Filed to story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
“Boss, let me come with you,” Horace’s protective instincts kicked in. If there was a chance to stand by her, he wouldn’t miss it for the world.
After a bit of persistent coaxing, Mirabella relented, “Fine, but you follow my lead.”
“No problem.”
Horace dropped her off at the hotel, insisting on carrying her backpack to the door of the presidential suite. Only after seeing her safely inside did he leave with a silly satisfied grin, “I’ll pick you up later, boss.”
“Okay.”Meanwhile, the dimly lit basement reeked of blood.
A man hung suspended, his body battered and lacerated. His captors, breathless from exertion, had yet to extract any useful information.
“Mr. Collins, he’s still not talking,” one of the underlings confessed, out of options. They had tried both beating and threats to no avail.
A man with a dangerously charming demeanor lounged in a chair, his lips curling into a merciless smile. He peered through the bars at the wounded man, idly playing with a snake in his hands, and said indifferently, “Then there’s no longer necessary for him to live.”
The green python hissed, its tongue flickering as it glared menacingly at the injured captive. A rare mutation, impossible to mass-produce, one had to gamble on numerous snake eggs and raise them to maturity before knowing if they had this particular variant. Due to the rarity and high cost of nurturing, such a python could fetch around 300 thousand dollars.
Sean had a whole bunch of this breed of snakes, treated them like pets, and played with them.
“Little guy seems pretty stoked,” Sean reached toward the barrier. The snake quickly wrapped itself around the railing from his hand, flicking its tongue as if ready to nip at the man any second.
Steward flipped a switch, and a horde of snakes slithered out from beneath the wall, hissing menacingly as they eyed the man dangling above them.
“Let’s get some use out of him before his curtain call,” Sean said with nonchalance, as if a human life was no more significant than an insect’s.
The man’s feet were barely off the ground.
“Just biting him to death would be too kind,” Steward felt like they were letting the man off easy.
Sean flashed a grin, “Let these little critters have their fun first, then we’ll toss him to the mountain.”
The man heard the hissing and Sean’s words, his scalp tingled with dread.
Since ancient times, humans have had an innate fear of snakes, with their cold skin and naturally venomous nature.
The snakes moved forward in a wave-like pattern, hissing loudly as they aimed for the man’s ankles.
The man, terrified, quickly drew his feet up. The snakes flicked their tongues and tried to approach him again.
Sean stood up, ready to leave.
“Felix told me to find him in the Demon Ring after I’ve done the job! Ahh.” The man’s plea was cut short as a snake bit him fiercely, making him scream in agony.He didn’t know if the breed was venomous, only that if he didn’t speak up, he wouldn’t have a chance to live!
He had thought that Sean, wanting answers from him, would at least spare his life, just long enough for someone to come to his rescue.
But Sean was as ruthless and brutal as the rumors said, not only releasing these snakes but also intending to throw him to the mountain. Rumors had it that Sean kept hundreds of large, fierce, and temperamental dogs there.
Sean exuded an aura of arrogance and detachment. He walked away, seemingly uninterested in listening anymore.
The man, enduring the excruciating pain, shouted, “Only I can meet Felix. He’s very cautious; you won’t catch him with the slightest rustle of grass. Spare my life, and I can lure him out, ahh.”
He was bitten a few more times by the snakes, his expression twisted in agony.
Sean simply left the basement. Steward initiated the system on the wall, raising and lowering the rope as if toying with the man. The man screamed in terror.
“What else?”
“The fire years ago, I swear I didn’t know. I just did whatever he told me,” the man was completely petrified with fear.
Finally, Steward switched off the system, using sound waves and bait to lure the snakes back. The rope lowered, and the man crashed to the ground, his expression contorted in pain.
The door opened, and Steward stepped in, pressing a foot onto the man’s wound, saying coldly, “On Sean’s turf, don’t even think about playing tricks.””I wouldn’t dare.” The man gasped for air, pain choking his words, “I’ll definitely lure him out for you.”
At 10:30 p.m., Mirabella climbed into Horace’s car. The Demon Ring was covertly built; hidden in the husk of an abandoned train station, its entrance was masqueraded by an inconspicuous billboard.
Horace flashed a QR code at the bouncer, a blonde guy with blue eyes who ushered them through the security checkpoint. No weapons were to pass this point.
They were funneled down a dimly lit corridor, flanked by guards with guns at the ready. At the end of the passage, a door opened to the main arena, where there was dripping with a hubbub of voices.
In the center of the circular spectator stands, a giant birdcage-like ring hosted a spectacle – a heavyweight fighter locked in a showdown with a ferocious beast.
“Take it down! Take it down!” The crowd was relentless in their bloodlust.
The beast, clearly hungry and with the advantage of sheer mass, lunged at the fighter, its claws carving deep red gashes across his arm. The roar it emitted was primal, signaling a predator’s resolve to claim its prey.
The audience was in a frenzy, craving the raw, visceral thrill of bloodshed, which was the reason why they came.
Mirabella knew of the existence of these underground fight clubs, but the savagery before her eyes was beyond anything she had imagined. To satisfy the spectators’ morbid appetites, a brutal man versus beast battle was being staged.
Staircases and guarded elevators provided access to the seating areas. The elevators led to the private rooms above, reserved for the elites.
Horace presented the QR code once more, but this time, the attendant allowed only Mirabella to proceed.”Wait for me here.”
Horace was visibly concerned, but trusting Mirabella’s assertive glance, he nodded, his worry easing just slightly.
As Mirabella ascended to the second floor, the elevator dinged open to a stark contrast of ambiance.
Compared with the tempestuous from below, here was far more quite. Even though one could still hear roars downstairs, the deafening sounds abated.
Stepping out, Mirabella was greeted by an unexpected sight: a woman shed her plush pink coat, revealing nothing but a bikini underneath, and cooed, “Sean.”
Her back to Mirabella, the woman showcased her graceful curves and long legs. She sauntered towards a man in the corridor with seductive steps, barely waiting for a response before draping herself around his neck, provocatively rubbing her ample breast against him.
“Quite proactive, aren’t you?” The man had a voice that dripped with charm. In the dim light, Mirabella couldn’t distinguish his face, only hearing him teasingly inquired, “You want to do it?”
“Oh, stop.” the woman purred, “Sean, you’re making me blush.”
Mirabella had no interest in their identities. Spotting a sign for the higher-numbered rooms to the right, she realized she’d have to pass this intimate scene.
“Excuse me,” the pair were block her path, the man’s bodyguards looming behind him.
The woman didn’t think she was so opposite to be tactful. Wasn’t it obvious she was in the middle of charming Sean? Was this woman blind to demand passage from Sean?But Sean simply tightened his grip around the woman’s waist, pulling her closer while casting an intrigued gaze at Mirabella as she walked by.
The girl’s features hidden behind a black face mask that only allowed her clear, beautiful eyes to stand out. Her hair was scooped up into a playful bun, and she was dressed in casual attire, a backpack slung over her shoulder, and a pair of crisp white sneakers on her feet.
“Sean.” Perhaps sensing Sean’s gaze lingering on the girl, the woman next to him cooed teasingly, leaning in to press her lips against his.
Steward, with his entourage in tow, hadn’t intended to step aside for Mirabella, but seeing Sean make room, he motioned for his group to part ways.
Mirabella brushed past them and rapped on the door of room 11 before slipping inside.
The woman, eyes closed, moved to seal her kiss with Sean, but in the next instant, she found herself unceremoniously dumped atop a trash can near the elevator.
Being thrown away out of the blue, the woman looked confused and in pain; her expression twisted as she realized she was bleeding from a scrape on her elbow. Raising her eyes, she saw Sean toying with a white pill, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
Feeling for her hair, the woman discovered the white pill, which had somehow ended up in Sean’s possession.
“Trying to drug me?” Sean flicked the pill back at her.
“When did you catch on?” She was shocked by his acuity. Had he noticed when that girl walked by? It seemed impossible; she had been so careful. Could he have detected the scent?
Steward wasted no time, his men securing the woman firmly.”Did Troy send you?” A derisive smile on Sean’s face as she remained silent, “Guessed that quickly, huh? How dull.”
He issued a lazy order to his henchman, “Chop off her hands, send them with the pill to that old geezer.”
Troy, a business rival, envied Sean’s growing power and the way his own empire was being devoured by Sean’s ambition.
“You think I’d suffer at your hands?” The woman attempted to lick her thumbnail, coated in a layer of golden powder – a contingency against failure and capture – but Steward intercepted, stuffing a handkerchief into her mouth before she could act.
She had planned to end her own life swiftly with the poison, but her plan had been thwarted.
“That old fool, not only is he incompetent, but his lackeys are just as pathetic,” Sean shrugged off his suit jacket, soiled by the woman’s touch, and tossed it into the trash. He accepted a moist towelette from one of his men and wiped his hands clean.
Once Sean entered room one, Steward knocked the woman out cold and took her away to carry out the grim task.
Some time later, Steward returned to report, “Mr. Collins, it’s been handled, and the woman sent. Also, there’s a mysterious buyer keen on purchasing one of your islands, offering up to 30 million dollars.”
“Which island?” Sean seemed to have forgotten.
“The one we call Weeds Island.”
Steward struggled to find the words to describe it. In his mind, the island was overrun with weeds, desolate, save for a sprawling sandy beach and a clear view of the ocean.”The buyer probably wants a private island, a secluded life away from the world,” but in Steward’s opinion, the island was hardly worth 30 million dollars. Sean had acquired it for a mere 2 million dollars back in the day.
“Mr. Collins, we’d make a good profit at that price.”
“Keep him on the hook.” Sean had no intention of selling just yet. He swirled the drink in his glass and downed it in one gulp, “What about the guy?”
“The one from this afternoon? His name’s Sam; he’s already downstairs luring Felix out. Word is Felix loves a good brawl. If it’s brutal enough on the stage, he’ll show.”
In the private room 11.
Mirabella had sealed the deal, cash exchanged for goods with practiced ease.
