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~Anika~

My palms feebly shook against my body when the whip hit my back the second time. My back went rigid for a short while as a whimper escaped through my lips but before she could come at me the third time, I almost stumbled over as I hijacked my body off the ground and daringly faced her. And of course, a subtle smirk was plastered across her face as she swung the whip back and forth her hand. The instant I caught her in bed with my boyfriend, I'd expected her to be remorseful and cry herself to her knees before me but then, I received the best shocker of my life when in the stead of that, she attacked me instead.

"What gave you the audacity to dare lay your hands on me?" Spitting mad, I felt so enraged as I seethed and she audibly scoffed at my face. God knows I would have plunged my fingers across her face and made it a god-damn disaster if Nico had not stomped down the staircase at that point in time.

I couldn't help the irritation that jungled over my chest as I watched him walk towards us with a slow, wobbly gait, like a jellyfish drifting in the ocean.

"Anika, I- I swear down, it wasn't intentional." He rasped in between stammers and my fists balled, meanwhile I swirled and grabbed the doorknob, only for me to be held back before I could move an inch out of the exit. Seriously? He doesn't seem to have an idea of how much I am withholding my anger from being unleashed.

"Let her go, Nico. She's not that useful anyways. I'm here for you now, remember? I'm-" I can imagine Scarlett pressing herself against his body and purring as she clings fondly onto him. Lividly, I jerked my hand out of his grip- having had enough of their shitty performance- I held the door open.

"Anika!" He ferociously called out my name and I fumed in anger when he caught my collar but before he could engulf me into his arms that instantly shoots either side of me, I plopped my foot backward and hit it against what I guessed was his balls by the gruesome way he grunt before stumbling over into the air and landing on the floor with a loud screech.

One last daring glare was what I gave Scarlett before slamming the door behind me as I stormed my way out of the vicinity.

I snuck back into the house, careful not to make a sound. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest as I crept up the stairs. Just as I reached the top, I heard a voice from behind me.

"Where do you think you're going?" My father's voice was stern and filled with anger. I froze, my heart sinking into my stomach. I had been caught.

"You can't stop me." My voice steady and defiant, I met his gaze, refusing to back down. I knew I was taking a risk, but I wasn't about to let him control my life any longer.

"You've got some nerve, young lady," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"You're not going anywhere." But I wasn't about to listen to him.

Before he could flip a finger, I hightailed it out of his sight and slammed the door shut behind me as I shuffled across the room. Flipping my closet open, my stomach churned and all I could feel was a wild, untamed emotion building inside me, threatening to spill over at any moment.

My fingers clutched onto the rope with a grimace before I finally forged the ounce to withdraw it.

I stealthily crept to the window, my heart racing as I looked down at the ground below. It was a long way down, but I had no other choice. I tied one end of the rope to the bedpost and tied the other end around my waist. I took a deep breath and swung myself out the window, dangling from the rope. I closed my eyes and began to climb down, hand over hand, until my feet finally touched the ground. I took a moment to catch her breath, then I ran as fast as I could.

I burst into the familiar building, my eyes scanning the room until they landed on the thief, still tied to the chair. He looked up at me with a mix of fear and anger in his eyes. I approached him, a determined look on my face.

"You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?" I said, my voice cold and calculated. He didn't respond, his eyes fixed on me in defiance. I stood over him, a feeling of victory coursing through my veins.

He had the guts to steal a big sum of money from my father and as the bad child of the family, accusing fingers were pointed at me by not only my father but my mother included. I'm sure this scumbag here doesn't realize what he was getting himself into cause had he known, he wouldn't have committed such a heinous crime.

I caught him before he could elope faraway and here he is, receiving his own share of misfortune. I'm not letting him off the hook until he returns the bounty and is also given enough torment to serve as the wages of his sin.

"I did nothing. Moreover, you have no evidence against me." He grumbled in between clenched teeth whilst I simply looked back at him to see those damn legs of his bleeding profusely. Yesterday, I had managed to wreck enough havoc onto those legs.

Disregarding his grunts, I snickered, and bent over, snatching my penknife off the ground and snapping its cover open to see its satisfying sharp edges.

"There would also be no evidence whatsoever against me when I decide to bury you six feets below the ground." I said and turned around, the twisted expression on my face earning a shudder from him.

I stood over him, a cold look in my eyes. My voice was low and menacing as I said, "You have one chance to cooperate, or things will get ugly." His eyes widened in fear, and he nodded frantically.

I continued, "I'll ask the questions, and you'll answer them truthfully. Do you understand?" He gulped and nodded again, his body trembling in terror. I smiled, knowing I had him right where I wanted him.

"Give me the money," I said, my voice calm and commanding. The thief hesitated, but I held his gaze, and he knew he had no choice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, which he handed to me. I took it without a word, my expression unchanged. The thief was left with a sense of defeat, knowing he had been bested by me.

Just as I tucked it into my back pocket, the cautious footsteps of someone nearing this area came to my hearing, causing my eyes to snap towards the door.

The door is hanging at a precarious angle, its hinges on the brink of giving way. It creaked and groaned with each gust of wind. The door seemed to be hanging by a thread, as if it were barely clinging to the frame, but it somehow remained in place, swaying back and forth like a tree in a storm.

Like I awaited, the door burst open with a loud crash, startling the scumbag I still have tied against the chair. A tall, imposing figure stood in the doorway, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. My nerves snapped into halves at the sight of none other than Nico. What the hell does the cheater want?

"Anika, I know you're here," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. "I need to speak to you."

"I want you out of my sight. Get lost." I made no eye contact with him as I crouched over the floor and untied my prey; the thief. A moment of silence passed and a smirk blew out over my face as I imagined the horrified look that is obviously now clutching onto Nico's face as I stood up, freeing my prey.

This isn't the first time he will see me dealing brutally with whoever dare finds my trouble, and of course, I wonder why my thuggery surprises him every fucking time.

"T-hanks..." Before the thief could finish, I made a threatening step closer to him and he must have been scared to the bone cause he immediately bowed and dashed out of the building as Nico stepped aside for him

And before Nico could mutter a single word, I also made my way out and of course, he didn't have the audacity to try and stop me. Quite unfortunate, I yearn for that as that would give me the perfect opportunity to thrust this bloodthirsty knife into his chest.

I grinned ear to ear. A perfect death and way to heaven.

I strode confidently down the street, my head held high and my eyes fixed straight ahead. As I passed by the houses on my street, I could hear the whispers of our neighbors, their voices filled with concern and curiosity.

I ignored them, knowing that they couldn't understand what I was going through. My mind is focused on one thing and one thing only: getting away from my parents and their stifling rules.

As I reached the door of my house, I saw my father standing in the doorway, flanked by two burly men. My heart sank as I realized what was about to happen.

"My daughter, come inside. We need to talk," My father said, his voice firm and commanding.

But I stood my ground, determined not to give in to his demands. "No, father. I'm not going anywhere with you," I said, my voice shaking but my resolve unwavering.

As I struggled against the men's grip, I felt a surge of panic and desperation. But even as I fought against them, I knew it was no use. They were too strong, and I was no match for their brute force.

I felt myself being bundled into the back of a waiting car, my protests falling on deaf ears. As the car pulled away, I could see my father's face through the window, his expression a mix of anger and sadness.

I don't know how they did it but I blanked out for straight three hours only to jolt out of unconsciousness, shocked and dripping wet, as the person who had drenched me with water laughed cruelly.

Water dripped from my hair and clothes, and my teeth chattered with the cold. I felt a surge of anger and humiliation, but I didn't dare show it, knowing it would only make the situation worse.

In a bridal style, one of my father's men conveyed me out of the car and into the huge magnificent building before us. I would have loved to take in its sight but before any attempt could even be made, a door was opened and I was shoved right into it.

The shove caught me off-guard, and I stumbled forward, losing my balance and crashing face-plant ahead of me. The floor was clean and sparkling, but it tilted at an angle, making it difficult to regain my footing.

With a groan, I made to rise up but a boot set itself down on my forehead, and pressing me back down, it tilted my head upward and my throat hitched at the sight of the figure before me.

"Welcome to my abode. A place of cruelty and misery!"

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