Chapter 4 The Escape

After she took a shower, she felt like she was recovering from the extreme cold brought by the two buckets of ice. Truth be told, she could endure that, even the hardships she experienced in martial arts school were more intense. The hardest thing she ever endured was the fact that out of all the people in the world, it was Drico who did that to her. That was the bitterest part.

When the door opened again, she still hoped to see the man's face. But for the second time, she was disappointed. It wasn't Drico, but another uniformed maid who entered. She carried a tray of food and... a first aid kit?

Oh right, before she forgets, her wrists were now adorned with small bruises, and she also had a scrape on her knee. Had she become numb and forgotten to tend to the pain caused by those injuries?

"Miss, let's treat your wounds first, and then you can eat," the woman said, giving her a forced smile. She was a few years older than her, just like the previous maid who came in.

"After he hurt me, he's going to treat me? After starving me, he's going to feed me? Please tell your crazy boss he needs a lethal injection in his brain!" Her replies were gentle but firm. She knew this was just one of the innocent maids she shouldn't take her anger out on, so she restrained the overwhelming anger she felt.

The woman responded with a faint smile.

"How can you endure being around that kind of person?" Her conscience couldn't stay quiet.

Her interlocutor just shrugged. "The salary is good, and there are many benefits here. Even though our boss is scary, the benefits more than make up for it. And besides, many want to work here... maybe because... Sir Drico is incredibly handsome?"

There it is. Now she truly believed in the gossip. Even though the Princes of Hell had extreme and frightening personalities, they possessed a certain charisma that compelled anyone, despite their rage, to still love them, as if you had no choice and that's the only thing you could do. And we're talking about the second on the list here.

What was disappointing was that all the Princes of Hell were married. All the other members had a hidden tenderness deep within their hearts. But it seemed like Drico DiVanne had none! His wickedness went straight to the bone.

"Where is he?" She decided to ask.

"He's gone," the woman replied as she applied medicine to her hand wounds.

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know."

She suddenly felt anxious. She remembered the video he took, and she thought he might have gone to float her sister. She needed to escape just to give her a warning. She couldn't bear it! Her sister was her only remaining relative, and she would do anything to protect her.

She subtly stood up and peeked outside. Drico's men were scattered all over the mansion; she was sure that others were also guarding outside. As long as she wasn't armed, she was sure she could fight them. There was only one she feared, and that was Drico. She remembered vividly how he defeated her effortlessly. Now that he was absent, she had a great chance of escaping!

When she looked outside, she was sure it was getting dark. The timing was perfect for her plan.

"Sis, sorry okay? Let's just switch clothes, I really need to." She apologized to the maid she had tied up and took her uniform. She also covered the maid's mouth with cloth to ensure she wouldn't scream.

She stealthily exited the door. She walked quietly through the entire house to find an exit. She easily located one without anyone noticing. She cursed when she saw the large gate leading out of the mansion and surrounded by more of Drico's men.

"Damn it!" She clenched her fists. She waited for the right moment, hiding in the tall bushes in the garden. She observed and waited for the chance to escape. Her heart pounded when she spotted a maid carrying a cart of garbage. She thought she was going to leave through the gate, that was the opportunity she was waiting for.

She approached the maid in a hurry when the guard fully opened the large gate. Her nervousness skyrocketed. She needed to get close to the gate and run out, but she was only a few steps away...

"Hey! Where are you going? Only one person is allowed to take out the garbage, don't you know that?" a guard approached from behind. She closed her eyes. She suddenly bowed her head as he tried to examine her face.

"Wait a sec--"

She didn't let her scream, immediately she struck her in the face and followed it with a kick to the stomach. Before others could reach the gate, she ran out quickly. It was dark around, and the main road seemed far away. She suspected she was inside one of DiVanne's vast private properties in the nearby province of Manila. To be honest, she didn't know her exact location. She needed to hide, to vanish like a bubble in the dark.

Being naturally agile, she managed to run far from those chasing her. Instead of going even farther, she chose to hide in the tall grass beside the road. She watched and waited for what would happen next.

The pursuers assumed she kept going straight, that's what she wanted them to think. She waited a few minutes in her hiding spot, and she saw three vehicles pass by, undoubtedly heading towards the main road. When the whole place fell silent and she felt no one around, she ran towards the main road. She was sure the pursuers wouldn't be back.

"Thank you Lord!" She almost jumped for joy when a truck carrying fruits bound for Manila passed by right on cue. She positioned herself in the middle of the road to make sure it would stop for her. She approached the driver in a voice mixed with sobs, a tone that seemed fearful and in need of help. "I'm being chased by my perverted boss... Can I please ride with you?" She heightened her sobbing.

The driver, who looked a bit older and seemed kind, looked at her. He even felt pity for her, so he immediately let her in. He even gave him some water once she was seated beside him.

"Are you okay? Do you want to report this to the police?" He asked with concern.

"No, please. I just really want to get back to Manila. My boss has a strong influence, he has the police in this province in his pocket..."

"Is that so? You're right, it's better for you to get away from this place. I'm headed to Manila anyway, I'll take you there to make sure you escape.." There was worry in his voice.

She secretly rejoiced. Not that she wanted to deceive people, but she really needed to escape from DiVanne's clutches.

"Wait a moment, who is this influential boss you're talking about?"

"Oh, uh... he's a foreigner... very perverted... he wants to take advantage of me. So, before he could do anything, I escaped."

"Oh my goodness. That's just despicable, isn't it? It's a good thing I happened to pass by, otherwise, who knows what might have happened to you."

"Yes, it really is, Mang--"

"Henry. My name is Henry."

"Mang Henry. I'm Hannah. Thank you so much."

He laughed. "It's nothing, anyone would do what I did. There are really some shameless foreigners, living here as guests and still trying to victimize peoples. They should be kicked out of the here!"

She nodded in agreement.

She arrived in Manila in the early hours. She thanked the driver for his kindness and then ran again towards where her friends were. At that time, they were surely still in the club. That's where she headed.

But before she could get there, a fancy black car blocked her way. She didn't realize that Drico DiVanne was going to step out of that vehicle, so she wasn't prepared when she aggressively grabbed her arm.

"Ahh!" She screamed. It hurt so much, it felt like her bone was being crushed.

"You really think you can easily get away from me??" In the dark, his gaze seemed to burn into her. It made her heart beat even faster. This creature was furious, and she knew it wouldn't hesitate to break her.

She tried to break free, but she was no match for his strength. There were many people passing by, and she could only think of one way.

"Help! Help! He's a rapist, a pervert! Let me go! Bastard!!" She screamed until she got the attention of many people.

"Damn you woman, shut the fuck up!!" he said, covering her mouth with his hand. He also spun her around and forcibly held her in his arms, her back pressed against his firm chest.

Several gays and hostesses from the nearby clubs approached them, curious.

"She's my girlfriend... she's just upset..." The damned Drico, he even gave a sweet smile to the posh gays and the women with heavy makeup on their faces. "She's kidding... really," he added in a super rich Greek accent.

"Never mind, if your rapist looks that hot and doable. You might as well let him rape you, it's like winning the lotto!" As expected, their eyes sparkled at the sight of Drico, who looked like a Greek God.

Ahh! This was hopeless.

There was one more way.

If she stepped on his foot, he'd probably let go. But if she bit the arm wrapped around his neck, she could escape.

That's what she did!

The prince of hell screamed in pain. Good. She used that opportunity to break free from his grip and run.

No matter how romantic it was to be trapped around his arms, she desperately had to run away before she was suffocated by the devil's embrace.

Because she was known in the club, it was easy for her to get in. Her friends worked as waitresses in the club, while Lira was the cashier.

"Are you a chambermaid at Malacañang now? Why are you dressed like that? And you're late!" Lira greeted her.

"Hide me..." She panted, her hand resting on her knee from exhaustion.

"What??" Her friend frowned, not understanding her.

"I'm being... chased... by Drico!" She was out of breath, so she could hardly explain.

Her friend just laughed. "Are you hungry? You've gone delirious again, haven't you?"

When Mexie and Julia arrived, they too just laughed at her.

"I'm not joking, this is true!" She insisted. "Best actress, for FAMAS, get changed, Boss has been looking for you since last night!" Mexie teased, trying to provoke. She held onto her senses. Julia also held her by the shoulders, guiding her to the locker room.

"I knew you'd be here."

The voice from behind was familiar. Together, her three friends turned to face the man who spoke. They all froze, staring unwaveringly at Drico's face.

Julia held onto her shoulders tightly, not allowing her to escape.

"D-Drico?" Mexie was the first to speak after a long moment of stunned silence.

"Mr. D-DiVanne?" Lira added, wide-eyed.

"Is this the one you need?" Julia, referring to herself, chimed in. She still held onto both her shoulders tightly.

"Yes, it's her."

"Here she is!" She didn't expect Julia to push her towards Drico's chest, causing her to stumble. It was hard, so it hurt. His arms instinctively wrapped around her again. There's no sense of running away. In that moment, maybe it was a good idea to be by Drico's side.

For her sister. So she could watch his every move. They say keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Of course, not to mention the fact that Drico Divanne's arms really felt like heaven around her.

If only he wasn't truly a demon... if only he wasn't really a demon....

When she disappeared from her friends' view, he dragged her into his waiting car. His hand, like iron, held onto her arm tightly. Despite her repeated pleas of pain, it seemed he heard nothing.

"Let go of me!" She appealed to him again and again. But he remained fierce. She couldn't do anything as he grabbed her by the head and forcibly put her in the passenger seat. "Where are you taking me again??"

"Shut up!" He held her jaw tightly. His fake smiles from earlier were replaced with intimidating, piercing eyes. "Shut up!! Don't try my patience because I might not be able to control myself, I might do something to you!"

She was frightened by the way he said that. It sounded true in his tone, that he might hurt her in any way possible. She had never seen anyone in her entire life speak with such ferocity. She had never been afraid of a person in her entire life, not until now. Only with Drico DiVanne.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally released his grip on her hand. It felt like she'd been slapped by the pain left on that part of her face.

She chose to remain silent for now. She tried to calm her racing heart, which was beating too fast. Her entire body was starting to tremble. Although she was used to fear, she was still only human and had fears.

It might be better if her friends didn't know, rather than get involved in her trouble. They wouldn't be able to help her anyway. She would let them think she was in a good condition. She would try to contact Lira to tell her not to let her sister know who she was with. She would just come up with a reason why she wanted to keep it a secret. That way, no one would be implicated. It was fine if it was just her, as long as the people she cared about were safe. Especially her sister.

Exhausted, she didn't notice when her eyelids slowly began to droop. She didn't care where Drico was taking her, as long as it was far away from her friends.

She woke up with a violent shake to her shoulder. Her head ached from his sudden yank, pulling her out of the car.

"Ouch! Be gentle!" She complained. But he just stared at her menacingly. Drico's eyes were terrifying. Each gaze felt like a sharp knife cutting into her skin.

All of his people bowed their heads as they passed by, she felt like they were all receiving a stern sermon because of her escape. She thought for sure he would take her back to the basement and lock her up like a common criminal, but she was wrong. He brought her into a large room next to the master's bedroom.

Drico DiVanne was a mass of contradiction. If she wanted to win here, she needed to read his mind. And that was something she knew would be difficult.

"Why did you bring me here? Shouldn't it be the hot basement? After all, you treated me like an animal, didn't you?" She said before he could leave.

"Who gave you the right to ask questions?" He followed it up with a meaningful smirk. "I told you, I need you for my show."

That's it, and then he turned away from her.

"Aren't you going to lock the door? Are you not even going to tie me up?" She pursued. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

Here's the translated passage:

---

She turned to him again. He looked at her from head to toe before furrowing his brow. "You're just an ordinary service girl in a club, how the hell did you manage to injure almost half of my professional bodyguards??"

"Because, let me tell you, I'm not a service girl there. I'm a bouncer!" she said proudly.

His smirk was insulting. "Well then, thanks for the info, I know better now."

But he still didn't close the door. He left it ajar, leaving her wondering what kind of game that demon had in mind. What did it mean that he needed her for a show?

What kind of show could it be? Horror? Thriller? Or maybe even romance? She laughed to herself, allowing herself to dream in this moment.

Since he granted her some freedom, even just within the confines of that house, why not explore the enemy's lair? She could use it to her advantage, just in case.

She scanned the surroundings. She sat on the edge of a queen-size bed. It was so soft, it felt like sitting on clouds. Then she looked to her side, where a large mirror stood. It was only then she noticed she looked like she hadn't showered or eaten in a week. She sniffed herself, biting her lower lip as she remembered the two instances when Drico's arms were wrapped around her.

Now her problem was where to find clothes she could wear in exchange for the maid's uniform she had on.

In her exhaustion, instead of going out to explore, she chose to lie down on the incredibly soft bed. Maybe resting wouldn't hurt. Especially since she wasn't sure if Drico would allow her to eat in his kitchen. At least with a little rest, she could recuperate.

She lay on the bed, gazing at the ceiling of her room. The thought came to her to find out about the goblet Drico mentioned, supposedly stolen by her sister. What did it look like and how valuable was it?

Could there be information about it on the internet? Maybe Google knows?

But it seemed unlikely. She had practically memorized everything published about Drico DiVanne on the internet. And not a single one of the scant articles mentioned a goblet hidden by his family for a long time. She was more inclined to believe that Drico invented that goblet story.

On the other hand, there was a point to be made that it wouldn't benefit him to create drama. Who were they to her sister? They weren't even rich.

Maybe the goblet's existence was true. But her mind still couldn't accept that her sister, Rebecca, stole it. She needed to find out the truth.

There was one part of the internet she hadn't explored. The Prince of Hell website. It was said to contain the most detailed accounts of the lives and families of all the princes of hell. The website was so expensive that it would take her several months' salary from the club just to afford the registration fee.

If she couldn't even afford an issue of the POH magazine, how much more access to the website? It was a big dream!

Suddenly, a thought struck her. She often saw on TV that wealthy people like Drico usually had a library inside their mansions. If she could find that place, there was a chance she could find information about the missing goblet and what it looked like.

She got up to look for that private library.

It was strange that many people saw her leave her room but not one of them acknowledged her. Was she really free now? She shook her head, she had more to learn, and she would gather more information if she stayed in Drico's mansion.

"Sister, do you know where the library is here?" she bravely asked a passing maid.

The maid seemed hesitant to answer.

"I'm getting bored and I want to read," she added with a forced smile.

"It's on the third floor, the last room on the right," the woman finally replied after careful consideration.

"Thank you."

She was on the second floor. That meant one more flight of stairs.

Finally, she reached that door. She opened it slowly. It wasn't difficult since it had no lock. The third floor of Drico's mansion was eerily quiet. She felt like she could be attacked by lurking spirits at any moment.

The library that greeted her was expansive. It was surrounded by shelves full of thick books, almost all of them about business, about getting rich. She searched for something interesting, something unusual. But after almost an hour of inspecting the books, she still hadn't found anything about the family of the demon who owned the house.

After a thorough search, she noticed an unusual painting hanging in the far corner of the library. She approached it. She was a bit nervous because that part was almost in darkness due to lack of light. But she could still make out the painting.

It was like an ancient painting depicting an old ritual that she often saw in Greek mythology books. She could see darkness, and thousands of pale hands trying to grab a luminous yet dark and silvery goblet. She was a little scared to stare at the image because it felt like those pale hands all over the painting belonged to dead people.

Curiosity overcame her, she raised her hand to try and touch the painting, and she could almost hear thousands of ghostly voices coming from that thing when she reached out her hand...

"What are you doing here?"

She jumped at the voice from behind her.

It was Drico DiVanne. And as usual, he looked godly in his black shirt and black jeans attire. Just like a dark prince ready to bite her to death. Was he a vampire or something? She hadn't even noticed him approach.

"Is this the goblet you were talking about?" she asked, perhaps hoping for a response.

"Get the hell out of here," he ordered, calm but firm.

"This thing looks ancient... and demonic. Does it have powers?"

Annoyance flashed in his eyes again. "I said, get out!"

"You know, I'm not sure which is creepier, this painting... or you. Has anyone ever told you how incredibly handsome you are? The kind of unreal, scary sort of handsome? Like a demon from hell pretending to be a prince charming?"

He stared into her eyes, as if measuring her. "Will you leave, or shall I kick you to the door?"

She rolled her eyes at his command. She left the intriguing painting and headed for the door. She noticed that Drico was also gazing at the picture. She became even more curious.

"I can prove to you that my sister had nothing to do with your missing item. I'll find out the truth even if you don't talk. Remember that, Drico DiVanne," Hannah quipped before finally leaving the room.

Hannah went back and forth to her room, holding her senses. She tried hard to remember where she had seen the symbol she noticed on the edge of the old painting. It was like the painter's signature. She was sure she had seen it before, she just couldn't recall where.

She was in the middle of scouring her mind when a maid knocked on her door.

"Yes?" she said.

"Sir Drico said the food is ready downstairs. If you plan on eating, you should come down."

How sweet.

"Why is it that when he sends a message, he seems like such a thoughtful person, but when I face him, he's practically ready to skin me alive and feed me to the tigers? 'I'll be right there,' she replied.

The maid also handed her a paper bag. 'Maybe you need to change,' she said.

Wow. This sweetness is on a different level. It's so easy to believe.

The smile slowly forming on her lips vanished when she saw what kind of clothes were inside. Her eyes widened when she lifted it. Was she seeing this right?

Is it really a short dress they want her to wear? And out of all the colors in the world, it's pink??

Damn.

'Isn't there anything else?' She complained right away. 'Is your master's mind really going haywire to make me wear this-'

'Sir Drico didn't choose that, ma'am,' the maid interjected.

She froze. She had more to say, but she felt a little embarrassed.

'Who did?'

'Madam. The head housekeeper of this mansion.'

'Really?' she said, slightly surprised.

'I'm sorry, we still don't know what kind of clothes you prefer. We'll just have it replaced. But for now, I think you need to change...'

She looked at her dirty maid's uniform. She also felt a bit sticky on her skin. She really needed a shower. She had no choice but to agree.