Watch Your Words, Miss

Returning from her work at a café in downtown Brooklyn, Bella rode her bike cheerfully throughout the way back to her apartment. Thoughts of her soft and comfortable bed danced in her mind. However, those delightful thoughts abruptly vanished when a luxurious black sedan emerged from an alley in front of her. Startled, Bella hurriedly applied the brakes, but unfortunately, she was too late, and her bike collided with the side of the sedan.

Bella fell down and her own bike toppled over her. However, it wasn't pain that she felt but rather a surge of anger within her chest. She pushed her bike off her body and approached the man who had just emerged from the car.

"Hey! Are you blind?!" The man in a neatly tailored black suit pushed Bella's shoulder roughly.

"You're the one who's blind! It's clearly a bike lane," Bella refused to back down. She knew she was on the right path. However, the man was not willing to concede either. Bella found herself engaged in a heated argument with him.

"Look at my bike, it's damaged because of your stupidity, Sir!"

"Can't you see that the car is dented?" The man pointed to the side of the car. "The repair cost is propably equivalent to your yearly salary."

"How arrogant!" 

"This is my boss's car, and you're in big trouble, Miss."

Bella sneered. "Where is your boss? Tell him to compensate for my bike," Bella challenged. The argument between Bella and the man escalated, and it seemed they couldn't find common ground. Until someone in the backseat of the car rolled down the window and called the man's name, Pablo. Someone who had been observing Bella from inside the car all along.

"Oh, are you the boss?" Bella approached the bespectacled man sitting in the back seat. He looked like the CEOs of big companies in Brooklyn. However, he still looked young, although definitely older than Bella. "Your driver has damaged my bike. You need to compensate me now!"

The man called Pablo immediately approached Bella. "Hey! Watch your mouth, miss. You don't know who you're talking to."

"Oh, am I talking to the President of America?" Bella mocked, making Pablo even more furious. Bella never knew fear as long as she believed she was in the right.

The man in the black glasses inside the car smirked. Behind his sunglasses, he carefully examined Bella's sweet face. Then, he raised his hand, signaling Pablo to stop arguing with Bella. "How much do you want?" His voice was calm, undaunted by Bella's visible irritation. "Is this enough?" The man took out three hundred dollar bills from his wallet and handed them to Bella.

Quite a lot, thought Bella. "Just a hundred dollars," she replied, still with a curt tone.

"Just take them all. It seems like you're the kind of person who needs money to survive."

So arrogant, Bella grumbled. Actually, the man was right. Her monthly salary was barely enough for her daily needs. However, of course, she was too proud to accept all the money, even though she desperately needed it.

"Take it! I'm not one for chitchat." Bella hesitantly accepted the bills from the man's hand. Then, the car window closed again, obscuring the man's face behind it.

"My boss is very generous. The money you just received is even more expensive than the price of your bike, miss," Pablo quipped before getting back into the car and driving away. Bella hissed in annoyance. The driver was just as arrogant as his boss. But, she was ecstatic to receive this unexpected windfall. Bella no longer had to worry about paying rent and could enjoy good food with the money given by the rather mysterious man.

Bella had to push her bike to a nearby repair shop near her apartment. Actually, it was not a bike shop, but an auto repair shop. However, because her friend Darrell worked there, Bella would often ask for his help whenever her bike broke.

"What happened this time?" asked the young man in a dark blue work uniform covered in oil stains everywhere.

"I crashed into a car. But, it was their fault for crossing the bike lane."

"Then what?"

"Then I asked for compensation, and the car owner easily gave me three hundred dollars." Bella excitedly recounted the story.

"You're really lucky, Bella. But, you should be careful. Thankfully, you're okay after crashing into that car." Darrell inspected Bella's entire figure from head to toe. "Well, you're still in a good shape," he said as he ruffled Bella's long hair. The girl laughed heartily.

After leaving her bike at the shop where Darrell worked, Bella walked home to her apartment. It was a three-story building that looked worn out and slightly neglected. It was located in a poor area of Brooklyn. This was the only apartment Bella could afford. Sometimes, she would be late in paying rent because her salary was barely enough. She had to work extra to pay for the apartment. Her landlady was an overweight middle-aged woman who was extremely talkative. Bella would often receive hurtful remarks whenever she was late in paying the rent. But this time, Bella happily met her and gave her the rent money for this month, even though it wasn't due yet.

"Why are you being so disciplined? Usually, you're always late in paying rent. Did you sell yourself to make money faster?" Look at that, there was nothing good about her in Brenda's eyes. Bella just rolled her eyes, hearing Brenda's praise and accusation. She left the woman and quickly entered her small apartment.

Elsewhere, inside the luxurious car driven by Pablo, Marco smiled at the memory of the girl on the bike who had argued with Pablo earlier. The driver was right, the girl had no idea who she was talking to. If she knew who he really was, maybe she would forget about her damaged bike and wouldn't ask for compensation. He was the ruler of all illegal businesses in Brooklyn. The respected leader of the Dark Hunter cartel. He was known as a man who was tough, cold, and ruthless in his actions, often causing harm to many people.

However, the petite girl with a sweet face caught his attention. She seemed fearless. Marco loved challenges, and she seemed like the perfect target for him to use for his own pleasure.

"Pablo, find out who that girl is. Her name, where she lives, and where she works," he instructed his driver.

"Yes, Mr. Vilante." Although slightly puzzled, Pablo would never question his boss's motives. His job was to say yes to all of Marco Vilante's orders.

***