Chapter 5 Ch5 - Another trap

"Uncle Tom, how much farther do we have to go?" Lena lifted her skirt slightly as she followed Tom out of the main hall, down a long corridor that became more and more isolated with each step. Her ill-fitting heels chafed painfully against the back of her heels, turning each step into pure agony.

"Just a bit further; the person I'm introducing you to is right over there," Tom replied, his tone now vastly different from the friendly one of fifteen minutes earlier, as if afraid she'd turn and leave.

They passed a few steps and arrived at a door with elaborate decorations. The doorman swung it open, and sounds seeped through the gap, eerily reminiscent of the kind she'd heard at the club a few days earlier.

-

"Boss, it seems Miss Carrington has left the main hall," Alaric's assistant whispered by his side.

"Good. As long as she knows how to get home."

"It looks like she didn't head home, though. I think she went off somewhere else with someone."

Alaric paused, frowning slightly. "Somewhere else?"

The assistant, gauging his expression, offered, "Should I go check...?"

"No need," Alaric interrupted. "Where she goes has nothing to do with me. Don't inform me of her whereabouts again."

-

"Uncle, what's... this?"

Once inside, Lena saw another thick velvet curtain separating them from what lay beyond. Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily, sensing the type of situation behind the drape.

"Just behave once you're in, and you'll get what you want," Tom said, his voice laced with something ominous.

Lena froze. "Uncle, is this... I don't-"

"Didn't you say you'd do whatever it takes?" Tom's face was now devoid of its usual warmth.

Before she could protest, he pushed her through the curtain, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees on the carpeted floor. The jolt left her hands burning, but she forced herself upright.

"Well, well, who's this?" A man with a slight accent chuckled.

In the dim room, Lena hadn't looked up yet, but she could make out a pair of shoes and trouser legs in front of her. Judging by his tone, he was neither young nor frail.

Tom rubbed his hands together. "Mr. Ridley, you might not recognize her since you're new here, but she's known around these parts as one of the prettiest girls from a wealthy family."

The man, leaning back with his arms draped over the sofa, seemed intrigued. "Oh? And how'd she end up here, then?"

"Well, her family business, Carrington Properties, is about to go under. She needs someone influential to rely on, so I thought of introducing her to you."

Keaton Ridley didn't care much about her background; tales of girls like this only added a bit of spice to their beauty in his eyes. Lena turned to look at Tom, eyes wide in disbelief. How could the man who'd always been so kind to her push her into another trap?

Unhappy with only seeing her profile, Keaton leaned down, gripping her chin to turn her face fully towards him. His rough fingers pressed into her thin cheeks, a smirk curling his lips. She was a lovely one, he thought-the dress hugged her slender frame well, and her eyes, though fierce, still glimmered in the low light.

"Alright, she can stay."

Those words felt like a death sentence. Lena wrenched herself free from his hand, looking desperately towards Tom as he turned to leave, smiling. "Uncle, please, I don't want this."

Tom's smile faded. "Lena, stop acting out. Mr. Ridley's family is powerful. If he's on your side, you could settle any lawsuit... maybe even help your family's company recover. All you have to do is..."

"No, anything but this! Please, take me out of here!" Lena's voice shook as she begged him, terrified of being left alone in the room with Ridley, where no one would hear her call for help.

Tom sighed in frustration. "You said you'd do whatever it took, so I brought you here. You're lucky he's even interested."

"What's going on here, Tom?" Ridley asked, crossing his arms, his voice growing annoyed. "Didn't you make it clear this girl was willing?"

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Lena clung to it. "I swear, I had no idea this was going to happen. Please, just let me leave."

Ridley scowled, while Tom, avoiding his gaze, broke into a sweat. "Let me just talk to her; she'll agree. It's a great opportunity for her..."

"No! When I said I'd do anything, I didn't mean... this." Lena's voice cracked, her eyes red with suppressed tears.

The air grew tense.

With a hand on his forehead and a frustrated sigh, Ridley finally waved her off. "Fine. Take her out."

"Mr. Ridley..." Tom started, trying to salvage the situation.

Ridley slammed a fist on the coffee table, startling everyone. "Are you trying to ruin me, Tom? You want me to get in trouble as soon as I arrive here? Get out!"

-

Lena hugged herself, still shaken from narrowly escaping the situation. Her legs felt as if they were filled with lead, barely able to move.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Lena," Tom sneered, turning on her. "You have nothing left. When an opportunity like this comes, why don't you take it? If you go back now, Mr. Ridley might even reconsider."

Lena snapped her head up. "Disappointed in me? Uncle, I'm the one disappointed in you. How could you do this to me? Aren't you afraid my parents will find out?"

"Where are they, Lena? It's been days-have they reached out even once? If they don't come back soon, don't blame me for using their precious daughter to settle their debts. You don't look surprised... don't tell me you didn't know they borrowed ten million from me last month."

For a man as greedy as Tom, lending money to the Carringtons had required hefty collateral-namely, a valuable piece of land. But with the family's assets frozen, he hadn't had the chance to claim it yet, watching it slip from his fingers.

Today, Lena had come to him willingly. He wasn't to blame for her refusal. Introducing her to Ridley had been a golden chance, and she still thought she was some pampered princess.

A company on the brink of bankruptcy, unpaid debts, unfinished real estate developments, and borrowed money from friends left behind... How many more ticking bombs had her family left her with?

"I'll find a way to pay you back for that ten million. Just help me get a lawyer..."

"No more chances!" Tom barked.

A cold glint flashed in his eye as he reached out. "At least that necklace around your neck is worth something."

Lena winced in pain as the metal chain dug into her skin, clinging onto part of it. "Let go!"

But she couldn't match his strength; the force sent her tumbling backward, landing hard on the floor. A sharp pain shot up her spine, and she gasped.

Tom tugged on her necklace again, venting all his pent-up anger from earlier in the room.

"Isn't this going a bit too far, Tom?"

Both Lena and Tom froze at the sudden interruption.