CHAPTER 01

" Madame Fei, just give me one more week to pay. You see, I don't have a place to live today if you let me go right away. Please, just one more week, " Catalina's plea to her landlady who's starting to take out everything she had in her apartment.

" My goodness, Catalina! I already gave you an extended period of time 'cause you said you will find a way to pay your rent, but it's been one f*cking month and I don't receive any money from you! " The landlady said with a disappointment drawn on her face. " Don't abuse my kindness and It's not my problem where you're going now. You're old enough to find a solution to your problem. "

" Madame Fei, please don't do this! I'm going to pay my rent, just please give me one more week to stay in, " she pleaded while preventing the landlady from taking her belongings outside of her apartment. " I just don't have a part-time job right now but I promise, I'm going to pay you within this week. You know, I used to pay my rent on time when I still had a job, right? I'll do it as soon as I get a new job. I have no plans to escape my debt, just please, please understand my situation, Madame. "

" Sorry to say this but I've already made up my mind. " She turned her head towards Catalina as soon as she finished taking out her belongings. " Tomorrow morning, there's already someone who will live here so you can't stay here anymore. Now, get out of here, get your stuff, and find a place where you can stay for free. Good luck young lady. "

" Wait, Madame Fei! " Catalina tried to stop her but the landlady didn't listen to her and kept walking away from her apartment. She sighed. " F*ck this life. "

Out of frustration, she kicked her belongings scattered on the ground. She had no choice but to pack all her things even though she doesn't have any idea where she will go after this. It was three o'clock in the afternoon and searching for a place where she can momentarily stay was a big problem. She had no friends neither had a parent to go to. She also didn't have any money which was the biggest part of her problems. 

" Oh, what happened? Are you leaving? " Catalina had to look up to see the person who was standing in front of her. James—her neighbor—seems clueless why she was outside of her unit, collecting her belongings. Thankfully, he didn't see the scene earlier where their landlady forced her to leave her unit. 

" I have to. " She stood up and looked around to see if only the two of them were now in the hallway. " I hate to say this but you know what James, this apartment is haunted. Do you sometimes hear a strange noise outside your door? Like laughter or crying? Footsteps? "

His eyebrows furrowed. " Uh, no? "

" Whatever, " she said while struggling to fix her luggage. " Anyway, I've already made a complaint about the strange noise to Madame Fei, but she didn't take it seriously. I have no intention of enduring it that's why I am going to find a new apartment where you can feel at ease. "

" Oh, okay then. Good luck with that, " James smiled at her before entering his unit and leaving Catalina who looks more annoyed with the response she received. 

" Boring as ever, " she whispered before she walked out of the apartment and walk proudly with the heavy luggage. She didn't bother to answer any questions around her as she walked out of the apartment because she knew that they just want gossip to talk about. 

The night is approaching yet many people are still wandering around the city. The place where she lived was loud, chaotic, and problematic. There are often incidents here involving criminals and police so she can't sleep anywhere outside. Almost every place in this city was familiar to her because creditors are always looking for her that's why she had to search for a place where she can hide from those people. 

" Hello everyone! Let's try our new menu! It's affordable yet delicious! Long, soft, and slimy! Oh, I bet you're all curious, huh? What are you waiting for? Come in, dine in! " 

She turned her head towards the cheap restaurant near her because of the weird advertisement she heard from the weird mascot who's in charge to convince people to eat at their restaurant. 

" Seriously? A freaking hotdog? " she grunted but suddenly, her stomach starts growling. " Oh c'mon, not now. I don't have any money yet. We don't even have a place to sleep tonight and now you're telling me you're hungry? Really? "

" Hey there beautiful lady! " The mascot approached her. " I know you're hungry, so stop talking to yourself and come inside our restaurant. I'm sure you will never regret it. "

" Uh, thanks but I'm full—" her stomach starts growling again. 

" I guess not? " The mascot gave her a menu flyer before slightly pushing her to get inside the restaurant and as soon as she smells the aroma of the foods, her mind goes blank. She sat and forgot that she doesn't have a money to pay all her bills. 

Catalina started eating her dinner without worrying about the bills after this. She continued ordering food until she accidentally burp loudly. Some customers look at her as if they are not experiencing a belch, but she just ignores them

" Excuse me, may we have the bill, please? " As soon as she heard the word bill to the other table, she wants to vomit just to release those foods she ate here. 

" Sh*t, I'm doomed. " She facepalmed and begin to think about how she will escape from here. The exit door was far from her table yet there is no guard on that door. 

She grabbed a glass of water, stood up, and walked casually towards the doorway.

" Ah, excuse me, Miss? " she heard yet she ignored it. " Miss with the long red hair! You haven't paid yet. Where are you going? "

She stopped because she felt like everyone in this restaurant was staring at her back and she was right. Her red long hair seems to be a light in the dark, detectable. 

" Uh, can't I just say thank you for the food instead? " the cashier gasped, " okay, I guess not? "

Without hesitation, she run very fast. She had no idea where she was going because the only thing in her mind is to escape from the people who were trying to chase after her. Her luggage was no longer with her because she couldn't carry those things while she is running for her life. 

" Hey, you! Stop running! You cannot escape from us! " she heard from those people who still chasing after her. She couldn't turn around to take a glance at them because she was busy thinking about where she would find a way to deceive them. She look up to see the traffic light sign, it was green. 

" Sh*t, " she cussed before she crossed the street where the other drivers of vehicles are starting to scold her. 

" Hey, Miss! Watch out! " she heard from the stranger behind her and that's where she realized that there was a fast car approaching her. 

She froze and immediately close her eyes and accepts her fate but nothing happened to her.

" Catch her! She's a lawbreaker! " she heard from afar that's why she slightly opened her eyes to see the reason why she was still alive and the bumper of the car almost kissed her hips. She couldn't think of any other way to escape that's why she decided to pretend that she lost consciousness. 

She heard noises from the people around her and as expected, there was someone who lifted her body from the road where she collapsed. The cold air from the air-con touch her skin when she felt she had been put inside the back seat of the car. 

" Boss, what's the plan? " she heard from the driver's seat. It's a voice of a man. " Are we going to take her to the hospital or straight to the mansion? "

" To the mansion. " As soon as she heard the response, she suddenly felt the chills down her spine. The voice was so cold enough to give her an uneasy feeling. She badly wanted to disappear. 

***

Catalina suddenly wakes up in a large and soft bed. Her eyes are half-open because she is still sleepy and the coldness inside this room is enough to give her a reason why she shouldn't get out of bed. She pulled up the blanket to cover her whole body and turned around to the other side of the bed.

" You seem comfortable. "

Her eyes widened and hurried to get up to see the person behind her. A man in a black suit sitting on a sofa while there was a strange smile on his face. 

" Who the hell are you? " she asked and instantly looked under the blanket and thankfully, she saw the same dress she was wearing earlier. 

" I should be the one asking you that, " he said before stood up and walked closer to her. " Who are you? "

" Why would I tell you? " she's about to get out of bed when suddenly, the man in front of her, pointed a gun at her head. 

" Stop playing dumb, you're not a good actress. Now tell me, who are you? "

" Whoa, relax. Are you planning to shoot me because I didn't pay my order? " she asked while raising both hands. " Alright, I'm sorry. I'm broke. Forgive me, I will pay you as soon as I get a job. Don't shoot me. "

The silence prevailed throughout the room. Catalina felt the intent gaze of the man in front of her as if he was able to read her mind. She didn't know what to do at this point because she didn't expect that the consequences of her actions are far from what she has experienced before. 

" Are you telling me the truth? " he asked.

" Y-yes, of course. "

" No one ordered you? "

Her eyebrows furrowed. " Huh? Order from what? I'm all by myself. "

It took a few seconds before he finally took the gun off her head. 

" Alright, you're cleared, " he put the gun in his pants. " Anyway, how's your head? "

" What about my head? " she asked while rubbing her head. " Oh, I didn't get hit by your car. "

He smirked. " I know, but the way you drop yourself earlier, It looks like you need a CT scan to check if there's a broken skull. "

" Oh, no need. I'm good. " She look away because she feels embarrassed about what she did earlier. " Uhm, can I ask where I am? "

" Hell, " the man replied to her. She didn't know how she would react because he looks so serious about it, but it suddenly faded away when he chuckled. " You're here in the guess room, at our Boss' house. "

" Oh, I see.. " her mind goes blank because she didn't know if she was safe here. She didn't know these people but because of what she did earlier, she didn't have a choice but to accept her consequences. 

" You can stay here for tonight. It's past midnight and it's raining outside, " he said before he turned around and walked through the door. " You can leave tomorrow morning and a little reminder, you can't go out of the room until I tell you. Have a good night. "

She was left dumbfounded. The stranger she was talking to became increasingly suspicious because of some sort of warning. Out of curiosity, she didn't follow what the suspicious man said to her and carefully walked out of the room.

" What the hell... " she was surprised when she saw how long the hallway was in front of her. The curved staircase, and the huge chandelier are enough for her to feel that she's in the palace. 

She walked carefully and looked around to see the entire floor where she was. The entire house looks vintage yet every part of this seems priceless. It looks majestic but it seems like there is sadness hidden inside it. The silence is too loud as if no one lived here. She could hear her own footsteps while wandering around the hallway but she suddenly stopped when she heard a noise from the door near her that was partially open. She heard laughter and men's voices as if they were having fun inside. 

She approached the door to peek but as soon as she touched the doorknob, someone pulled it from the inside so she accidentally entered the room. 

All of sudden, the room filled with a deafening silence. There were three men inside, playing cards but they immediately stopped when they saw her. 

" Miss, what are you doing here? " She lifted her eyes to the man in front of her and quickly got away from him because of the cigarette smoke that hit her eyes.

" Uhm, I'm sorry. " She turned her head behind her as she thought about her excuse. " I think I'm lost. I don't know where the bathroom is. "

Catalina tried to looked again at the men in the room and she felt like she had to leave right now because that's what her instincts says. 

" You're looking for a bathroom? " the man with a cigarette asked her, " but I think there's a bathroom in your guest room. "

" Oh, there is? " she faked her laugh. " I didn't notice, sorry. "

" No worries, " he calmly said before he smoke a cigarette. " Go back to the guest room. As far as I know, you shouldn't go out of the room until someone allows you, right? "

" Ah, can I know the reason? " she asked but he just shrug. She smiled sarcastically. " I see. Thank you for that. "

She turned around and was ready to leave when her forehead hit the chest of the man standing in front of her. She raised her head and met the cold gaze of the beast. His broad shoulder was perfectly formed, and his jawline is sharper than any knives but those eyes are the ones that really caught her attention. 

" Leave. "

She snapped back to reality when she heard his voice. It's not a question or a request, it's an order. 

" I'm going to take her to the guest room. " Someone held on her shoulder. This is the man from earlier and the one who warned her not to leave the room.

She didn't attempt to speak anymore and quietly followed the man who guided her back to the room where she was earlier

At this moment, she had only one thought. She had to get out of here as early as possible because she didn't feel good about these strangers, especially the last man she faced, a beast pretending to be a human. 

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