III

A soft melody played, the sound lingering in the air. Anticipation was mixed in the silence and it made Delilah sweat while she awaited the future.

She swallowed, heart beating wildly as the phone came in front of her, held by the man who stood before her wide open eyes.

She looked at the picture of herself with her father that popped up on the screen along with bouncing buttons, asking for her permission to dismiss or answer.

A drop of sweat rolled down her temple and she looked up at the man who stood in front of her.

He looked back at her, into her big brown eyes. They were glossy and chaos swirled around those dark pupils. He wanted her answer, his features twisted into a scowl. His thumb lingered right above the green button, his intentions clear in his mind, but eyes remained on Delilah, trying to look through her.

She was afraid.

But he did not care. He proceeded to press the screen when she muttered, "You can't do that. We've nothing to do with you."

His eyes narrowed at Delilah as he reconsidered what he wanted to do. Still, she was trying to take a risk. She saw the consequences and it was not even a percent of it, because they could do more, but here, she was once again breathing and panting trials for her father.

How much love did she still have for him? The man before her was tangled up in thoughts. The very man — her father — was the reason she was bleeding yet her love wasn't growing cold for him.

"Do you even know what we're going to do to him?" He let the sound buzz in the air, ignoring it to answer Delilah.

"You'll hurt him," she gulped, shrugging her shoulders.

"Sure, I will," he answered like it was normal. "But you should be grateful that we're only hurting him, not killing him."

Delilah was hit on her amazement. How could someone call it casual? Hurting someone couldn't be so casual. He said like it was normal in his life, like a routine, but Delilah couldn't make a fool of herself because indeed, it was normal for him.

"Still?" She didn't even realize when she submitted herself to request him in a pleading tone. "I don't want you to even hurt my Dad."

Because he was her father and no reason other than that was powerful and convincing enough to justify why Delilah was taking her father's side. The only reason could surpass every reason she could give.

He could be a betrayer, as the man told her, but still, for her, the truth that he was her father was enough to make her stand for him and take risks, as much as possible because she could think of a way to escape.

"He should've thought of his daughter before messing with us. And Delilah, let me tell you one thing, I know very well that you're trying to buy time," his dangerous words made her realize he wasn't easy to be fooled by her. He knew it.

But she never let the realization dawn upon her face. She remained stoic, not answering him in any way.

"But set it in your damn mind, that it'll take you to nothing. The more you're delaying, the more pain you're adding to your father's punishment because either way, we're going to catch him. Don't try to fool us. We've wrestled with many, and my experience speaks louder than your cute little tactics of trying to buy time from me."

So badly she wanted to roll her eyes.

She wasn't a fool to consider them weak. She knew they were smart but 'hoping' was her strength at the moment. She had to hold it to save herself. She knew hope and faith could save her and she learned it when her nanny taught her this. And about buying time, as much as the man was cautious of her tactics, he could take her as a threat, too. Why consider someone weak even before testing them?

But he was taking her lightly and she was glad about it. She wanted him to think of her as weak and vulnerable and time would show what she actually was.

"Mad, I don't think you should be this soft with her. Do what you usually do, why waste your time? Or else, I can handle the situation well." As soon as the threat ended, the man named Carlos pushed the nozzle of the gun harshly against Delilah's temple even before she could react to his threatening words.

She couldn't expect less. He was more violent. Delilah could literally consider and rethink Maddox, whom Carlos called Mad, that he was patient with her and tried to hold anger, while Carlos was treating her as harshly as possible he could.

She was another victim, after all.

She winced at the pain that shot through the roots where he pressed harshly, her eyes squeezing shut.

"D-Don't do that—"

"Of course, little b*tch, we can't even kill you before you f*cking talk to your father and tell her where the hell he's hiding. Such a mole he is! Coward!" He spat harshly through his gritted teeth.

With heart beating crazily, she still clenched her fists in anger. How badly she wanted to shut his mouth for spewing out dirt, a true gutter it was!

Maddox watched her silently as he stepped back, letting her fall into Carlos' hands. He knew he was patient with her but she wasn't grateful for it. He had no mercy to show as he watched Carlos take care of her so badly.

"Here, I'm calling him, and you'll ask him where he is. I don't want you to stutter or cry and beg your father to save you over the phone, got it? Or else he'll try to bounce from place to place like the coward he is!"

No words came out of her mouth but only a small whimper that escaped her lips.

"Handle her well. I'm outside, okay?" Maddox raised his head from his phone screen as he looked at his companions. They nodded in acknowledgement and he got the clue to leave.

Delilah heard the sound of his footsteps as he retreated and left the room. She couldn't hear the sound of the door opening and closing but she knew he was out. The memory of the door felt like a longing to her.

The distance from the main door was not too much for her but in the current situation, it felt as if she stood in the wilderness, trying to reach the end of it through her eyes alone.

She needed to reach it and she knew she could save herself just by crossing the doorstep. She knew something which they didn't, and she just wanted to reach her father as soon as possible.

The thought alone was full of melancholy for her. She missed him and the tangled situation made her wonder if the morning was going to end or not. She feared for her father but the hope of getting freed was somewhere keeping her sane and collected.

However, her heart sank for her father.

The moment she was born, her mother died. Her father told her that it was because of excessive bleeding and she couldn't make it up. She couldn't even see her mother. The eyes that got a glimpse of her pretty face couldn't even save it in her memories.

She saw her mother in pictures and always wondered what kind of woman she was. But she could see she looked like her, just a bit of difference.

After that, her father became her everything. She lived for him and he lived for her. She prayed for him while he stayed out and never wanted to let go of him but now, everything felt like a nightmare that she wanted to end as soon as possible.

Now when her father, who was her everything, stood by her side in sickness and in health, in good and in bad — how could she let go of him? How could she give up? She wanted to try till her last breath and all these thoughts, tangled up in a bunch of many, made her whimper all of a sudden.

Her lips quivered and her chin wobbled, tears tumbling down her long eyelashes as she looked down at nothing particular while the man tried to call her father again.

"Now why are you crying?" Carlos grumbled in annoyance, glancing down at Delilah's trembling frame on the couch.

"It's hurting," she mumbled through her trembling lips.

"What?"

"My wrists," no, my heart, she wanted to answer but those statues of marble carrying a heart of stone couldn't understand it.

Carlos scoffed. "Well, that's your reward. Remember you kicked me in the balls? That's why."

"It's too much. If you fear about your balls, then be assured that I won't kick you again."

Morgan tried to bite back a chuckle, turning his face in another direction when Carlos heard the small snicker and glared in his way.

"Won't kick me again?" His eyes widened at her audacity and sarcasm. "I won't even give you a chance."

Delilah bit her inner cheek, forming a few more words in her head to get her hands freed but before that could happen, fate played a card in her favor and Morgan spoke out of nowhere, "Carlos, free her wrists or else she won't stop crying and Judas will not she's in some danger. We don't want him to know, right? He's a shrewd man."

What Morgan said was right. Her father, Judas, was a shrewd man. A very clever businessman. He could sense if something was wrong in the air and Delilah knew that. She could take advantage but she knew a conversation more than ten seconds could cost her dearly and ten seconds was such a short time to give her father some hints. Most importantly, when the call was a voice call, not a video call.

"Fine!" Carlos rolled his eyes, giving no second thought to Morgan's cautious words.

He freed her wrists while Delilah watched him closely. He wasn't as muscular as Maddox but he was a hothead. That thing in him was crazier than Maddox's physical strength and it indeed scared her.

Cruelty was something that made her wonder about its limit.

As soon as her wrists were freed, she stood on her legs, heaving a sigh of relief that finally, she was free. Her legs felt jelly but she handled it, taking the support of the couch. Thankfully, Carlos and Morgan didn't react to it while Delilah was brewing something in her head.

"Now get it done," Carlos muttered and handed her the phone. He dropped it in her palm and the girl instantly began to search for her father's contact.

She knew she could find it in a second in the 'recently dialed' list but then, how could she use the time to locate their current locations?

From the corner of her eye, she carefully took care of Carlos' position and location. He stood on her left side, with his arms folded on his chest. Morgan stood behind him, watching her trembling fingers. The door was a small distance away since the living room wasn't too big and she was glad that it was small.

Fear spoke through her body. She raised her other arm and bit her thumb as it lay between her teeth. She had no habit of biting nails but she was scared and needed something to either chew or squeeze.

One side was afraid of the consequences while the other mumbled, 'What if you passed?'

She was ready to take the risk.

"C'mon, be quick!"

"D-Done!" She immediately put the screen on her ear while the bell rang into it.

"Turn the speaker on, you cunning kid!"

She chewed her bottom lip, doing as he said. It wasn't a big deal. She knew they would demand something like that. She was ready for it.

The bell stopped ringing and the call on the other side spoke, getting all her attention.

"Princess?" He called out, softly, and that softness made her heart melt instantly. The man, to whom the voice belonged, was her king. She was holding tears and the urge to break into sobs right then and there.

Things were so messed up.

"Dad, how are you?" She asked, staring at the picture of her father. It glowed and blurred under her watery eyes.

"I'm good, princess. What about you? Is my princess missing me already?" He chuckled, making her smile. She sensed he was safe and she was glad about it.

She blinked back her tears and stared at Carlos from the corner of her eye. He rolled his eyes and mouthed something to Morgan.

"So much, Dad. When are you coming back?"

"Uh... it'll take me two more days to finish the work here. Then I'll be back. You take care of yourself, just like you're doing now, okay?"

"I will..." She trailed off, hoping for no answer further but then, Carlos tapped on her shoulder, getting her attention. She knew what he wanted.

She clutched her phone tightly and looked at him over her shoulder, a few of her dark tendrils falling over her face. He stood tall with narrowed eyes and hard features. He mouthed his demand and Delilah had no other way than to nod her head.

"Dad, I wanted to say something," she murmured, flinching away from Carlos. He got the hint as she didn't like being touched by him so he didn't say a word, nor reacted any way but it gave Delilah a chance to step away from him. She created the distance, heart turning wild.

"Yes, princess, say it all."

She took a deep breath, nail pressing into the cover of her phone. She pressed it further, gulping her lump.

"Dad, it's..." Her phone came out of the cage because of her constant pressing. She stole a glance at Carlos and found him staring at her phone.

"Oh, what do you want, little girl?" Her father chuckled, thinking of the delay as her mischief, while Delilah braced herself.

Breathing deeply into some encouragement to say what she wanted to, "Don't come back here, Dad!" She completed it in a single breath, putting them all in confusion and suspense.

Another second passed and Carlos raised his face to glare at Delilah when she attacked his face with her phone case. It landed harshly, producing a sound. She turned to sprint away while Carlos groaned, holding his eye.

Delilah was glad. With a crazily beating heart, she passed the couches in the living room. Morgan couldn't take care of a groaning and cursing Carlos. He chased Delilah and she knew it.

As soon as she reached the entrance, she gripped one of the pots set by the shelf and threw it in Morgan's direction, without worrying about her aim. Fortunately, it landed right where she intended it to land — on his forehead, above his eyebrow.

He groaned in pain while she ran for her life. Carlos was right behind Morgan to knock down Delilah but before he could reach her, she jumped on the other side of the main entrance and screamed, "Seal!"

And that was it. The main door and other doors were locked along with the windows. They were all sealed, as she commanded, and weren't going to get unlocked without her or her father's voice. They were literally imprisoned.

A simple glance was what she stole from her house before she ran for her life. The phone call got dismissed on the way. Her father tried to call her once but she couldn't answer him. He didn't try again, thinking from his mind.

Delilah ran through the silent paths of the residents, her breath falling short. Any time she tried to cross the road in hurrisome, people would blow horns to alarm her, but nobody was aware of the turmoil in her head. She reached the main road and was worried about Maddox because even if she imprisoned Carlos and Morgan, Maddox was still outside. She knew he would come after her instead of helping his companions.

Every time, she looked behind herself as if Maddox was right behind her. She couldn't take a risk after she was freed. Her legs tremble and her muscles throb, her heart racing wildly. She needed to find a place to hide.

But where?

She crossed the residential area and saw only malls, shops, and theaters on either side of her. The road was filled with vehicles. She didn't know to whom she could go. She didn't want to go to her friends and get caught. The goons she encountered didn't seem normal or local, she knew they knew her relatives just like they knew about her father. They would try to hit her links to find her and she didn't want to get caught there.

Think, Delilah!