Begin Again

Chapter 4

"I f*****g told you not to treat her like that, Mason"

"I didn't do anything! She's crying on her own!" I heard Mason yelled above me as I opened my eyes through the tears.

Lucius! My mind warned me as I met with his eyes. He was sitting on a long black couch in front of me. He looked tired and wary or it was just always his usual expression. Lucius stared at me with dull, lifeless eyes as he changed his positioned and leaned closer to me.

"He's hurting you," he spoke calmly but his tone was firm. He saw my streaming tears and his hand lifted up to reach my mouth, loosen up the towel which the red curly-haired boy forcefully put it into me.

"Answer him!" My eyes winced as Mason's yelled above me. My tears couldn't stop falling. My chest breathed up ad down rapidly. I was scared as hell. What did you expect? I even couldn't utter a single word.

"Mason," Lucius warned, his jaw tightened.

"I am sorry for the lack of hospitality," he said after some moments of silence and leaned back.

Slowly I rose my body to sit on the black couch. The limo was slowly moving, the windows of the car were dark, anyone out there couldn't see what was on the inside and it meant no one would know what happened to me. They might think the slowly moving limo was just another rich guy and his bodyguards who just came back from work somewhere.

"Wine? Water?—or something healthy?"

I shook my head and he sighed. "The last time we met, you're quite a chatty person." He said.

How was I supposed to say? You kidnapped me.

"Words, Genevieve. Speaking doesn't that hard,"

I glanced over at Mason who sat on the corner, his mind was focused somewhere else as he observed the view outside through the window.

"Relax. Mason is actually a nice guy," I darted my gaze back to Lucius and frowned but still didn't utter a single word. That man is nice? What a bullshit.

And there was when a reality hit me. I started to worry when I remembered about my best friend, Emma. She was with me the whole time. Did they left her? Or did they kill her?

"Where's Emma?" My voice broke as if they being crashed inside.

Lucius creased his eyebrows, confused and turned his head to Mason. "Enma who?"

I hurriedly corrected him, "Her na-name is Emma. S-she was with me in the cafe."

"She is in another car." Mason answered more to Lucius rather than paid any attention to the words I said. My eyes widened in shock just as I was about to protest about my best friend's safety, Lucius came out with another version of explanation.

"She is safe." But they didn't do much to make my mind at ease so I started to cry again.

Maybe, deep inside I was weak. All this time I have lived in normal and peaceful life. And these things were beyond my expectations. I thought people had a heart and mind so they could think very clearly and rationally before they hurt the others. "What do you want?—" I sobbed. "What are you going to do with me?" My sobbing was getting harder as I tried not to focus on the bad assumptions.

Lucius didn't answer me. My vision blurry to see his expression. Was there some kind a hint of pity or he feels bad now for kidnapping me so he decided to let me go?

"Tell me!" I spoke rather loud, hoping he would understand the pain in my words. "I have nothing to share with you. If you want my money, take it. I'll give you all as long as you—" I took a breath in shaking. My chest was heavy and hurt. "—as long as you let me and my best friend go. I don't care about the money," I sobbed as I closed my eyes, my elbow stayed on my knees. "—I did nothing to you but treat your wound. More or less I had saved your life. I didn't mean to bring these now. I just want you to understand—" My lips were mostly moistened with the saliva mixed with my endless tears. "—I want you to understand that kidnapping and harm them who had saved your life was really ungrateful things!" The world seemed went quiet, all I could hear was my sobbing and the stammering in my chest as if it was right next to my ears. My life would have been so pitiful if I died now. I should have become more grateful for the life God offered. I wanted to laugh at myself, did I really wish to turn back time when I just ignored the sound of his cough when I first met him on the rat run? So I wouldn't be facing death now. Maybe—just maybe I could eat my breakfast with Emma in peaceful.

"—I just want to see you," he stated in such a calming tone. My head slowly lifted up and looked at him. What I wish to see was the hint of regret or something else which made me knew he was feeling bad for did this kind of thing to me, instead, I received a stone flat face with his lifeless eyes staring at me. It seemed my words even didn't reach him. It felt like the arrows missed the target. It didn't strike him at all. The look on his face made me wanted to slap his face so bad but I was afraid of Mason.

"we'll have brunch together and after that, I escort you back to your flat," he said casually like it was the most natural thing.

"No—I want you to escort me with my best friend right now to my flat," I emphasized the word 'right now' as if to make him more clear what I wanted.

"I don't remember I give you a choice, Genevieve." He sent one signal to the driver and we drove fast, passing through the icy roads.

I didn't want to make any scene inside this limo. My legs wobbled and my hand still shaking from this incident. I was pretty sure it would leave a trauma to my well being. My mind flashed on Emma, I hope she was okay. They wouldn't do any harm to her.

My eyes darted to Lucius who busy typing something over his phone. His forehead creased and soon after, his phone was ringing. he answered it as fast as the first light on his phone showed.

"7 people, VVIP. Get it clear." His voice was changing into a deep and harsh, they held so much power in it. He was above anyone else, he made sure of that.

Ten minutes later we arrived at the place. They parked the limousine in the private basement, and there was two other cars behind arrived shortly after.

I was standing beside Lucius. His hand stayed on my back lightly but enough for me to feel the cold sensation on my skin. I didn't felt nervous anymore or how my cheeks redden like on the first encounter when he touched me. All I could feel was scared and terrified.

They dragged Emma out from the other black cars. Her hand was being tied and a woman dragged her forcefully to stand in front of Lucius. My tears fell down as I looked on a fresh bruise on the corner of her lips but before I could scream for her Lucius was the one who spoke.

"What is it, Hilda?—why is there a bruise on her lips?" His pointed finger lifted up to the corner of his own lips and a woman named Hilda had big muscles like a man, even bigger than Lucius had. She braided her hair to the side as the other left loosen just stopped right on her shoulder. If it wasn't her round and full breasts and all the bold make up, I would assume that she was a man. Her hand could be used to break my legs if I ever tried to run.

"She pulled my hair. So I slapped her,"

"Ckckck—I don't want people to see that we're bringing a prisoner here." He stated, unamused.

"Clean the bruise and meet me on the inside," with that he lightly urged me to start walking to the restaurant. I turned my head back to see Emma as she did the same. Her tears trickled down from her eyes.

"You'll be okay," I mouthed to her before the lift door closed.

We arrived at the third floor where the waitresses had waited for us. The VVIP room had invisible glass window when I stepped in. It separated between me and the customers downstairs. I couldn't hear the noise of plate chattering against the fork, some laughter, and the gossip some of the women made in the corner. Three people on the mini stage were playing music instruments but I couldn't hear what kind of songs they performed.

"Sit," my body startled when Lucius pushed me down on the seat beside him. He adjusted his black leather coat as he spun the chair and seat next to mine. There were seven chairs on a wooden hard table. The crystal chandelier was set in two pairs and a rose's vase in the middle of the table. The room was painted in soft cream color, complete with a sitting room and antique furnishings. I was amazed by how they decorated all of these things. It was looked like having brunch in a castle. Lucius, on the other hand, was dozed off, drawn in his own mind whilst Mason and the two other guys took a seat across from us. The seat in front of me was purposely emptied.

The smell of the foods hit my nose as I turned to my right side, the food trolly was being delivered in front of us. "I hope you like their roasted crispy duck," Lucius whispered to me.

"I never taste duck in my entire life.—this is my first time," I said, slightly worried about how the duck meat taste. Yet, They called it brunch.

No.

It called a luxurious brunch.

I could hear My wallet was screaming just wondering how much all of these cost.

The lift door was opened revealed Emma and the woman, Hilda. Her hand was untied as she casually walked and took a seat in front of me beside Mason. My heart began feeling at ease as she gave me a weak smile before her eyes darted to the food on the table. The bruise was slightly visible but the fresh blood was no longer there.

Lucius started first and the other grabbed their fork and knife as well. I was hesitantly to move and the waitress came beside me, "is there something you don't like, miss?" I glanced up to her and shook my head, slightly smiled as she poured down the orange water.

"I thought you like healthy drink so I offered you that one," I rolled my eyes, very tolerable.

"I've just eaten with Emma and I am not hungry," he stop munching his food, "Eat," he said not looking at me.

"I am not hungry!" My tone was firm and louder this time caused the others to stop munching their food as well. But I didn't care. He could be cruel and controlling to his men but he wouldn't ever control me.

"Fine—" he lifted up the napkin and swiped it to his mouth. Lucius grabbed my plate and motioned the girl who ask me about the food earlier to come forward. My chest began stammering hard as I saw him got up from his seat, his jaw tightened. The girl was shocked, horror showed on her face. The plate was going to be thrown to her in such a force. He could crush her skull with it. It was not just an ordinary plate they used to please us. The plate was heavy and thick. When his hand was about to move I blocked his vision, my body instantly got up and held his arms. "Please—don't—I'll eat it," My eyes started watery as I looked to his eyes. I found myself mumbling to speak. His hand was strong, he still wanted to do it, I could tell. He didn't like being stopped like this. "Please don't do this, Lucius. I'll eat it—I am sorry," his eyes flashed some emotion, something in my words had struck him slightly.

I let out a shaky breath as he decided to call it off and put the food back in my table. The roasted duck was even more delicious to me after the epic. The waitress girl let out a soft sob before making herself out of the room.

Lucius, on the other hand, was enjoying his food like nothing's happened.