Whilst Asher was relishing the news he'd found out about Lena, she was running towards Maria's hair salon, holding three bags filled with shampoos and hair conditioners in both hands.
When Lena raced inside the salon, she came to a halt and let out a heavy sigh when she saw how many people had come for a hairdo.
They had doubled since fifteen minutes ago, she stepped out.
" Chica, drop the bags and get to work." Maria, the owner of the salon, stated as she applied red dye to a customer's hair.
Lena lazily arranged the shampoos and hair conditioners in the designated compartments. She worked three jobs: a daycare teacher in the mornings, a salonist in the afternoons, and a waitress at night, yet didn't feel like she was doing enough.
" Hey Len, how about you give me a haircut." James Weasley waved Lena over with a cheeky smile on his face.
Lena grinned, happy seeing him. She took an apron and put it on before heading to the barbing section where he was.
"Good afternoon, James." Lena greeted squeezing his shoulders as she smiled at his reflection in the mirror in front of him.
James had always been Lena's favorite customer from the moment he stepped into the barber's shop and demanded his hair cut into a mohawk.
James is sixty-two. He always had a lot to say and wasn't the judgy type. He was very fond of Lena, Raymond, and Abby and took them as his kids since he'd lost his three children and wife in a car crash. He was lucky to survive, but he suffered severe brain damage, which made him forget things easily.
" And Raymond." Raymond, whom Lena hadn't noticed was sitting next to James, turned in his seat with a magazine in his hand. " Aw, James, I wanted her to do my hair."
" Wait your turn boy!" James scolded, making Lena chuckle.
" Why don't I call Michelle to give you a fancy hairdo?" Lena teased Raymond.
Raymond frowned and turned the chair straight again. " Michelle is in no way as gifted as you."
" You are just saying that because you don't want to admit you have a crush on her." Lena glanced at Michelle and caught her passing glances at Raymond.
Michelle blushed scarlet and looked away when she noticed Lena had caught her in action.
Because Lena had seen Raymond offering Michelle his umbrella instead of her on a rainy day, she figured he must be into her. It was a huge relief for Lena because Raymond hadn't dated anyone since they became close friends a year back.
She'd set them up on dates countless times which Raymond didn't find funny.
" You keep breaking his heart without knowing it," James stated. If Lena was blind to Raymond's interest in her, he wasn't.
A phone began to ring in the shop, and every one of the worker's eyes widened in anticipation, but they released an unrelieved sigh when they realized it wasn't their phone ringing.
" That's my ringtone," Lena shot out her hand and raced for the stack of phones in a bucket.
" Two minutes," Maria warned and Lena nodded gratefully. " Because you are getting married soon. I'm sure it's your finance calling."
Lena's smile flattened a bit at Maria's words. She nodded, took out her phone from the bucket, and went out of the noisy salon.
It was then she read the caller's ID.
Twin brother.
Lena's smile faded completely. Anytime her brother called, she knew it was either to request money or he was in some sort of trouble. Despite him working under a big firm Asher Josh owned, he still disturbed Lena for money.
Most of his salaries were thrown into gambling and drugs. He hardly had 40 dollars left by the end of the month despite being paid $2000 every week.
Lena had warned him multiple times to quit his addiction but her words fell on deaf ears. The last time he called, he'd asked to stay in her place. That very day, a Mafia lord broke into Lena's house threatening to kill him.
" I'm not ready for another one of your shit if that's why you are calling."
" I promise, I didn't call to ask you for money."
Lena could smell the stench of alcohol from miles away.
" Are you in trouble?" It was either that or money.
Liam said nothing for a nerve-racking second.
" I can explain—"
" I'm cutting the call—"
" Len, please hear me out. I'll go to prison if you end this call, please just hear me out."
Lena's heart sank into her stomach. The last time he got arrested, their mother went crazy and fainted twice, while their father had a stroke and ended up in a wheelchair.
" Lena, are you there?"
" Just talk, please," Lena said through gritted teeth.
" All right. I'll confess, I did also call to ask for money. But it's for a totally understandable reason. Len, the Joshes are after me. I swear I did nothing to them. I only mixed up some of the company data but it's something that could be easily rectified."
" I tried to explain to Mister Josh but he didn't want to listen. I overheard him telling his father to get the police to come after me. I think he is doing all this because you insulted him in public, he wants to have his revenge and he's taking it on me. It's your fault I'm in this situation so you have to help me."
" I'm currently hiding in a friend's house. I can't hide here for long. That's why I need a hundred thousand bucks to get myself out of this country and start a new life… Hello, Lena, you haven't said anything since I started speaking. Shit don't tell me I've been talking to my—"
" Shut up!" Lena barked. " Just shut up."
Maria came out to call Lena back in but when she saw her shaking, she knew someone was off and went back in.
" How can you tell me to shut up in a situation like this!"
" Liam, you know how Dad's health is. How can you do this?"
" I told you, Len, I did nothing. It's all your fault, Asher. Josh wants me arrested." There was a banging on the door from his end. " Uh, send the money before noon. I have to do something important now."
Lena listened to the excruciating sound of silence.
She had managed to save sixty thousand to pay for her wedding since Drake wasn't willing to tip a dime for the wedding. He'd agreed they'd go 80/20 before she found out he cheated on her.
Lena felt her bones melting. If it was possible, she would cancel the wedding and send Liam the money right now but she couldn't. Either way, any option she chose would threaten her father's health.
Lena thought back to what Liam said.
Was Asher really ready to go this extreme to get his revenge on her?
This wasn't just a war again, it's an apocalypse. Two can play that game.
He wants a war. He'd have it.
Breaking into Lena's menacing thoughts, her phone rang again.
This time it's Abby.
" Remember the time you stole the last chocolate chip in the plate, and I got mad, then you said, I could ask you for any favor in the future."
" Yes and why are you bringing that up?"
" I have a favor to ask." Abby drawled in a tender tone.
" And that is?"
" I need you to interview Asher Josh in my place."
" Huh? Are you kidding me?" Lena's jaw was cleaning the ground.
" No, Lena please understand—"
" There is no way—"
" Len, please. This interview is really important to me and my career."
" Then why don't you just do it yourself?!"
" I would have if Benita hadn't called earlier, saying my step-mum had another seizure."
Abby's stepmother has been suffering from leukemia for a few months now.
" Oh my God, is she okay?"
" I wouldn't know if I didn't go home and see for myself. Please, Len, do this for me. I was so excited he chose me for the interview and there's no way in hell I'm going to let my colleagues take my spot. I'll send you the questions you need to ask him. Please, Len."
Maybe she could use this interview to her advantage. There are a lot of questions she'd like to ask Asher.
Questions he wouldn't like to hear.