JAC 4

The men of Ashton kicked the large door of the Vergara family mansion with great force. They went in first carrying huge guns before Ashton followed them. He looked around the place and noticed the trembling of the household staff who were now sitting on the floor holding their heads.

"Where is your boss?" one of Ashton's men asked.

"W-we don't know... t-they're not here-" a staff member replied.

"Liar!" One of Ashton's men slapped the staff member who answered. Ashton maintained his poker face and sighed heavily. He did not care about the people in front of him. All he wanted was for Danilo Vergara to face him and tell him how he could pay his debt.

Minutes passed, and all he could hear was sobbing. He was getting annoyed. He was about to get the guns from his men and shoot the people making noise. "Fuck all of you! Shut your fucking mouth! You're wasting my precious time-"

"What's happening here?!" a familiar voice interrupted.

Ashton quickly turned his head when he heard the voice. He automatically lifted the corner of his lips. He signaled some of his men, who quickly approached the old Vergara and held him by the arms, forcefully bringing him closer to Ashton.

"There you are, fucking old man-"

"What do you want?" the old man bravely asked. Ashton found it amusing how the old man tried to look unafraid and unaffected when he could see the fear and tremble in his eyes.

Ashton had seen and committed many violent acts. Seeing people's knees tremble because of fear and nervousness was nothing new to him. These people were lucky that he let them live longer.

Ashton shook his head before he quickly pulled out the gun from his waistband. He aimed it at the old man. He heard the gasps of the people around him.

"P-please... give me a little more time. I will pay you back, please just give me more time-" the old man begged.

"Fuck you! If you're asking me to give you another spare of time, you can easily go to my fucking office and ask me to. But you didn't! That's because you don't have the intention to pay me, to pay your debt!" Ashton replied.

"No... please, that's not true-" the old man begged.

"Oh really? Then why aren't you attending any meetings in your airline? You've been missing for almost four weeks, to be exact, Tristan?" Ashton asked, glancing at his secretary.

"Four weeks, sir."

"See?! Four weeks! Four motherfucking weeks! You're hiding, you bastard!" Ashton was enraged. He pointed the gun even closer to the old man when he saw the tiny droplets of tears forming on the corner of the old man's eyes.

You surely don't want to mess with Ashton Santocildez. You wouldn't dare.

"Please, I'm begging you. My airline is facing a hard time now, that's why I can't face my staff. But I will pay you. I will pay my debt to you," the old man pleaded. He no longer cared about the embarrassment he would face in front of his household staff. All he wanted was to save his life.

The old man did not even know what emotion he showed in his eyes anymore. He just wants to be safe for the sake of his daughter Taphney. He pities the girl, thinking that if he dies now, his daughter will be left alone.

"When? When the world collapses? Fuck you old man! Stop making me a fool-"

The young man's words were left hanging when he saw a photo that seemed familiar to him.

He slowly lowered the gun aimed at Danilo and walked towards the picture that caught his attention.

"Who is this?" He asked in a low voice while holding the picture frame.

The people around him quickly looked at him but didn't know who to answer.

"I am asking you motherfucker! Who is this person in the picture?! What is her name?!" Ashton's voice echoed throughout the place.

"S-She's Miss Taphney-"

"What about her? What about my daughter?" Danilo interrupted.

Ashton looked at the old man who was now full of tears in his eyes.

"Is she your daughter?" He asked to confirm.

The old man slowly nodded, which made Ashton's heart beat faster. "...what is her full name?"

"Taphney Louins Vergara, she's my only daughter -"

Ashton's brain couldn't process anything else that Danilo said. It was true. He never expected that he would still meet the girl he had a crush on in high school, the only girl who broke his heart.

He quickly returned the picture frame to its place and walked towards Danilo.

Ashton cleared his throat before asking Danilo another question, which seemed to choke him. He didn't know what question to ask the old man now that he knew he was the father of the girl he once loved.

"When do you plan to pay off your debt?" He asked firmly while looking him in the eye.

Now that he paid more attention to Danilo's appearance, he almost looked like Taphney. He didn't know it before. It could have been easier for Danilo Vergara if he had only known that he was Taphney's father.

"As soon as possible-"

"Give me the exact date."

The old man quickly wiped his wet face before tremblingly answering.

"One month, please-"

"That's too long. I'll give you a week. You better pay your debt, or else-"

"Mr. Santocildez, that's too much. One week is too short. Please make it a month. I promise I'll pay you back. I'll even give you another million-"

"No one dares to ask or question me about my decision, old man. Pay your debt after a week, or else..." he threatened.

"Or else what? Are you going to kill me? Kill my family? I owe you, but don't you ever touch my daughter. We'll settle this." The old man gritted his teeth.

Ashton just shook his head and glared at him before stopping his head movement.

"Pay me cold cash after a week or I'll have your daughter as the payment. It's only two options. You choose."

The young man didn't listen to anything that old Vergara said. He had already stated his condition. It was up to Danilo whether he would comply with what he wanted or insist on the one-month deadline he had mentioned.

Of course, no one can produce a hundred million in cold cash in just a week. Unless your name is Ashton Mikael Santocildez.

Just the thought of seeing the young lady Taphney again made him uneasy. He will have that fine woman, end of the story. If it was him who was hurt by her before, he wouldn't allow the same thing to happen this time. He was no longer the skinny and weak Ashton from before, he was very different now. And all of that was because of Taphney Louins Vergara.