004
1193 Words
In a deserted house near the ocean, Mr. Cole held his trembling wife close with one arm while clutching a heavy suitcase in the other. The air inside the abandoned building was thick with dust and tension, every creak of the wooden floorboards amplifying their fear.
As they stepped inside, they spotted a man sitting lazily on a dirty, torn sofa, his face hidden behind a black mask. His posture was relaxed, but there was something dangerous in the way his gaze followed them.
He rose slowly and approached them, his voice cold and commanding. “Where’s my money?”
Mr. Cole tightened his grip on the suitcase and took a deep breath before extending it toward the masked man. “It’s here. Now, where is my daughter?”
“Chill, old man,” the kidnapper drawled, smirking beneath the mask. “Your precious little girl is safe.”
He clapped his hands once, and a few seconds later, a huge man emerged from the shadows, leading a blindfolded Alina by the arm.
“Alina!” Mrs. Cole gasped, rushing forward with tears streaming down her face. She threw her arms around her daughter the moment the blindfold was removed, holding her as though she’d never let go again. “Baby, are you okay?” she asked, frantically checking her over.
“Yes, Mom… I’m fine,” Alina whispered, clinging to her mother as if afraid she’d disappear again.
Mr. Cole quickly joined them, wrapping his arms around both of them.
Without sparing another glance at the kidnappers, Mr. Cole guided his wife and daughter out of the house.
A MONTH LATER.......
“Honey, I’m tired of everything,” Mr. Cole said, rubbing his temples in frustration. “I’ve tried my best to convince ‘the Devil’ to invest in our company, but he won’t budge. And if he doesn’t invest…” He sighed heavily, his voice cracking. “I’m afraid we might lose everything, even this house.”
Just as Mrs. Cole opened her mouth to reply, a soft voice came from behind them.
“Why would we lose the house?”
Both Mr. and Mrs. Cole turned around to see Alina walking toward them, her brows furrowed in concern.
“Hmmm… nothing much,” Mr. Cole said quickly, forcing a smile. “We were just… discussing something.”
“Dad,” Alina said firmly, crossing her arms. “I’m not a little kid anymore. I’m twenty. You can’t fool me.”
Mr. Cole exchanged a helpless glance with his wife, unsure what to say. He didn’t want his daughter to worry, not after everything she’d already been through.
“Alina, it’s just…” Mrs. Cole began but trailed off, struggling to find the right words.
“Mom, please,” Alina pleaded, her voice trembling slightly. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
Mrs. Cole took a deep breath and finally met her daughter’s eyes. “Alright,” she said softly. “I’ll tell you.”
She hesitated before speaking again, pain evident in her tone. “When you were kidnapped, the kidnapper demanded ten billion dollars. Your father didn’t have that kind of money, so he had no choice but to borrow it from the bank… using the company and the house as collateral.”
Alina’s heart tightened as she listened, her lips parting in shock.
Mrs. Cole continued, “Now, the bank is pressing us hard to repay the money with fifty percent interest. If we fail, they’ll seize the company… and even this house.”
Alina stood frozen for a moment, her mind blank. Then tears welled up in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably. Because of me… they’re losing everything. She felt cursed, like bad luck followed her everywhere she went.
“Darling, stop crying,” Mr. Cole said, pulling her into a gentle hug. “Everything will be alright. I just need ‘the Devil’ to invest in the company, but so far he’s refusing. I’ll find another way, I promise.”
Alina sniffled and wiped her tears, then looked up at her father, confused. “The Devil? Who is that? Is he… is he really the devil from hell?”
Mr. Cole scratched the back of his head nervously, avoiding her gaze at first. But Alina’s determined stare left him no choice but to answer.
“The ‘Devil’,” he said slowly, “is a man feared by everyone. They say he came straight from the darkest parts of hell, a man with a face as beautiful as Adonis, yet more dangerous than any enemy. His voice is deep and enticing, like an angel’s whisper… but his smile can freeze your heart and make you feel like you’re standing at death’s door.”
Alina swallowed hard, curiosity and dread mixing in her chest. “What’s his name?” she asked softly.
Mr. Cole looked straight into his daughter’s eyes, his voice low and heavy.
“Liam Destyra.”
........
A man stood beneath the blood-red glow of the setting sun, his hands drenched in crimson, his shirt dripping with the blood of his latest victim. The lifeless body at his feet lay twisted on the ground, eyes frozen in eternal terror.
His pitch-black hair clung to his face, partly shadowing eyes so sharp and hypnotic they seemed to pierce through souls. Alluring yet deadly, they were the kind of eyes no one dared hold for more than a heartbeat lest they be consumed by the darkness within them.
Caleb, Liam Destyra ever-loyal assistant, stood a few steps away, his face impassive though his heart pounded. He had seen his master like this countless times, yet the sight always sent chills crawling down his spine. Clearing his throat carefully, he spoke.
“Master… regarding the Cole family matter,” Caleb began, his voice respectful. “They’ve requested a meeting with you tomorrow afternoon. They’ll be bringing their daughter with them. Should I… refuse their request?”
Liam remained silent for a long moment, still gazing at the dying sun as if drawing strength from its fading light. Then, slowly, a cold smile curved his lips.
“Refuse them?” he said, his voice low, velvety, yet laced with danger. “No… why would I refuse?” He finally turned, his gaze locking on Caleb like a predator sizing up prey. “If they’re desperate enough to offer me their daughter to save their empire… who am I to deny such a delightful sacrifice?”
His tone dripped with mockery, his eyes glinting with merciless amusement.
Caleb swallowed hard, a flicker of unease flashing across his features. He had witnessed what happened to those who tried bargaining with the Devil before, it never ended well. Still, he bowed his head in obedience.
“As you wish, Master.”
Liam’s smile deepened, darker this time, as he glanced back at the corpse beside him. The setting sun bathed him in a hellish glow, making him look less like a man and more like the demon the world believed him to be.
“Tomorrow,” Liam murmured, his voice a chilling whisper, “will be… interesting.”
- Writer
