I Became Rich With My System

Chapter 16

I tightened my grip on Mia’s arm, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “I can’t… I can’t say how this is going to turn out. You need to go now. Please.”

Her gaze met mine, unwavering, stubborn. “I’m not leaving. I’m here to help you, Kael. I can’t back out now—not when you need me.”

I exhaled sharply, frustration and worry warring inside me. The lot outside was alive with movement. Raven and a handful of his men were approaching the building, their steps heavy, calculated. The shadows of their bodies stretched long across the cracked asphalt, the glint of their weapons catching the weak streetlights.

I glanced at the nearest room on the first floor, slightly ajar. “We can use that room,” I muttered, pulling her toward it. “Stay close, and don’t—”

Before I could finish, a sudden commotion erupted from the room ahead. A sharp voice shattered the tense quiet.

The door burst open with a crack and a woman rushed out like a panther released from its cage. Her hair flew wildly across her face, her eyes, as she looked helpless .

Two guards exploded from the shadows behind her, muscles straining, their boots slamming against the floor. One of them shouted, harsh and guttural, “Get her! Don’t let her escape!”

Mia stiffened beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly. I could feel the tension radiating off her, a mixture of fear and determination. She whispered, almost under her breath, “Kael… I told you. I’m here to help. I can’t just walk away now.”

I swallowed hard, watching the chaos unfold. The woman rushed down the hall, and the guards gave chase. Every nerve in my body screamed that we were already too deep, that one wrong move could cost us everything.

I glanced at Mia again—her face was set, her eyes glinting with that unshakable stubbornness. For a brief second, I hated that she was right. She wasn’t going anywhere.

I exhaled, almost silently, and muttered, more to myself than her, “Then we do this together… but stay sharp.”

The girl’s bare feet slapped against the dirty tiles, her breath ragged as she sprinted toward the main door. She almost made it—just a few more steps and she would have been free—but the guards stationed there lunged forward. One grabbed her by the arm, the other shoved her back against the wall so hard the frame rattled.

“No! Let me go!” she screamed, her voice raw, desperate. “Help me! Somebody, please!”

Her cries echoed across the motel hall, sharp enough to sink into the bones. My fists clenched at my sides, but I forced myself to keep still in the shadow of the room. Not yet.

The guards who had been chasing her before returned, furious. One swung his hand across her face with a crack that echoed down the hallway. She stumbled, clutching her cheek, tears streaming as she wailed in pain.

“Why the hell are you running?” one of them barked, grabbing a fistful of her hair. “You think you can just disturb us like that?!”

The girl whimpered, struggling, but they held her fast.

Then the air shifted. A figure stepped out from the same room she had bolted from, his presence commanding even before I got a full look at him. His suit was pressed sharp, his shoes polished enough to reflect the dim lights. His face carried the smugness of someone who thought he owned everything he laid eyes on.

Before I could whisper a word, Mia stiffened beside me. Her lips parted in shock, and she murmured, almost to herself, “Marcus Valerio…”

I turned to her, eyes narrowing. “You know him?”

She nodded quickly, voice hushed. “Yes… that’s him. The owner of this motel.”

Marcus didn’t waste time. He strode up to the girl, without warning, he slapped her hard across the face. She let out another sharp cry, crumpling under the blow.

“How dare you?” he sneered, his voice dripping venom. “How dare you stress me like this in my own house?”

The guards laughed under their breath, tightening their grip on her arms as Marcus raised his hand again—

“Easy.”

The voice belonged to Raven. He appeared beside Marcus, calm but with that usual predator’s smile curling at his lips. His men flanked him like shadows.

Raven tilted his head, eyeing the girl as though she were nothing more than cattle. “Do it gently, Valerio. I’ll be the one paying for her. And for every bruise you leave, every mark on her skin, I’ll cut a cent from the penny she’s worth.”

Marcus stared at Raven for a long, cold moment, then finally scoffed. “Fine. Here she is. Take her.” He shoved the girl forward like she was an object, not a human being.

Mia’s hand gripped my wrist, trembling but firm. Her voice was a harsh whisper, full of disbelief. “Kael… don’t tell me they’re just buying that girl off. Like she’s nothing.”

My chest tightened, fury burning behind my ribs. I forced the words through gritted teeth, my gaze locked on Raven. “That’s Raven’s work, Mia. Human trafficking. This is what he does.”

Her eyes widened, horror mixing with anger, but she didn’t say another word. The girl was still crying, her voice breaking as the men dragged her back toward the room she had come from.

I leaned closer to Mia, my voice came out low and urgent. “We need to get inside that room. I’m sure there are more victims in there.” My eyes went back to the heavy doors where the girl had been dragged back.

Mia’s lips tightened, her gaze was steady. “Then let me go forward. I have a plan.”

My jaw clenched. “Don’t try that. You’ll be long dead before I ever catch Raven. You know what kind of men they are??.”

“Kael, this is the only opportunity you have. If I don’t try, we might lose him forever.” She paused, her voice was trembling with rage. “I hate it. The world where women’s lives are traded like coins. People like Raven make me sick. I can’t stand them.”

My throat felt tight, Mia is not going to step back, I forced myself to think. “At least take your phone along,” I said. “I’ll call your number, keep the line open. I’ll hear everything, even if I’m not there. Understand?”

Her expression softened, just slightly, and she gave a small nod. “Alright.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, squared her shoulders, and started forward.

I gripped the phone on my hand so tight as I pressed it to my ear. My stomach twisted as I watched her disappear into the glow spilling from the doorway.

The line was open. I pressed the phone tighter against my ear.

Muffled laughter spilled through first. It was a low, cruel chuckles mixed with the clinking of glasses.

Then Valerio’s voice rose above the noise. “Raven, you should talk me up to the boss. I told him I’d make this place profitable, and I’ll keep my word.” he was speaking with arrogance.

I could hear Mia’s faint breaths through the receiver, quick and unsteady.

Suddenly, a rough voice barked, sharp as a gunshot. “Who are you? Identify yourself!”

I froze. My blood ran cold.

Mia…

Her voice came back, trembling. “I ....I’m sorry. I lost my way. I’ll leave immediately.”

I ground my teeth, my heart hammering.

Then, barely audible over the noise, she whispered to me through the phone. “Kael… there are so many.”

Then suddenly.

" Ahhhhh"

She screamed. The sound ripped through the speaker, jagged and raw.

“Mia!” I shouted her name, panic tearing through me.

A man’s voice followed, guttural with fury. “You b***h. Who sent you here? Do you want to die?”

There was a scuffle, the scrape of a shoe against the floor. Then a loud clatter as the phone hit the ground.

“Mia! Mia!” My voice cracked as I shouted into the void.

But then—silence.

The line went dead.

For a split second, I couldn’t move. My mind refused to believe what I’d just heard. Then rage ignited inside me, hot and blinding. I shoved the phone into my pocket.

I bolted down the stairs, every step a blur, until I reached the hallway that led to the room. My hand gripped the handle.

I threw the door open—

The door slammed open under my grip, banging against the wall.

The smell hit me, sharp, chemical, mixed with the faint, coppery tang of blood.

Inside, five men froze mid-motion. They were crouched over a wide table, their hands busy wrapping something in black nylon. The sound of the crinkling plastic stopped the second they noticed me.

All their eyes cut to me at once.

One of them straightened, his face mean and weathered. “Who the hell are you? Identify yourself.”

My gaze flicked to the ground—Mia’s shoes. Lying on their side near the corner like she had been dragged away. My pulse stuttered. My mind went blank, then flooded with panic. Did they? No. No. She’s alive. She has to be alive.

I stepped forward, every muscle in my body strung tight.

A big man with broad shoulders, his chest puffed out like he owned the air swaggered towards me. He jabbed a thick finger in my chest. “I said, who the f**k are you?” His voice was thunder, his breath heavy with alcohol.

He reached out to grab me.

I moved before he could. My hand snapped up, clamping onto his wrist. With a violent twist, I wrenched it sideways.

CRRRRACK!

The sound echoed in the room, sharp and sickening.

The man screamed, his knees buckling, his face twisted in agony.

Two others dropped what they were doing and charged.

I pivoted fast—ducking the first swing, then slamming an elbow into the man’s ribs. He folded, coughing, before my fist cracked across his jaw. The second man rushed me with a shout; I caught him by the collar and drove my knee up into his gut. He gagged, spit flying, before collapsing backward against the table.

The nylon bundle shifted as his body hit it.

My chest heaved as I reached for it, yanking the plastic open with trembling hands.

What I saw stopped my breath cold.

It was the girl from earlier. The same one who had run out earlier, screaming for help. Her lifeless face stared back at me, pale and slack, her hair matted with sweat.

For a moment, my knees threatened to give out. I pressed a hand against the table, trying to hold myself upright. Rage and grief boiled in my chest. Too late…

I started to push myself back up—

THWACK!

Something heavy slammed into the back of my skull.

Pain exploded white-hot, radiating through my head. My vision blurred as he floor tilting beneath me. My knees buckled.

The last thing I felt was the cold concrete against my cheek as darkness swallowed me whole.

I came to with a stabbing ache splitting the back of my skull. My vision swam before the shadows hardened into walls. There was a bare lightbulb buzzing overhead. The smell of damp cement and rust clawed at my nose.

My arms were pinned. I tugged hard, rough rope bit into my wrists, scraping skin raw. They had me lashed to a metal chair, my legs bound tight.

For a moment, I couldn’t even place where the hell I was.

Then my eyes caught her.

Mia.

She was slumped against the far wall, her head lolled sideways, chest rising slow, shallow. She looked like a discarded doll.

“Mia!” I shouted, my voice cracking in the hollow room. I thrashed against the ropes, pulling until the metal frame screeched across the concrete floor. “Mia! Wake up!”

Nothing. She didn’t stir.

My breathing turned sharp, ragged. Don’t tell me they—

The door groaned open.

Boots scuffed against the floor, heavy and deliberate. Four guards poured inside, their faces were carved in stone. Between them strolled a man in a white suit, his smirk curling like a knife.

Valerino.

He spread his arms, mocking courtesy. “Well, well. The great Kael. What is it like, huh? A lowlife crawling into my motel, thinking you can disrupt my night?” His eyes glittered as he leaned in closer. “Tell me how’s the chair? Comfortable?”

I locked my eyes on him. “Where’s Raven? What did you do to Mia?”

Valerino wagged a finger. “One question at a time, soldier boy. As for the girl…” He glanced toward Mia, “Don’t worry. I did nothing terrible. I just gave her a little something to… help her sleep. Long nap, that’s all. She won’t die. Though—” His grin sharpened. “Might take her a while to wake.”

The ropes creaked under my grip. “And Raven. Where the hell is he?”

The answer came in a voice I knew too well.

“Why so eager to see me, soldier?”

Raven stepped through the doorway, casual, hands in his pockets like he’d just strolled in from the street. His smile was thin, but his eyes was so cold.

Rage surged in my chest. “How does a bastard like you even crawl back into this country?”

He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle. “I’m just a man trying to survive. Why do you loathe me so much?”

“Trying to survive?” I spat. “By selling human flesh for coins? That’s your definition of survival?”

He chuckled low. “One way or another, everyone pays a price to live. You, fighting wars for a government that threw you away the second you were no longer useful. Tell me, Kael, who’s the bigger fool? The dog serving his master, or the man feeding himself?”

“Feeding yourself?” My voice was a growl. “You’re rotting the world. Trafficking people, destroying lives. Don’t call that survival.”

His smile faded. “And running into battlefields, getting shredded by bullets for strangers… that’s noble?” His eyes narrowed. “At least I make sure my family’s secure. What about yours, Kael? Ever think how your choices drag them into danger? How your so-called heroics put them in the line of fire?”

The words landed heavy. My jaw clenched, my teeth grinding. “Don’t you dare lecture me.”

Raven studied me for a long beat, then shook his head like a man tired of repeating himself. He turned toward Valerino.

“I’m leaving.”

Valerino’s smile widened as he leaned back. “Don’t forget my message to the boss. Remind him I want to meet with P-man.”

The name hit me like a stone to the chest. P-man? I’d never heard of it. But the way they said it… the weight in Valerino’s tone… it was no ordinary name.

Raven gave a lazy nod. “I’ll deliver your words.” He shot me a final glance before walking out, his steps echoing until the door shut behind him.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going, Raven?!” I roared, the chair screeching as I dragged it forward. “Get back here!”

But he was gone.

Valerino stepped closer, his smirk curling like a snake. “Now, Kael… how about a little game?”

My brows knitted. “What game?”

“Look up.”

I raised my head. Above, bolted to the ceiling, was a water tank. Pipes fed into it, and just beneath the frame, a red timer ticked down—merciless, steady.

Valerino crouched beside me, lowering his voice as though he were sharing a secret. “Here’s how it works. You’re tied to a metal chair. The room is wired. Once that timer hits zero, water begins to drip. Electricity and water…” His grin was sharp as glass. “Not a pleasant mix, is it? If you’re still sitting here when the water flows, you and your little girlfriend—” he flicked a finger toward Mia— “will fry.”

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

He straightened, dusting his jacket. “So… best of luck, soldier. Prove to me if you’re really worth the stories whispered about you.”

He gestured to his guards, and together they filed out, the heavy door slamming shut behind them.

“Get back here!” I roared, jerking against the ropes, the chair groaning under me. “Valerino! You bastard!”

Only silence answered.

And the timer above ticked down.