Chapter 2

I opened the door to my flat, but it was still dark inside. My roommate seemed to be still partying with the girls out there or was he sleeping Inside? I turned on the lights and entered the apartment.

I live with a man named Bernardo. I call him Bernie, and we both attend the same university but attend different faculties. I'm in the Philosophy, Science, and Literature Faculty, and he's in the Law Faculty. The university dorm didn't suit me, so I looked for apartments outside of campus and finally found one after a long search, but the rent was a little pricey for the money I earned from my part-time work. I thought splitting the rent could help, so I posted a notice in my faculty's bulletin board about the apartment I'm offering and asked them to split the rent with me, along with my phone number so they could contact me. I didn't get a call for an entire week.

I got a random message saying that someone else is looking for a room and is ready to move in. I replied 'okay' without even asking their name or other information about them because I was seeking a roommate. I withdrew the notice from the board the next day as I got the roommate.

That person arrived later that afternoon. It's a bit. I mean, a guy. What do I do now? I wasn't expecting a guy to show up at my door. Whatever the case may be, all I require is a roommate. That is all that is important. So we moved into the flat together. The apartment has two bedrooms with separate bathrooms for each room, so it was never an issue for me, and he was constantly late, so it felt like I was the only one living there.

We gradually became friends and spent weekends together as the days passed. After spending time with him, I discovered that he is a flirt. But because he hadn't tried anything with me, it wasn't a thing for me. The only issue I have is that he frequently goes clubbing and returns with random girls in the middle of the night. When he takes a girl to the flat, it will be a night to remember.

I approached his room and knocked on the door. There was no response. It wasn't locked when I tried to unlock it. I went into his room and found him missing. I came out, shut the door, and walked to my room.

As soon as I walked in, I collapsed on the bed. I exhaled a sigh. I took a look at my phone. Lucas, my boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, has made several phone calls. The person who defrauded me. Why is he contacting me? Does he think I'll pick up the phone after seeing him naked with another girl? F*ck! How had I been so deaf all this time? I threw the phone away and began sobbing again, recalling what had happened.

This still astonished me! How can he treat me like this? How can he possibly deceive me? I believed you were in love with me. What did your confession to me mean? What did it mean when you kissed me, when you hugged me? What was the point of it all? Was it a ruse? If it was an act, you succeeded admirably because I fell hard for you. Why did you subject me to this? Did I appear stupid when you stared at me? Did I come across as stupid?

The phone continued to ring which made me mad. I got out of bed and scooped it up from the floor. Lucas here. I responded.

He stated, "Listen to me, Louisa. I'll explain..."

"What exactly do you expect from me?"

"Let me explain what occurred. Pay attention, I was..."

"What exactly do you expect from me?"

"It's nothing like you saw, it's..."

"There are two people. Being naked in bed. Lucas, I'm not that stupid."

I hung up the phone.

It turned out just as my buddies predicted. While crying, I fell asleep without realising it.

Someone was knocking on the door. I took out my phone and checked the time. It's 8pm.

I exited the room and proceeded to the main entrance. There was no break in the thumping. Is that you, Bernie? But why is he banging so loudly? Did he misplace the key?

I yelled as I searched for the key I'd hung from the keyholder, "Wait! I'm going to open the door."

I opened the door by taking the key from the keyholder beside it. The door was opened from the outside with such power that I fell to the floor.

"What in the world!"

While I was on the floor, I noticed someone wearing black shoes. When I looked up from the floor, it wasn't Bernie. Someone else did it. He wore a suit, black sunglasses, and had a freshly shaved face, but he appeared tough.

"W-Who are you?" I inquired.

More men arrived after him. They all had the same appearance. Everyone was dressed up. After he walked in, one of the guys among them shut the door behind.

I inquired, "W-What are you doing in my house? W-Why did you close the door?"

The man who shut the door approached me and extended his hand. I gazed at his hand, perplexed.

"The key?" he inquired.

I clamped my palm around the key and concealed it behind me.

"Who are you? What exactly do you want from me? Get the hell out of here!"

Another guy standing next to me pushed my hair back and gripped my neck from behind, causing me to focus on my neck, and when I tried to remove his hand from my neck, I couldn't hold on to the key any longer and dropped it on the floor.

While I was attempting to take another guy's hand from my neck, the guy who asked for the key took it from the floor.

"L-Leave me alone!... Let go of me!... What exactly do you want from me?"

The man who was holding my neck let go and forced me to sit on a chair while tying my hands with something. I tried to break free while yelling, "Let go! Allow me to leave! You've chosen the incorrect person! Allow me to leave! I'm not the right person!"

I took a look around. Six men were gathered around me.

"Is this a joke? Did Bernie tell you to do this? After this, I'm not going to abandon you so easily..."

I was slapped unexpectedly, forcing me to close my mouth.

"Shut it!" said the person who slapped me.

After that slap, I stayed mute.

The guy who smacked me suddenly grabbed my neck and asked, "Where's it?"

What is he asking?

He tightened his grip and inquired, "The stone. What happened to it? What did you do with it?"

"S-stone?... Which stone?"

"What happened to the stone?"

"I-I'm not sure what you're on about..."

Another person brandished a gun at me as he was questioning me. G-Gun??? What the hell is going on here? The individuals standing around me looked at me as if they were about to assassinate me. Who are these people? Where did they come from?

"Where is the red stone?" he inquired once more.

"I-I'm not sure! I don't know what you're talking about!!"

He released his grip on my neck and hit me again. I coughed and spewed blood on the ground. He was about to smack again when the guy with the gun stopped him and said, "Stop it, Ace is coming."

Is someone coming? What exactly is going on here? My cheeks were scorched after being spanked. I was panting severely.

I could hear footsteps approaching the room. The flat door was opened by a man. Everyone fell silent.

Someone entered the room. While my head was turned to the floor, I noticed a pair of shoes. The guy behind me lifted my head by yanking my hair behind my back.

I took a peek at the newcomer who had just arrived. He wore a headgear that covered half of his face. He took off his cap. This expression. Why do I have the impression that I saw him somewhere? I tried to remember where I had met him.

"Remember me?" he questioned as he approached.

"You! It's you! You again!" I remembered him after hearing his voice.

It was the guy I met in the hotel who pretended to save me from jumping down the hotel.

He grabbed my chin and said, "You appear to have remembered me. Good." He gazed at my cheeks as he turned my face to either side.

"Who struck her?" He inquired of them.

"It was me, Sir," said the guy who slapped me.

"You are the new associate who started last week. Am I correct?"

"Sir, yes."

He stepped closer, muttered something into his ear, and then asked another person, "Well, did she say anything?"

He responded, "No, Sir. We inquired about the stone, but she refused to answer. Sir, she's not aware she's acting."

"Because she has no idea."

He looked about, then walked over to the coat hanger and searched the pockets of the coat that was hanging there. What is he up to?

"Where's it?" he ran to me.

"What!"

"Did you take it out of the coat?"

I said, "Argh!! I have no idea what you're talking about! What exactly do you expect from me?"

"What happened to your coat? The coat you were wearing in the hotel before?"

"C-Coat… My friend… I guess he took my coat while I was sleeping."

"Friend? What is its identity?"

"Bernardo. He lives in my apartment with me."

"Where is he? What is his current location?"

"I'm not sure. Every night, he goes clubbing. Perhaps he went to one of the clubs tonight as well."

"What's the name of the club? What happened to it?"

"How am I meant to know that?"

Another man brandished a rifle at my head and exclaimed, "The name!"

"I...I...I'm not sure. I'm not sure... He'll hang out in practically every club in town."

"Okay. Let us then await his return."

"WHAT!?"

"We don't have much of a choice."

The man who questioned me appeared to be a boss. Ace was his name I guess. Because everyone addressed him like that. Ace? I've never heard a name like this before. Is he a foreigner, but he does not appear to be one? They all began to stroll around the apartment, rummaging through my belongings.

A person looked around the living room, another entered Bernie's and my rooms, and some guys were talking with each other while Ace, the boss, was on the phone with someone.

The man who went inside Bernie's room returned with a condom packet and inquired, "You stated that he is a buddy of yours. Is it similar to having friends with benefits?" And made fun of me.

I locked my gaze on him.

"Have you used it with him?" he inquired, holding my chin.

"Bastard!"

"What did you just call me?" he questioned, holding my chin.

"Are you hard of hearing? I stated you were a..."

"Stop playing with her and go to the ground floor to see if someone is coming here," Ace replied before I finished.

"Sir, yes."

Before leaving, He leaned up close and said to me, "Why are we wasting it? I'll save it for later." He said this while smirking at me, making me clench my teeth even tighter and glare at him.

The clock struck ten.

The individual who slandered me said, "Someone is on their way. I believe this is the man we're looking for."

"How will your friend seem?" said the guy who was ordering around.

I kept my gaze fixed on him and stayed silent.

When he got angry gazing at me, another guy interrupted him by offering him a photo frame and said, "I guess it's him."

They were talking about something while staring at Bernie's picture, so they turned down the lights, urged everyone to remain quiet, and covered my lips tightly to keep me quiet.

Bernado entered the flat while saying something, not realising there were people inside. I tried to speak but couldn't because a man had his hands over my mouth. I bit the guy's hand, and when he ran away in pain, I took advantage of the opportunity and yelled, "Bernie!"

Bernie turned on the lights and stopped when he noticed two men standing beside the door, one of them was waving a gun at him. The person who had been covering my lips earlier ran towards him to catch him.

"Bernie, hurry!"

He stared at me, shocked, and tried to run towards me, but the man standing beside the door drew Bernie back and aimed the gun at his head. Another man approached him, took his coat, checked it, and muttered something to the Boss. The guy who bossed him around approached him and asked, "Where's the stone?"

Bernie, like me, was perplexed and questioned, "W-What stone?"

"The stone that was in her coat!" Ace exclaimed to Bernie.

Bernie paused and stammered, "W-What exactly is going on here? W-Who are these individuals? Do you know who they are?"

"He asked you a question, mister," another guy slapped him in the stomach.

In his intoxicated state, Bernie murmured once more. They thrashed him over and over.

When they attacked Bernie, I cringed and said, "Wait! I'll inquire about him. Please, no more beatings."

"Go ahead," they yelled as they dragged Bernie over to me.

"Did you take my coat to the club?" I inquired of Bernie.

While feeling the ache in his stomach, he looked at me and nodded. They dragged him to the boss's office. "Where is it now?" Ace inquired.

"I still haven't asked him!" I said.

They hauled him over to me and said, "Do it!"

"Bernie! Something was there..."

Ace slashed me and exclaimed, "Stone!"

I asked Bernie once more, "My coat contained an s-stone. Have you seen it?"

"Stone?... You mean the ruby?" Bernie asked.

They took Bernie back and asked him, "Yeah! What happened to it?"

"It's a forgery of Ruby. Are you here for the phoney one?"

They clutched his neckline and said, "You're not talking about a bogus one. It's a one million reais red diamond."