"You look awful, Mrs. Richard. It seems your husband hasn't taken good care of you."
A wave of anxiety twisted in my stomach. His aura was chilling and deadly; his gaze, ten times colder and more ruthless than that of the young heir standing silently behind me at the balcony's threshold.
He gestured toward the chair opposite him. "Have a seat. We can chat over tea."
I muttered uneasily, "No, thanks. I don't need tea. May I know why I'm here?"
While sipping his tea, the old man replied coldly, his eyes still locked on my face, reading every flicker of expression, "I think my little bird has already informed you of everything. Hasn't he?"
His gaze shifted toward the young man who was still standing quietly behind me.
'Little bird? That's a funny name, I thought, coughing lightly before focusing on the more important matter.
"Yes," I murmured nervously, "He showed me the contract between my husband and Voss Vault, and I already know that I'm his collateral. But why must I stay here for that?"
I paused for a breath. "Just let me return home. I'll work day and night to earn enough and pay-"
The old man laughed hoarsely and bitterly, cutting me off, "How do you plan to earn three hundred million dollars in three months, Mrs. Richard?"
I had no answer.
"I- I'll try my best to arrange something. But I promise not to run away without paying your money."
He sneered. "Even if you sold your body to fifty clients a day, it would still be impossible to earn that much. Why don't you try serving my clients instead and help me to grow my business? Maybe then I'll consider going easy on you."
He taunted nastily, "Hmm… I have a better idea. What about being my mistress? You're quite a rare beauty-"
"Enough, Mr. Voss!" I snapped, my voice shaking with humiliation. "I may be helpless, but that doesn't mean you can say whatever you want." Tears welled up in my eyes as I added in a trembling voice, holding them back, "Let me talk to my husband."
He stared at me with an unreadable expression, then picked up his tablet from the table and connected a call to Oliver. Finishing his tea, he stood and ordered, turning to his grandson,
"Let's go for a walk, Little Bird. Mrs. Richard should have some quality time with her husband."
****
Oliver's face looked miserable on the video call. Bruises marked his skin, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. The moment he saw me, his expression softened a little.
Holding back my tears, I asked, clinging to the last ounce of hope in me, "O–Oliver! I–I was forced to come to Wellasay Beach by the Voss Vault. Pl–Please, call the police and—"
"I know where you are, baby," Oliver's dark, weary voice echoed from the other side. "But we can't go to the police."
"Can't go to the police!"
A sharp pain squeezed my heart as I cried out, eyes brimming with tears. "So everything they're saying… Is it true? Why? Why did you use me for money? Why didn't you even care to tell me once?"
"I'm sorry." He looked down.
I had never seen him in such a pitiful condition as his shoulders trembled, his face buried in shame. I wanted to run to him at once and pull him into a warm hug and showered him with kisses. I couldn't bring myself to blame him anymore.
Oliver mumbled between sobs, hiding his face in his hands, "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't want to give you tension. B- But I'm a failure. I ruined everything. I ruined our happy life, and it is all my fault."
"Oliver! Oliver, please don't blame yourself."
I was still so naive, trusting his crocodile tears. My throat tightened as I tried to comfort him, my voice was trembling through the tears. "We'll fix everything. Won't we? You should meet my dad. I'm sure he will help us."
"No! No, I can't ask for his help anymore!"
Wiping his tear-stained face roughly, Oliver spoke again and his voice was low but filled with a sudden determination. "Baby, just give me one last chance. I promise I'll meet you soon with the money. I will set you free from them and then we can start everything fresh."
I nodded gloomily, fighting back another wave of tears. His dark and deep eyes glistened with despair, and his once soft, velvety hair now hung disheveled over his forehead. He looked even more helpless than I felt.
I loved him so deeply.
How could I see him in such a broken and helpless state! His tears were breaking my heart too.
Before disconnecting, Oliver tried to reassure me, "Don't worry. I'll arrange the money at any cost. Until then, do as they say and stay safe."
"O–Oliver, can't we just… run away?" I whispered, glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was listening.
Oliver sighed. "They're the Voss Vault. Even if we hide in hell, they'll find us. Don't even think about it."
His next words pierced my heart though I knew that we got no other option.
"You have to stay with Voss Vault until I pay them back. You can do this much for me… can't you?"
---
My life felt like a bitter, endless battle. Oliver disconnected the call, but I remained frozen, staring blankly at the tablet's dark screen. Slowly, tears found their way down my cheeks.
'H-How will I live among a group of criminals and perverts?'