“I swear, I’ll never make the same mistake again. Just give me one more chance. I’ll treat you right this time. Please–let’s start over.”
I didn’t have time for another one of Steven’s teary monologue. I tossed a printed compensation invoice in his face.
“You’ve got three days to wire the money to this account. Or I let the police arrest Nellie,” I replied.
Steven’s eyes went red. He shouted after me as I was leaving. “Lucia! Please! We were in love once–doesn’t that count for something?”
I used to think he had at least some feelings for Nellie. Turns out, this man didn’t care about anyone but himself. When he couldn’t track down Nellie’s brother to recover the money, he lost it.
He dragged Nellie to a backroom in one of the underground casinos, flanked by his men. “If your brother doesn’t return the cash. I’m chopping your fingers off.“”
The sharp glint of a knife caught the light. Nellie trembled, falling to her knees. “Please, Steve, my brother doesn’t have it anymore–he lost everything gambling!”
She was sobbing uncontrollably. “I didn’t mean to lie to you! I was scared they’d kill him! I didn’t know what else to do!”
“Please, I had your child… for that alone, can’t you just spare my brother? I’ll do anything! I’ll serve you, be loyal, whatever you want…“{ But Steven didn’t blink. With a sudden, brutal motion, he cut off her pinky.
Nellie scream pierced the room.{
You think I’m stupid?” he said coldly. “The casino didn’t take that much. Your brother pocketed the rest. Lie to me again and next time it won’t just be a finger.”
Nellie eventually fainted from the pain.
Steven didn’t even flinch. He grabbed a bucket of cold water and dumped it over her to wake her up.
She woke up with tremble. “Please… Steve, I’m sorry! I swear I didn’t mean it! My brother took everything, but I’ll disappear, I swear, just don’t hurt him–please!”
Steven snapped his fingers. Two large men stepped forward, grabbed Nellie by the arms and dragged her toward a sealed back room. He kicked Nellie on the ground and glared at her. “You know what happens next. Lie to me one more time–and you’ll find out soon enough.”>
Nellie clutched her arms around herself, her tears hitting the floor one by one.
“Steve… please,” she whispered hoarsely. “I just got out of postpartum recovery… my body’s still healing. Don’t do this. Please, I’m begging you.”
Steven wasn’t satisfied with her answers. Then, he gave a nod. One of his men stepped forward.§
Nellie’s screams tore through the room. They echoed through the walls like something out of a nightmare. By the time the silence returned, the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood.
When Steven walked back in. Nellie was curling on the floor, barely conscious.
“You still don’t want to talk?” he asked flatly.
Her voice came out as a faint whimper. “My brother… really doesn’t have any money left…“>
Steven, clearly out of patience, left the room–and returned holding a small child in his arms. Their baby.
Nellie’s eyes went wide with horror when she saw his hand tighten around the child’s neck.
“No… no, Steven–you wouldn’t. That’s your child! How could you–how dare you!“}
He leaned in, “Think very carefully, Nellie.”
Nellie sobbed uncontrollably. While her body shaking from fear and pain, she finally gave him her brother’s location.§
“He’s in the Southern Continent…” she choked out. “Please… please don’t hurt him.”
She handed over his contact details, thinking she was saving his life. She truly believed her brother was broke, and on the run–hiding out, trying to stay alive.
But when Steven’s men finally tracked him down, the scene was anything but desperate.
Nellie’s brother was partying in Cloudland, laughing with a dozen ladyboys, covered in gold chains worth millions.
Steven had him detained and extradited. But even then, he only recovered about a third of the money.
