"You…" Riley's eyes widened in stunned silence as he struggled to process the unexpected sight.
"Surprised? Are we?" The person said with a hint of amusement, a sly smile spreading across his face.
"What are you doing here? What do you want from me?!" Riley asked, the resentment and anger evident in his voice as he glared at the person.
"Ah, Riley. So nice to meet you too, son." The person said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Won't you invite your lovely stepfather in?"
Riley's face reddened with anger. "Bullshit! Go straight to the point, motherfucker!" he spat. How dare he show up out of the blue after all what he did?
Before Riley could utter another word, one of the guards slapped him hard across his face, sending his head jerking to the side. "Show some respect!" the guard barked like the dog he his.
"Bastard!" Riley hissed, not minding the ringing pain in his ear. The guard raised his hand but before he could strike again, his stepdad intervened.
"I think that's enough," he said, his voice low and even, as he raised a hand to stop the guard. "Let Riley and me... talk."
The guard hesitated and then stepped back, not without giving Riley warning looks.
The stepdad's gaze locked onto Riley, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Now, where were we? Ah yes... the point. But before that, mind letting me inside?"
Before Riley could protest, he was roughly pulled inside by the guards. They pushed him aside like a ragdoll, and he landed hard on the worn-out carpet.
His stepdad strolled in like he owns the place as he scanned the dimly lit apartment with his eyes. A low, mocking chuckle escapes his throat as he speaks. "Wow, Riley... you're really living the dream, aren't you?" He said, shaking his head, his smile twisting into a sneer.
"If only you'd been more... accommodating, back then. If only you'd accepted the alpha I so graciously offered you, and didn't make such a scene about it... things might be very different for you now." He locked his gaze on Riley, a glint of malice in his eyes. "But that's not why I'm here, anyway."
"Then go straight to the point! If only I'd been more accommodating? Can you even listen to the nonsense you're spewing? Beating and torturing me like you and your family wanted isn't enough? Trying to make me sleep with someone I didn't want to sleep with isn't enough?" Riley bursted out, unable to contain the anger and hatred brewing inside him. What did they want from him?
Riley heaved angrily and looked dead into his step dad's eyes. "Let me tell you, Glenn. I stopped considering you my stepdad the day you auctioned me off, and that company…."
He stopped, stood up and stride to where his stepdad is sitting down without breaking their eye contact as he held his gaze. "That company is mine, it's my family's sweat and dedication. I'll never let a nobody from nowhere like you claim it. It's just a matter of time, you just wait."
Glenn just stared him up and down then burst out into an angry laugh. "You've grown some wings, haven't you? You dare call me by my name? A lowly omega like you should rot in a brothel!"
"I'll nev…
Glenn cut him off. "I've got no time to argue with my debtor. You…"
"Debt? What the hell are you talking about?" Riley cut him off, half yelling. Debt? How's that even possible?
"Let me land, would you?" Glenn's sly smile grew wider as he savored Riley's confusion. "Two years ago, I invested a substantial amount in your company. And in return, I became your benefactor... and your creditor."
Riley's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? As far as I remember, the company had no outstanding debts."
Glenn chuckled. "Oh, but they do, Riley. You see, the former CEO had accumulated quite a bit of debt before he passed away. And as his heir, you inherited not only his company but also his debts and besides, you're his guarantor. That implies that you've to pay as he is no more."
Riley's face paled. "That's not possible. How did I become his guarantor? There's no outstanding debts and..."
Glenn shrugged. "Believe what you want, but the fact remains that I own a significant portion of your company. And now, I've come to collect."
Riley's eyes flashed with anger. "I'll never let that happen. How do I believe you when there's no evidence to prove that there really is a debt owed by my company?"
Glenn's smile grew even wider. "You want evidence? Okay then." With a wave of his hand, one bodyguard stepped forward, holding what seems like an agreement file.
"Here." The bodyguard throws the file at Riley's face, hitting him squarely on the bridge of his nose. He took it without minding the slight pain, his heart sank as he realized the true extent of his situation.
Barely looking at the back of the file sends chill down his spine. Knowing how cunning his stepdad could be, what if the debt is what he wouldn't be able to pay off?
He opens the file slowly and tentatively, as if doing that would make the content magically disappear. But as he scanned the pages, his heart sank even further. The documents appeared to be genuine, outlining a substantial loan with exorbitant interest rates.
Riley's eyes widened as he saw the total amount due, his mind reeling with the implications. Is this what he called a substantial amount? 500 billion dollars?
"How...how is this possible?" Riley stuttered, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut.
Glenn's smile grew even wider. "Like I said, Riley, you're a clever boy. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to pay me back. After all, you have so much to lose...including your precious company."
Riley's eyes flashed with anger, but he knew he had to keep his cool. He couldn't let Glenn see how much he was rattled. Taking a deep breath, Riley spoke in a calm, measured tone.
"I'll need time to review the documents and verify the debt. I'm not going to blindly accept your claims."
Glenn chuckled. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots, Riley. You have 24 hours to come up with the payment. If I don't see the money by then...let's just say you won't like the consequences and.."
With that, Glenn turned and walked away, leaving Riley feeling stunned, angry, frustrated, and more than a little scared. How'll he be able to come up with such an amount of money?