[~Song Recommendation: Game Of Survival by Ruelle~] 

A knock on the door prompted Layla to break from her thoughts. In a hurry, she didn't bother to ask the whereabouts of the stranger instead she opened the door without giving much thought. 

She gasped as she caught sight of a man with a cigar in between his smirking lips. She panicked as she noticed him eyeing her from top to bottom.

"Hmm… Such a fine piece you are. What was your name again?" His remark caught her off guard and she was about to close the door when the person set his foot in between the door and doorcase making her attempt futile. 

Layla took a few steps back but since the man was already inside he took a few long strides to catch hold of her hand as she was about to rush further inside.

"Leave me! I'm gonna call the cops! Mom!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was struggling to set herself free. The man suddenly left her from his grasp resulting in Layla falling on her bottom. The little commotion alerted her mom and she rushed from the kitchen to notice the dreadful event that just happened. 

"Le-Leave her Robert… " was the only words Elysia, Layla's mother could utter while she helped Layla to get back on her feet. 

"Elysia… I know she's beautiful but I must say today you're looking exceptional as well. Might be something in the food huh?" Elysisa averted her gaze back to Layla without reacting to the man's dirty remark. 

"Who is he?... What's happening here?" Layla couldn't hold back anymore as she demanded an answer. She hated that her eyes were getting teary due to the overload of emotion.

"Layla please excuse us… I need to talk with him in pri—" 

"No! I'm not leaving you with this filth…" She glared at the man whose eyes were sparkling with mirth.

"Your mom owes me money shorty. So better watch your tongue." Layla turned her gaze back to her mom who was looking down with her slumped-down shoulders feeling defeated. Layla gently approached her mom and made her turn to meet her gaze.

"Tell me…" She said while her stance was clear, she wouldn't budge without getting an answer.

"Layla, a few months back a man promised me twice the return if I invest my money in his fund… I ended up taking a loan from Robert as I didn't have much to invest. Turns out that man was a fraud and now I couldn't even manage to pay the installments," Elysia finished speaking in one breath before she got lost in tears.

"Oh, Mom... You should have told me earlier… Don't worry I'll contribute as well to repay your debt." Layla tried to comfort her however, Elysia shook her head in full denial as she broke away from the embrace and the words she said sent shivers down Layla's spine.

"It's a lot, my child… You don't have to indulge in this mess. I think it'd be better if I accept his offer…" Her voice trailed.

"What offer?" Layla asked feeling frustrated.

"Of becoming my mistress," the man spilled the beans and Layla felt weak on her knees. But she needed to remain strong as she just couldn't let her mother surrender in the hands of a lewd man.

"No need to do that!" Listening to her voice, Elysia gazed up to make her understand but Layla was not ready to listen to anything. By the time she managed to make her mom drop off the idea, the man already got himself comfortable on the couch as he was watching the TV.

"Give me a month Mr—

"It's Robert Martinez sweetheart," the man flashed a smile and came close to her. Layla didn't budge this time as she kept glaring at him with the aura of a tigress. Robert was about to touch a few strands of her hair but Layla swatted his arm away.

Although that was an act of impulse, Layla regretted doing it because, in the next moment, he pushed her against the wall. Before she could react, he closed the distance and locked her in between his arms that were held against the wall. 

Layla tried her best to bend down and release herself from his hold but she failed as he further closed the gap resulting in almost his chest touching hers. She scrunched her nose when the odor of the cigar reached her nostrils. She noticed from the side that her mother was trying her best to pull Robert away.

The man brought his face close to the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent. Layla was feeling helpless although the thought of kneeing him in the crotch did pass her mind but before she could do so the man backed off a little and pushed Elysia's shoulder resulting in her tumbling over the chair nearby and falling. 

Layla couldn't hold herself back anymore after seeing her mom wincing in pain. She pushed him against his chest out of rage with her full might resulting in freeing herself from the man's hold. She rushed towards her mother who was taking in deep sobs lying on the ground.

"How will you arrange the funds?... I'm offering you another choice," he said completely unfazed by Elysia's hand that got bruised. Layla already had a hunch about what he was insinuating but she kept her mouth shut.

"If you become my mistress instead of your mom… considering the body like yours, I'll pay you double maybe triple as well and you can use that to pay off the debt," he said followed by a wink as he kept checking her out.

She kept Elysia in her embrace while sitting beside her and rubbed her tears without giving attention to the man's lewd remark.

"Mom don't worry I'll do something. We can also call the cops. But you don't even think about selling your body ok?" she asserted in a stern voice.

"But still we need to repay him and right now I don't know… And how will you do something?" Elysia sniffled her nose while Layla rubbed her back.

"Give me one month Mr. Martinez," Layla said, this time her voice filled with confidence and determination.

"And what I'll get if you failed to repay me in that time period sweety?" he asked with his eyes glancing in between her boobs and waist shamelessly. Layla was well aware of his dirty gaze.

"If I fail to do so, My body is all yours!" she said with her hands resting on her waist, her eyes shooting daggers at Robert.