Country A, Inferno Bar.
Mr. Petrova stared at Aisha for a long time before bursting out into laughter. "Geez, just like your father. You may not look like him but your attitude is the same as him." He shook his head in amusement while still laughing.
And I'm wondering why you became my father's "friend", Aisha thought as her face remained blank.
"Mr. Petrova, I won't repeat myself." She threatened as her gaze swept around the naked women, and then stopped at Mr. Petrova.
"Fine then," Mr. Petrova rolled his eyes before he rose from his seat. "Then we'll continue this later. I'll have my men escort you to a new place. For now, I'll change my clothes." He said as he left the room.
As soon as he left, the women all release a sigh of relief as their tensed bodies relaxes while the young girl who is holding a bottle of wine and glass collapsed unto the floor, there are tears streaming down her face as her body trembles. Aisha noticed this and look away from them. Then she took off her grayish loose lapel, leaving her in her white crop top and black jeans, and stood from her seat, and drop it in the little girl's shoulders.
"Ah, this..." the girl was shocked and then look up at Aisha with a surprised expression on her face. "This coat looks expensive, it'll only get dirty and---"
"Shut up." Aisha almost snapped at her blabbering.
The girl visibly flinched at Aisha's harsh tone before shrinking back in fear, her body trembles as she kowtow[1] many times to express how sorry she was.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! Please don't be angry! I'm sorry!" Her trembling intensifies as more tears fell from her eyes. She closed her eyes as she readied herself from getting hit.
"You..." Aisha heaved a sigh of frustration. "Get up! I won't hit you or anything. And don't apoligize."
"Yes!" Although her legs feels wobbly, she manage to stood up while she keeps her head bow.
Aisha saw a bleeding cut from her face. She raised her hand to touch her cut but before her hand make contact with the girl's skin, the girl immediately flinches at Aisha's coming hand.
Aisha sighs in distress and let her hand dropped to her side. "Raise your head and tell me your name and age."
The girl raised her head and look warily at Aisha, and with a shaky voice, she answered, "Hanna Daniels, 16 years old."
So young... Aisha's brows furrowed. "How did you end up... here? Did someone sold you out?"
Hanna bitterly smiled at her, she didn't know why but she feels that Aisha is not someone who will hurt her like the way that "monster" hurt her. "Rather than someone sold me, it was I who sold myself to him."
Now this is something that Aisha wasn't expecting, but this occurence isn't something that hasn't happened before. "Financial problem?" She asked casually.
"Yes," Hanna nodded. "My mother died after she gave birth to me, leaving only me and my father. A year ago, a doctor said that my father has a tumor in his spine and an urgent operation is needed. We didn't have enough money for operation so I look for jobs, and because I was only a minor nobody accepted me except for the bar I was previously working."
And that bar was somehow manage by a human trafficker, Aisha thought.
"But I didn't know that it was those organization who sell women and children," Hanna cries. "Then Mr. Petrova bought me and told me that he will handle my father's operation but he lied. I didn't know that he didn't give my father money for his operation and just let him die. I only know about this a week ago because I was forbid by him to never see my father again.
He's so cruel. A monster! I tried to escaped but he beat me up and fvck me senseless until I could hardly feel my numb body." Hanna once again collapsed as she cried in her hands.
Aisha's chest tightens at this sight. Then a scene suddenly appeared in her mind. A poor girl wearing a high school uniform crying in the street, begging at Aisha to give money for her "father" in exchange she will dedicate her life to Aisha.
It was Nicolette.
The story was somehow reminded of her and Nicolette.
"Do you... want to escape from him?" Aisha asked, then the girl quickly look up to stared at her with teary eyes. "Not just you but also them, do you trust me and escape in this hell? But I must warn you, you may escaped here but the world is as cruel as the one in here."
"I don't think the world can any be more cruel than this." The girl bitterly said.
"Say that again if you went out and experience the true cruelty of this world." Aisha said. "Now, do you trust me and escape here?"
Hanna gritted her teeth, she look at the other two women and they nodded too. She look back at Aisha and stare at her with hope and determination. "Yes, I trust you."
"Good," Aisha nodded but then she froze when Hanna suddenly tackled her in a hug. "Hey!"
"Thank you! Whoever you are, thank you for your kindness." Hanna cried in Aisha's chest.
Kindness... now it was Aisha's turn to smile bitterly. Heh, sure, she is kind.
Ruthless? Yes, indeed, she is ruthless. Merciless? Sure. She-devil? She is one. But that didn't stop her to care for that fake friendship she had once cherish. She didn't want to kill Nicolette, but she also wasn't a pushover.
This is the only chance she will give her to continue living despite her betrayals.
Only chance.
And if she didn't take it then...
She will kill her with her own hands.
Then suddenly the door opened with Mr. Petrova in the door. Seeing this scene, his brows furrowed as he felt something dire will happen. "What's going on here?"
Aisha turn her head to look coldly at him, her hand reaching to pat Hanna's head who visibly stiffen in her arms. Then her free hand reach for the gun in her holster.
Sorry, father, looks like I'll have to kill your friend.
*Bang!*
[1] Kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission as part of Chinese custom.