His Crimson Obsession

Chapter seven — Dept

Gabriella's pov

This morning was no different. I tied my hair into a messy bun, slipped into my worn sneakers, and shrugged on a baggy hoodie and a pair of faded jeans, ready for the day’s work.

“Okay, Dad, I’m heading out. Don’t forget to take your medicine. There’s some food in the fridge, don’t forget to eat,” I said, pressing a kiss to his head.

“I know, stop worrying about me so much. Have a good day, my love,” he replied with his bright smile.

“You too—” My words were cut short by a loud knock at the door.

“Go to work, dear, I’ll handle them.” Dad gave me a faint smile. But how could he handle them when he couldn’t walk without the support of his cane?

“It’s okay, I’ll handle it myself. Just stay put.” The last thing I wanted was for those loan shark bastards to give Dad a hard time.

I walked to the door and opened it, seeing a face I had been forced to get used to for the past seven years.

“b***h, you sure did take your sweet time opening the door. Have some manners,” Toni sneered. He was a greasy, chubby old man Dad had once borrowed money from, and he had been making our lives hell—my life hell—ever since.

“Mr. Toni, sorry for the delay,” I muttered, pressing my lips into a thin line to stop myself from hurling curses at him.

“You better have my cash, Gaby. We both know Papa wouldn’t be happy if his daughter can’t pay up.” His wicked smile flashed, showing his gold tooth.

“I do have your money, Mr. Toni. Please wait a moment.” I pulled out an envelope and handed it to him.

He peeked inside, and his eyes widened in shock. “Where did you get this kind of money?” he asked, teeth gritted.

“At my part-time job in Angels,” I lied smoothly. It was the money I’d ripped off that rich guy Nigel these past few weeks. Thanks to it, I could finally pay off some of Dad’s debt.

“So we’re cleared now, Mr. Toni.” I smiled, satisfied that I’d never see his perverted face again.

But Toni only smirked and handed the envelope to his guard. “Not quite, Gabriella. You see, you still need to pay me the interest. This money isn’t enough to cover half of it, so we still have business.”

“You never mentioned any additional interest, and I don’t have any more money.” The little I had left was meant for Dad’s medical bills.

“Well, it’s okay if you don’t have the money.” He eyed me up and down, making me want to vomit. “I can offer you a part-time job. Customers would pay good money for you. What do you say?” His greasy hand reached to caress my face.

I slapped his hand away. Hard. “You f*****g pig! I’m not a s*x toy, and I refuse to give you a dime more!”

His fist slammed into my face. My cheek exploded in pain, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

“You b***h. When did you grow to be disrespectful? Men hate disobedient women!” he spat, kicking me in the stomach. I doubled over, clutching my stomach in pain.

“You’re going to be my slut, Gabriella, whether you like it or not. I didn’t spend all these years grooming you for nothing!”

“Let my daughter go!” Dad shouted, swinging his cane at Toni. But the guard shoved him to the ground.

“Dad!” I screamed as he fell, coughing violently.

“Fine! I’ll pay, whatever amount you want! Just let Dad go, please, Mr. Toni!” I pleaded.

“Now that’s a good girl. Good girls know how to say please.” His smirk dripped with satisfaction as he turned. “Let’s go, boys.”

They left us bloody and broken on the floor. I scrambled to Dad’s side, giving him his pills and water to calm his cough.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I put you through this, I’m sorry,” Dad wept.

I bit back my sobs. I couldn’t break. If I did, Dad would crumble. We sat in silence, his apologies echoing. None of this was his fault. He had nothing to be sorry for.

Two days later – Café

“Gaby! Gaby! Gabriella!”

Lisa’s voice pulled me back to reality.

“You okay? You’ve been zoning out a lot these days,” she said concerned, softening her tone as she slid into the seat beside me.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just tired, that’s all.” I forced a thin smile.

Her eyes flicked to my busted lip. She didn’t buy it, but thankfully, she didn’t press further.

“You sure?” she asked, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Tell me if you need anything, okay? I’m always ready to help.”

“Thanks, Lisa.” I hugged her, grateful. She was the only one who ever truly cared about me.

By the time my shift ended at the café, the sun was already dipping. But there was no rest for me. Tonight, I had another shift waiting—at Angels Bar.

Angels Bar was different from the café. The air here was thick with smoke, the scent of whiskey, and the sound of music thumping through the walls. I tied on my apron and, before stepping out, pulled a black face mask over my mouth. My busted lip still throbbed every time I spoke or smiled, and I didn’t want to give anyone—especially the kind of men who came here—the satisfaction of seeing my weakness.

It didn’t take long before the manager Mario whispered in my ear,

“The prince asked for you.”

Of course he did. He has been asking for me every time for the past two weeks. Not that i mind he pays good money. And he's a good outlet for my anger.

I braced myself and walked over to the vip lounge. His usual glass of bourbon sat untouched, his tall frame leaned back in the booth like a king waiting for his servant. typical rich boy. His gaze locked on me the moment I stepped close.

"Sit,” he patted the sit beside him.

I slid into the seat beside him. Not in the mood to fight back

“Take it off,” he said, nodding at my mask.

I stiffened. “I can’t.”

He tilted his head. “You can’t?”

“I don’t want to. It’s nothing.” i replied tugging the mask higher over my lips.

His jaw tensed. “I’m paying you. You’re my host. You don’t get to hide your face from me.” His hand moved fast, yanking the mask down before I could stop him.

His eyes froze on my busted lip.

His whole demeanor shifted—gone was the calm, mocking playboy. In its place, something darker flickered in his gaze.

His eyes darkened.

“Who,” he said slowly, “did this to you?”

I shook my head. “It’s none of your business.”

“I’ll ask you again, Gabriella. Who. Did. This?” his tone low and sharp.

I blinked, startled by his intensity. “It’s… just some people I owed money to. It doesn’t matter. Please drop it.”

Silence. His eyes stayed locked on me, his expression cold and unreadable. I've never seen him like this.

But instead, he stood. Without another word grabbed his coat, tossed some bills onto the table, and walked out of Angels Bar—leaving me staring after him, stunned.

"That was… strange,” I muttered under my breath.

The rest of my shift blurred by.

When I finally returned home and reached the door, I froze.

Right at my door step was an envelope. My hands trembled as I picked it up, expecting a threat from one of the loan sharks I owed but inside… was the exact same money I had given Toni. Every bill. Untouched. With extra stacked neatly on top.

“Dad?” I called, stepping inside.

He looked up. “Yes, sweetheart?”

I held out the envelope. “Who dropped this? Did you see anyone?”

His looked at me confused. “No. I haven’t seen anyone. But—Gabriella, this is…” He trailed off, eyes widening at the sight of the bills.

We both stared at the envelope in stunned silence, unable to explain it. The money we gave to Toni was right back at our door step plus extra more.

How did this happen?