Augustus coughed lightly, his throat stinging from the acrid air.
His gaze swept across the small glass table, scattered with half-crushed cigarette packets, pills, drug foils, and a pistol gleaming under dim light.
Then his eyes shifted to the man lounging on the couch—legs spread wide, two women draped across his lap like props, their artificial giggles barely masking the hollowness behind their eyes.
"Where is David?" Augustus asked sharply, locking eyes with the man.
Michelle remained silent beside him, letting Augustus take the lead.
But the man didn't answer. Instead, he turned his attention to Michelle with a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"How's your sister doing these days, Michelle?" he asked, voice casual—mocking.
Michelle's jaw tensed. Augustus could feel the air shift around Michelle, while the man smirked belittlingly, draped around two women.
Sensing the tension climb fast, Augustus stepped forward, swung the bag off his shoulder, and flipped it over.
Swift. Clean. Thud.
Stacks of cash landed in a neat pile on the table, one after another. This time, everyone in the room turned toward him.
"I said, release David. Now," Augustus repeated, voice sharper—desperation laced beneath a layer of forced composure.
The man on the couch, Kairo—lazily reached for a stack and held it to his nose, inhaling deeply.
"Mhm… real money," he said with a low chuckle, nodding toward the bald man who'd moved to stand behind him.
The bald man slipped into a side room. Moments later, he returned, dragging David behind him.
Bruised. Limping. Barely conscious.
"You came… Augustus…" David mumbled weakly, his words slurred, his lip split.
Augustus's expression darkened instantly. The pressure simmering in his chest twisted into cold fury as his eyes locked onto David's battered state.
His voice dropped into a tight whisper. "Didn't he tell you I was coming?" he asked coldly, jaw clenched, glare sharp as glass. "Why did you hurt him?"
Kairo poured himself a drink, barely sparing Augustus a glance as he leaned back into the cushions. "No one walks out on two legs after owing us money, kid," he said flatly.
But something in Augustus's tone—didn't sit right with him.
He leaned forward, swirling his glass. "You know what the worst kind of man is?" he asked,
Eyeing Augustus, who looked like a rich kid living off his father's money. "The kind who thinks money buys him control."
Then, with a glint of threat: "Speak like that again, and it'll be you not walking out on two legs."
Augustus's fists balled tight, a mixture of hesitation and anger flickering in his eyes, but just then Michelle's hand gripped his shoulder, firm, grounding.
Pulling him out of his turmoil. Augustus glanced at Michelle, almost forgetting he was here.
"Alright. We're taking him and leaving. The debt has been cleared," Michelle said, voice calm but commanding.
Kairo seemed tempted to throw another jab—to humiliate Michelle further—but at the sight of Michelle's steady gaze, he wavered.
"The debt's paid. You can take him—or whatever the hell you want," he muttered, waving a hand dismissively and turning his attention back to the women on his lap.
"Hey, Augustus… sorry for showing you such an embarrassing side of me," David mumbled, eyes hazy with pain.
Augustus felt a tug deep in his chest. It stung more than he expected—to see someone so strong laid so low.
Both of them hooked David's arms over their shoulders and supported his weight.
But just as they turned to leave, Kairo's voice rang out again, unable to resist humiliating Michelle.
"Don't let me see you here again, Michelle. You might've been the boss's bodyguard—but now? You're nobody. Watch your back… and your sister's too."
He glanced at Michelle's face, now darkened, jaw clenched tight.
Augustus's blood was already boiling. Seeing David like this was one thing. But now Michelle, too?
He turned back, eyes cold, unreadable. "You said money can't buy control, right? But in your world?" Augustus said, tone slow and deliberate, "It buys silence."
Kairo frowned, maybe even slightly intimated by his warning, after all he was doing everything for money too.
"...The only reason I'm letting you leave intact is because of Michelle. Now get lost." Kairo grumbled.
Augustus stepped out, leaving the stench, the lights, and the poison of that room behind.
Michelle's lips twitched into a faint smile. David let out a quiet chuckle.
Augustus didn't know why, but it felt good.
Ding!
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Task #23:
[✓] – Rescue David from the loan sharks and ensure his safety.
Status: Task Completed Successfully
In a world that turned its back, you stepped forward. That's what loyalty looks like.
Rewards:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Augustus Vale]
Stats Unlocked:
→ Attack (ATK): 5 (+1)
Your punches hold below-average power.
Skills:
→ [Crisis Negotiation Lv.1]
(Crisis Negotiation allows the user to de-escalate situations involving conflict, urgency, or danger while remaining calm, persuasive, and precise under high-pressure.)
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Loyalty:
→ David: +1
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Assets Overview:
– Havencrest Properties: 10%
– Stewart Horizon Institute: 2%
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Liquid Cash Monitor: $1,517,051.87
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Debt Tracker:
– Charity Donation: $100,000
– Crunch Studio: $5,950,000
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Public Perception: 72 (+3) ↑
Charisma Rating: 5 (+1)
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Business Blueprint:
– No businesses currently owned.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Finally, they stepped out of the club.
Augustus's eyes shifted to David, his voice softer now. "I think we should take him to the hospital," he mumbled, a relieved smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
Michelle gave a silent nod, a faint flicker of unease in his eyes.
But Augustus didn't notice; his thoughts were still entangled with David and the system's sudden notifications.
They eased David into Michelle's car with care. Michelle slid into the driver's seat; Augustus climbed into the back, gently cradling David's head.
"Lay your head on my lap. Rest until we reach," Augustus said softly, his voice warm despite the tension still lingering.
David gave a faint smile, even through the swelling. His bruised eyes flickered with warmth.
"You've changed, kid…" he murmured. "Didn't know you had it in you." Then, slowly, his eyes closed, rest finally claiming him.
"Which hospital?" Michelle asked, eyes locked on the road.
"LifePoint Hospital. That's where we took him last time—and it's the best," Augustus replied, his tone calm, grounded in habit.
However, Michelle slowed down at the next intersection…His body stiffened uneasily.