MasukMy boyfriend, Miles, finally invited me to his family’s Christmas dinner. I passed out on the way there. Half-conscious, I heard him whisper, “Sorry, Eva. Those thugs said you’re just their boss’s type. Too pretty for your own good, babe. Blame that—not me.” “Don’t be scared. If you help me pay off the debt… maybe they’ll let me have you back. I’ll make it up to you. For the rest of your life, I swear.” He wheeled me through the back of a casino. My family’s casino. The boss he was selling me to… was my brother. Ever since our parents died in a crossfire, my brother had taken full responsibility for me. More than a brother, he’d become a father figure—a protector. My stupid boyfriend should be scared—he had no idea how fiercely my brother protected me, or how ruthless he could be to anyone who dared hurt me.
Lihat lebih banyakEva’s POV“It was only after your brother told me,” Miles rushed on, “that Snake made people lose money on purpose, then charged them insane interest. I didn’t know any of that. I swear—”I laughed softly and cut him off. “Stop lying, Miles. I wasn’t completely unconscious in your car. I heard everything.”His face went pale. “You can blame Snake for your debt,” I went on calmly, “but he didn’t drive me to the casino. He didn’t hand me over. You did. You’re not a victim—you’re an accomplice.”Miles broke down. “No… it wasn’t like that…”“And the things you said,” I continued. “About how dating me made you look good and how you never really liked me.”“That was just talk!” he cried. “I love you, Eva. I even planned to take care of you after—after everything. I wanted to marry you.”“Yes, you love me,” I said. “The kind of love that leaves bruises and breaks bones. That’s an interesting definition, don’t you think?”I shook my head. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”“No, I didn’t me
Eva’s POVHe pulled back, eyes a little misty.“I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time,” he said. “Sometimes, being too gentle with others means you lose pieces of yourself.”“I know that now,” I said softly. “But don’t worry. I’m okay.”After that, the conversation drifted to lighter things. Theo brought up what I might want to do once I fully recovered.I could tell he was still nervous I’d return to Boston alone, but I wasn’t ready to let go of my dream either. Being a pianist had always been part of me. It was Papa’s dream too. He was the one who placed my hands on those keys when I was little.“Theo,” I said gently, “I know you’re worried. But I have to go. I can’t give up on this.”“I know,” he said with a small smile. “That’s why I made some calls. There’s a music school in Germany. One of the best.”He paused. “How about there?”I blinked, surprised. I’d thought about going abroad, dreamed of it even—but deep down, I never believed Theo would let me go that far.“When you
Eva’s POVTheo’s gaze didn’t waver. He looked straight into me, after a pause, he turned and handed me a glass of water. “What do you want to do with those scumbags?” he asked. “I haven’t made a final decision yet—I figured you might want a say.”Just hearing their names again—Miles, Snake—made my blood simmer. I glanced down at my bandaged ankle, the bruises blooming across my palm.“Miles owed the casino money?” I asked.Theo nodded. “Yes.”“Just twenty grand…” I gave a bitter little laugh, flexing my aching fingers. “Considering what he did to me, let’s call it a million now.”“Only a million?” Theo raised an eyebrow. “I was thinking more like a hundred.”“Even a million’s generous,” I said, voice dry. “And with the kind of job he has, he won’t be able to pay off even the interest.”I smiled faintly. “Doesn’t our factory in Mexico still need workers? Send him there.”Theo grinned. “He’ll rot in that place. He’ll never pay off a cent.”“As for Mr. Snake…” My smile faded.He hadn’t ju
Eva’s POVSnake knew, whatever waited for him would be worse. So instead of begging Theo, he crawled toward me.Theo caught him by the arm and flung him back. “Don’t you dare come anywhere near my sister.”Snake went deathly pale. He stared at me like he’d seen a ghost. “P–Please, Don… you didn’t tell me that you have a sister. And she’s barely twenty—”Theo kicked him hard in the stomach. “So now I need to explain my family to you?”“No—no, of course not—”Theo turned to me. “What did he do to you, Eva?”“It wasn’t just the whiskey and the slaps—he used a belt on me too.”Theo’s hand fisted in Snake’s collar. “I can’t stand seeing my sister touched—and you beat her?”“Don, I didn’t know!” Snake sobbed. “I was following protocol. I was protecting you—”Theo smiled coldly. He took the belt from his men and asked calmly, “How many times did you hit Eva?”“I—I didn’t count.”“Then we’ll start at one thousand.”The belt cracked down hard. Snake screamed.Theo handed the belt to two burly m
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