HIS PURCHASED CAPTIVE

The Contract

ALEX

"No, ooooooooooooooooooooooo, please, Capo, pleaaaaaase!" Festus screamed in pain.

"Lucifer, please, we can settle this man to man."

"Well, now you realize we can settle this, don't you?

I considered you my blood, my best friend — but I never knew you were my hidden enemy.

I want you and the others at my mansion within thirty minutes. If not, I'll send your brother's corpse to you. You know who I am — I am Damon, and no one crosses me and walks away free."

I called my aunt and uncle and explained everything to them. They realized their lives were now at stake.

Immediately, aunt and uncle began trembling with fear.They had heard enough about Damon to know what that meant.

We all left the building to head to Damon's mansion to save Lucian. Tessa felt a wave of panic, realizing their plan had fallen apart.

"Baby, don't you think I'm too young to die? I think I'll just go home now. But please, say hi to my late parents. I miss them so much. I'll see you all again someday," Tessa said.

"Aunt, are you serious?" I asked

"Yes, I'm serious. Am I even really part of your family?"

"What?!"

"What did you just say?" her husband asked, in shock.

"I said I'm not part of your family. I don't even know you people, so all of you can leave me alone."

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"I'm dead serious. I've never seen any of you before in my life."

"Aunt, if we're going to die, we're dying together — no one is leaving. If you're too young to die, why did we want to kill Damon in the first place? Tell me why. So we could take over his property , isn't that the real reason? And now you're telling me you're too young? How is that my problem?" I roared angrily.

"I think my wife is right,"my uncle said, and I stared at him in shock.

Are you two joking, or what?"

"I'm being completely serious. I'm too young to die. I still have things I want to achieve in this life," Tessa said, and I stared at her, stunned.

"Well, I think it's time I repent before it's too late. I'm not going anywhere with you either. When you get to heaven, greet your parents for me ; we'll always remember all of you,"my uncle said, and I felt a surge of anger.

"If either of you take one more step, I will spill your blood."

"But you know—"

"Keep quiet, now!"

In Damon's mansion

"The three of you are more than welcome at my mansion."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Madam, would you please be quiet."

"I'm innocent — I was just—" Tessa was trying to explain when she was met with a hard slap.

"How dare you lie, Aunt."

"I said I don't know any of you. Stop calling me 'Aunt.'"

"Baby, I under—"

"Sir, who is your 'baby'? Why did you people kidnap me? I'm an innocent woman."

Damon stared at them, and before they could process what was happening, a sudden gust of wind knocked them all flat, groaning in pain.

"Stand up," he said, in the calmest, most terrifying voice.

"Chris, get the ropes."

The ropes were brought, and Damon ordered four of his men to tie nooses around their necks.

His men also scattered broken glass across the ground beneath where Alex and his family stood.

"I won't ask twice — why do you want me dead?" Damon asked quietly.

No one dared to speak. He gave a signal, and his men brought out their whips.

They struck them, and with every lash, the broken glass dug deeper into their legs, tearing new cuts.

Tessa screamed in pain, and the louder she screamed, the harder the whip came down.

"I'll confess! I'll confess! Pleeeeease!" Damon raised a hand, and the men stopped.

"So — woman, speak, and speak fast."

"I promise to explain everything, but please, promise me I won't die. And please, water — I can barely breathe with this rope around my neck."

"Well, madam, will you speak now, or would you rather I kill you where you stand?"

"Ok, ok. Alex and Festus are your parents' killers, son."

Damon stared in shock, trying not to let his surprise show. I killed everyone connected to their family — how does this woman claim they're related to me?

"I know you might think I'm lying, but they've lived with me and this man here since childhood. For years, this man and his brothers have been searching for ways to hurt you.

I tried my best to talk them out of it, but their minds were already made up."

"Who is this man to you?"

"Erm — erm, actually, he's my ex."

"What?!"

"You mean this man is your ex?"

"Yes, sir, I swear he's my ex. We hate each other deeply — it's exactly because of their plotting against you that I divorced him."

"Mr. Man — is she telling the truth?"

"Yes, she's my ex. I just got back from a business trip. I came home to find my cousin and my ex-wife arguing, and—" Before he could finish,

Damon stared at him, and he felt his skin begin to burn.

"Arrrrrrrgggg, please, I'll tell you the truth!" he screamed in pain. "No, oooooooooooooooooooooo!"

The next thing he felt was an invisible slap, and he screamed louder ; the more he screamed, the worse the pain became.

Lucifer turned his gaze to Therese next, and she began screaming too.

"I'll tell the truth! I swear, I won't lie, pleeeeease!" she screamed in pain.

After a while, Lucifer stopped and asked, "Do you know why I'm punishing the two of you right now?"

"No, sir."

"You lied to me.

You are going to tell me everything you know about my parents' death — from the very beginning to the end. And I won't spare your life if you dare lie to me."

FLASHBACK

Fourteen years ago

"Julian,(Damon's father) "I promise this contract will bring in a lot of money, and you could use your share to build more companies. I know that's what you'd do with it once we win the contract," Desmond(Alex's father) said happily.

"Of course, that's my aim. I want to leave a lot of properties to my son, so I need to work hard. Well, send your money to me so I can add mine and forward it to the company."

"What are you talking about, Julian? I thought we already settled this."

"How?"

"I explained — you would lend me money, and after the contract, I'd pay you back from what we earn."

"What?!"

"Yes, I'm cashless right now."

"You mean I would be the one covering everything?"

"Yes, and once we win, I'd pay you back."

"On one condition."

"What condition?"

"Seventy-thirty."

"What?! For what?"

"You want to borrow money for the contract, right?"

"Yes."

"So I'm saying the split would be seventy-thirty, and you already owe me a lot of money — so I'll be collecting that after this contract too."

"Are you joking?"

"I'm dead serious. This is business."

"But we're friends — it should be fifty-fifty."

"Over my dead body. Have you forgotten all the money is mine?"

"And have you forgotten I was the one who told you about this contract in the first place?"

"Well, Desmond, there's no friends or enemies in business. We're talking business here, and my final answer is seventy-thirty. Take it or leave it."

"I swear you'll regret this. Fear my return, Julian, because all this wealth will one day be history — I promise you."

"You can't do anything but keep complaining. It's seventy-thirty, take it or leave it."

Desmond went home and told his wife, Racheal, everything. Racheal sighed deeply, and the next thing Desmond felt was a hard slap.

"What was that for, Racheal?" he asked angrily.

"For being a fool all these years."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how could you only be telling me this now? All these years, you kept this from me."

"I'm sorry, Racheal."

"Well, it's fine now. Do you want all his money and more?"

"Of course, Racheal."

"Then the best solution is to eliminate him and his family."

"What? Tell me you're joking."

"You want me to kill my best friend, all over money?"

"Yes."

"You're a heartless woman. Now I see — you're truly evil."

"And you're a fool. He's your best friend, and look at how we live. He's your best friend, and he's never really helped you. Even when he does, it's only occasionally. He's your best friend, and yet you look like his servant standing next to him.

Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Can't you see how your other friends live, especially your so-called best friend?"

"But, Racheal—"

"Brother, I think Racheal is right. Let's kill their family, and we'll finally have wealth and power. Everyone will know us, everyone will respect us. Let's just kill them — their money alone could make everyone bow to us," Julian's younger brother said (Alex's uncle).

"I think I agree. So how do we handle them?"

"Leave that to me, brother. Just play along, and after the contract, we strike."

Some years later

The contract was a success, and Desmond and his family made several attempts to kill Julian and his family but every attempt failed, because Julian was not only wealthy but powerful. Eventually, Desmond discovered Julian's weakness and used it against him.

The day Julian and his wife were killed, Desmond and his wife also planned to kill their only son, Lucas along with Ma Alice, his nanny but the two of them were never found.

Desmond and Racheal later allowed Festus and Alex to live with Desmond's brother and Tessa, his wife.

Back to Present Day

"That's everything that happened. Please, we're truly sorry — please don't kill us. We promise to change and become better people," Tessa said, terrified.