Rebecca shuddered as she sat in the back of the limo, her head down with a black bag over it, her eyes further covered by a blindfold, and her mouth gagged. Her hands were tied together, and rested on her bare lap, preventing her from even rubbing her arms for warmth from the cold emitting out the air conditioner.
“Aww. What’s the matter? Feeling a little cold?” came a voice on her right. One with much chill in his tone, as Rebecca flinched upon feeling a large hand rest on her thigh, massaging it in a suggestive way.
“Cut it out, Jared. You know the lord won’t be happy if you do something to his property,” a stern voice warned from her left.
“What? It’s not my fault she has to wear that rag. Surely she must be feeling cold from the strong air conditioning in here. I’m just trying to help her get comfortable.”
“And you think the lord will take that excuse? You know how he is.”
At that warning, to Rebecca’s relief, the hand left her person.
‘Why?’ she wondered then. ‘Why am I in this position?’
It was but a normal day that day, where she would be up and about, spend her day at school like any other teen, and then return to her humble house to get her homework and studying done. If not for two things.
The first being that she was not like most other students. Not when she was labeled as a criminal’s daughter. It was not that much of a heavy crime that her father had committed, but given that he was the treasurer of a relatively large, major company, known to many in America, embezzling the funds of such famous company does come at a very heavy price. The man even claimed he did not use the company’s funds for anything but what they were intended for, only for evidence of the misusage to pile up, including that of gambling, unauthorized increase in payment for himself, and even falsify donations made to charitable events, only to keep the funds for himself.
Rebecca could not believe what her father had done. As a young child, she had thought with how he was working under a famous company, it was normal for him to make all that wealth. For her to live a rich life. For that to be a lie? A lie that came with heavy consequences?
How her world had turned upside down from that point forward. Not only was she isolated from her many former friends, but even the teachers and principals made as little contact with her as possible. Treated her like some nuisance. For after all, making an enemy out of someone as powerful as the owner of Riverdale Corp was equivalent to death. No one wants to be seen as an accomplice to the man who has done him wrong in some way. Not even to a relative, like her.
Thus leading to the other reason why her life was different from others her age. Her father. He who was tried and imprisoned for the embezzlement. Whether prison has changed him or this was who he truly was, Rebecca did not know, but he was no longer the loving father she remembered. Not when he would either drown himself in alcohol or beat the living shit out of her or her mother every time either one did something he did not like, or just because he felt like it.
Her mother could not bear to just leave him as he was, even after the heavy abuse inflicted onto her, and how horribly their lives changed after his imprisonment. Rebecca could still remember the reason why her mother refused to divorce him.
“I can’t just leave him. I know deep down, under all that abusive exterior is a man who is mourning,” she once told him. “Yes, maybe he did embezzle Riverdale’s funds. But I know your father better. If he did do such a thing, he wouldn’t have done it without a reason. There must be something more to this. I won’t leave him, no matter what.”
Rebecca did not know what to think at the time. She was only a small child, who only knew that her father did something that deserved him time in jail- in a place where all bad guys go. And given how that changed her life, took away the friends she had, the home she once had now into a shack? She could not understand what her mother was thinking.
Not that it would matter. As she had died some years back.
It was said that her mother died from a disease, but to Rebecca? She was certain it was something else. Certain that her mother, in the end, could not handle any more of the abuse, and decided to end her suffering. Leaving her little girl behind in the cold, cruel world. And yet, even though she wanted to hate her mother for leaving her to this fate, Rebecca couldn’t. Instead, wanted to honor the belief her mother had about her father, and stuck to him. Supported him however she could.
Or so how she had been living all these years. Only for her efforts to come back and bite her, when these strangers- these mafia- barged into their home, and demanded money from her father. Money he had apparently been borrowing from them for the past several years. All spent on nothing but beer, food, and electric bills.
Money, in which she offered herself to to pay off the debt.
She didn’t know what she was thinking at the time, making such a demand in front of these frightening men, in these rags she had no choice to wear at home. But seeing her one remaining family at their mercy? She couldn’t help it. Rebecca had to help him. A help her father so happily accepted, pushing her into their clutches, selling her off to them. Leading her to her current situation.
‘Not that they said anything about accepting the terms, though,’ she mentally recalled. ‘One of them only made a call- probably to their boss- and took me along right after that. They said nothing about accepting the terms.’
Rebecca hoped they did not accept her and her father’s terms. As much as she wanted to keep her mother’s belief in him alive, she was unsure if it was worth risking her life over. Not when it brought her mother’s death, and certainly not when it led her to being sold off.
“We’re here,” the man on her left spoke. “I’m sure you already know, girl, but be on your best behavior, if you want to live.”
Once they arrived at their destination, Rebecca was guided out of the car towards their supposed hideout. The bag and blindfold were still on her, to her dismay. Though she supposed it was better having them on. At least to avoid noticing whatever unwanted gaze will be on her. Much like one certain gaze she could feel behind her. “You’re kind of slowing down back here. Come on, pick up the pace,” the owner of said gaze told her, giving her a slap on her butt. Rebecca let out a yelp from the smack, and felt her face collide against someone’s back, coming to a stop. “Do you have a death wish or something?” the man in front questioned, sending chills to her spines from the cold tone he used. “What? She was moving a bit slow,” the man behind her claimed. Rebecca, however, knew that was but a lie, given how close the man in front of her was. She couldn’t be that slow, and she hoped he knew that as well. “Boner, I know you are new here and that you have yet to meet our lord. However,
All eyes turned to Boner as he spoke, walking over to Christian. “Maybe you’ve been living in your perfect little world for long enough, but in real life? Things are not sunshine and rainbows. Especially not in the life of a mafia. You should know that, shouldn’t you. Don’t you still attend school like a good boy~?” All around her, Rebecca could notice some light sighs and head shakes from a few people watching the interaction. Was this normal in a mafia? For someone to disrespect their leader in such a manner? Shouldn’t someone stop him? “Boner. What did I just tell you earlier?” Retchet warned, in which Boner scoffed at. “Ah, come on. You can’t really be telling me you’re all scared of him? Regardless of who he is in the surface world, in the underground that is the mafia- especially for people like us- that means nothing here.” Boner then leaned closer to Christian and, to Rebecca’s astonishment, took a few whiffs at him. “Heh. He even smells like a weakling. A spoiled brat like
Christian and Retchet turned to Rebecca with raised brows. “I beg your pardon? You’re going to pay off that bastard’s debt?” Christian questioned. “A bastard he may be, he is still my dad,” Rebecca argued. “Besides, he may have offered to sold me, but I already volunteered myself first! You said you did not like how my father is running from his problems, and honestly, neither did I. But he’s the only family I have left. The one man my mother died believing in. This may be my dad’s problem, but it’s also my problem now!” It was silent when Rebecca said that. Christian only stared at her with narrow eyes. Judging her, observing her action. Although it was painfully obvious how hard she was trying to put on that tough act, she still stared back at him with such determination. Teary and wavering, yes, with her hands trembling and lips a bit tense, but she still stood before him. “Seems I’m not the only one hiding my claws,” he said in slight amusement, before inching closer to her. “
"This is the lord’s room. Make yourself comfortable,” Retchet told Rebecca, as they stopped in front of a door with various ‘Do Not Enter’ or ‘Keep Out’ labels right on it, complete with a barricade tape forming a large ‘X’ on it. After walking up several steps from that meeting room, Rebecca had assumed she would be taken to the car to Christian’s house. Her hands were finally out of the cuffs on the walk up- most likely to avoid any suspicions when they exit out this hideout. She did not expect to just be taken to a different room on a different floor. Much less for the door before them to be one leading to Christian’s room. Retchet noticed the perplexed expression and asked, “Is something wrong?” While unsure about asking him, Rebecca grew too curious about the situation before her and spoke, “I thought Christian doesn’t live here.” Retchet narrowed his eyes at the statement and said, “It’s ‘Master’ to you. Don’t forget, you’re his pet now.” Rebecca flinched at the reminder, b
Christian was tired of it all. He was tired of these men trying to make a fool out of him. Tired of life at school, where many people bathe in his presence- be it fans fawning over him, or teammates wanting to share the glory he brings. He was also tired of the teachers trying to get on his good side, mainly the females. All because of who his father was. Rather… who his ‘caretaker’ was.Although he is of the Riverdale family, he is but an adopted son. No, he was just being taken care of by them. Yet, despite that, not only did anyone not mind the indirect relationship with such (distinguished) family- not when he had the skills and smarts to back it up- he never felt like a part of the family. Not because he was never treated well there, but more because he himself never bothered to get close to them. Not his adopted family, not the servants, nobody. Not after what happened to his mother in that household.Although he could not remember her face, he could still remember it well. The
When Christian was told that one of his debtors sold their child to him to pay off their debt, he was disgusted by the news. A human selling their child away so easily? It reminded him much of his own mother. The pain and humiliation she had to suffer because of her own kind, especially her own blood. While he has never met his other blood relatives, he has heard enough about them and what they had done to her.Any thoughts he once had for there being good in the human world- namely in the kindness in family, the very same one his mother gave to him- diminished from then onwards. Rather, he was convinced that all humans were cruel, with his mother being the sole exception.And here he was, hearing one of the many proofs of such belief. “What do you want us to do? Shall we take the deal?” Retchet asked.“What do you think the answer is?” Christian retorted. “You can bring the girl. However, that bastard parent of hers… If they think they can just brush over their debt so easily with t
Christian never thought he would hear those words from Rebecca’s mouth. When it was clear that her father did not care for her? How could this girl be so foolish to still give her life to such irredeemable human? Even after knowing exactly how much he owes, she still dared give her life away. Seeing her act that way to her own life…It sickens him.“I beg your pardon? You’re going to pay off that bastard’s debt?” he asked, wanting to make sure if he had heard her right.“A bastard he may be, he is still my dad. Besides, he may have offered to sold me, but I already volunteered myself first!”How Christian felt his eye twitch from that retort. She ‘volunteered’ herself to this. Willingly. He thought she was pitiful before, but now, the longer he looked at her…‘No! This damn slut… is not my mother!’ he mentally snapped at himself, not wanting his memory of his mother to be ruined by this human. A false smile formed on his face, as he then spoke to Rebecca. “Seems I’m not the only one
The next day, Rebecca woke up feeling groggy. Something that wasn't new for her, having gotten used to sleeping on the floor for so long. What was new, though, was the slight warmth and comfort from her blanket and pillow. Both which should’ve been so worn out, she wouldn’t feel any comfort from them. ‘Why do they feel different?’ she wondered.Opening her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room and instantly sat up in stupor. “Where am-?!” She stopped her question, recalling what happened last night. “Oh, that's right. I was sold off.”It may have been of her own volition, but Rebecca couldn't believe her own father sold her to pay off his debt. Granted, she was not sold as a slave, and her owner was someone she was somewhat acquainted with. However, she had doubts that either made her situation any better."For now, I should probably just get up,” she figured. At least as a pet she still had some form of freedom. Best not push that luck, though.As she rose to her feet, the d