SCARLETT’S POV
When I arrived at the parking lot, I went down from the big bike to talk to all of our employees.
“What’s wrong, Scarlett? Why did you gather them all together?” asked Claire as I entered my office.
I sat back in my swivel chair and looked at them all. As I clenched my fists and took a deep breath to calm myself because I couldn’t think straight when I was like this.
“Who did Ken talk to before the problem?” I asked.
They exchanged glances before Ken’s friend Samuel abruptly raised his hand.
“Do you notice anything unusual about him?”
“I noticed something about him. He’s always anxious, and he’s always staring inside his locker,” he said and looked at me.
I nodded and looked around, but a server caught my eye who was sitting quietly next to him and didn’t move, and she seemed to want to tell me something, but she was afraid.
“Jasmine.”
It startled her and couldn’t take a glance.
“Would you like to tell me something?” I asked. She bowed, but said nothing. “Do you have any idea what’s going on with Ken?”
She nodded as she looked at me. “I talked to Ken before he disappeared.” She said, while bowing. I frowned.
“What do you mean before he disappears?”
That meant she knew something about what happened to Ken, which confused me.
“He said he might not return here because of a sin.”
What sin is she referring to?
*** FLASHBACK
“Ken, it’s back to work,” Jasmine tells to Ken, who was standing next to her and holding a piece of paper.
When Jasmine read the contents of the letter, her eyes widened.
“K-Ken, W-what is that? A death threat?!” asked Jasmine, and Ken quickly covered her mouth.
She’s scared because her friend is unusual. This isn’t the Ken she knows.
“Be quiet… They might hear you,”
Jasmine sighed and took Ken’s hand away from her mouth.
“Huh?!? What’s up with you?!? You’ve changed!” Jasmine took the paper Ken had earlier. “This is a death threat, Ken!” she yelled, looking at him. “Why do you have this? Ms. Scarlett deserves to know about this! I’ll call her!” Jasmine turned around to contact Scarlett.
Ken grabbed her phone and dropped it on the floor and step on it.
“Don’t do that! Ms. Scarlett can’t find out!” Ken yelled at Jasmine, whom it took aback, and began crying as she stared at Ken.
Jasmine became confused by what was happening to her friend because she had been noticing a change in the man's behavior for several weeks.
“Ken, what’s the matter with you?” asked Jasmine as she sobbed. Ken shook his head.
“When you call Ms. Scarlett, they could hurt her.” said Ken. Jasmine froze and frowned, she was unable to understand anything.
“What are you talking about? I don’t get it!”
Ken walked around in front of her, frustrated.
“Listen, Jasmine, no one can know this, okay? If you wouldn’t rather not die.” said Ken as he walked in front of Jasmine. It confused her by his presence.
“W-what, are you talking about, Ken? That’s not a good joke!”
Ken came to a halt in front of Jasmine, who was more nervous than him.
“I’m leaving this bar before it’s too late, and I might not return,” said Ken, as Jasmine's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. “I have to stay away so that no one else it harmed, and one more thing, I have committed a huge sin against Ms. Scarlett; please ask her to forgive me.”
He took his belongings from the bar, leaving only his server’s uniform, and Ken didn’t notice that he had hidden the paper beneath his uniform.
“Take care of yourselves; I will do everything in my power to protect Miss Scarlett.” Ken smiled at Jasmine and patted her on the shoulder before leaving the bar.
Jasmine blinked and chased after Ken, shouting “K-Ken!” but failing to reach him.
*** END OF FLASHBACK
“That’s exactly that’s what happened. I-I couldn’t speak right away because it scared me.” said Jasmine as she sobbed.
I averted my gaze and stroked my hair because Ken could protect me, but he didn’t have to because I can take care of myself.
“H-he also put cockroaches and rats inside the bar to close it down; I caught him, but I said nothing because I know Ken is a good person, and he wouldn’t do that to you, and I clean his mess…”
I came to a halt and just stared at Jasmine, who nodded at us. Damn it! They used Ken against me.
“Ken sabotaged us?” asked Claire. I took a deep breath.
“Claire.”
She just shook her head and said nothing, but I knew she was worried about Ken because he was the caretaker at their rest house.
I just sighed, as my fists clenched.
“I went to Ken’s apartment, but no one was there.” I swallowed and turned to face them. “That’s why I gathered you all to find out who he was with and who he talked to; I’ll look for him, and if he’s not found within 24 hours, his case is missing,” I explained. They whispered and looked at each other, and they were concerned about their colleague.
“Ken is a good person; I know he wouldn’t do that if no one told him to, and I also know he won’t do anything that will destroy us.”
I stood up and walked out of my office. I simply grabbed the wall and vented my frustration and resentment over the problems, and I’m at a loss for what else to do. Damn it!
“Scarlett…”
I took a deep breath and looked up at the person in front of me, only to give him a bitter smile.
“How come this is happening to me?”
I sat down weakly, covering my face and crying out all the tears that wanted to fall.
“Shh… I'm here; I won't ever leave you; we'll resolve it together,” said Dominic.
I took his clothes. “D-did I do something wrong? Did I cause all of this? I-I don't know what to do!” I shook him. “T-tell me, is this my karma? Is this my karma for disobeying my family? For choosing to go with you?”
He said nothing, but hugged me.
“Is this all punishment for my sins? I wish I hadn't chosen to love you, and I wish I hadn't followed grandfather's wishes; I wish I hadn't trusted you,” I sobbed as he hugged me.
“Scarlett…”
I just broke down in front of him. Even though I'm a weak now. I can't deal with the problem.
“I will fight for you because I love you more than life, and I promise to fight for you and our children.”
I didn’t respond and just closed my eyes because I had another trial the next day.
Everything does not end here because I know my actual battle, with love, family, and responsibility, is just beginning.
Oh, god… Please guide me!
***
THIRD POV
“Get up!”
He couldn’t open his eyes because it was bruised and swollen.
“Someone wanted to speak with you!”
They dragged him and forced him to sit on a chair, then tied his entire body and legs, so he couldn’t escape.
“Hello, Mr. Ken!”
Ken lifted his body up, but he winced because of the wound on his lip.
“TSK! Why haven’t you killed me yet?” asked Ken as he leaned back in his chair, his body weakening.
He came to a halt when he heard the person he was speaking with laugh.
“We’ll go there as well, but don’t be in such a rush; I have one more thing for you to do.”
Ken shook his head because the person he was speaking with was insane! He hasn’t seen it yet because all he hears are voices.
“I’m done. You’ve ruined Scarlet Knights; isn’t that enough?”
That person laughed once again. “That isn’t enough; it’s still missing; I want her to disappear from our path because she is the only one who can sabotage our plans.”
Ken smirked and looked up at the person.
“I won’t do that anymore. It is not my intention to disrespect Miss Scarlett, so stop because you can’t handle a Knight,” Ken said with a shake of his head, but what their staff didn’t realize was that Ken was already planning an escape.
Even in his last moments, he wished to speak with Scarlett. He no longer has a reason to live because the person he’s speaking with is the person who murdered his family.
“Shut up!”
When a staff member showed up and injected his arm, he closed his eyes and bit his lip.
“Because you couldn’t handle a knight, so you used me to humiliate Miss Scarlett in public.”
He's already sweating because his injuries are worsening.
“One last favor for your last moment!”
“Why not now? You took everything from me, didn’t you? Isn’t that enough?!? You killed an innocent! You killed my family!” Ken yelled as he struggled with the rope, but the staff he was speaking with pulled him and injected him once more.
“Oh! You are to blame for your family’s suffering; if you hadn’t escaped, your wife and child might still be alive.”
Ken clenched his fists and shook his head because the person he was speaking with was insane!
“All you have to do is kidnap her children and bring them here, and then you’re free to go; I’ll look after the kids.”
Ken’s eyes widened as he heard that, and he struggled once again with the rope on the chair, but he was only being given an injection.
“W-what?!? I’m going to kidnap Miss Scarlett's kids?!? You’re insane! Just kill me before the kids get hurt!” Ken yelled as he struggled with the rope.
“You have 24 hours to complete it, or I will kill you.”
Ken gritted his teeth. “You coward! Get out of your cave! Get out!”
The staff punched him to silence him.
“Shut up!”
“Get together with your crazy boss!” Ken screamed as he untied himself, punching and kicking the man in front of him before escaping the room.
When he felt the pain, he grabbed her chest.
“Go after him!”
Ken ran out of the building, and it surprised him to see nothing but grass. He didn’t know where he was going because he feared getting lost in the land.
“Get him!”
Ken turned around and saw that staff were chasing him, so he just ran to the left side and forced his way through, even though it was difficult.
“Stop!”
He didn’t notice and just kept running until a bullet hit his legs and pressured him to kneel.
“F-ck!”
He continued to crawl while trying to hold his legs.
“I have to get to the Knights’ mansion.” he whispered as he sneaked out of the grass.
He must inform Scarlett of everything before it is too late.