Chapter 57 No Exit
She’d always been a loner at school, and a big part of that came down to her family.
Was her family outright cruel to her? Not exactly. But it couldn’t be called a safe harbor, either.
10 Free Coins
Jonah was a gambler–he racked up debts with loan sharks and never learned his lesson. Yet he would bring home her favorite snacks late at night, would step up to protect her when she was bullied, and, in his drunken stupors, would tearfully apologize, begging her not to waste her life on someone like him.
Their parents were a bit old–fashioned. When it came to choosing between their son and their daughter, they always picked the son–even if he was a complete mess. Even if it meant sacrificing their daughter, too. But they never forgot what she liked. Her mom always made her favorite dishes for dinner. Her dad, tired after work, would still swing by the store to bring her little trinkets and snacks to make her smile.
Riley couldn’t bring herself to cut them off completely. All she could do was try to save herself–and pull them out with her if she could.
Back in the room, Blaze didn’t even get mad seeing his lackey get hit. Instead, he chuckled and said, “Fiery temper, huh.”
His voice was light and teasing.
“No need to get worked up, sweetheart. We’re all civilized folks here. Your friend didn’t pay up, so we asked her to drink a little to pay off the debt. Ten grand a bottle–she’s actually making a profit, you know? Though judging by the bottles still left, it seems like she won’t be able to finish the job. But hey, pay off the debt, and we’ll talk.”
Blaze let out a sinister laugh. His sharp eyes quickly sized up Azalea, who had barged in–nothing on her looked remotely valuable. But he was a man of principle, someone who played by the rules.
Wait. Didn’t Riley just win over ten million in prize money? How could she still owe this much? Azalea’s brows furrowed even deeper.
There was no way a gambling addict could borrow that much–unless something was seriously wrong.
Riley gripped the bottle tighter in her hand, like a cornered animal bracing for a final stand. Her voice was hoarse but firm. “You bastards are disgusting. My brother borrowed three million, and I already gave you over ten million!”
Blaze’s smile finally started to waver. “Now, that’s not very polite, sweetheart. Your brother borrowed money–of course, there’s interest! That ten million? That’s just the interest. We haven’t even touched the three million principal yet.”
The scar on his face twitched along with his smug grin. He was absolutely shameless.
Riley opened her mouth to argue again, but Azalea tugged her sleeve and shook her head.
Don’t confront them.
If it was just about the money, they were lucky. She had money. They could get out of this.
Right now, the priority was to get out of this room.
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Chapter 57 No Exit
Azalea calmed down slightly. With one hand free, she carefully fumbled through her pocket for her phone. “Mr. Cooper, was it?” she said, her voice steady. “From what you’re saying, it sounds like my friend owes you money. Three million, right? I can pay for it.”
Blaze’s cyes lit up. “Wire it now, and we’ll talk.”
Talk. Not leave. The wording was deliberate. Azalea caught the shift immediately.
A lackey stepped up and read off a bank account number. In this situation, she couldn’t afford to fight back
yet.
Azalea obediently pulled out her phone and transferred the money. But as she was tucking the phone away, she quietly made a call–any number from her contacts. She only had three saved. Her homeroom teacher, someone from Team GOD, and Hubert.
She didn’t care who picked up. As long as someone noticed something was wrong.
“I’ve transferred the money. Can we go now?”
Blaze checked the payment. Once it was confirmed, he smirked and kicked Jonah out of the way like a sack of trash. Then he slowly stood up. “Didn’t expect such a pretty little thing to be this rich.
“But I said we’d talk, not let you leave.”
“You liar!” Riley snapped.
“Now, now, let’s not throw accusations,” Blaze said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “When have I ever said that paying money means you get to walk away? Besides, the debt might be paid, but you just hurt one of my.men–that’s a whole other bill.” He glanced at the nearly empty bottles on the table. “Since you’re both young ladies, I won’t make things harder. You drank seven out of ten bottles just now. Finish the last three for my guys as a gesture of apology. Once you drink it all, you’re free to go. And, of course, if you can’t walk afterward, I can give you a hand.”
The implication was clear–and sickening.
The liquor on the table wasn’t beer. It was hard liquor, the kind that’d knock out a grown man after three bottles. A girl Azalea’s size? No way she’d stay conscious. And once she passed out, they’d do whatever they wanted.
Just as the words left his mouth, the lackeys closed in on her, bottles in hand. It was clear–they weren’t asking if she wanted to drink.
Meanwhile, in the next room over.
Hubert’s phone buzzed on the sofa, drowned out by the loud music. He’d stepped away to the restroom. By the time he came back, all he saw was a missed call.
From Lea.
She never called him unless something was seriously wrong. It was her. He hadn’t been seeing things.
Right then, a waiter came in, face grim. He walked straight up to Douglas. “Mr. Osborne, we found the girl you asked about. She’s here, and she went into Room 1005. That room’s been reserved by Blaze tonight.”
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