" I groaned, but I took it back as I covered my mouth. I didn't realize I was already throwing a tantrum.

"I'm so so sorry... what do you need?"

"A group of customers asked for orders." My friend tremblingly said.

"Okay then? Why... don't you take their orders instead?" I raised my brows. "I mean why need to inform me?"

"That's the problem." She whispered as she looked in a certain direction, her forehead sweating as she side-eyed.

"Are you okay—?"

"T-They want the waiter, Allura Marin, to serve them."

"What? I'm not a stripper. Customers are only permitted to take or assign strippers."

"Perhaps they got the name wrong? I'm on the waiter's job list." I continued, perplexed.

"I-I think you know who they are, Allura." My friend pointed in that direction, where the four men were seated.

My eyes widened as my brows furrowed, feeling anxiety and anger mixed in my chest.

"The fuck do they want?" I sighed as I grabbed the tray of orders. "I'm so tired... So fucking tired. Give me a damn rest..." 

Walking to their tables, the table they were at was in the nightclub's corner area, with a curtain covering half of the round table and crimson lights illuminating throughout.

I felt their stares on me as I placed their orders on the table. They were like undressing me with their piercing eyes. You couldn't explain it, but you kept telling yourself to focus on your job.

"Hi, Allura, long time no see." One of them said, named Dominic.

"Thanks for ordering." I walked out of the area after ignoring their greeting. I finally released my long-held breath.

I was surprised that they didn't say anything or stop me, especially that mullet man, and I had no idea what their names were or who they even were.

Going back to the counter, a buzzy ringing sound from the CCTV monitor caught my attention.

Looking at the monitor, a familiar figure was standing there, and my heart thumped as I widened my eyes.

A man with the wolf cut hair is on the elevator, pointing a gun at the two men, then lazily turned his head back to the camera, waving at the camera and wearing a devilish smirk, he then bought a finger to his mouth, doing a shush motion, but the monitor glitched and all you saw was a jittering grey screen.

Before the monitor completely died, he mouthed some words.

"See you."

Immediately turning my head at their table, all four men were gone, the tables were empty, with nothing but the leftover food.

In a panic, I rushed to call the securities—

Bang!

Until I hear loud gunshots.

My eyes widened in horror as I heard the same sound from somewhere.

I can't remember, but I recognized the terrifying sounds in my mind. 

My heart jumped out of my chest as I dropped the tray, the glass and utensils shattered as I kneeled down and covered my ears. My loud screams didn't help, the nightclub was in chaos, people screamed as they desperately ran everywhere, the entire place was a mess, everyone was in distress, and everyone was in a panic.

Opening my eyes, I saw an unconscious body drop in front of me, it only made it even worse. I felt scared and panicked. I can't move my body as I saw lifeless innocent bodies lying on the floor, blood splattered everywhere.

It triggered something in me.

My screams just blended and echoed with the screams of others.

I couldn't move until a hand grabbed my wrist, and I didn't dare to open my eyes for fear of what I would see.

"Everyone retreat! The boss found the target already!" I heard men shouting as heavy footsteps were thumping.

Even if I didn't look at him, I knew he was familiar, his scent, the way his aura felt. He immediately wrapped me in a jacket as he hugged me in his arms and ran through the gunshots out of the place.

"I finally got you." I heard the man whisper, his calming voice yet it was laced with thorns.

An oh so familiar voice. Who is he? 

I knew him, yet everything is so blurry.

Going out the back door, a car stopped just in time. The man shoved me inside. My body was frozen, and I couldn't even let out a single word.

"After all these years..."

I opened my eyes groggily. My eyes screamed fear and panic as I looked at the man who had bought me in the car, the man in front of me.

He was standing outside the car, the doors opened as he looked down at me, laying on the car seat, unable to move my body because I'm fatigued and exhausted.

"I have finally found you."

He moved closer to me, putting a cloth over my mouth to muffle my desperate mewls as I inhaled the drugs.

But before I dozed off from the drugs, my eyes met with him. I never felt more scared and shocked in my life.

The same look he gave you years ago.

"Zacharias...?"