I am Vivienne Clarke. Everything in my life had been good-even though I was an orphan-but today, everything had fallen apart. I had failed High School Grade 11. When the teacher told me, I couldn't do anything but cry. Being a bright student from the start, living with the tag of failure was unbearable. I had decided that I couldn't face anyone, couldn't face this world... maybe it was time to leave it forever.
I stopped at Nightfall Bridge. I was ready to jump. Memories of the past raced through my mind, each one cutting deeper than the last. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
Then suddenly, I heard a man screaming. I looked back-and froze in terror. He was covered in blood, scars etched across his face, stumbling toward me, desperate.
"Please... please help me! Otherwise, they'll kill me!" Fear shone in his eyes.
For a moment, I couldn't process what was happening. Then he screamed again. My heart pounded. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.
(He should have gone directly to the police instead of dragging me into this, I thought.)
A convoy of black cars appeared on the horizon, engines low and menacing. My heart skipped a beat-this was no ordinary arrival.
Men with weapons poured out of the black cars. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded the man, drenched in blood. He screamed, begging for mercy, but it was useless.
Then another figure appeared-a tall man in a dark red suit, his hair straight and perfect, eve inch of him radiating control, power, and danger.
My heart nearly stopped when he said, "Just kill the man-throw him off the bridge."
I shook with terror, fumbling for my phone again, desperately trying to dial 911. But the man in red turned to me.
"Who are you?" he demanded, snatching the phone from my hand and hurling it into the river below.
I knew instantly he was the boss-from his commanding aura and flawless appearance. Trembling, I stammered, "Vivienne Clarke."
He pointed at the injured man. "You with him?"
I shook my head frantically-no.
He nodded to his men. "SHOOT HIM"
The gunshot cracked through the night. I screamed, clamping my hands over my ears as I shuddered uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my face, and the world blurred. A voice muttered, "What if she's one of theirs?"
Then everything went black. I collapsed to the ground.
The man in the red suit bent down, checked on me, and motioned to his men to drag me into the car.
At The Basement
I opened my eyes and froze. I was tied to a chair, my wrists biting into the ropes, every pair of eyes in the room locked on me. My heart hammered in my chest, and a cold dread crawled up my spine. For a moment, I couldn't speak, couldn't even breathe.
Then, summoning every shred of courage, I whispered, my voice shaking, "Where… where am I? Who are you?"I asked.
Then a deep, commanding voice cut through the silence. "I should be the one asking you—who are you, and for whom do you work for?"
"What are you saying? I… I don't understand. I'm just a high school student," I stammered, my voice trembling with fear.
"And… who are you? Why have you brought me here?" I asked, my voice shaking, trying to keep my composure.
"Then let me introduce myself," he said, pride dripping from every word. "I am the biggest mafia boss in this nation… Jasper Hale."
"Without wasting any time," Jasper growled, his eyes piercing, "tell me—who are you, and who do you work for? Be honest. I don't like liars."
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my voice shook uncontrollably. "I… I'm vivienne Clarke, a high school student," I whispered.
"Still not admitting?" Jasper said, his voice sharp. He signaled to his men, and one of them stepped forward, dumping an entire bucket of cold water over me. I gasped and shivered violently, water dripping from my hair and clothes. "Please… let me go! I'm just a student. I don't have anything to do with you!" I cried, my teeth chattering.
The man came running toward us, visibly tense. He reached Jasper and dropped to one knee. "Jasper… I don't think she has anything to do with the underworld people. I've checked—she's just an orphan, raised in an orphanage. She's completely innocent."
"What the hell did you just say?!" Jasper shouted, his voice booming with fury.
"What I'm saying is true. She has nothing to do with Michael, and I think we've misunderstood her. But we can't let her go, Jasper—she's seen all of us. What if she goes to the police and tells them about us? We can't let that happen."
"Even though we are the biggest mafia group, we still can't allow a single piece of information to be leaked by anyone."
"Then… what were you doing on that bridge so late at night?" Jasper asked, his eyes narrowing, waiting for my answer.
I couldn't tell him the truth about why I was there. My throat tightened, and I forced the words out. "I… I was just out for a walk."
"Do you think I'm a fool?" Jasper shouted, striding toward me. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes.
"It was two in the morning," he said coldly. "What kind of walk were you taking at that hour?"
"I'm telling you the truth… I was just out for a walk. Please—please believe me," I pleaded.
"What a pity," Jasper murmured, a faint smirk on his lips. "You don't even know how to lie." He laughed softly, the sound cold and unsettling."Fine. If you don't want to talk, then don't," Jasper said coldly. "I'm not interested in you anyway."
"Now you know I'm innocent… please, let me go," I pleaded softly.
"You're not going anywhere," Jasper said, his voice firm and unyielding. "From now on, you belong here."
"But I don't want to stay with you!" I shouted at him for the first time.(He might be the boss, but I'm not scared of him. Everyone is equal in my eyes.)
"Who's asking for your permission?" Jasper's voice turned dangerously calm. "I'm not asking… I'm telling you."
Jasper made a quick call, and within moments, a maid stepped into the room.
"Take her," he said coldly. "Get her cleaned up, change her clothes, and see that she's taken care of."
For a moment, I thought Jasper wasn't that bad. But then reality hit me—how could I think something like that about a man whose hands were stained with the blood of innocent people?
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even realize when his men untied my hands from the chair. The maid gently helped me up and led me away to get changed.
After washing up, I stepped out of the bathroom. Jasper had given me a room, and I had to admit—it was beautiful. Everything was luxurious, far beyond anything I had ever known. As an orphan, this was my first time being in a place like this.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the door open.
Jasper walked in.
"Get out!" I shouted instantly. "Don't you know how to knock before entering someone's room?"
I clutched the towel tighter around myself, my heart racing. I wasn't dressed, and the situation only made my anger burn hotter.