Chapter 3: A Debt Unpaid

Camila

When I tried to get out of bed, the duvet fell off, revealing my nakedness. Shock and confusion overwhelmed me.

I quickly covered myself and checked to see that I was wet down there. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to me.

Memories swirled in my foggy mind, but everything after drinking those whiskeys remained blurry.

Suddenly, a nagging fear crept in: 'Did I sleep with a stranger?' The possibility sent shivers down my spine.

That was the only explanation for waking up naked in a completely unfamiliar room.

‘I hope he used protection. I don't need any more diseases added to what I already have.’

I got out of bed for a quick shower. However, I suddenly fell on the bed, a searing ache stabbed through my lower belly, and my face squeezed in pain, my teeth biting my lower lips.

‘His dick must’ve been huge.’

Gritting my teeth, I pushed through the sharp pain, and the soft brown carpet beneath my feet provided some relief as I made my way into the shower.

After a few minutes, I got out of the shower, the warm water ran down my body, washing away all my anxiety, and I came out and began to get dressed. As I was putting the duvet back in the wardrobe, a small piece of metal fell out of it.

I approached it cautiously, not recognizing it. I assumed it must have been left behind by the stranger.

I bent down and picked it up, discovering it was a ring with a unique design and a sparkling stone on top. The ring suddenly began to glow, almost prompting me to throw it away.

‘What the heck is this ring?’

However, I reconsidered, thinking it could fetch a good price if I sold it. It appeared to be made of pure gold, although I had never seen real gold before. Despite my uncertainty, I had a strong feeling that this ring was valuable.

I quickly put on my clothes and slipped the ring into my bag. I figured I could sell it for a good price since it was high quality.

As I made my way downstairs, the receptionist hurried over to me and blocked my path. I turned to her, puzzled by the interruption.

"Miss, you still have to settle your bill," she said politely.

"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, my eyes widened in surprise.

"Your total comes to $4,000," she informed me, maintaining her friendly smile.

At that moment, my breath caught in my throat as I struggled to comprehend what I had just heard. "You're saying... what?" I exclaimed, hoping for a quick correction of the numbers.

"That's your bill, miss," she insisted.

"So, a stranger kidnapped me and brought me here, only to leave without paying the bill?" I erupted, fighting back tears and trying to maintain my composure. Seriously, what the heck? Her expression didn't suggest she was joking either.

"What's the name of this hotel?" I inquired, scanning the surroundings.

"Snowflake, miss," she replied, and I nearly stumbled but managed to steady myself.

What in the world! This hotel in New York was one of the most expensive ones. Why did he choose this hotel out of all the options available, only to leave me with the bill to pay? That seems so cruel. I needed to come up with a plan quickly or they might lock me up.

"But I was taken here against my will," I blurted out as soon as the thought crossed my mind.

She let out a short laugh suddenly. “But you didn't seem like you were being forced by anyone. I saw how you were clinging to him like you were a couple,” she said, blushing and quickly looking away.

“Why are you blushing like that?” I couldn't help but ask, seeing how red her cheeks were.

“Before he left, he said you were the one who slept with him. He was very direct and incredibly handsome, even on his mask,” she whispered to me, blushing deeply.

‘I can’t believe he said that?’

I scoffed, "So you were swayed by his words and good looks that you didn’t ask him to pay?"

"No, that's not it," she hurriedly replied, as if she had just come to her senses.

I quickly regained my composure and gave her a stern look. "As it stands, I can't pay because I didn't book the room myself because, it wasn't under my name," I stated firmly, trying to keep a straight face and not show that I was worried about the bill.

I quickly walked away before she could stop me. I came out of the hotel and took a cab.

“Take me to Ceca's Pawn on Greenways No. 12,” I directed, then turned to gaze out the window, avoiding any further conversation with him as I felt a sudden unease in his presence. The gentle breeze from the opened window was indeed calming down my nerves and anxiousness.

My mind was flooded with thoughts about the ring. I had never been a thief and had never taken anything that didn't belong to me.

Even if I wanted to ignore the tempting benefits, to whom would I then return it? Because I didn't know who he was, and I hadn't seen his face or known what he looked like to return his lost items.

But then again, I believed this situation was ultimately God's plan. Looking at my current bank account balance, I was disheartened by the fact that I couldn't afford three square meals with such a small amount.

Additionally, the cost of my medication had depleted my life savings. Now my only way of survival at the moment was this ring, and I was going to sell it at a good price.

‘Please stranger, wherever you are, stay there. Please, please let's not cross paths in this life or the next to come.’ I muttered a silent prayer in my heart and let out a big sigh.

Finally, the cab stopped in front of Ceca’s Pawn. I paid him off and began walking toward the pawn shop.

I pushed the glass door, a bell above it announcing my entrance. The pawn shop's bright lighting welcomed me, and the scent of old items wafted through the air. Behind the counter, an old man with a scruffy beard looked up from his newspaper.

"Welcome to Ceca’s Pawn. How may I help you?"

I hesitated, clutching the ring through my jacket pocket. "Just looking around."

The owner, Ceca, nodded and returned to his paper.

I scanned the shelves, filled with an assortment of items: guitars, jewelry, and electronics. My gaze kept drifting back to the ring. Taking a deep breath, I approached the counter.

"Actually….I have something to sell."

Ceca's interest piqued; he set aside his paper, now focusing all his attention on me. "Let's see it." He gestured.

I placed the ring on the counter, and Ceca's old weak eyes widened. Even as he was aging, Ceca had been in the business long before I was born.

Miss Abigail frequently mentioned to me and Sia that they used to call Pa Ceca the "metal lord" because of his intense passion for it.

Despite his obsession, no one knew what he did with the metal besides selling it to others, which left people curious about the reason behind his fixation.

"Where did you get this?" His jaws dropped, as he stared at the ring intensively.

"My...Sister," I stammered.

Ceca's gaze lingered on me before focusing on the ring. He examined it with a magnifying glass.

"Unusual design. Looks antique. Gold. But this symbol..." He trailed off, trying to find a suitable name to describe it, but it seemed like words failed him.

"What about it?" I asked, curiously.

"It's rare. Associated with...certain organizations."

" Certain organizations?" I furrowed my brows in confusion, feeling a wash of guilt as I realized I didn't know how important the ring was to the stranger. What if I was making a mistake by selling it?

Ceca leaned in, lowering his voice, pulling me out of my thoughts, "Not for public discussion. Let's just say this ring has value. I can offer you...$8,000."

My eyes widened. Damn! That's a whole lot of money?

"Is it real?" My jaws dropped, and I was amazed to discover that this small metal could fetch a high price.

Ceca chuckled. "Real enough to get you a good price."

Suddenly I found the cab guy that just dropped me off in front of Ceca’s pawn earlier, lurking around suspiciously, as he lingered near the electronics, listening in.

"Deal," I said, trying to sound confident.

As Ceca counted the cash, I sensed the cab guy’s interest; I quickly changed my position, blocking his view.

"Change your mind?" Ceca asked, handing me the money.

I shook my head and took the cash.

"Be careful with that money," Ceca whispered. "Some people might want it back." He continued speaking, and my thoughts turned to the cab driver who had been hanging around.

I agreed and quickly left the pawn shop, ready to begin a fresh chapter in my life.

I hoped to avoid any future run-ins with the mysterious masked man, as he seemed dangerous and not someone to be trifled with. The memory of his chilling gaze behind the mask this morning sent shivers down my spine.