Owning Her Body

Chapter 2: Go to Bed

"Lucas Morrison!" He imitated me.

His breath was brushing the back of my neck. He was so close to me. I could feel the warmth of his body. This proximity and the message his breath conveyed to my entire body had me under its spell.

I was taking short breaths, my heart rate was racing, causing my palms to sweat. For the first time in my life, I was overwhelmed by such emotions. I couldn't comprehend the reason for these reactions in my body.

Was it because of Lucas Morrison or fear?

"Don't you have any plans to face me, Victoria?"

The way he says my name...

It filled me with an indescribable sensation. I had never felt such emotions before. His smirk reverberated in my ear as he continued to stand behind me. It felt more like a taunt.

Lucas Morrison was warning me that I was in danger not only because he was the son of the mafia, but also because of his actions.

While Nicolas Morrison continued to speak at the podium, I couldn't concentrate on him. His voice sounded distant, or maybe I couldn't comprehend it because I felt dizzy.

I slowly bent down and picked up my phone that had fallen on the ground. Lucas was so close to me that I was very afraid of accidentally brushing against him.

I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and turned to face him. When our eyes met, the mocking expression on his face slowly faded. He was staring directly into my eyes. It seemed like he was making an effort not to look away.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked again.

My tongue felt numb. Finally, two words escaped my lips. "I apologize."

Why did I apologize? I didn't know either.

"Why are you apologizing? For following me or for lying?"

When I stayed silent, the corners of his lips curled up. "I understand you, Victoria. From now on, before every step you take, look in front of you, behind you, to your right, and left, okay? You know very well what will happen if something goes wrong."

He openly threatened me not to tell anyone. I was trembling with fear. When I didn't speak and gazed at his face, he said firmly, "Do you understand?"

I nodded my head.

"Beautiful. Look how well we got along. I realized that you are a smart girl, Victoria. I'm sure you'll keep your mouth shut."

I couldn't speak; I was just shaking. It made me nervous to feel so defenseless in front of him.

"Lucas!" A rather naive female voice suddenly said, and his gaze shifted to her.

When I turned my head, a very beautiful brunet girl was looking at us with narrowed eyes. Judging by her facial features, she was around my age, but she looked just as much like Lucas Morrison.

"Be careful, Victoria..."

He said the same thing again. Then he left me and went to that girl. He put his arm around her shoulder. He was definitely her lover. It was almost impossible for such a man not to have a girlfriend.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You will call me brother!" Lucas' words echoed.

Brother? Are they siblings?

"Are you my older brother just because you were born a minute before me?"

I now understand better the reason for the similarity. That girl was his twin sister. They walked to their parents while observing them closely.

Later that night, I kept my distance from Lucas Morrison and his family as much as possible.

As I left there exhausted, I pondered the night until I reached home. My life was usually quite peaceful. I wasn't someone who got into trouble often because I preferred to keep a low profile. My family have already taken all precautions to protect me from harm.

Upon entering our apartment, the door opened immediately. This unintentionally brought a smile to my face. Whenever I was late, they would welcome me at the door. Their fondness for me stemmed from the fact that they had me quite late in life.

"Welcome, my dear."

I hugged them both simultaneously. They embraced me and led me inside. As I sat wearily on the couch, my mother brought me a hot cup of tea. Sipping it, my exhaustion gradually melted away.

"Girl, I don't want you working at night. There are thieves out there. We've seen it on the news. We're worried. Plus, you get very tired," my Dad said.

When he said that, I took his hands, which were blackened from working in the factory, and kissed them.

"Dear Dad. Don't worry about me. I'm happy. And you protect me from all evil."

My dad pulled me into his chest.

"Your dad is right, honey. I'll do more cleaning. The fact that you work at night makes my heart skip a beat," my mom said.

Upon hearing that, I also kissed her cheek.

They cared for me deeply. Since I was studying architecture, I had a lot of expenses. It was very challenging for my family to keep up with all of them.

Just as I was about to say something, I heard Nicolas Morrison's name on television. I focused on that.

"I was just there. That man also received an award," I mentioned.

While I continued to watch the television, my dad asked me, "Did you work where Nicolas Morrison was?"

As I turned to him, I noticed that my father had suddenly turned very pale. I nodded vaguely. What was with his expression? Why was he so nervous?

"Dad, why are you so nervous? Who is he?" I asked him.

It would be better to pretend that I didn't know who that person was. Maybe he was just worried about me. Especially if he found out about what I went through with Lucas Morrison, he might become even more concerned about me.

"Who else was there?" Dad asked nervously.

"What kind of question is that? I don't understand."

"Who else was with you?" he repeated.

Did my father know him? I couldn't make sense of his behavior at the moment.

"He was with his son and wife," I replied.

I noticed my father taking a deep breath. He definitely knew that man.

"Do you know him? Who is he?" I asked him.

He ignored my question. "You won't go to those kinds of places from now on, Victoria. If needed, I'll work extra shifts and cover what you're lacking. Is that okay?" he said.

I shook my head at the sternness in his voice. This was the first time my father had spoken so harshly to me.

Dad also stood up from his seat, "I'm going to bed."

I watched him leave in surprise.

I turned to my mom. "What is he saying, Mom? Why did he get so nervous? Who is that man? Does Dad know him?" I referred to Nicolas Morrison.

Mom patted my back and said, "He gets upset when you work, that's why he reacted like that. You also mentioned earlier that the man was at your workplace."

As she said that, my heart sank.

My father definitely knew Nicolas Morrison.

***

I haven't been able to go to work for a few days because my exams started. My father had already instructed me not to go, not just that night but also the following day. Even though I felt uneasy about this, I couldn't disregard my father's words.

I realized that I was spending a lot of time in the school library because I had an important exam the next day. It was almost nine o'clock. Strangely, neither my mother nor my father had called me.

This surprised me.

I tried calling them, but they didn't answer.

Had something happened to them? I left in a hurry.

As I boarded the first bus and arrived home, I started climbing the stairs without waiting for the elevator. When I reached our apartment, I was halted in the middle of the stairs by what I saw.

The door was slightly open, revealing a distressing scene. They had my mother and father kneeling on the ground with guns pointed at their heads. There were at least five or six men inside.

I was frozen, gripping the banisters tightly.

What if they harm them? From my vantage point, I saw a young man with tattooed hands start speaking.

"Ozer, it's been a while since our last encounter. You worked with my father when I was younger, and now I'm here. Remember me? I am David Thompson."

What was my father doing with those men? What is happening now? When I saw these individuals, my mind immediately went to Lucas Morrison, but it wasn't him. This man was someone else.

"What do you want from us? Why did you come here?"

He approached my father with his question. "Where is the girl?"

Girl? What were these men talking about?

"W-which girl?"

The man identified as David grabbed my father's chin and squeezed it tightly. "Stop lying! You know exactly which girl I'm referring to. You know, that baby was supposed to be dead, but surprise, she's alive! Where have you hidden her?" He shouted.

Baby? Girl? Supposed to be dead? What was going on?

My father shook his head. "N-no, she's dead."

My mother was silently weeping beside him. What were they keeping from me? The most concerning part was my father's connection to these men.

David retrieved his gun from his waist and pressed the trigger. He forcibly opened my father's mouth and inserted the gun inside. I covered my mouth, trying hard not to scream.

"I'll shoot you in the head! Just like this! Where is the girl?"

I was frozen in place. Even if I approached, I felt powerless, but I couldn't bear to witness their deaths right before my eyes.

Just as I was reaching for my phone in my bag, someone exclaimed, "Boss, the girl is here!" they yelled.

As all eyes turned towards me, my father gave me a subtle signal with his eyebrows. What did it mean? As the men advanced towards me, I sprinted down the stairs.

"Stop!" they shouted.

Leaving the apartment, I glanced left and right. I ran to the left, unsure of where to go but determined to find a place to blend in with the crowd or seek help from the police. I could hear their footsteps closing in behind me.

"We will catch you eventually! Stop!"

They yelled, but I couldn't halt.

At this late hour, many children were usually playing ball in our neighborhood, but the streets were eerily empty.

As my heart raced wildly, I ran towards wherever my instincts led me, without looking back. The back part of the neighborhood was a notorious and troubled street. It was filled with all sorts of unsavory characters.

I had heard that there were a few well-known nightclubs in that area. My instincts guided me there. Once I entered that street, there was no turning back. I spotted the lights at the entrance of the street. There was a large crowd of people gathered there.

If I could blend in with the crowd, they wouldn't be able to find me. With the pursuers on my tail, I dove into the crowd. As a group of people prepared to enter, I merged with them.

Upon entering, the loud music deafened my ears. The heavy scent of cigarettes and sweat filled the air.

I found myself in the midst of it all, feeling out of place. While everyone else was enjoying themselves, I started to spin around in confusion.

Spotting the men, I hurried up the stairs. Thankfully, they didn't notice me. As I reached a long corridor with multiple rooms, I randomly entered one. My heart was pounding as I waited with one hand on the door handle, startled by every sound.

And then, I heard a familiar voice.

"Go to bed!"

What was he doing here? In my attempt to escape danger, I had inadvertently thrown myself into an even greater peril! I was at a loss for what to do next, my heart pounding in my chest. I searched for an exit door, but none was in sight.

"Why are you hesitating? Move!" With his words, I remained frozen in place. I couldn't go back to him even if I wanted to, yet I couldn't leave either.

Tears welled up in my eyes as he suddenly grabbed my arm and turned me towards him. Without a word, he pressed his lips to mine without even looking at my face.

It was Lucas Morrison kissing me.