TABOO 2

When she arrived at her private home, a hot bodyguard in his fitted black shirt with a holster of the gun on his waist, wearing a cap hidden his slight squinted amber eyes. Her personal bodyguard greeted her with a perfect smirk on his face. He is Sumire's most trusted, fearless, and protective bodyguard, named Sam Caux. He stood 6'0 in height, tanned with a well-built body physique.

The bodyguard open her car and Sumire got out and assisted her.

"Wait for me here, Sam. I'll go change."

The bodyguard just nodded and Sumire sauntered inside her home. After 20 minutes, she came out of the house wearing a classy halter lace fitted side string black dress with a silver faux fur shawl around her shoulder, revealing her fair skin and long leg. She wears killer black stilletoes. She had a big, expensive black sunglass on her and a sling bag on her shoulder. Sumire curled her long midnight hair that cascaded down on her back.

"The car is ready, Milady."

"Let's go."

Sam, the bodyguard open the backseat to let her in. After Sumire got in, Sam got into the driver's seat and together they hit the road.

"This is the place."

The maiden gives him the piece of paper where the address is written. They remain quiet inside the car, treading the long road out of Brethren city. Sumire was resting her face on her palm while looking outside the window car when her phone suddenly rang broke the silence. Sumire sighs when she saw the name of the caller.

"Hi, Ca---"

"Sumire, where are you? I've been calling you all night, are you okay?"

Calib greeted him with a worried tone. The young man didn't appear on the Premiere night stage as he was waiting for her. Sumire just chuckled.

"I'm all good, Calib. Just...something came up. Let's talk some other time, okay."

"Okay, but---"

"Bye, Calib."

When their car turns the right alley, Sumire drops the call. Sam stared at her in the front mirror insinuating that they had arrived. A shabby apartment greeted them.

Sam assisted her out and went in place. It was maybe the most god-awful-looking apartment Sumire had ever seen. From the shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls that covers the small holes, stained clothes that are barely better than rags. Several malodorous piles of garbage where terrible reek coming from. The place was so bad and exuding awful smell!

At the front door, Sumire and Sam exchange glances. Sam, without a word, knocks on the door. Less than a second later, it opened and Lukas' surprised face greeted them and rudely shut the door the moment he saw Sumire in his place.

'What is she doing here? I thought she was already dead?'

The door was destroyed when the bodyguard burst in and Sumire entered and approached him with a menacing look. Her high-heels made thumping sounds with every step she take. Sam was standing on her back, alert.

She sophistically took her glasses off and look at Lukas from head to toe. Lukas, on the other hand, couldn't meet her piercing cold eyes darted on him.

"You're surprised to see me alive, aren't you? Ha."

Her eyes cruises the apartment and Sumire could see a few rats running along the dirty rug. Clothes were strewn all over the floor. Dirty dishes sitting in the sink. A thick layer of dust has built up on all the shelves. Her face twitches in disgust.

"This is where rotten people belong to. A perfect place for garbage..."

Sumire leaned over him and displayed a condescending smile, and then scoffs.

"... and people who smell rubbish...like you."

"Why are you here?"

Lukas squinted his lips into a thin line out of anger. Sumire disdainfully glance at him, and that mocking smirk never vanished on her lips before turning her back and sitting the chair next to Sam with her crossed legs.

"If you tell me right now the location where those goons took me, I won't put you in jail. I'll let you rot in your shabby apartment."

Her right brows lifted, like taming a brat, and narrowed her eyes on him. Sumire gave a lopsided grin. Terror dawned on Lukas' face when he remembered how ruthless the Mafias can be if he will reveal to her their place.

"I don't care if you will imprison me than let those Mafia's hoodlums run loose and hunt me down."

Lukas said emphatically and eyed the maiden badly.

"Then, suffer together with your sister."

Sumire apathetically said and rose from the seat and Sam assisted her to go out. Lukas was quickly alarmed when the maiden mentioned his beloved sister. His strides were big, approach the maiden who was now walking to the door when Sam's darkened face greeted him and block his way.

"Okay, I will tell you."

..............

Sumire and her bodyguard find themselves paving the way to the abandoned building under the cold, gloomy sunless sky.

Just at the entrance of the building, both of them were greeted with armed tattooed men. The maiden cautiously look at them while Sam was on guard, alert.

The two of them went inside and surprisingly, the men make way for them to which Sumire wondered. It seems they were expecting her arrival in the place. Sumire and Sam exchange glances and entered the abandoned building.

She went inside the room where the goons drugged her and there she meet the Mafia Lord, sitting on his throne. Sumire can't help but admire the golden place, the valuable antiques in the corners, and ancient amenities, this place is truly amazing. 'How much money does this mafia lord have on his pocket?'

The maiden directly look at the Mafia Lord, standing, and was now approaching her place. "Wow, that man's prediction that this woman will return here was on point.", the Mafia Lord said in his mind.

Sam was blocked by the tattooed men in the entrance, restraining him to come near their Mafia Lord and let the maiden go with their Lord. Sumire just gives him a kind of don't-worry look.

"I'll be okay." She mouthed. Sam can't help but tense his jaw but is still on high alert.

"Welcome back, Missy. Have a seat." The Mafia Lord assisted her to a vacant chair and made her sit and he sit back to his throne.

"I didn't introduce myself last time. I thought that was the last time I saw you. So, I will introduce myself properly to you this time. The name's Lord Vladimir."

"I'm not interested in your name." Sumire unenthusiastically and bluntly asks him without beating around the bush.

She coldly eyed him directly in the eye.

"I want to know the person who bought me."

The Mafia Lord flashes a mischievous grin and leaned back on his seat with crossed legs. He can see in her eyes how determined the maiden is to know that 'man' without knowing how dangerous their Big Boss is. He let out a small chuckle.

"This is a complicated demand. But if you badly want to know the man who saved your lovely ass, you need to draw a large amount of money for a piece of information."

He said with his mischievous grin. Sumire's brows knitted into a frown, she remain stared at him for long that made the Mafia Lord uncomfortable on his seat. By then, her cold and serious demeanor became even more eminent.

"Sure thing, I'm willing to pay. Just give me the name."

The maiden said. Sam and the other hoodlums in the place were quietly listening even though they seems to be unbothered. The Mafia Lord eyed them before her.

"I can't tell you his name because it is taboo for us to utter his name..."

Lord Vladimir paused first and stared down at Sumire who was sitting and listening attentively to him.

"It would be better if you ask his name by yourself. So, what can I sell you for now is his possible locations."

Sumire eyed him skeptically. She had a doubt on his words and cannot completely trust him. Her habit of squinting her eyes when she's distrustful comes naturally again.

"I have no way of knowing if you are telling the truth. How can I be sure this isn't a ruse to lure me into a place where I'll be in danger?" Sumire said with knitted brows and was still doubtful. The Mafia Lord heaves a sigh.

"Don't worry. I don't have the right to touch you because you're already owned by someone. Someone I wouldn't dare to cross or defy with."

Lord Vladimir said in a serious tone that made Sumire feel chills on her seat. 'Is that man really scary? But he looks like a gentle giant.', she thought.

"Then, name your price."

The maiden said to end their conversation. She badly wants to know her savior even it costs her a bundle of money and sanity. The Mafia Lord displayed an impish smile.

"20 billion. Twice the price of that man who bought you."

Sumire would have disagreed with him when Lord Vladimir quickly drop the names of locations in front of her. The maiden unbelievably gapes and decided not to argue with him anymore. 'What a two-faced greedy bastard!'

Sumire and Sam leave the place safely and are now headed to one of the three locations the Mafia Lord has given to her. 'You better be there, you giant or you're dead meat to me! You cost me billions!'

Sam glanced at the maiden in the backseat whose face was dark as the cloud in the sky while they were heading the place. After a minute of driving, they arrived at the magnificent, colossal company building made of modern aesthetic tinted black glass.

Just as Sam park their car, Sumire found the man she was looking for at the lobby of the building, standing hot and gorgeous in his black and fitted business suit in a far distance.

Her lips curled into a smile.

"Handsome...."