Chapter 13
MAIN VILLA
4:17 p.m.
I walk into my father’s office, and he doesn’t even glance at me.
I lean nonchalantly against one of the walls, staring at him with indifference.
I’m exactly fifteen minutes late. Knowing that even one minute is unacceptable.
I’m exhausted, but he remains impassive as if he hasn’t noticed my presence. Finally, he breaks the silence:
“You’re late.”
“Getting out of prison isn’t exactly easy. I had to go through all the security checks, and there was traffic on the way.”
“I gave you thirty fucking minutes-you should’ve figured it out!”
“You can’t just walk in and out of prison whenever you want.”
He stands up furiously and sweeps the papers off his desk. I don’t flinch-too used to his extreme mood swings.
“You’re such a fucking failure! Ever since I placed you in that prison, you’ve done nothing but mess up! You haven’t reported a single thing about Alexander!”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
He storms up to me and slaps me hard across the face.
The impact of his hand-and the silver ring on his finger-sends a sharp pain through me. I can feel blood trickling from my lip as my head reels from the blow.
I glare at him with indifference, saying nothing. I wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth with my sleeve.
“Stop raising your hand against me.”
He stares at me, then lets out a bitter chuckle. He adjusts his suit, rolling up the sleeves.
“You think you can rebel against me now, is that it? Don’t forget it’s thanks to me you’re even in this position! In one week, you’ve cost me at least five hundred grand, you stupid little bitch!”
“I wasn’t feeling well, but I’ll make up for it.”
“How do you plan to get my money back?”
“You can deduct it from my salary for the next few years.”
He steps closer and slams me violently against the wall, grabbing my throat.
He squeezes hard enough to lift me until my feet no longer touch the ground.
“Let go of me. Now.”
He smiles.
“You have a real gift for hiding your emotions, even though I can see the distress in your eyes. No one knows you I do. You
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Chapter 13
can lie to anyone-but not to me.”
He’s right. He knows me better than anyone, and it’s terrified me since I was a child. He reads me like an open book.
“I had a great teacher who taught me how to hide everything.”
“The more time passes, the more I wonder how I ever had a child with that whore of a mother you have—and how she gave me such a weak daughter.”
And the more time passes, the more I wonder why I haven’t shot him between the eyes the moment I learned how to hold a
gun.
I don’t let him see how much the mention of my mother hurts me.
He finally steps back, releasing his grip on my throat. I fight the urge to cough.
“We don’t share the same idea of weakness, Khalid.”
“You think that working in a prison makes you one of the good guys now, is that it? Don’t forget this is just an infiltration. You’re still under my orders. You still have to fulfill your fucking duties.”
“I know who I am and what I have to do.”
“You better. You know damn well there’s no place for weakness at my side.”
I glare at him and clench my fists, resisting the urge to punch him in the face. That would be stupid and reckless.
“I’m not weak. I complete missions better than most of your men-those same men who piss themselves when a gun’s pointed at them.”
He looks me up and down, then claps slowly.
I stay indifferent because that usually means whatever he’s about to say will piss me off even more.
“You can do whatever you want, bring in all the money in the world. At the end of the day, you’re still a woman-and that’s your biggest weakness.”
I clench my fists tighter, glaring daggers at him.
“And yet, this woman is pretty useful for your infiltration missions and for charming your old clients, isn’t she?”
“What’s useful is the tits and ass you have, my dear daughter. Don’t think for a second you’re irreplaceable.”
“You don’t send the gang’s hookers for your business-especially not the kind that got me this lovely black eye.”
“You’re the only one responsible for the state of your face and body. You’re lucky I’m not adding more damage.”
“I’ve got a mission to complete. I’d rather skip the bullshit and leave.”
“Tonight, I’ll send you an address. You’ll retrieve a shipment of weapons on your own. Let’s see if you still deserve my trust.”
As I’m about to leave, he suddenly grabs my jaw and forces me to look him in the eyes.
“Be careful what you do, Inara. If I find out you’re trying to screw me over-or that you’re using your time in prison to let yourself get fucked…”
He squeezes so hard that I let out a small whimper of pain.
“I’ll kill you with my own hands after offering you to every man in the gang as a gift.”
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I swallow hard.
“You don’t have much time before Alexander gets out. Hurry up and give me everything I asked for.”
He finally lets go, and I rush out of the office without looking back.
Once outside, I lean against the door and exhale deeply.
I touch my jaw, trying to ease the pain.
