"Haa!"
In the softly illuminated alley, Marina's bare feet pounded against the gritty pavement, each step echoing the urgency within her.
The flickering light overhead cast fleeting shadows on the worn brick walls. As she neared the corner, breathless and determined, her eyes fixated on a concealed door almost seamlessly blending into the building's façade.
A glance over her shoulder heightened the sense of pursuit. The air crackled with tension as she reached for the door, hands trembling. With a swift, practiced motion, the door swung open, as Marina disappeared behind the hidden entrance, the echoes of her footsteps lingered in the soft snow.
Marina steps into the concealed space, her eyes scanning the room from top to bottom, absorbing every detail in the lit interior.
"We aren't open yet!" The male voice sliced through the air, pulling her attention towards the bar table. There, a man meticulously cleaning glassware.
"J.D.," Marina's voice, still husky from her heavy breath, addressed. "The lion. I heard this is his hideout." As she spoke, she slowly removed the hoodie concealing her face.
The man cleaning the cup paused, his eyes lifting to meet hers. His eyebrows raised, scrutinizing the woman.
Marina's face bore the evidence of recent struggles, wounds bruises across her skin. As her eyes met the man, they reflected on the face that showed a scar beating.
"Go back; this is not a place to talk freely." The man snapped, his gaze firm on his task as he placed the glass.
"I will p-pay!" She screamed in desperation, slamming a bundle of money and sparkling jewelry onto the table.
In a swift motion, Marina dropped to her knees, hands clenched and trembling. "If it isn't enough... I can work to repay the remaining amount," She pleaded. "So, please... Let me meet J.D."
"J.D., Ms, you're talking about something different," the man at the bar shot a glance at the woman on the table. "Not even that amount can hire one of his people."
"But, since he's in a good mood and has been watching you..." The man's eyes shifted in a direction, and Marina's head swiftly followed his gaze.
A man lounges on a couch, legs crossed, penetrating gaze fixed on Marina. Her eyes widened; all this time, she couldn't believe another person was here without her noticing even when she was glancing everywhere.
"What do you want?" J.D. questioned, his gaze piercing the shock on the woman's face.
Marina hesitated, feeling a strange intimidation and fear emanating from the man's presence. "Zak."
"He's one of those loan sharks of yours? Please, help me talk to him to give me some time..." She spoke, "I will pay what Ethan Lewiston's owes you."
"Zak?" J.D. queried, his gaze shifting between Marina and the barman, seeking an elusive answer.
"He's one of Jeffy's men, currently overseeing the project in East Land," the barman responded, maintaining a respectful tone towards J.D.
J.D.'s gaze bore into Marina, his curiosity now edged with a subtle hint of suspicion. "And what does that project have to do with you?"
Marina met J.D.'s stare, her eyes carrying the weight of confession. "My father... is the man who sold the land to Jeffy. However, unforeseen circumstances arose; the land, unbeknownst to my father, was essentially owned by someone else. He had unknowingly purchased it from a scammer," She explained, bowing her head in apparent shame. "And then he sold it to you. Please, I beg for your understanding."
A heavy silence enveloped the space, the air thick with unspoken tension. J.D.'s expression remained inscrutable as he absorbed the gravity of Marina's revelation.
"Hmm." A low hum resonated from J.D., a subtle vibration that permeated the quiet space. The man began to shake his leg, a discreet movement that seemed to ripple through the atmosphere. Even the barman lowered his head a bit.
"Your name?" J.D. inquired.
"Marina, Marina Ethan Lewiston!" She hurriedly introduced herself.
"Ms. Marina, how much do you think the land was sold for?" J.D. asked, casually picking up a rock glass.
"Three billion dollars..." Marina spoke, her voice catching in her throat, the weight of the amount palpable to choke her.
"Ethan Lewiston, I heard he went bankrupt in this past two years."
"How did that moneymonger survive?" J.D. interjected, his gaze fixed on Marina with a curious look.
"You feed him?" He teased, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Marina fell silent, lowering her gaze, her eyes narrowing as she sensed the man's amusement taking a more sinister edge.
"So, you will pay me back for what I fed your father, huh?" J.D. questioned the wry smile on his face now holding a subtle threat.
"Yes, I will. I just need some time," Marina declared, her voice steady despite the anxiety bubbling within her.
J.D. silently observed the interplay of determination in the depths of the woman's eyes.
"Sure!" He responded shortly, a glimmer of diversion softening the edges of his gaze.
"Thank you, thank you!" Marina stood up, her gratitude punctuated by a slight bow of her head.
The room held a heavy silence as J.D. remained unresponsive, his eyes following every move as she turned to leave.
"Deals aren't made without deadlines, Ms!" His words wavered in the atmosphere, a subtle warning.
Marina paused, turning around.
"Deadline?"
"What? Your father didn't teach you about business contracts."
"I know nothing of business." She regretfully replied.
"Even a fool would guess that," he tauntily speaks, "You have one week. Please do pay on time."
"One week?" Marina's face paled, the reality of the task at hand sinking in. "That's too little time."
J.D. intensified his gaze, a smirk playing on his lips as he mocked, "...Yet, your father made me pay and lost that amount in one day."
Marina bit her lips, her hurried steps, and left only glancing at the man with annoyance.
Inside, the man tilted his head, still leaning his eyes on the already closed door, "You've got something to say?"
The barman, hesitating, replied, "I do, but..."
"Don't worry, I'm in a good mood, as you said!" J.D. uttered, a sly smirk playing on his lips as he gulped down his beer.
"I was wondering, was this the reason for your visit? To come for her?" The barman's question held a note of uncertainty.
J.D. smirked at the inquiry, rose from his seat, and walked with purpose to the bar table, placing the cup down with a deliberate clink.
Approaching the door, he added a layer of gravitas. "Don't let anyone seek me for the next months, and also..." The door cracked open and closed it behind him with a word of warning to the barman, a whispered command that lingered, "Eradicate Jeffy's right-hand man. Zak!"
As the clicked shut behind J.D., the barman, sensing a newfound freedom, hastily loosened his tie, the knot falling away like a released captive.
Picking up the rock glass, his eyes fell upon a plating card. He retrieved it with a sense of trepidation, revealing a queen. Flipping it over, the reverse side of the card, bore only a single word in Spanish: "Reina" [Queen].
Clank!
His eyes widened in disbelief, and the glass slipped from his hand, clattering onto the bar. The atmosphere in the room changed with uncertainty.
"It's the whisper of the demon," He stammered in fear and chaos, the realization settling in like the dark omen. His hand trembled as he grappled with the ominous implication of J.D.'s visit.