Arriving back at Juan's mansion, I rushed to my room and locked myself inside. Tears streamed down my face as I grappled with the overwhelming fear and confusion of the situation. What had prompted Juan to give me such a deadly mission? We had never discussed anything like this before. I felt betrayed and trapped in a dangerous game.
Throughout the night, I remained locked in my room, crying and questioning the choices that had led me here.
The next morning, I heard a persistent knocking on my door. It was the maid, insisting I come out for breakfast. I ignored her, not wanting to face anyone.
The same scenario repeated at lunch and dinner. I had starved myself all day, refusing to leave my room. My anger, fear, and confusion were consuming me.
Then, just as the evening was settling in, Juan's commanding voice echoed through the door, demanding my presence. "Open the door this instant and have dinner," he ordered.
My frustration and resentment boiled over. "You force me into deadly missions where I almost got killed, and now you're forcing me to have dinner?" I retorted, my voice trembling with emotion.
Juan's response was unexpected. "Fine, I'm sorry," he admitted, his voice filled with regret. "It was Armando's warehouse, and I had to execute the plan."
I hesitated, processing his words. The weight of the situation hung heavily in the air.
"You even told Malik to threaten me by pulling a gun on my head," I continued, my voice cracking as I cried out loud.
"He did what?" Juan asked, his tone filled with shock and disbelief from the other side of the door.
"Why not kill me instead?" I questioned, my voice softening as the exhaustion of the past day caught up with me.
As I kept talking, I noticed that Juan had left the front of my door. My words had hit him hard, and I wondered if he was finally realizing the depth of the turmoil he had dragged me into.
Juan's POV
Anger surged through me as I learned about what Malik had done. How could he threaten Nia with a gun? She was mine, and everyone in my cartel knew they had to respect that.
I didn't hesitate to call Malik out in front of everyone, my voice booming with fury. "How dare you?" I yelled at him.
Malik wore a confused expression, but there was no excuse for what he had done. "How dare you threaten Nia with a gun?" I demanded, my anger intensifying.
Malik stammered, attempting to explain himself. "I'm so sorry, boss," he admitted, guilt and fear evident in his voice. "She was being stubborn, and I couldn't wait any longer. Time was running out."
I seethed with anger. "So, instead, you decided to hurt her?" I asked, my voice low and menacing.
Malik pleaded for forgiveness, desperation in his eyes. "It would never happen again," he promised.
But I couldn't let his actions slide. I turned to him, my anger boiling over, and without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, shooting him in the head. His lifeless body crumpled to the floor.
The room fell into stunned silence as everyone processed what had just happened. I made it clear in no uncertain terms: Nia was mine, and no one had the right to hurt her except me. They all nodded in agreement, a collective acknowledgment of their understanding. "Yes, boss," they murmured.
With that resolved, I ordered them to take Malik's body away. As they began to carry his lifeless form from the room, a female scream pierced the air. I turned to see Nia standing there in shock, her face a mix of disbelief and horror.
Nia's POV
As I heard the gunshot, fear instantly gripped me, and I fled from the room. To my horror, I found Juan holding a gun, and Malik lay on the floor, lifeless. It was a scene of violence that shattered my perception of Juan. I had always believed he was a good person, but now, he appeared as nothing more than an evil man.
Tears streamed down my face as I stood there in shock, fear, and disbelief. Juan didn't waste any time; he grabbed me and pulled me away from the horrifying scene. His grip was firm, and I couldn't help but tremble in his arms.
"Get dressed," he ordered abruptly, his voice devoid of any emotion. "We have to go to the club tonight. Chief Armando is there."
I nodded slowly, still processing the shocking turn of events. "What... what happened back there?" I managed to ask, my voice trembling.
Juan's response was chilling. "Whatever you saw in there, forget about it. Malik deserved it. He had no right to hurt you. None of them do."
His words did little to soothe my fear and confusion. Instead, they added to the growing sense of darkness surrounding us. But there was no time to dwell on it; Juan had a mission in mind.
"You have to find out where Armando is hiding the girls so we can rescue them tonight," he continued, his tone resolute.
I nodded once more, knowing that I had to push aside my doubts and fears for the greater good. I entered my room, hastily putting on a revealing dress and applying makeup, preparing to play the part that was expected of me in this dangerous game we were about to play.
As Juan dropped me off in front of the nightclub, he instructed me on my mission. "You go in there, flirt with him, and gain his trust," he told me before zooming off in the car, leaving me with a sense of unease about what lay ahead.
I entered the nightclub, my mind still reeling from the earlier shocking events. I decided to start with a drink, making my way to the bartender and ordering one. The liquid burned down my throat as I tried to summon the courage needed for the task at hand.
Soon, I ventured onto the crowded dance floor, scanning the room for Chief Armando and his entourage. It didn't take long for me to spot them, but as I approached, one of Armando's men blocked my path.
"Leave her. I know her," Chief Armando said, waving his man away and indicating that I could join them in the VIP section.
"Hola," I greeted him with a soft smile as I reached their table.
"Hola, señorita, as beautiful as ever," he responded, kissing my arm in a gesture that made my skin crawl. I had to remind myself that I was playing a dangerous game.
"I heard you lost your friend Sofia and you're looking for her," Armando remarked.
"You can drop by the station later, I'll help you," he offered, his gaze fixed on me.
I maintained a flirty facade. "Well, I was, but not anymore. I'm taking her place in the contest now," I replied with a teasing tone, "and I'll make a hot beauty queen." Armando chuckled in response.
"You're so hot. How about you drop by my house later, and we could have some fun?" he suggested, handing me a glass of alcohol. I took it, trying not to reveal the disgust I felt.
"Okay, Chief," I responded flirtatiously, playing along as I took a sip from the glass.
As I engaged in this charade, a message from Juan appeared on my phone. The vibration caught my attention, and I discreetly checked it.
"Excuse me, Chief, I need a minute to use the restroom. Girl's stuff," I said to him, using the opportunity to escape the uncomfortable situation. Chief Armando nodded, seemingly understanding, and I made my way to the female restroom.
In the restroom, I met Juan, who had sneaked in through one of the windows. He asked if I had brought Chief Armando's phone, and I showed it to him. Juan praised me, calling me a "good girl." As he collected the phone, we realized we had limited time before Chief Armando noticed his phone was missing.
Juan attempted different passwords, but none of them worked. The tension was rising. "We have to be fast before he notices his phone is missing," I urged. Juan continued trying passwords, and then, miraculously, the phone unlocked. I was surprised by his skill in guessing the password.
We quickly scanned through Chief Armando's messages and found an address sent to him from an unknown number. The message was chilling, with the caption "the girls' location, we will move them soon." We took a picture of the address, and Juan stated, "I'll send it to my men now. We have to go there immediately."
I pleaded with Juan to let me go with him. "I just need a minute to sneakily return his phone so he won't suspect me," I explained. I left the restroom and returned to Chief Armando's side, where he was still surrounded by two other ladies, flirting with them. I discreetly placed his phone next to him.
At that moment, one of Chief Armando's men approached him and whispered something in his ear. He made his excuses to the ladies, who sounded disappointed, and then left with his men. I breathed a sigh of relief and rushed back to the female restroom.
Inside, I found a disguise outfit that Juan had left for me. I quickly changed my clothes, transforming my appearance. When I emerged, I joined Juan and the others in the car, and we sped off toward the unknown location on the outskirts of SanCasas, determined to rescue the girls and put an end to Chief Armando's sinister operation.
We arrived in front of the old factory building, and Juan had a plan on how we could sneak in. We entered stealthily, with Juan and his men silently taking down the guards one by one.
As we moved deeper into the factory, we reached a large gate, the kind that opens from the top, like a garage door. Juan skillfully opened the gate from above, but to our surprise, we were met by a familiar figure standing before us, surrounded by armed men.
"Hello, Son," Chief Armando said with a sinister smile. Juan's eyes widened in shock as he stammered, "Dad!