All Chapters of THE MAFIA'S PRISONER: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I was thrown onto the cold floor, the impact sending a sharp pain through my ribs. The room I had woken up in earlier now felt like a cage, suffocating and inescapable. My breath was still heavy, my pulse still racing when the door creaked open. Ranma stepped in. His face was calm, but I knew better. That wasn't patience. That wasn't understanding. That was rage, restrained just enough to be more dangerous. "You really don't learn, do you?" His voice was soft-too soft. I forced myself to sit up, ignoring the ache in my body. "I'm not a fucking doll you can dress up and parade around." For a second, I thought he might laugh. But then- Pain exploded through my stomach as his foot connected, sending me sprawling back onto the floor. My breath left me in a harsh gasp. Then another kick. And another. I curled inward, arms wrapping around myself in an attempt to shield from the next blow, but it didn't stop. His shoe slammed against my side, the sharp edge digging into my ribs. I

Ryu's point of view.The sound of the explosion ripped through the air, a deafening roar that shook the ground beneath my feet. The chaos was instant. People screamed, the lights flickered, and smoke filled the air. My heart raced, adrenaline surging as I instinctively reached for my gun."Move!" I barked at the others while Yuta, Tetsu, Seiji, and Sato were right behind me, all of us on high alert. My focus was sharp—every second mattered now.The casino was in total disarray. People were running in every direction, but something felt off. My instincts screamed that something more was going on, something deeper. I pushed forward, cutting through the crowd, when my eyes locked onto a pair of familiar face standing amidst the turmoil.I didn't have to think twice. Yuta's voice cut through the noise, his eyes narrowing when he saw Knoxx. "Knoxx," he muttered under his breath, but I was too far gone to hear the rest of it. My hands moved before I could even stop myself.I closed the dista

Hindi siya gumalaw. Namamaos na ang boses ko, nangingilid ang luha. Isa pang pagsabog sa malapit. Dumadagundong ang sahig sa ilalim namin. Wala na kaming oras. At bigla— Isang putok mula sa shotgun. Napaigtad ako. May tumama sa barricade. "Down!" sigaw ng pamilyar na boses. Paglingon ko, nakita ko si Trent, putikan at may gasgas sa mukha, dala ang shotgun at may galit sa mga mata. "Hey," hingal niyang tanong habang tinanggal ang huling bahagi ng harang gamit ang baril niya. Tumango ako, mabilis ang pintig ng puso. "Hindi ko siya kayang buhatin mag-isa." Without another word, lumapit siya at sinilip si Ryu. "Damn... He looks awful." Mabilis naming tinanggal ang mga beam na nakapatong sa katawan ni Ryu. Ako sa binti, siya sa upper body. Halos hindi ko na ramdam ang sakit sa tagiliran ko. Lahat ng focus ko, nasa kaniya lang. Trent glanced at me. "Ready?" I nodded, kahit nanginginig ako. "Ready." Buhat-buhat naming inalalayan palabas si Ryu habang unti-unting lumalamon ng apoy

Tahimik lang kami nung lumabas ng café, pero hindi yung tipong awkward. More like... chill. Ren walked beside me, hands in his pockets, parang wala lang—parang hindi kami parte ng gulo, parang hindi ako prisoner ng clan nila.We turned into a quieter street, lined with small shops and trees swaying gently in the wind. I glanced at him. He looked too relaxed for someone who should be watching me like a hawk. But maybe that's what made him different."Alam mo," sabi niya habang tumitingin sa paligid, "I forgot how nice it is to just walk without thinking about who's trying to kill us next."Napatingin ako sa kanya, sabay irap. "Wow. So romantic."Ren smirked. "Ganon talaga pag trauma bonding."Napailing ako. "Ang weird mo talaga.""Pero effective, 'di ba?" he said, giving me a sidelong glance. "Kanina parang gusto mo nang maglayas. Ngayon, nakatawa ka na."I didn't answer right away. Totoo naman. I hated to admit it, pero kahit papaano, he had this way of pulling me out of my head—kahit

Tahimik lang ako habang ininom 'yung juice na ginawa ng boys kanina. Katatapos lang namin mananghalian. Medyo pawis pa rin 'yung palad ko sa dami ng tawa at sigawan kanina sa laro. Nasa living room pa rin sila Ren, Ryu, Yuta, Tetsu, Seiji, at Sato—nag-uusap, nagtatawanan, parang wala na ulit problema sa mundo.Pero dito sa dining table, iba ang atmosphere.Nasa tapat ko si Miori. Maayos siyang nakaupo, hawak ang tasa ng tsaa. Tahimik din siya. Matagal na katahimikan bago siya nagsalita."The boys said you were a good partner," she said softly, almost smiling. "Parang... matagal ka nang kasama ng mga 'yan."Hindi ko agad alam ang isasagot. Kasi totoo naman, lately, parang naging parte na ako ng gulo nila... pero hindi ko alam kung parte ba talaga ako ng mundo nila."Masaya sila kasama," sagot ko, pilit ang ngiti. "Kahit puro ingay at asaran."Napatingin ako sa living room. Tawa pa rin ng tawa si Seiji, parang may bagong kalokohan na naman. Si Ren, nakasandal sa couch, relaxed. Si Ryu..