CHAPTER 9: TROUBLE

"Hey, you alright?"

Jude's voice broke through my thoughts as he caught sight of me standing near the club entrance. He was still exhausted, having just walked back from the parking lot after parking a customer's car.

"Why?" I asked, brows furrowed, my hands shoved deep into my pockets.

He scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled. "What's with that face? You look like you're ready to murder someone."

Inside my pockets, my hands curled into tight fists.

Look like it? I actually am going to murder someone today. Dammit!

My glare remained fixed on the massive billboard towering over the front of the entrance—the target of my rage. Featured front and center was that bastard Juan, posing smirkingly to promote his luxury perfume line.

Just looking at him made my blood boil. It felt like he'd dragged my entire dignity through the mud. If he dared cross my path right now, I'd definitely obliterate him.

"Hey, why are you staring at my idol like that?" Jude asked, nodding toward the billboard. He nudged my side with his elbow, a playful smirk spreading across his face. "You're into him, aren't you?"

The corner of my lips tugged upward into a dark grin. "Oh, yeah. I am..."

"Seriously?!"

"I'm dying to kill him," I added through gritted teeth.

Jude smacked my shoulder in alarm. "Whoa! Watch your mouth! If his fan base hears you saying that, they'll tear you apart."

Jude smacked my shoulder in alarm. "Whoa! Watch your mouth! If his fan base hears you saying that, they'll tear you apart."

"Oh, really? So you're gonna do it to me? You're one of his fans, right?" I snapped back sarcastically, unable to mask the annoyance in my voice.

He just laughed off my attitude. "Honestly, if I didn't know you, I probably would've tackled you myself."

I rolled my eyes and looked away. If you only knew what your precious idol did, let's see if you'd still be defending him. You'd probably be the first in line to beat him up.

Leaning his back against the glass wall near the doorway, Jude pulled a cigarette from his pocket. "So, what's actually wrong with you? Why's your blood pressure through the roof today?"

Instead of answering, I scoffed and crossed my arms, maintaining a stiff silence. Just recalling what happened earlier felt like it would make my head explode, and if I started venting now, who knows what nasty things I'd end up saying.

Besides, I hated talking about my personal life—wasting breath on dramatic stories was never my thing.

When no reply came, Jude gave a light chuckle. "Let me guess…" He eyed me up and down. "It's debt-collection day again, and you're short on cash, aren't you?"

I froze. A sudden cold sweat broke out across my palms as a realization struck me. Panicking, I yanked my phone out of my pocket to check the date.

My eyes widened in sheer horror.

Today is the end of the month.

And it looks like this might be the end of my life.

Because today was collector's day, and I was nowhere near having enough cash to cover it.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath, clutching my hair in frustration.

Jude burst out laughing at my dramatic reaction, slapping my shoulder again. "I knew it!"

I shook my head bitterly. With everything that had been piling up over the past few days, I had completely forgotten the core reason I was breaking my back working—not to get rich, but simply to survive my debts.

Meanwhile, Jude couldn't stop snickering. "Good luck with that, Neo!"

Desperate, I closed the distance between us and slapped a heavy hand onto his shoulder. "Bro... please tell me you've got some spare cash. Let me borrow some."

"Bro..." Jude gently pried my fingers off his shoulder, flashing a smile that bordered on pure mockery. "If I had money, do you really think I'd still be grinding at this job?"

Despair washed over me. Unable to keep standing, I collapsed into a squat right there on the pavement, clutching my head in agony.

"Aaargh!" I let out a frustrated growl.

Jude only laughed harder. "Dude, how much do you even owe? Why is this a monthly crisis for you?" he asked, genuine curiosity peeking through his amusement.

He had no idea. He didn't know I owed money to actual loan sharks—and it wasn't a few thousand pesos, but millions.

"It's not like you have a secret family or anything, right?" he probed.

I threw him a sharp glare, but he just shrugged.

"What? I'm just asking! For all I know, you've probably got a dying kid somewhere and you're buried under hospital bills."

I winced at his absurdly dramatic theory. "Are you losing your mind? Stop watching those garbage AI reels," I snapped.

He crossed his arms defensively. "Hey! No way, I don't watch that."

I rolled my eyes again, tuning him out. What am I supposed to do now? I had managed to snatch a decent amount of cash from those two creeps who showed up earlier this week, but it still fell short. At this rate, maybe I should just suggest to the loan shark that he end my misery instead.

God, if only it were that simple. Men like him would rather torture me endlessly than kill me, 'cause a dead man can't pay back interest.

My life was an absolute joke. Karma really had it out for me.

My spiral of dread was cut short by the sharp blare of a car horn. A sleek, pitch-black luxury sedan pulled up right in front of the club. The heavily tinted windows hid the interior, while the polished chrome accents and custom rims radiated a cold, oppressive sense of wealth. Just the aura of the car alone signaled that whoever was inside wasn't someone you messed with.

My heart sank into my stomach the moment I recognized the vehicle. The owner of that car was none other than the very loan shark I was trying to avoid.

Shit.

The door swung open, and a middle-aged man stepped out into the night. A thick cigar was clamped between his teeth, complementing his heavy mustache and the dense tattoos creeping up his neck. A jagged scar ran down the side of his face, accentuating his grim, ruthless demeanor.

Antonio Luca.

One of the men my father had taken loans from. The debt I owed this monster had racked up into millions, and to this day, I hadn't even managed to clear half of it.

The second his feet hit the pavement, his sharp eyes scanned the entrance and locked onto me. He raised a hand, making a lazy gesture for me to come over.

"Hey, is he calling you?" Jude asked, eyeing the imposing figure.

"Yeah..." I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through me.

I was dead. Completely, utterly dead. What excuse was I going to pull out of my ass this time?

"Why? You know him?" Jude asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

I forced a grimace and took a deep, steadying breath. "Stay here. I'll go talk to him."

Jude gave a slow nod.

I forced my legs to move, stepping forward to meet the man.

"Yo, boss," I called out casually as I approached.

Antonio met me with a gaze cold enough to swallow a man whole.

Anyone else in my shoes would be trembling in fear, but having dealt with dangerous men my entire life, his intimidating presence didn't faze me on the surface.

But that didn't mean I wasn't terrified of what he might actually do to me, though.

"Neo..." His voice was low, smooth, and chilling. "I assume you know why I'm here."

I wetted my dry lips and casually thrust my hands back into my pockets. "Of course, bossing," I replied, forcing a confident grin.

But inside, my mind was screaming. How the hell am I getting out of this one?

Screw it. Whatever happens, happens.

Antonio glanced toward the front doors of the establishment. "Why don't we step inside first?"

"Right this way, boss." I gestured toward the entrance, taking the lead.

He fell into step behind me, his armed goons trailing closely.

Yep... this is definitely the end of the line for me.

Goodbye, world...

If reincarnation is real and I get a second chance at life, please... don't let karma hunt me down again.

Please...