"This isn't a joke, dad. And he is a man. He knows how to respect me. He make some feel protected, loved, secure and there is nothing more I ask from him. He makes me happy. That is all I need to know. I don't need your feedback about my love life." Jennifer was seething in anger. "You are protecting him, in front of me." Mr. Williams stressed on the words 'him' as he pointed to Adrian and them himself. Jennifer did nothing more than nod while smirking.
"James, take her." Adrian shouted out of nowhere. He was so touched by what Jennifer said that his mind was stuck in those words. When he came back to his senses, he knew he had to take action. In a fraction of second, Jennifer felt a pair of arms pick her up and run in the opposite direction of her father. "Leave me. Leave me." Jennifer struggled against his strong grip in vain.
James put Jennifer down only when he had brought her to the den, and placed her on her bed. "What are you doing? My dad will not spare him. I need to leave. Only I can save him." Jennifer shouted and tried to stand up from the bed only to get pushed by James, again. She kept struggling for a few minutes until James said, "When I brought you here, I wasn't helping my friend. It was orders from Master Adrian. Do you get the difference? He ordered me as the leader of our mafia and I have to fulfill his orders. He have clear instructions that you shouldn't be harmed in the process but if you keep struggling I will have to take some hard action."
Jennifer instantly stopped struggling because she knew if James would have to harm her, it would mean disobedience of Adrian and in the den, if somebody disobeys him, he ends up dead. Jennifer didn't want to be the reason Adrian had to go through the anguish of killing his best friend with his own hands. Also, James was a friend to her as well. She sat on her bed with a loud huff. "Where is Adrian?" she asked.
"He is cleaning up the mess you made." James told her. His voice wasn't the same friendly tone. His voice was firm, and strong as a solider on duty. "The mess? I didn't do anything at all?" Jennifer was so confused now. "Adrian had a plan. Only of you would have listened to me, you would have known that Adrian's was planning to sneak you out and then deal with your father. It would ensure your safety and he could then talk your father into forgiving you." James explained.
Jennifer understood the blunder she created by her impulsive action. "But I was so scared that dad was going to hurt him. I'm sorry. I should have listened to you." Jennifer was feeling so sad. She had made trouble for Adrian and herself, both. Now, Adrian was trying to clean it up. "When will he be back?" she again asked after ten minutes. Jennifer was growing impatient. She kept fiddling with her fingers, the hem of her skirt and pacing up and down the room but the time seemed to not move at all. It seemed like the clock was too tired to move it's hands.
After about hundred glances at the clock, Jennifer again asked James, "Where is Adrian?" This time as well James didn't reply. "Why aren't you replying to me?" Jennifer let out some frustrated tears. She was worried sick about Adrian. James wasn't replying. What on earth was happening? About ten at night, Adrian came back home. Drunk. Jennifer was in her room when the news of Arian coming home reached her ears.
"Can I go and meet him?" Jennifer asked James. "No. He'll come to you." James said and left Jennifer alone in her room. Jennifer didn't know what to do but she knew she had to do something. So, Jennifer sneaked out of her room and stood in front of Adrian's room. The door was slightly open. Jennifer couldn't see anything inside but from the voices inside she could make out the presence of three men inside, Adrian, James and Joseph.
"So, what exactly happened?" James asked. Adrian's voice was more of a slur. Was he drunk? What happened? Why was he drunk? Jennifer's heart sank. A strange feeling inside her told her what she was going to hear wasn't going to be pleasant at all. "Why are you drunk?" Joseph asked. "Y-You" under normal circumstances, Adrian's deep voice would have given chills to Jennifer but this drunk voice was giving her fear.
"I mwessed uppp!" Adrian probably banged his fist on the table. "Would you please tell us what happened? Maybe we can help you." James' voice was laced with worry. "H-He woon." Adrian said. "Who won, Adrian?" Joseph kept his calm was James was loosing it. "I think, he's saying that Jennifer's father won." James' voice was impatient, angry and felt dangerous. "Yesss." Adrian slurred in between. "Adrian, have some water. Please tell us everything." Jennifer was now dreading the upcoming news. Her father won. What is that supposed to mean?
"When Jennifer left, I tries talking to him. But- but Jennifer had already messed up the entire plan." This sentence was followed by a huge crash sound. Most probably, he threw something off his table. "He got to know that we are dating. And- and his only condition to- to" another crash. But this wasn't something. It was somebody. The next noise that Jennifer heard included shuffling of feet, a creek of chair and a soft hiss from Adrian.
He fell down from his chair. How badly drunk is he? He fell down a chair! Please don't build anymore suspense. Spit it out, Adrian. "We made a deal. He will not harm my Jennifer, he will not harm her in anyway. Mentally, emotionally, physically. In any way." This sentence was said too aggressively. More aggressively than needed. "And we will have to break up. I and Jennifer can't be together anymore." Adrian finally burst into tears.
Gasps from Joseph and James was heard after they understood the deal with the devil, Adrian had made. Jennifer was too struck to do anything at all. To move. To speak. To feel any emotion. To even register her name. The entire world was falling apart when Jennifer's feet decided to give up. Jennifer landed in front of Adrian's door on the ground, without even a single noise. Was she hurt from falling? She didn't know. Was her back aching? She didn't know. Was she supposed to cry? She didn't know.