Taming the Ruthless

Chapter 1: Path Had Crossed My foot hurts from running. In my haste to leave, I forgot to even wear shoes or slippers. I had to escape. I have to hurry. By the time any of my father’s guards catch up with me, he will surely just take me back to my room, and I will never see and experience the light of freedom again. Just a little bit of suffering and patience and it will end. I had to get in the car that would take me somewhere else. I no longer care if I die of starvation than fall into the hands of the worst creature in the world. “There!” I spoke poorly to myself. I couldn’t help but feel a little pleased when I saw a car parked on the other side of the street with its lights on. All I had to do was convince whoever was in that car. I quickly ran in the direction of the car. I noticed its window was a bit open. Tap! Tap! Tap! I knocked immediately. I noticed there was a thin cloth covering his face, but I could not see his face because it was already dark inside the car. “Sir… I need your help! Please, some people are chasing me! If they catch me, my life is at risk. Please, sir, I would have taken a ride to leave this place. Even in the other town, you could just let me down. Help me—” “Why would I?” My eyes widened, and I could feel my fear when I heard his voice. It was so cold. Cold enough that it made me stop… horrible too, so much that I felt fear consume my whole system. “Why would I help someone like you? A pretender and possibly a traitor. Nah. I will not fall into your trap, woman. Get out of there before I pierce your forehead with a bullet. Leave!” I ignored him and went to the other side of the car, then got in and sat down. I noticed he was stunned by what I did, but my body cooled when I realized his gun was pointed at my forehead. *Click.* The metal sound of the trigger echoed, and I could feel the coldness when its mouth touched my forehead. “Get the f**k out, woman.” I burst out laughing and then looked at him. “Do you think your toy gun will fool me? Are you going to get married? You’re still wearing slang, ah. Why is it the other way around? Shouldn’t the woman be wearing it? Or maybe you’re gay? And you feel like a woman, so you can wear a veil?” BANG! He quickly pointed his gun and shot the window of his car. The glass shattered, raining shards everywhere. My eyes widened at what he did, my knees shaking in fear as well. Isn’t that a pellet gun? Then I almost got hit if I had moved. “I don’t have time to talk to you. While I’m still able to control myself, leave, because if you don’t follow, it will go straight to your head and I will blow up your skull.” I just laughed to relieve the nervousness I was feeling. One wrong move, Aisha, and your skull will explode. What will I do? His gun was still pointed at my forehead. Just one wrong move and he will surely fit the bullet of his gun into my skull. I want to cry. I’m confused too. I badly want to live. I want to live longer. “I hope you have mercy on me. I’m not going to do something that will make you angry, and I’m not a spy as you think. I just need a ride. Just a ride.” “You are asking the wrong person for help. I’m not helping anyone, especially if it’s free. If I’m helping you and it’s free, surely that will facilitate your death. And my bullet is willing to help you.” I was devastated by what he said. I slowly left the seat and opened the door of his car, then smiled at him. “Thanks anyway.” But even so, I still thanked him. Even though I only spent a little time inside his car, I felt safe. Yes, I was shocked and scared of his gun, but I’m still thankful for him, because if he were really bad, I’d probably be lying down and bathing in my blood. I got out of his car, then quickly ran away from there. *Crunch!* It looked like I even stepped on a broken bottle, so I fell on the road! What bad timing! I tried to stand up, then tried to take a step, and I almost screamed in pain and agony! I’m already crying. What, Aisha? Are you going to lose hope? Discouraged?! Stand up! You need to run! For a long time, you planned to escape from that hell, and then you will give up because of a simple broken bottle?! Be courageous and strong. “We have been looking for you anywhere, Ms. Ivanna. We’ve been looking everywhere, but I think you’re good at hiding. But look at you—luck doesn’t always cling to you. You’re just here. Don’t think of fighting anymore and just let go, so that I won’t have to hurt you anymore.” I crawled away from Handel, my father’s right hand and loyal servant. He laughed at what I was doing. I looked miserable—crawling while my foot was bleeding and hurting. He stepped forward and grabbed my hair, then Slap! He hit me hard, and I randomly felt the numbness of my cheek. “You piece of s**t! You stabbed my brother, so just a slap isn’t enough. My hand is itching to scratch your neck, but I should control my temper because Mr. Villaruiz will be hysterical and angry with me when I return your lifeless body.” He stood up and then stepped on my back, and I shouted because of the pain on my face. He reached for both my hands, then quickly and tightly tied them. The rope burned against my skin. He was about to lift me when a gunshot hit him in the shoulder. He staggered back, groaning. He moved quickly and hid behind the wall, but people kept shooting at him. The night echoed with gunfire, and he couldn’t fight back. I heard someone walking in my direction, steady footsteps, regardless of the gunshots. He didn’t seem afraid of being hit by a bullet because his steps were straight. “Whoever you are! Don’t interfere! Leave that woman there, or my boss will find you and consume your whole group when you kidnap that woman. We can divide the money that her father will pay me. We can be allies!” These people seemed deaf and not interested in what Handel had to offer. A light hand gripped my body and lifted me carefully. I looked at his face and noticed that he was wearing a mask. He was also staring at me. But the nervousness and fear that I felt now with this person were the same as what I felt with the man who was wearing a thin cloth to cover his face a while ago. But it seems impossible, though—he who said earlier that he does not give free help because everything for him has a replacement or fee. “Who are you?” I asked, full of astonishment. He averted his gaze from my eyes and just looked straight into the emptiness—smirk. “Every letter, every pronunciation, and every question of what my name is means in exchange for your death, young lady. If you want a long life, don’t you ever look at me—especially at my face and eyes—because I forbid that. Do you understand?” I immediately looked down and nodded. He started walking, and I followed quietly, but questions kept bothering my mind, seeking answers I couldn’t find. “Why did you save me? Why? I thought that wasn’t possible. I thought you were going to blow my forehead with your bullet.” My voice trembled. “Many reasons are forming in my mind." “It’s simple, young lady. I’ve owned you since you dared to get in my car and look me in the eyes. That’s what I want you to remember and keep in mind. I already own you. So no one can touch you—not even a finger or a strand of your hair. You’re mine.” That was the only and last thing I heard before darkness engulfed me. My chest pounded as if my heart was trying to escape. Then came the voice—low, cruel, echoing like a nightmare. “Do you think you can escape me, Ivanna? Whoever saves you will never be able to hide from me. By the time I find you, you already know the result. So while I still have the patience and the time is ticking… come back.” I woke up with a jolt, gasping. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and I pressed my hand against it, trying to calm the wild, relentless beating of my heart. My face was drenched with sweat, fear crawling all over me like cold fingers. I looked down and noticed my foot—it was bandaged. The pain was dull now, almost gone. Where am I? I sat up properly just as the door creaked open. A woman entered, carrying a tray. The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the room. She placed a small table on the bed and carefully set the breakfast in front of me. “Sir tells you and orders you to eat, ma’am,” she said softly. “Where am I? Why am I here? Who brought me here?” I asked quickly. But she didn’t answer. She bowed her head low, as if silence was the only thing keeping her alive. “What I command—you must follow, woman!” His voice thundered into the room, and I almost jumped. My instinct was to look up, but before I could— A knife flew past my face and buried itself deep into the headboard, so close to my forehead that my skin felt the rush of its wind. My body froze. My lips trembled. My entire body was shaking, and I suddenly remembered his words: If you don’t want to die, never look at me. Never disobey me. “Stamp my law into your brain, woman. If you don’t want the next knife I hold to pierce the center of your forehead.” I grabbed the spoon with trembling hands and began to eat slowly, forcing down each bite as if swallowing fear itself. “Just follow everything I want… and I already own you, Ivanna Aisha. All of you belongs to me now.” His footsteps grew faint as he finally left the room, and I let out a shaky sigh of relief. My shoulders sagged, and I realized I had been holding my breath the whole time. “You should just follow him, ma’am,” the servant woman whispered. “You are in his care, and he owns you. He will not let anything bad happen to you. You’re safe here, Miss Ivanna Aisha.” Safe? The word echoed mockingly in my head. I just nodded weakly, though my heart screamed otherwise. I didn’t want to believe it, but maybe I had no choice. Maybe… maybe he would protect me. I hoped. I hoped I hadn’t made a terrible mistake. “You’re too lucky to be owned by him, Miss Ivanna Aisha,” she continued, her voice lowering as if the walls themselves could hear. “Everyone in the underground society wants to be associated with him because of his wealth and power. And don’t you ever think of betraying him… You wouldn’t want to see him change into the ruthless monster he can become. Betrayal brings treachery. And treachery brings war.” My brows furrowed. “What do you mean?" Her eyes glistened with a mix of fear and sorrow. She hesitated, then whispered, almost like a lullaby that carried venom in its sweetness: “The moon once loved his sun… but the sun betrayed his moon. A once sweet love turned into poisonous strife. To make the story short…” A short but a sad love story indeed. HIS POV “Background, secrets, personal information, as well as her picture—it’s all there, Boss. I investigated with a trustworthy man, as you ordered. No one knows.” IVANNA AISHA VILLARUIZ. Aisha means alive, huh? I drank the wine from the goblet I was holding and turned to the mirror. I couldn’t deny it—she was too beautiful. Even her smile in the picture carried something dangerous. “How’s the other one I ordered you to take care of? Have you made any progress?” My voice was cold as I watched my reflection in the glass. “Forgive me, sir. I still don’t have any information.” My grip tightened around the goblet, and I hurled it against the wall, shattering it into pieces. Slowly, I sank into my swivel chair, pulled out my gun, and without hesitation— Two bullets pierced his arms. He groaned in pain, falling to his knees before me. I watched his face twist as blood dripped onto the floor. “I’m giving you a month,” I said coldly. “If you can’t deliver what I ordered, Johann, you already know what will happen to you.” “Yes, sir,” he muttered, bowing low before staggering out of the room. What I hate most is slow progress. I opened my laptop and pulled up the live camera footage from her room. A smile tugged at my lips as I saw her eating. Now that you’re with me, I’ll make sure you never run away, Aisha. They will never take you from me. Even if I die, I will never allow it. I pressed the button to connect with all my staff. My voice was sharp and commanding. “Double the security. Tighten the guards. If possible—add more.” The phone on my desk began to ring. I glanced at the caller ID and smirked. Tch. I don’t f*****g need you anymore, old hag. Now that I’ve got what I want, you’re of no use to me. I turned the phone off and closed it with a snap. Scenarios played in my mind one after another, but one thought echoed louder than the rest: I own her now. Nothing to worry about. As long as she’s under my protection, no one will dare lay a finger—or even a strand of hair—on her. Just don’t f*cking run from me, Aisha, because I will never stop chasing you. I grabbed my mask and slipped it on before heading to her room. She was sitting against the headboard, eyes closed, looking fragile yet calm. “I’m still wondering why you saved me… I’m grateful. Truly. And I don’t mind being owned by you—if this is the way I can repay my debt.” Her words cut through the silence. I studied her as she avoided my eyes, her fingers fidgeting nervously. Her hands trembled, betraying her fear. The corner of my lip curved upward. She was too transparent, too innocent. She didn’t know how to hide her emotions. “Why are you full of questions, huh? One more question, and I’ll s***h your neck with the same knife I threw into your bed earlier. My patience is thin, especially with someone as stubborn as you.” My voice was edged with steel. “If you don’t want to be here, tell me now, and I’ll send you back—wholeheartedly.” Her hand reached for mine, trembling. For a moment, I almost pulled away. The horror of her touch burned through me. But my heart… my heart didn’t allow me to. And then—f**k. A tear fell onto my hand. My eyes widened. What the hell?! What are you doing to me? I tried to let go, but she suddenly wrapped her arms around my waist, clinging to me tightly. My mind screamed. Fuck! Grab your gun. Kill her now. She disobeyed your command. She broke your law. No one touches me—no one! But I couldn’t. “Please… let me hug you. For ten years, I’ve felt alone. You’ve given me light again, a reason to be brave.” Her voice cracked as her tears soaked my back. I froze, torn between instinct and something I couldn’t name. For the first time in years, I didn’t know what to do. Once, I found joy in watching people tremble in fear, but with her. I sighed, hard, then my tone shifted—serious, low. “Instead of sulking and wasting your tears on the past, focus on the future. The past caused the wounds in your heart, but it’s time to stop. Stand the hell up. Show them what you’ve got. Don’t sit there looking weak, or they’ll only laugh at you.” I carefully removed her arms from me and stood up. At the door, I stopped without facing her. “If they laugh at your weakness, then become strong enough to shut their mouths. Grab my gun and kill them all. I don’t mind wasting my bullets on those fools.” Her voice followed me, soft but steady. “What should I call you? I know you strictly forbid me to ask your name, but… you already own me. I just want to know what to call you. I’m not even looking at you.” A smile almost broke through, but I killed it instantly. She was learning. Clever. And I… liked that. “You already know why. Yet you’re still asking.” She fell silent. I exhaled sharply. I didn’t want her to think I was kind. I didn’t want her to think she understood me. “Your curiosity might kill you,” I warned. “So while it’s still early, kill the curiosity inside you—or your cold body will be lying on that bed.” Her next words caught me off guard. “Why do you try so hard to make yourself worse when I can see the purity in your will? Why don’t you show what your heart is really like?” I shut my eyes, then slammed the door behind me. The sound echoed through the hall. She needed to know I wasn’t the man she thought I was. She was wrong about me. Every beast needs a beauty, huh? But I’m not the typical beast who falls in love. I need a beauty to play with… not one who will destroy my cold, inferior heart.