Chapter 3

I was inside, doing the accounts, when the shouting outside startled me.

As soon as I reached the door, the men surrounded me, their faces menacing, as if ready to strike at any moment.

Seeing me, the bald leader barked:

"Get Michael out here!"

"He's not here."

"Not here? Then *you* pay the money he owes!"

With that, two men grabbed my arms, while the others started rummaging through everything.

A drawer full of cash and the money from my fanny pack were taken to their boss.

The man looked at it—all small bills, only a few hundred dollars in total. Enraged, he grabbed a handful of money and savagely flung it at my face.

"Tell Michael, if he doesn't pay up, I'll kill him!"

As soon as he spoke, a black bag was thrown over my head, and I was shoved to the ground.

"What are you doing!"

I shrieked, but no one answered.

A flurry of punches and kicks came without warning, pain assaulting me from every part of my body.

A heavy kick landed on my stomach, and I gasped, unable to make another sound, one thought repeating in my mind:

*Maybe I was wrong about Michael. This time, he really is in debt.*

My consciousness slowly blurred, and I lay motionless on the ground.

They took the black bag off my head, checked my breathing, confirming I wasn't dead.

"Boss, I think she's passed out."

"Alright, Old Michael just said to scare her a bit, not kill her."

The footsteps gradually receded into the distance.

But my heart ached more than my body.

Michael would go to such lengths, even having me beaten, just to make me believe he was truly in debt.

Five days in the hospital, my phone was eerily silent.

Only Daniel called once, about Leo. Hearing I was in the hospital, he just said he'd visit when he had time, but he never showed up.

After being discharged, I immediately bought a plane ticket.