With as much courage as I could gather with my trembling legs, I climbed the stairs of the basement. I heard sounds of footsteps after me and that forced me to increase my speed. My heart was racing inside my chest and I could almost hear it in my ears.

I ran as fast as I could but to no avail as I came across a pair of security guards trying to block my way.

"Let me go." I shouted at them. One of them locked my wrist behind my back and the other attempted to block my other hand that I was using to set myself free.

"Didn't you hear what she said? Let her go." I heard Sean's voice as he walked over towards us. His face was black, no guilt, no surprise, nothing that stated I just killed a man. I felt my skin prick as he reached me and freed me from the guards.

"Let's go. We can talk inside." He said, stepping near me and attempted to hold my hand.

"Don't touch me with these hands of yours." I spat, stepping away.

He looked at the guards around us, standing with their heads bowed. "Come inside." He said, this time with a little less softness in his voice.

"I won't." I said and pushed him away.

His nostrils flared at this and he bent down to pick me up and throw me over his shoulder. I screamed and punched his back as he walked forward with me. I struggled with my legs but his hold was too strong and I was too frail.

"Put me down this instant." I said, struggling.

He entered the building and lay me down on the couch once we were inside the lounge. He then put his arms on both sides of me to stop me from running.

"You killed him." I said, ignoring the tears that were spilling down my cheeks. I had never been this afraid of someone before, or this disgusted. I knew before that he wasn't a saint but killing someone is where I drew the line.

"Yes. As you saw." He said without any hint of remorse.

"You.... You..." I stammered, trying to find my words. "How could you? Didn't your hands tremble?"

His dark eyes were void of any emotions, his mouth was pursed and his jaw was clenched. "They did the first time I killed someone. I was 17 then."

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets at this. I tried to shrink back but my back was against the couch. I just knew I wanted more distance between us.

"You are a murderer." I said. "You are an evil person."

"Kind of you to notice." He said. "While we are on the topic of murderers, your father was one too."

His words hit me like ice cold water and I shivered. "You are lying." I denied, trying to push him but he was strong. His chest was like granite and I was too weak to push him.

"I wish I was." He said. "Do you want to know what he did before he was a teacher?"

"He was always a teacher." I shouted. "Don't feed me nonsense."

"That's what he told you. You know what he really was? A criminal, a gangster. A mafia member." He said all those words like they meant nothing.

"You are lying, you dick. My father was an innocent man." I gritted.

"Then why would he send you to us and not some Geography teacher friend of him?" He asked and I felt dizzy all of sudden. This information was too much for me to handle. So many things were running through my mind and making me feel weak in the knees.

"You... You all....Is this.... Do you... belong to Mafia?" I asked, looking around myself, realizing for the first time where I was and around whom. I had spent so many days locked up in house with so many dangerous people.

"I do not belong to mafia, love." His mouth turned upwards in a smirk while his dark eyes burned into my soul. "I am the mafia."

•°•°•°•

I was sitting on the bed, hiding my face in between my knees. Jenny had came many times to take me for dinner but I was in no mood. In fact, I had not eaten anything the whole day.

How could I?

After what he told me in the morning, how could I bring the nerve to eat anything? I was inside the house of a criminal. I had been eating with him, hanging out with him, without realising he was a wicked murderer. Not just a murderer, he was a mafia. To be honest, I didn't even know what exactly mafia meant. I just knew he was a sinister person and I didn't want him around me.

But it wasn't him that had caused me the most pain. It was knowing my father was a criminal like him. The man I had idolized growing up, he had killed people with those hands he used to feed me.

I heard footsteps walking into the room again. "Just go Jenny. I don't want to eat. Leave me alone." I groaned.

When I didn't hear any reply, I raised my head in alarm and just as expected, it wasn't Jenny. Instead, it was Sean holding a plate of rice and chicken in his hands.

"Eat." He said, placing the plate on the bed.

"Go away." I said, glaring at him.

"For someone afraid of me, you have a lot of guts." He said.

"I am not afraid of you. I'm disgusted by you." I said in an accusing tone.

Something flashed in his eyes for a brief moment but he braced himself well. "You should be afraid too. I killed someone, remember?" He said and a shiver ran down my spine.

"Kill me too. Get it over with." I said.

"Not yet." He said. "I need you alive for now so you better not starve yourself."

"Leave me alone then. I'll eat this but I can't look at you for even one more second." I gritted.

"Careful what you wish for." He said. "I am the only one standing between you and your death."

"I'd rather die." I snapped.

"You might." He clenched his teeth. Giving me one last glare, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Unwillingly, I forced the rice down my throat, even though I didn't feel like eating anything.

The next morning, I didn't go for breakfast again. My breakfast was sent to the room through Jenny. I was thankful I won't have to face that man or his brother. Even the thought of them made my skin crawl in horror.

They were monsters behind the facade of elite businessmen. I wondered if anyone at that party knew what is the reality of the Millers. Or maybe they were all criminals as well. I didn't know what to think or who to trust anymore.

I didn't leave the room the whole day, although the silence in the room was haunting me. It was mind numbing that I was under the same roof as them. How many people had died in this house? How many deadbodies is this mansion hiding? What if they had killed someone right here in this room?

I wished I had some way of calling the police. But I didn't have any source. And even if I did, what will the police do? These were strong people with a powerful name and law couldn't do anything against them. Besides, there was still someone out there trying to kill me and this mansion was the only safe place in the whole world for me for now.

Finally at 7, I walked out of the room, wishing I don't come across any of the Miller brothers. But my wish wasn't going to be fulfilled that easily. The minute I climbed down the stairs, I came across Lucas trying to go upstairs.

"Look who it is." He said snarkily. "The poor righteous good girl stuck with the evil gangsters."

"I might not be a good girl but I'm not evil like you or your brother." I said.

"My brother who saved your life multiple times?" He asked. "And you hate him for killing the man hired to kill you? You are an amusing person, Penelope Woods."

"I hate him for being what he is." I said. "And what you are."

"And what are you exactly? The daughter of an ex- gangster?" He asked.

"My father might have been a bad person in the past but he changed. He is nothing like you." I snarled. "You and your brother is a monster."

"You should be glad my brother is somewhat fond of you. I have killed people for less disrespect than you do." He said, more like threatened. In the past, his threats seemed like empty words of a psycho but now I knew they were not empty.

"What else can I expect from a bunch of rascals?" I muttered under my breath.

His eyes furrowed in annoyance and he cupped my face harshly. His fingers digged into my soft flesh and I winced. "See. That tongue of yours might get you killed."

"Ah...hh." I tried to speak but his hold around my mouth was strong and painful. He finally jerked his hand away and I massaged the area with my fingers.

Controlling the urge to spit at him, I just gave him a hard glare and turned around to go back to my room, with tears blinding my vision.

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