When Love And Hate Collide

"Miss, are you going to the Bronx?" asked the taxi driver as he glanced at Briana sitting in the back seat through the center rearview mirror while she was on her way to the Bronx, United States.

"Yes, Sir! What's wrong?" asked Briana in surprise, returning the driver's gaze through the center mirror as he smiled to himself in the front seat.

"Nothing wrong, Miss! I just wanted to ask if you want to go there; I'll take you there!" said the driver as he sped up the taxi. It was only seven in the afternoon, and the sun was still on its throne. Briana Agatha Palmer was sure that in less than an hour, she could find a new apartment to rent later so that she could return to her old apartment not too late because the sunset was at half-past nine in New York. Briana tried not to care about the driver's question, which sounded suspicious. However, she tried to keep positive thinking.

"Could it be the slums? So the driver is surprised that I want to go there?" she thought as she stared at the street through the car window.

"Thank you, Sir!" said Briana as she exited the taxi that took her to the Bronx while glancing at the watch. "It's half past eight at night; I have to hurry!" she muttered softly as she stared at the area.

The area is the same as other neighborhoods: many houses lined up, salons, coffee shops, and flats, but no apartments like Briana imagined. "Where's the apartment?" thought Briana as she walked down the sidewalk. "Is it still a few blocks ahead?" The girl continued to walk down the sidewalk while looking to the right and left, where every house had several women sitting on the front porch, smoking and giggling, wearing sexy clothes.

"What neighborhood is this? Should I ask one of those women?" she wondered as she approached the woman. "Good afternoon, sorry... may I ask something?" The women giggled and answered in unison.

"What do you want to ask?" they replied flirtatiously.

"Do you know this address?" asked Briana innocently as she showed the paper Felicia had given her earlier. The women giggled again as they read the writing on the paper Briana had given them. They looked her up and down as if they were screening her while nodding, then laughed again and puffed their cigarette smoke upwards.

"Come... I'll take you! Bye ...!" one of the women said as she waved to her friends and took Briana to the address. When they arrived, the building didn't look like the apartment she was currently living in; it looked more like a flat.

"This is the place! Come on! Let's go in!" the woman said again. Briana was hesitant to enter the building, her little heart resisting.

However, she was curious about what exactly this building was. Was it an apartment like Felicia said? "Sorry... is this an apartment? I'm looking for an apartment. My friend told me there's an apartment here," Briana explained as she gazed across the apartment building lobby as she entered.

"You can ask Mr. Hugo later! He's in charge of this area!" said the woman, who dressed up slightly. Briana wondered more and more.

"What exactly is this place?" she fretted because there seemed to be something wrong with the place, especially when a man came out of one of the rooms with the woman who had escorted Briana earlier.

"This is Mr. Hugo; this lady said she was looking for an apartment! Isn't that right, Miss? You can ask Mr. Hugo because he owns this area. Well, I'll leave first! Bye!" said the woman as she waved to Briana and left them.

Briana panicked, feeling anxious and worried, especially when a man who looked like a thug with a muscular body and tattoos all over his arms stood in front of her, staring with a smile that was hard to understand.

"Oh my God. What is this place? I seem to have the wrong address!" she thought anxiously, clutching her bag tightly.

"Hey... Hugo, who is she? New, huh?" asked another man who had just come out of a room with a woman on his arm. "That's pretty good! Very classy!" the man praised as he looked at Briana with eyes full of lust and ready to devour.

Briana became even more agitated; she had just realized she had the wrong address.

"Oh my God, I'm in a brothel; how stupid of me! Why didn't I realize that earlier? But how do I get out of this place?" she thought as she glanced at the door not far from where she was standing. "Sorry, I got the wrong address! Excuse me!"

"Hey... wait!" shouted the man named Hugo. "Get that woman! Don't let her get away!" he called again, followed by his men chasing after Briana, who had run as fast as she could to escape from them.

Briana needed to figure out where to run. She just followed where her feet went while praying silently that she could avoid the ambush of Mr. Hugo's men. The girl continued to dash.

However, the high heels and knee-length span skirt that wrapped her thighs made her unable to move freely. She fell several times and stood up again, injuring her hands and feet; she ignored it. Briana continued to run barefoot because she had taken off her high heels when she fell earlier.

Fortunately, it was getting late, and soon, the sun would return to the sunset, so the asphalt road she stepped on was not so hot, and the evening atmosphere was also favorable for her to hide.

"I have to find a place to hide, but where?" she thought as she looked to the right and left and then sneaked around with a breathless and anxious look. She saw a large rectangular trash can made of steel, which she could hide behind. Briana hurried to hide.

"This is also a span skirt; it makes me unable to move!" she muttered in annoyance as she flipped the skirt from the back to the front, put the back half of the dress on the side, and tore it to the thigh.

"This is better, so I can run faster! I'll take this blazer off, but will I take it? I'll just put it in my bag." Briana quickly put the blazer into the bag.

"Where is that woman? Please hurry up and find her! We can't lose track of her!" shouted Mr. Hugo loudly. "I'm sure she's still around!" Briana's body tingled as she heard Mr. Hugo's booming voice, loud in her ears.

Meanwhile, Lord Hugo's men were still combing the area that was beginning to be illuminated by colorful lights here and there. "I'll never get out of this place! I have to get help!" she thought as she took her cell phone from her bag. "But who should I ask for help? Jonathan? Aah, no, no!" Briana thought anxiously while biting her lower lip. "Then who?" she mumbled confusedly while slowly trying to find another hiding place when she felt Mr. Hugo's men getting closer to her hiding place.

Holding her bag in front of her chest, Briana slowly moved to another place and saw another large trash can. She hurriedly moved to it while staying alert to the situation in front of her.

"There she is! That woman over there!" one of Mr. Hugo's men shouted, pointing at Briana. The girl panicked and rushed to run again, dodging the ambush of Mr. Hugo's men. Her steps were comprehensive and fast this time as she clutched her bag to her chest. Ignoring the span skirt torn to the thigh, she just wanted to survive. Her breath began to come in short gasps until she was out of breath. Briana then stopped for a moment and tried to find another hiding place.

That night, the Bronx area was getting crowded, with many vehicles passing. However, it felt risky to ask those people for help; it could be out of the crocodile's mouth into the tiger's cage. She didn't want to take that risk. Briana kept running until she entered the narrow and deserted alleys. The girl didn't know where she was; all she knew was running, running, and running. Finally, Briana was at a dead end.

"Oh my God... why is it a dead end? Ooh no! Where else am I going?" she thought anxiously. The girl tried to find a way out to get out of this terrible area. However, it seemed futile; there was still no way out. Briana was confused and began to panic, especially when she heard the sound of steps approaching her.

"There, there's that woman! Mr. Hugo, she's here!" shouted one of Mr. Hugo's men, who began to surround Briana, the girl growing increasingly panicked and frightened.

"Please, let me out of here. I want to find an apartment. I don't want to get into trouble here!" said Briana as she clutched her bag tightly to her chest, her heart pounding. Briana was starting to get scared.

"Oh my God, help me, save me from these savage men," she thought as she looked at some of Mr. Hugo's men who were staring at her wildly.

"Why the rush to leave here, Miss?" said Mr. Hugo, who had arrived before Briana while looking her up and down. "Can't we have a little fun, Miss?"

"I--I please, please. Mr.-- Mr. Hu-Hugoo. I... I just wanted to find an apartment. I got this address from a friend, but it looks like I got the wrong address. So let me go, please ... I--I beg you." Mr. Hugo and his men laughed upon hearing Briana's stammering plea.

"Don't be scared like that, Miss. We want to help you find an apartment. It's not like you're looking for an apartment, is it?" said the burly man, grinning widely with his wild eyes and walking closer to Briana, as did the other men. Briana became even more frightened and walked backward step by step while praying, hoping for a miracle.

Suddenly, an idea came to her, "Police!" she shouted while pointing behind them; the thugs were fooled and looked back to see the situation behind them. Briana hurriedly ran fast through the horde of thugs.

Fortunately, she had won the first race in her hometown in Lexington, Virginia, so she could efficiently run as fast as lightning without looking back.

Even though the road in front of her was very busy with vehicles passing by, Briana did not want to stop running; she did not want to be caught by the fierce thugs, until finally, without realizing it, the girl crashed into a black car that happened to be passing in front of her.

Briana's body bounced and fell to the side of the road while rolling around with her bag clutched in front of her chest. The thugs who were chasing her earlier seemed to stop. They wanted to make sure of the girl's condition, so the black car that hit her immediately backed up and stopped right by Briana's side.

"Are you okay?" asked a handsome Caucasian-Asian man who exited the back door. The girl was amazed, as the car brand, his shiny black suit, and his shoes indicated that this man was no ordinary person. "Come on, let's go to the hospital. I'm sure you must be injured--"

"Help me, Sir. Please take me away. The thugs behind you are chasing me," Briana interrupted anxiously as she got up and gave the man the code that the thugs were still waiting for her. The man glanced behind him and saw several thugs looking around and watching them. Kentaro Xander Rexford knew what this area was like.

"Okay, I'll help you. Come on, stand up," Kentaro said as he helped Briana and led her into the car.

"Leave my wife alone! Why are you bothering my wife?" Kent snapped as he walked over to the thugs on the other side of the road. The driver stood by, and a few cars passed through the area.

"Who are you?" asked Mr. Hugo loudly as he looked at the man standing before him.

"I am her husband! That woman's husband! Why are you bothering her?" he asked, pointing at Briana in the car. Upon hearing Kent's voice, as did his men, Mr. Hugo burst out laughing.

"What did you say? Are you her husband?" The gang of thugs burst out laughing again.

"Yes... I'm her husband! Do I have to show you our marriage certificate?" Kent explained firmly; there was no hesitation in his words, while Briana, who was listening to their conversation, was surprised.

"Husband? That man in the suit said he was my husband?" she wondered. For some reason, despite her uncertainty, the girl felt so happy that her eyes were watering. Her god of help had arrived.

"Strange... what a strange couple! How can you say that you are her husband? While your beautiful and sexy wife is looking for an apartment to live in here, shouldn't you live under the same roof?" asked Mr. Hugo, laughing mockingly at Kent. The other thugs also laughed mockingly.

"We fought today! We fought so much that she wanted to live in her apartment! Isn't it normal for husband and wife to fight, right?" Kent tried to reassure Mr. Hugo and his men, who were starting to stop their laughter.

"Then how did you know she was here?"

"Have you forgotten that we live in a digital world?" said Kent, holding a cell phone from his coat pocket. "I'm the husband, after all; when the wife leaves, the husband has to look after her! It's a good thing we have cell phones so I can track my wife through her GPS! Do you understand?" he said as he put the phone back into his coat pocket. "So please, let my wife go; I'm taking her home!"

"Yikes! It's not easy, Sir!" said Mr. Hugo, spitting harshly. "Whoever has entered this area cannot easily leave it. There's a price to pay! Guys, let's attack them!" he shouted, ordering his men to attack them.

Bang!

Before the gang of thugs could attack, there was a sudden sound of a gun going off that the driver fired upwards while Kent rushed into the car and picked up the black bag that was lying in the middle near the steering seat.

"Stop, everyone! If anyone moves an inch, this hot lead will stick in your body!" shouted Alex Maxfield, Kent's loyal personal driver who had worked for him for years.

The man then pointed his gun at the thugs; they stopped and looked at Alex, who was still holding the gun. The green color of the laser that came out of the weapon seemed natural and pierced the chests of the thugs standing in front of him.

"The others back off! We want to bring home our master's wife; we don't want to make trouble in this area!" he said again while giving the code to the employer.

All of Mr. Hugo's men were silent and looked at Alex unfriendly.

Shortly after that, Kent threw a wad of money that he had taken from the bag towards the thugs. The banknotes floated in the air, making Mr. Hugo's men cheer because money was raining on their heads. They hurriedly picked up the bills one by one while scrambling, colliding, and shouting at each other. Alex used this moment to get into the car and drove as fast as possible.

"Where are we going, Sir?" asked Alex, glancing back through the center mirror.

"We're going to the hospital!"

"No, Sir." Briana interrupted quickly. However, Kent shook his head hard as he said, "Your wounds need to be treated, Miss. Otherwise, they'll get infected. And I don't like to help half-assed; I need to make sure you're okay." he said while looking at Briana sharply, as sharp as a ninja knife aimed at a target.

"Oh yeah, my name is Kent. And this is Alex, my driver. What's your name?"

"My name is Bbb-Agnes," Briana replied awkwardly.

The girl was not used to men as stern, authoritative, and handsome as the man sitting next to her, so it was no wonder that Briana hesitated to say her real name. She knew enough about herself not to expect more. The vast difference in life strata between her and Kent made Briana inferior and afraid to expect much. Only a miracle could reunite her with a man like Kent.

"Thank you, Mr. Kent, for the treatment and the transfer to the front of the apartment," Briana said as the black car pulled up in front of a luxury apartment near her modest apartment.

The girl deliberately did not show her ordinary apartment behind the luxury apartment, feeling embarrassed to reveal her true identity in front of this classy man.

"Okay, you're welcome. Next, be careful; don't easily believe what people say, even if it's your friends, like what you said earlier that you got the apartment address from your friend, especially since you're new here," he said while nodding slowly. "New York is a big city; anything can happen here."

Briana nodded as she said, "Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind, thanks again. Bye," she replied as she opened the car door handle and got out. It wasn't long before the black car drove off into the night.

She hurriedly stepped into a narrow hallway that connected two luxury apartments while her modest apartment was at the back. Briana remembered Kent's words about not trusting people easily, especially since she was new to New York City. Her existence in this big city was as an intern at an advertising company, and many new friends she had just met at the office, including Felicia Chayton.

***

"Good morning, Briana. How come you look so rumpled? What's wrong?"asked Hanny, her office mate that morning; at that time, Briana went to the office looking less fresh.

"I'm confused, Han. In three months, I have to find a new apartment." Hanny Thornton's forehead wrinkled to the middle. "The owner of the apartment's niece will use my apartment. Yesterday, he came to my apartment and told me about this, and I got a headache. I've only been using it for a month." Hanny became sad and felt sorry for her friend.

"If I were alone in my apartment, I would invite you, Bee. I'm sorry, I'm already in the same apartment as my friend from the village," she said fretfully.

"It's okay, I understand. I'll try to find an apartment through advertisements in the newspaper or on social media; you want to help me, right?" pleaded Briana, hopefully, while holding the girl's hand. Hanny also nodded.

"Yes, of course! Of course, I will help you."

"Hey! What's going on? There seems to be unpleasant news," interrupted Jonathan, another office mate who suddenly appeared in front of them while looking at the two girls in turn. "What is it, Bee?"

"Briana has to find a new apartment. Because the owner requested her apartment." The man was so shocked that he gaped and opened his mouth momentarily.

"The niece who owns the apartment wants to use it if she studies here," Briana replied to Hanny's words with a sad expression on her face.

"How about you live in my apartment? My apartment has two rooms; you can live in the other room; how about it?" Jonathan asked hopefully. Jonathan Smith was starting to fall in love with this wavy, black-haired girl. "You don't have to pay; it's free. I'm serious."

"Yes, Bee. You can stay at Jonathan's apartment for a while. His apartment is nice. It's a great prestige to live in an apartment like that." Hanny responded to Jonathan's words with enthusiasm.

However, Briana was not. She was still having second thoughts about living in Jonathan Smith's apartment. "I'm sorry, Jo. It's not that I don't want to, it's not that I refuse, but I will try to find another apartment first; who knows if I can find one within three months."

"You only have three months. Then we have to move fast. I'll help you, Bee. But for the next four days, I can't because I'm going out of town; I want to take my mom to California." Deep down, Jonathan was eager to accompany Briana in finding an apartment for the woman he was beginning to like. However, the girl seemed unable to respond to his love signals.

"It's okay, Jo. I can search with Hanny later. You should accompany your mother first; I'm fine," she said, flashing a sweet smile. "Well, now it's time for us to work first."

"Ahaa! I have an idea," Hanny interrupted excitedly. "How about you ask the interns or other office staff? They might have acquaintances or know of an apartment to rent."

Briana's eyes shone brightly; the girl seemed to have a new hope. "You're right. Why don't I ask the employees here first." Hanny nodded in agreement. "I'll ask them during lunch break or after work."

"I'll help you, Bee," Hanny said enthusiastically.

***

It was tiring because the tasks the managers gave were getting more challenging by the day. All 20 interns had to demonstrate their respective abilities in the following two weeks. These two weeks were tough days for Briana because besides having to focus and seriously think about office work, she also had to find a new apartment. The girl had to fight against time before the three-month period passed.

"I heard you need a new apartment," asked Felicia that afternoon when Briana was preparing to go home while Hanny had left first with Thomas.

"Yes. So what?"

"I have a friend who wants to rent the apartment; it's cheap. I'm sure you'll like it." Briana's brow furrowed to the middle.

"How rare that this woman is so nice to me. Usually, her words are always scathing." she thought suspiciously because she could not fully trust Felicia Chayton, even though the girl did not ask Felicia for help or about renting a new apartment.

The rumor had been spreading around the office for two weeks that she was looking for a new apartment.

"I don't need your help." Briana curtly said as she averted her gaze and cleaned her desk.

"Some people want to help you, but you ignore them. Here it is!" said Felicia as she placed a paper on the desk. "This is the address! You can check it yourself. Whether you take it or not is up to you. The important thing is that I just want to help you. That's all. Good afternoon!" The girl hurried away, leaving Briana with a sour and annoyed look. Briana only smiled wryly at Felicia's departure.

She glanced at the paper on the desk. "Bronx? Where is it? It won't hurt if I try; I'll go there; who knows if there's a cheap apartment," she thought as she read the paper and hurried out of the office.