Contract with the Devil's Mafia

A red city car pulled into a yard filled with people. The driver was trying to figure out what was going on in his house. "What's going on?" Miya asked, looking surprised. A man in uniform came to her house unannounced and entered without her permission. "Hey, you're being pretty rude!" she said as one of them took some photos on the side of her house.

"Ah, Miss Miya Ashton."

Someone called out to her, so she turned to see a middle-aged man walking quickly towards her. "I'm Robert Jr., the bailiff at NorthDerm Court."

Miya's brow furrowed in astonishment. "Bailiff? What does this mean?"

One of Miya's servants came over to her. Mrs. Bern, the woman in question, looked upset and panicked. "The court has taken possession of the property, Ms. Miya. Mr. Michael is bankrupt."

Miya was so shocked; she couldn't even speak. "What?" Then she looked at the bailiff, who had introduced herself. "Can you explain this too?"

Robert gave a little smile and took out his cell phone. He decided to watch the news report that aired today and thought he'd found the right one. Robert also showed Miya what he'd found. The news was about the bankruptcy that the Ashton Group had experienced. In the news, Miya saw a familiar face-her father. He said a few things in front of reporters, looking tired and like he had lost all passion for life.

"Dad," Miya said quietly, her voice trembling. The hand holding the other person's cell phone also started to shake. Her eyes also started to glaze over.

"We're here because of this news and some documents that Mr. Michael Ashton needs to settle a debt."

"But this is all a bit sudden. I haven't met my father yet, Lord Robert."

Robert's smile tugged slightly. "I'm just following the court's orders."

"How is it, Miss Miya?" the middle-aged woman who had been standing next to Miya asked. This wasn't the right question to ask, since Miya didn't have any answers either. It was a complete surprise.

"I need to get in touch with my father." That was the only solution Miya could think of. The blonde-haired girl was clueless about business. Her life was all about college, having fun, and spending her family's money. Miya never thought she'd be in her current position, given that she'd always lived a life of abundance.

Unfortunately, she couldn't get hold of his father's cell phone. She tried again, but there was still no response from her father. Miya was left high and dry like that. During the chaos that seemed like a storm in Miya's life,

Come on!

"Damn it!" Miya exclaimed, feeling like throwing her phone against the wall.

"Miss Miya," Mrs. Bern called out, catching Miya's attention as she looked over at her car.

"Oh, come on. Is my car included too?" Miya hurried over to her favorite car. A towing company gave the car a yellow label indicating that it was also impounded. "Why is my car included too?" Miya was unhappy about the situation. "This is my favorite car!"

But the officer gave Miya a stern look and asked her to step back right away. Meanwhile, someone Miya knew came over to her.

"Oh, Mr. Hans. You came!" Miya felt like she might cry when she saw her family's lawyer arrive. "They just came by and took a look at the house and everything in it. I'm not sure what's going on here. If it's related to debt, is the whole house also being used as collateral? And what about me?" she asked, sounding a bit impatient.

Hans Handerson gave Miya a little smile and asked her to follow him. As we entered the living room, we saw that several people in uniform were still there, still going through things. He was checking some fancy-looking jars and displays and labeling them. Miya felt a twinge of displeasure, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Are you ready to talk, Miya?"

Miya let out a long sigh. "How can I be calm when I'm in for a surprise like this?" The girl leaned back against the sofa. "Is it really as reported, Mr. Hans? Is it true that my father is bankrupt?"

"That's the reality we have to face."

Miya let out a groan of frustration. "So, why is this house being confiscated? It's private property, right?"

"Your father's debt is too high. Even if they took this house and everything in it, it still wouldn't cover all the debts."

Miya was at a loss as to how to respond to this news. "Then, what about me? I've been trying to get hold of my father, Mr. Hans, but I haven't been able to reach him. I need him to tell me a lot of things about this."

"That's why I'm here." Hans took out one of the files from his bag. "This is a letter for you. It has some messages from him before he left NorthDerm."

"He... ran away?" Miya looked at the letter with disbelief.

"Not running away, Miss Miya. It's more like taking responsibility for what he did."

"It's the same thing!" Miya quickly grabbed the letter. Although her relationship with her father wasn't great, this was about something that affected them both. Why would her father leave her in the middle of such a mess?

Dear Miya, my strong-willed daughter.

I'm sorry for leaving you in the lurch. But I promise you, I'll get everything sorted out as soon as I can. I know it's tough, but please hang in there.

Miya quickly scanned the page she had just finished reading, in case there was more to it. The writing only had a few sentences. "Is this all?" Miya let out an exasperated squeal. "Oh, dear!"

"He also left this for you, Miss Miya." Hans handed Miya a small pouch. She was still surprised that her father's letter was so short.

"What is this?"

"The keys and a debit card with some savings," Hans explained. "The key to Mr. Michael's old house since it's no longer fit for living in. You can take whatever you need. The bailiff will figure out which items can be used as collateral, and which can't. If there are any items that can't be cashed in, we'll send them to the address of the house you'll be living in from today."

Miya's shoulders slumped a bit. "I guess I have no other choice."

Hans shook his head.

***

Two large suitcases with clothes that Miya could carry were already on the right and left sides. There was also one suitcase with other equipment. Mrs. Bern, Hannah, and the other servants at Miya's house could only look at the girl with sadness in their eyes.

"I'm not great at saying goodbye. I just wanted to say thank you for being so kind to me. Thanks, and who knows if we'll cross paths again." Miya gave them a little bow to show her gratitude for all their help over the years.

"Miss Miya, make sure you eat well," Mrs. Bern said, looking a little sad. She gave Miya's shoulder a little rub to help the girl feel more energized. "I'm sure Mr. Michael and you will be back at this house."

Miya let out a long sigh. "I'll do my best to make this house a better place. When the time comes, you'll need to be there. Yes?" She went over to the side of the middle-aged woman, who was very gentle. If it weren't for Mrs. Bern, Miya would have no idea how chaotic her life would be at home. Mrs. Bern had taken care of Miya since she was a child and knew how her temperament was.

"Absolutely, Miss Miya. We'll be back. We're really looking forward to that day," Hannah said, her voice thick with emotion. Danish didn't say anything, but he looked sad.

"I'll go first," Miya said, trying to be strong. "Take care of yourselves."

Hans offered to take Miya to her father's house, which was on the outskirts of town. At the very least, Hans had to make sure she got to her destination safely. The middle-aged man was certain that Miya's feelings must be all over the place.

"Thanks for your help, Mr. Hans. And sorry for the trouble," Miya said just before Hans's black car sped away.

"No problem." Hans gave a little smile. "Live well. Just so you know, your tuition fees have been taken care of until the final exam. You don't need to worry about that."

Miya didn't say anything. It wasn't just the lecture that was worrying her. A lot of other things were suddenly on her mind. Miya decided to enjoy the trip in silence while she thought about whether this was a dream or not.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the road opposite Miya's house, there was a white luxury car parked up. The driver was keeping an eye on what was going on inside the three-story house. He gave his black curly hair a quick adjustment so it wouldn't get in the way of the view. He had two moles above his eyebrows, which had become his trademark. The only thing that interrupted her work was her cell phone ringing loudly. He tapped the screen and said in a cold voice, "What's up?"

"Mr. Damian, I've taken care of it," said the person on the other end. "The bank has seized all of Michael Ashton's assets. All set for the auction."

Damian didn't respond because he already knew what had happened. "I also made sure that Miss Miya Ashton followed your wishes without her realizing it."

Damian's smile was very thin. "Good." That was all he said and ended the call. Then he drove back to the rectorate office where Miya was studying in the city center. "I'll get you, Miya."

This isn't the end of the road. That's what Miya told herself as she went into the house her father left behind. The house, which was much smaller and had been uninhabited for a long time, was already in view. The peeling paint and some unkempt plants made Miya feel uneasy. It's possible there might be a snake coming out of hiding.

"I'll help you find out where your father is, Miya." Hans really didn't want to leave the daughter of a contact in a place quite far from the city center. But Hans was in over his head as the family lawyer because he was outmatched. Michael's approach was always risky.

Hans had advised him to be more careful with the contract and the risks involved. Unfortunately, Michael is someone who isn't easily satisfied with a challenge. He took a big risk without thinking that he could lose everything.

"Thanks, Mr. Hans. I look forward to hearing from you."

Not long after that, Hans left Miya there. Miya never imagined that she'd be in the same sky but with a very different life from the day before.

"What's next for me?" Miya asked, glancing up at the clear sky on this day. "How should I proceed?" Miya stood around the yard for a while until her cell phone rang loudly from the direction of the living room. Miya had left her phone and wallet in the bag.

Tessa's name appeared on the screen, which made Miya realize she hadn't contacted her best friend all day. Not to mention, she hadn't even looked at the messages that had piled up, just telling Tessa what had happened to her best friend.

"Where are you?" Tessa asked, a bit more forcefully than she had intended. "I came to your house, but why are there so many men in uniform? It's a bit strange."

Miya let out a soft laugh. "I can't believe this is happening to me."

"What happened exactly?" Tessa asked, still sounding a bit demanding.

"Did you catch the news this morning?"

Tessa's voice sounded amused and annoyed in return. "Do you think I'm some kind of news junkie?"

Miya found that remark quite amusing. That's right. She also ignored the news from North Derm, including the bankruptcy of her father, without a second thought. For Miya, the news was mostly about crime and things outside of humanity, as well as business and politics. She didn't think it was relevant to her. But because of that, Miya missed out on some pretty important information.

"What's up, Miya?" Tessa was getting restless.

Let's remind Miya to give Tessa a bit more patience, especially when asking questions. "My father went bankrupt."

Tessa didn't say anything, but Miya was pretty sure her best friend was listening.

"The guy in uniform came to take my dad's assets to settle his debts. I was only told the amount, which was completely ridiculous. I'm not sure if the assets that were seized will be enough to cover the debt, or if I'll have to take responsibility," Miya said quietly. But really, if Miya was being honest, she was holding back from crying over the bad luck that had befallen her.

"Miya," Tessa said quietly. "Where are you now?"

"I'm in one of my father's relics that wasn't confiscated," Miya said with a laugh. "Even if it was confiscated, I'm sure it wouldn't sell for as much as the other properties."

"Can you tell me the exact location? I'll be right there."

"No need," Miya said right away.

"But, Miya..."

"It's okay, Tessa. I just need a few minutes to myself, if that's okay with you. "I still feel like this is all a dream." Once more, Miya felt her eyes becoming blurry. Maybe in the blink of an eye, her tears would start to flow. "I really hope this dream ends soon. You know, I'm really scared."

"Let it out, Miya. I'll go with you. Tomorrow, let me know where you currently live. Then, we'll have a good cry together."

"Stupid," Miya muttered, but she was smiling just a little. She rubbed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears. "I'd rather not have another tearful moment tomorrow."

"So, are you going to shed a tear today?" Tessa asked in a lighthearted manner. She was trying to cheer her best friend up over the air. Tessa had no idea that it would be tricky for Miya to tell her where her best friend lived.

It's fair to say that most people would be shocked to find that their life has changed so much in such a short period of time.

***

Miya let out a long sigh. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. She had to put her hair in pigtails to make her more comfortable on the bus. On top of that, the walk from the bus stop to the school gate was pretty rough on Miya, who doesn't get much exercise. She was surprised to find that the distance from the gate to her class was quite far. All she had to do was press the accelerator in her car. She drove her red Audi right up to the campus grounds.

But today was different. Miya no longer had access to her usual mode of transportation. She had to use all her energy to get to campus without being late. Although Tessa offered to help this morning, it would be tricky for them later because the house Miya was living in now was quite far from the city center.

"At least I'm not suffocating to death," Miya said as she fixed her bag. "Let's make the most of this day. Fingers crossed there won't be any surprises that make my heartbeat on the verge of normal."

Just as Miya was about to take a step, she felt a sudden weight on her shoulders. As well as the sound of a voice that was very familiar to her.

"I'm concerned about you, Miya!"

"You!" Miya gave Tessa's shoulder a sharp tap. Miya was surprised and felt her ears ringing. Tessa's voice was making her ears hurt. "Could you at least say hello?"

Tessa frowned, but then her expression changed to a smile. "I thought you weren't going to class today."

"I'd rather not be punished by Mr. Victor just yet. Today he was in my class for two hours. I still love life."

Tessa let out a little laugh. "You're right. It's a nice reminder." She gave her arms a good rub. "Did you have breakfast? Let's grab something to eat before we hear Mr. Victor's lecture."

Miya was on board with Tessa's suggestion, but as they stepped into the cafeteria, she felt her heart racing. She felt an unusual thumping in her chest, along with a sharp pain in her heart.

Her boyfriend, Rhett Sullivan, whom she had been dating for almost six months, was kissing passionately. The kisses were so intense that anyone nearby felt like they could burst into flames at any moment.

"Rhett," Miya called softly. She was clenching her hands. She didn't expect to have a scene like this for breakfast.

"Ah, it's Miya." This wasn't Rhett's voice, but the kissing opponent of her boyfriend, Veronica Lodge. She was one of the most famous girls on campus.

"You... didn't bring your car? Or did your car get an impound sticker?"

Miya was raised in a somewhat challenging environment. Her father was often occupied with work, while her mother was frequently unwell. Leukemia took a gentle woman with eyes as warm as the morning sun from Miya at a young age. Even so, there's one important lesson her mother left Miya with: don't give up, especially when you've been humiliated.

That's what Miya was up to now. Although she was feeling very emotional, Miya walked steadily, as if she were walking on eggshells. She approached the man she was seeing, ignoring the crazy girl who had just provoked her emotions. Then,

PLAK!!!

Miya gave Rhett a sharp slap. It was so hard that the man she loved actually turned red in the face and cut his lip a little.

"You!" Rhett exclaimed, looking annoyed. "What are you doing?" He was ready to lunge at Miya. The slap Miya gave him caught the attention of some of his college friends, and Rhett wasn't pleased.

However, Miya wasn't concerned. This time, her steps led her back to the girl who was staring at Miya with a somewhat troubled look. "Are you upset because I told the truth?" Vero asked, folding her arms across her chest. Her gaze was still on Miya, as if she were looking down on her. Vero saw Miya as her main rival on campus.

Particularly when it comes to competing for Rhett's attention, who is now turning to her. Vero is feeling pretty happy right now and she'll keep pushing Miya to the wall, especially given her current situation. This is a great chance to make Miya look bad in comparison to Ashton.

"No," Miya replied calmly. She was already in front of Vero, looking at her with a small smile. "You like my boyfriend, right? Because of what I've been through, you think you're more worthy of being by his side?"

Vero looked up and gave a little smile. "Oh, did Miya Ashton admit to bankruptcy? I'm looking forward to making a donation in case you need a lot of money to fulfill your life's goals."

Miya's hands were clenched, but she tried to stay calm. "You didn't answer my question, by the way." Without worrying about the consequences, Miya grabbed Vero's long hair and pulled it tight. The girl let out a cry of pain and tried to break free from Miya's tight grip.

"You're out of your mind! Let me go, Miya!"

"It's delicious." Miya let out a short laugh. "It's payback for you getting my goat. I don't care if you take Rhett away from me.

After all, that guy is nothing like a cheap guy, who deserves to be with someone who's not so cheap like you." Miya gave a triumphant grin. But that didn't last long, as Vero came back with a vengeance.

The early morning drama, which seemed like a fight over a man, and the many insults that came out of Vero's mouth, was witnessed by many people. Those watching and cheering the commotion were in for a surprise. Some people backed Miya, while others sided with Vero.

It caused quite a stir until...

"How long do you plan to continue this wrestling match? Should I set up a boxing ring?"

***

Miya winced as the cotton swab, soaked in alcohol, hit her wound. She had a cut on her lip, a bruise on her cheek, and scratches on her hands and feet from Vero's nails, which were quite sharp. But at least Vero felt the same way. The girl's appearance was no worse than Miya's. That was another reason for Miya's grin.

"See?" Vero indicated the area where Miya was receiving treatment. She was still unhappy with how she was treated because of what Miya did. "That girl really needs to be taught a lesson! I'm not going to stay silent on this.

I'm going to make sure Miya Ashton is held accountable for this."

One of the teachers with Vero couldn't help but sigh. "Can you take a moment to calm down? Your wound needs to be treated right away."

"There's no need," Vero said right away. "I'll go to the hospital and have a post-mortem done. I'm also going to sue Miya with the best lawyer in the country and make sure that girl begs for my forgiveness."

"Are you sure about that?" she interjected with a chuckle. "Even if I am who you say I am, I'm not going to put up with your cheap behavior, Bitch!"

"You!" Vero again approached Miya, who was sitting casually with Tessa, her best friend. Tessa stepped in to break up the confrontation. She also found herself in the middle of what might soon become a bit of a commotion. If we don't intervene, this situation in the rector's room is likely to repeat itself.

"Could you please calm down?" Tessa said in a loud, clear voice.

"Let's sit down and talk this through, Verocina Lodge." The voice also came from the teacher who was with Vero and who had been treating him. "If you misbehave, you'll face consequences that might be more severe than you expect."

Vero made a displeased sound, while Miya just chuckled even though her heart was suddenly in turmoil. Ms. Thompson was right. They were in for a big punishment, especially since Mr. Victor, the owner of the university, saw the commotion and struggle in the corridor that morning.

He was arguably too young to be one of the important rectors and owners of the famous Hillarious University. He had dark brown hair and similar beady eyes, and he was tall and well-proportioned. But Victor Wyatt's looks don't necessarily reflect his behavior.

Victor was known as one of the most disciplined middle-class teachers around. He doesn't have much patience for students who haven't done their assignments. He likes to come up with some ridiculous punishments to show students that if they're in school, they need to follow the rules. He's also a very cold and rigid school owner.

This made Miya's goosebumps bristle. She wondered what punishment she would get for the commotion. Even though she could defend herself, there'd still be monitoring, and a lot of people would agree with Vero's statement about who attacked first. Miya let out a frustrated sigh, without even realizing it.

"What's up with you?" Tessa asked, refocusing on Miya. "I haven't finished healing your wound yet. Let's take a quick break. You're a bit too rough."

"I wasn't the one who started the fight," Miya grumbled. But her eyes were now fixed on the floor she was standing on. "To be honest, I'm a bit scared."

Tessa can't help but laugh a little to keep her composure, especially in front of Veronica, who is still grumbling and trying to explain what happened. The news also included the announcement of the Ashton Group's bankruptcy. It seems like the news really pleased Veronica.

"If you're lucky, it'll only be a month suspension."

"You're making me even more nervous," Miya said. "I can't solve the problem just by talking to you."

"I admire your courage." Tessa gave her a thumbs-up. "I think it's safe to say that the whole campus is aware of Rhett's reputation now."

"Cih!" Miya made a disapproving sound.

But as soon as Victor Wyatt walked in, the conversation came to a standstill. Tessa and Ms. Thompson also took a step back, hoping Miya and Vero were okay facing Victor's intimidating wrath.

"Alright, what can I hear from you?" Victor pulled up a chair in the center of the room. Veronica was on his right, staring at the other side with a look of intense anger. Meanwhile, Miya Ashton appeared to be attempting to compose herself. Both of their faces were covered in plaster from the struggle that took place this morning.

"She came to me first, Mr. Victor. She came at me, slapped me, grabbed me..." Veronica just kept on talking. She winced in pain now and then, and her words also seemed to suggest that she was the victim of Miya's cruelty.

Miya knew she wasn't allowed to speak yet, so she just listened to all of Vero's complaints, her breath catching. Veronica made her face red with emotion as she recounted many incidents, exaggerating them. Damn it!

"And I'm not going to stay silent, Mr. Victor. As you know, the Lodge family has a lot of influence in the legal field. I've asked my parents to demand damages and retribution from Miya. I can't accept her treating me like a punching bag!" Veronica spoke up with a fiery tone. Veronica was confident she would win this fight, especially since Miya was in no condition to defend herself.

The family is already bankrupt, so they won't be able to afford a lawyer to defend against the demands Veronica will make.

"If you've had your say, Miss Lodge, please come out," Victor said, pointing at the door to his room.

"But, sir, I just wanted to..."

"As for Miya and her punishment, that's something the school will decide."

"I still don't agree that Miya has..."

"Leave now." Victor shot a sarcastic look at the gorgeous, infuriating girl. Victor's actions didn't sit well with Vero, but she respected the school owner's decision. At last, she stepped out, feeling rather downhearted.

Even so, Veronica thinks Miya will face consequences for her actions. She'll also act because she won't stand for Miya's arbitrary treatment.

Meanwhile, Miya sensed a sudden chill in the air in Victor Wyatt's room. It made her hair stand on end. She swallowed a few times, feeling anxious and scared as she waited for her punishment to come. On top of everything else, she was no longer able to attend school here. Oh my goodness, Miya never thought this would happen. This was her last semester before she would complete her bachelor's degree.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Victor," Miya said quietly.

"Oh, you admit you made a mistake?"

Miya nodded and looked down.

"There's no smoke without fire. Right, Miya?"

"I..."

"I'm sure Miss Lodge's threats are no joke. I also know what happened with your family. I don't have time for small talk, Miya. In the next couple of days, you might find yourself in a bit of a pickle. Of course, you'll also have to face consequences from me."

"But, sir, if it wasn't for Vero starting it, I wouldn't want to get into trouble." Miya tried to muster up the courage to look at the other person, but after catching sight of Victor's bright brown eyes, she looked down again. What did that look all about? That was awful!

"Your only mistake is that you're a bit impatient." You tend to rely on your emotions when it comes to problem-solving. And that's what happened as a result."

Miya looked down again. "My apologies."

"Is this apology going to solve the problem?" Victor tapped his fingers on the table. "You're suspended for a month. The school isn't organizing any extra classes. When you come back, you'll need to show me your final test results. Not the other examiners."

Miya bit her lower lip hard. "Yes, sir."

"And the school won't get involved if you run into legal issues involving Miss Lodge."

This is the worst-case scenario for Miya.

"Unless..." Victor gave a little smile. Because of this, Miya looked up and exchanged glances with him.

"What is it, sir?"

"You'll do as I ask."

Miya's brow furrowed. "Your request?"

"That includes returning all the assets we've taken, stopping Ms. Lodge from trying to bring you down, and getting back to normal studies."

"Is that something we can do?" Miya asked, surprised. "You're... joking?"

"No." Victor gets up from his seat and goes over to his desk, which is just a few steps away. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a blue folder. He gave it to Miya and said, "Take a look at what's in there and let me know what you think. If you're on board, we'll make it work."

Miya quickly opened the file Victor gave her and saw "Geheime Vertrag" right away.

"Geheime Vertrag?" Miya couldn't help but mutter involuntarily.

"It's a secret contract," Victor said quietly, right in Miya's ear. "It's a secret contract between you and... Mr. Damian Sawyer.

Miya's eyes were wide with surprise. "Damian Sawyer?"

"You know him, right?"

"No way!" Miya closed the file right away. "I'm not going to get involved with that guy." She quickly grabbed the bag that was nearby. "Thanks for the advice, Mr. Victor. I'll serve my sentence right away."

Victor smiled knowingly, having seen this coming. "Come back if you change your mind," he says before she leaves his office.

While Miya grumbled, "Is there anything crazier than this?"