Ruby

Once again, I snapped back to reality upon realizing that the Menacing Aura had gotten stronger. It was the first time I experinced an aura this thick and strong, as if it was devouring me.

As I tilted my gaze to the Mafia King, he was staring at me unblinked with his frowning brows. The atmosphere suddenly lightened again and the Mafia King stepped closer to me as he stated. “You, why are you not kneeling down to me?”

I scrunched my lips and narrowed my eyes in annoyance. Okay, forget I ever called him the oh so majestic Mafia King, this scumbag of a guy just wants me to submit beneath his feet.

“I am too tired to kneel down to someone right now. My feet hurts.” With monotone, I answered his questions.

My daring actions gained a soft gasp from Mark, and a look of utter confusion from this scumbag Mafia King. He was frozen on his feet for a good couple of minutes, long enough for Mark to stifle a single laugh escaping from his mouth.

“How dare you…” The scumbag finally moved and was gritting his jaw angrily. Oops, I might have just made someone angry.

All of a sudden, a hand swept beneath me and grabbed my jaw before I felt my body being lifted up. Gasping for breath, I peered down to the scumbag Mafia King who was choking me as he raised me up.

“You…” I grabbed his hand that was beneath my jaw and scratched it wildly, earning his creasing brows that looks like he’s in pain.

On the other hand, Mark was yelling my name and was about to dart to my direction to save me before four of the men held him back. Although that many people is grabbing him, Mark’s physical strength seems considerably immense, the Mafia King’s men is about to be defeated by him.

“So your name is Ruby, huh?” The Mafia King curled up his lips into a wanton smirk. Instantly after that, the grip on my neck got stronger and I was choking on my breath.

“You bast…” I paused and scratched his hand again. My neck felt painful from the choking and from the burden of having to carry my dangling body while my lungs slowly felt like it was burning. I must do something soon or else I would really die this time. 

An idea suddenly sparked inside my mind. This time, with a sneering gaze, I shot it straight up to his face as I spouted, “This is why… your wife abandons you…”

I don’t know what am I spouting right now, or would it be effective against something like him. However, I know pretty well from his conversations with his men that his wofe is something that gave impact deeply inside him. If I played the cards right, I might be able to manipulate him.

Just as I expected, the Mafia King halted. A few seconds after that he attempted to tightened his grip around my neck again, before all of a sudden, he let me go and I fell down on the floor, coughing.

At the same time, Mark managed to break loose from the four men and ran towards me to check up on my condition. In the midst of this confusion, the Mafia King stepped back and leaned against his work desk. His mean was about to capture the two of us again before he roared.

“Silence!”

The whole room shuddered in fear except me who was massaging my neck and Mark who was hiding me beneath his huge sitting stature. Our gazes is fized to the Mafia King.

For a long moment, he stood still—with one hand covering the upper margin of his face which makes him look like he’s resenting and his shoulders slumped. I feel Mark’s hand rubbing my back and spared him a glance before I returned my gaze to the scumbag.

“You are a ruthless person.” I began, instigating my surrounding while thinking of the most efficient way to pull my cards in this situation. “That was why she left you without you knowing.”

“Shut up!” The Mafia King roared again in anger. Though, without him knowing, the more unstable he became, the more easier it is to talk into him.

I proceeded with my persuasion. “You just make her life miserable with all your shenanigans, that’s why even though she is the only one for you, you refused to accept her, because you are too egoistic.”

Mark was looking at me all the time with his expression telling me he didn’t understand what I was talking about. Though, he was docile while I clung onto him for strength and for protection, which I myself seemed to not know why.

The Mafia King was trembling, probably from anger and annoyance as he threw harmful gazes to me, yet subsequently after that, the imbalance in his emotions started to show when he once again slumped on his desk, regret masking his face.

“Then what should I do…” He muttered all by himself.

He probably doesn’t want his underlings to see him like that, because in the next moment, he motioned all his men to leave the room without bringing me and Mark alone. Now all that’s left is us three, and the last card that I was about to pull that was filled with consequences I might regret.

My eyes drifted to the corner to see the door being closed. Soon after that, I saw the Mafia King was ruffling his hair in frustration.

“Damnit…” He clenched his jaw. “Why must she run away now…”

While he was brooding over himself, I glanced at Mark. His hazel eyes is fluttering at me, as if he’s oblivious of what’s happening, yet at the same time he’s curious.

“What are you doing?” He finally asked.

I answered with a brief clutching of his long coat and a smile tossed at him, before returning my gaze to the Mafia King.

“You…” I said loud enough for the resenting scumbag to turn his head to me.

“I have an offer for you…”