SCARLETT’s POV
***
“Good day, Ms. Scarlett!”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, Miss! I’m returning to work!”
***
“Ms. Scarlett,”
“It’s your pay for working all day.”
“If you don’t accept it, Ken, I’ll be mad at you.”
“OK, this is also a big help because my sons need it, Ms. Scarlett; I will look forward to this until I die.”
***
“KEN!”
I woke up suddenly, panting, and I never expected to dream of Ken.
I hope nothing bad happens to him because that’s what I’m worried about. The last time I saw him, he told me something. Everything makes sense. That’s why he seemed different the last time I spoke with him.
When I felt hurt, I held my head up, maybe because of my dreams. I got out of bed and went outside to get some water.
I even looked out the windows of the mansion, where the wind was blowing the curtains, and it started me when there was a strong lightning strike, showing the upcoming storm.
Furthermore, I just hugged myself until I got to the kitchen to get some water to drink because my throat was dry. But I came to a halt when I heard a rustling sound.
“Who is that?!?”
When no one answered, I frowned because the entire mansion was already dark and only thunder provided light.
I shrugged it off, thinking it was just a strong wind. I drank more water and bowed as I wondered where Ken had gone; They had not found him yet. Damn it!
When the sound became louder, I turned to the back mansion and noticed that the door was open.
Did they forget to shut the door?
I just hugged myself because I was feeling a little nervous! F-ck! Because the guards are strict, no one can enter the mansion accidentally.
The glass I was drinking fell because I bumped into it in shock when there was a strong flash of lightning and my eyes widened as there was a shadow standing right at the door.
“W-who is that?!?” I asked as I attempted to approach, but the only light was thunder, so I could see him but couldn’t tell whose shadow it was.
“W-who are you? You have no right to be here.”
I got even closer and looked around to see why our staff wasn’t there, and they let someone in whom they knew it’s forbidden by the chairman.
“M-Ms. Scarlett…”
When I recognized that voice, I came to a halt and covered my mouth.
“K-Ken?”
He smiled and then collapsed. “K-Ken!” I yelled as I approached him, my eyes widening as I saw him up close.
It covered his body with bruises and wounds. I also noticed a bullet wound in one of his legs.
“Who did this to you?”
I’m not sure what to touch first on his body, and I’m also confused about why he looks like this.
“Who yelled?”
“I think that’s Scarlett, uncle.”
I’ve heard the voices of my cousins, who are staying here to resolve the issue about me and my family.
“I heard a scream coming from the kitchen!”
“Holy sh-t, Scarlett!”
I cried as I looked up at my cousins.
“A-assist me in lifting him and laying him on the sofa,” I said.
Brother Erin and Aaron approached me to help Ken, who was becoming weakly! They placed him down on the sofa.
“Are you okay, Scarlett?” asked Lux, rubbing my arm, but I just shook my head because I will not be okay seeing Ken in this condition.
“What happened?” asked dad, looking at Ken, who was still struggling to breathe.
I shook my head and bit my lower lip at him. “I-I don’t know, dad; it surprised me, he was standing in front of the door in the back of the kitchen when I saw him.”
I approached Ken and knelt on the floor to hold his hand, but I couldn’t stop crying because I could see how much pain he was in.
“M-Ms. Scarlett…”
I noticed him looking at me when I looked at him.
“Tell me why this happened to you and who did it?” I asked. He raised his head and smiled at my cousins.
“Before I die, I will tell you what happened and how I got into this situation…”
I shook his head and tightened my grip on his hand. “Y-you won’t die, okay? I’ll do everything in my power to find whoever did this.”
He smiled and took my hand in his, so I bowed.
“Please call Claire. She needs to know what happened to Ken,” I said, and they followed me, but when he spoke, we turned to look at him.
“It began two months ago…”
*** FLASHBACK
“Ken, you take care of it, okay?” Scarlett said to Ken as he arranged the items at the bar.
“Yes, Miss! You can rely on me!”
Ken saluted Scarlett, who returned to the office, and Ken resumed his work at the bar.
“Bro, Ms. Scarlett is stunning!”
Ken poked his playful friend Samuel.
“She’s off limits because she’s a knight.”
“I know! I’m just saying because seeing Ms. Scarlett smile makes my job easier, and it just makes me feel better.”
Ken shrugged at Samuel.
“She’s also nice,”
“I definitely agree!”
They both laughed, and Ken went to the back to throw out the trash because the bar was opening tonight.
Ken froze when he realized someone was watching him at all times. He frowned and looked behind him, where he noticed someone at the top of the tree.
“W-who are you? Get down!” he said, but it didn’t respond, so he shrugged and went back inside to finish the work he had left behind.
The bar opened, but the crowd grew since it was the weekend. Many people visit their bar because, besides the beautiful surroundings, they enjoy the liquors from other countries.
Before serving the wines to the customers, he tastes them, since Scarlett instructed them to do so to ensure that the liquor delivered to them is tasty.
The bar closed at four o’clock in the morning because the others didn’t want to go home because they still had fun but…
Scarlett’s bar only has a limit until four o'clock in the morning.
“I’m leaving! You’ll also be responsible for closing the bar because my children may wake up and look for me, so be careful on the way home,” said Scarlett, waving at them.
Before cleaning up the entire bar, they just smiled and nodded.
“They packed the bar today, mostly with wealthy patrons! We have a bonus!”
They just shook their heads and laughed at Samuel.
“You’re thinking about the money, Sam!”
“That’s for us in the future, babe!”
“Yuck, Future, my ass! Are you a Knight?”
Ken laughed and shook his head at his two friends, who were always making fun of each other.
“Ken! We’ll leave first and I’m too tired! My bed is waiting for me!” Samuel patted him on the shoulder as he dressed to go home. Ken winced and nodded to his companion.
“Maybe someone is waiting for you in your bed!”
“Baby Jasmine!”
“Whatever!”
Because of his friends’ noise, Ken sighed. He pushed them away from the bar.
“Go home now; I’ll handle it!”
Samuel smiled and hugged Ken. “Thank you, bro! I’ll come in early tomorrow, promise!”
He simply pushed his friend, who laughed. “Yes, yes, yes!”
“Bye Ken, be careful on the way home!”
“I’ll see you tomorrow!”
He smiled at them and motioned for them to leave before shaking his head and facing the bar again to close it, leaving the key with their guard.
When he locked it, he smiled and turned around to catch a taxi back to his apartment, where his family awaited him.
While he was waiting for a taxi, he hit by them and lost consciousness. Those who kidnapped him carried him into the car and drove him quickly to the location where he would have taken by them.
Ken awoke with a light in front of him, and it surprised him to find himself tied to the chair, so he struggled with the rope, but the rope was tight.
“You can’t get away no matter what.”
He came to a halt when he heard a voice and looked around for it, but he couldn't find the person.
He also had the impression that he was alone in a dark room with only a light above him.
“Mr. Ken Aguilar.”
“It’s me! Who are you? Why don’t you show up? Why am I locked up?”
Ken frowned as the person he was speaking with laughed, and the voice he heard sounded familiar.
“It’s simple! You can only get out of there if you agree to what I’ll make you do, and I’ll pay you a lot if you do well about what I’ll make you work for.”
When Ken heard this, he came to a halt and frowned even more. “Who are you to expect me to obey your command? Get me out of here!” he groans, struggling with the rope.
“Mr. Ken, what I’m about to ask of you is simple, and I know you can do it; don’t worry, I’ll pay you well for it.”
Ken laughed at the person he was speaking with. “Are you serious? Get me out of here!”
“TSK!”
Ken’s eyes widened as some men appears with an injection.
“W-what are you going to do to me? W-what is that—Ah!”
Ken screamed as the injection went into his arm and he felt weak.
“Do you agree?”
Ken shook his head. “N-no! N-no matter what you do, I will not follow you!” Ken exclaimed, taking a deep breath, but his breathing seemed to become heavier.
“You’re so persistent!”
Ken screamed again when he was injected, which made him sleepy and numb in his body.
“Are you willing to agree, Mr. Aguilar?”
“N-No—” Ken lost consciousness because of several injections in his arm.
“KEN!”
His wife made him groaned by patting his cheek.
“Wake up, Ken!”
Ken opened his eyes, but then he remembered what had happened to him, so he stood up and looked around, realizing he was in front of his apartment.
“Ken!”
“A-Audrey…”
His wife frowned. “Are you drunk? Why are you sleeping here?”
Ken shook his head and hugged his wife as he feared for his family.
He had never met those people, and it wasn't clear to him why he had kidnapped just to give orders to. What will happen to his family is something he’s worried about.
*** END OF FLASHBACK