The thirty-million-dollar, pure black Maybach tore down the desolate highway of the West District like a wild beast unleashed. The scenery outside the tinted windows grew increasingly barren. The dazzling neon lights of the bustling city center had long been left behind, replaced by shattered streetlamps, overgrown weeds, and massive, decaying factories that loomed in the darkness like sleeping iron monsters.
The sky was terrifyingly heavy. Thick, dark clouds completely swallowed the moonlight, and the air was thick with the suffocating humidity of an approaching thunderstorm.
Nicole gripped the leather steering wheel tightly. Her palms were slightly sweaty from extreme excitement and a faint, undetectable trace of nervousness. She didn't notice the oppressive and eerie atmosphere of her surroundings. Her mind was filled entirely with one gentle face: Kelvin. The man who had promised to help her escape this endless hell, to give her a home, and to give her true love.
"I'm finally free," she whispered to herself, a beautiful smile of rebirth appearing on her lips.
On the passenger seat rested the heavy, black premium leather duffel bag. Inside were one million dollars in cash, several limitless black credit cards, and property deeds that could buy half the city. This immense wealth, along with the global limited-edition supercar she was driving, was more than enough for her and Kelvin to live like royalty in any corner of the world.
Ten minutes later, the Maybach's high beams illuminated a massive, heavily rusted iron gate. This was the entrance to the abandoned warehouse.
Nicole slowed down. The massive V12 engine let out a low, rumbling growl as she slowly drove into the dark, cavernous interior of the warehouse. The air smelled strongly of dust, old engine oil, and rotting wood. Deep in the back of the building, parked in the shadows, was a plain, old gray sedan. Its lights were off, but under the blinding glare of the Maybach's headlights, Nicole clearly saw the familiar figure standing next to it.
It was Kelvin.
He was wearing a simple dark jacket, his hands stuffed nervously into his pockets. When the intimidating, aerodynamic body of the Maybach and its dazzling lights appeared in his line of sight, Kelvin's body visibly stiffened.
Nicole quickly parked the car, too impatient to even take the keys out of the ignition. She grabbed the heavy duffel bag from the passenger seat, pushed the heavy door open, and ran toward the man without a second thought.
"Kelvin!" Nicole's voice trembled with uncontrollable joy and happy tears.
Carrying the heavy bag, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. She buried her face in his chest, feeling like a lost lamb who had finally found a safe harbor in a violent storm. "I did it, Kelvin. I escaped! He didn't find me, and I brought everything out!"
However, Kelvin's reaction was completely wrong.
He didn't stroke her hair gently like he used to, nor did he hug her back tightly. His arms just gave her back a half-hearted, dismissive pat. Then, his bloodshot eyes stared dead past Nicole's shoulder, fixing greedily on the priceless black Maybach.
"That car..." Kelvin swallowed hard, his voice trembling with an almost sickening excitement. "Is that really John's limited-edition Maybach? The only one in the world?"
"Yes, I got his crystal key," Nicole looked up. Although a little confused by his lack of affection, she immediately handed over the black duffel bag. "Not just the car, look at this!"
Kelvin's attention instantly shifted from the supercar to the heavy leather bag. He snatched it from her hands, his movements so rough that it actually hurt Nicole's fingers. He impatiently yanked the zipper open. When he saw the thick stacks of hundred-dollar bills, the cold gleam of the Centurion black cards, and the thick stacks of asset documents, Kelvin's breathing instantly became rapid and shallow.
He was shaking with excitement. His eyes flashed with a terrifying, fanatical light that Nicole had never seen before. It was pure, unadulterated greed.
"Oh my god... I'm rich... I finally don't have to hide from my debts anymore. I'm set for life!" Kelvin muttered excitedly to himself, completely forgetting to hide his vulgar tone.
Nicole froze, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. In her memory, Kelvin had always been a gentle, considerate, and polite boy. What did he mean by "hide from debts"?
"Kelvin, are you okay?" Nicole asked tentatively. "Let's put the things in the car. It's not safe here. If John finds out I'm gone, he'll go crazy. His men will check the security cameras soon. We have to leave the city right now."
Kelvin seemed to suddenly snap out of his trance. He quickly hid his crazy expression and put on a look of extreme urgency.
"You're right, baby. We need to go now," Kelvin said as he quickly opened the back door of his gray sedan and threw the heavy black bag inside. It landed with a dull thud. "It's good that you got out of the car first. It's too dangerous to hold so much cash."
Nicole sighed in relief, thinking everything was going according to plan. She smiled and took a step toward the passenger side of his gray car. "Then let's go now. Do you have the route planned out?"
"Wait," Kelvin suddenly reached out his arm, blocking her path.
Nicole stopped, looking at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"
A terrifying, twisted sneer slowly crept onto Kelvin's lips. He took two steps back, putting a cold distance between them. In the dim, gloomy light of the abandoned warehouse, his once handsome face now looked distorted and completely foreign.
"Nicole, you really are a naive, stupid girl." Kelvin's voice was no longer gentle. It was filled with ruthless mockery and ice. "Did you honestly think I would go on the run with a woman who is being hunted by the most terrifying man in the city?"
The smile on Nicole's face instantly shattered. The cold night wind blew through the broken windows of the warehouse, making her violently shiver.
"Kelvin... what kind of joke is this? We had a deal..."
"Who had a deal with you?" Kelvin interrupted her coldly, his eyes full of absolute disgust. "If it wasn't for the money in John's idiot-proof safe, did you think I would have the patience to listen to your crying every single day? Now that I have the cash and the limited-edition supercar, my goal is achieved."
Right at that moment, the sharp, crisp sound of high heels echoed from the deep shadows of the warehouse.
"Why are you wasting so much breath on her, honey?" a seductive, shrill female voice rang out.
Nicole's eyes widened in absolute shock. A woman with a curvy figure and heavy makeup walked out from the shadows behind Kelvin. The woman intimately wrapped her arms around Kelvin, looked at the pale-faced Nicole provocatively, and planted a hard kiss on Kelvin's cheek.
"Who... who is this?" Nicole's voice trembled so much she could barely form a sentence. She felt the entire world spinning around her.
"Let me introduce you," Kelvin wrapped his arm around the woman's waist and laughed arrogantly. "This is my real girlfriend, Lisa. As for you? You were just a free pawn I used to empty John's vault!"