Until Forever Ink Fades

           This Chapter is R18 Warning, this chapter may contain abuse.

In a dimly lit room, a man sat comfortably on a plush cushion, his leg crossed over the other. Between his middle finger and index finger, a slender roll of tobacco glowed softly, casting a faint golden light in the darkness surrounding. He took a puff, letting the vapor swirl around before vanishing into thin air. The man's face could barely be seen.

The door to the room opened, and two men walked in, dragging a young blonde woman into the room. The woman's eyes were closed, but she wasn't dead; one could see her chest moving up and down, indicating she was still alive. The men dropped her on the floor.

"We got her, Boss," one of the men said.

The man didn't reply, but the man who had been standing behind him in the dark walked over. He stared at the woman with emotionless eyes.

"Did you drug her?" he asked.

One of the burly men who had brought her in shook his head. "Not at all. We only knocked her out."

The man nodded, not saying a word. He walked over to the table in the room, picking up a bottle of champagne and a small dagger. He walked over to the unconscious woman, uncapped the bottle, and let the alcohol spill all over her.

Sophia felt something warm being poured all over her; the main target was her face. She could perceive the stench of the alcohol; she frowned in her sleep. But after ten seconds, she sprang up from her sleep. When she opened her eyes, she quickly closed them because it felt like her eyes were on fire. She had to blink multiple times before she opened her eyes fully.

She noticed she was in a room lit with only one candle, which was at the far end of the room, barely giving the room any light. She couldn't see anything or anyone, but she could feel a presence – not one, not two, but multiple people were in the room with her.

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"Do you dare to bring me here to hurt me? Do you know who my father is?" Sophia threatened.

A low, menacing chuckle echoed through the room, making Sophia's skin crawl. The sound seemed to come from the shadows themselves, and she couldn't pinpoint the location of the speaker.

"Your father?" the voice repeated, dripping with amusement. The man from earlier walked up to her with a low, evil smirk. "Ms. Grant, I'm afraid you have wronged someone you shouldn't have, and you should bear severe consequences."

Sophia frowned but didn't back down. Her father was wealthy, after all. She believed that this setup was just to ask for money. She was also an actress, of course, and many people wanted to harm her.

"Name your price, any price. My father would pay," Sophia said confidently.

The man sighed, his smirk still etched on his face. "How much can your father offer? I was paid a big amount to do this."

What he had just said had confirmed Sophia's suspicions – someone just wanted to wipe her out of the entertainment industry. Her blood boiled, and she was furious. She looked at the man, ready to offer twice the amount whoever had hired him had paid.

"Since you are in it for the money, I would pay you twice what you were paid. I would triple it if you tell me who hired you."

The man laughed maniacally, squatting down to Sophia's level. "Are you sure about that, Ms. Grant? I was paid a very big amount. I fear you, a mere actress, can't afford it."

Sophia's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched in determination. "Try me. Don't you know my father? He's the largest shareholder of Jamel Jewel Empire. He would sort anything."

"I'll pay you whatever it takes to get out of here and to know who's behind this," Sophia said, her voice low and even.

The man's smirk grew wider, clearly enjoying the cat-and-mouse game. "Very well, Ms. Grant," he said, pulling out a small piece of paper from his pocket. "I was paid... $5 million to bring you here."

Sophia's eyes widened, but she didn't flinch. "I'll give you $10 million," she said, her voice firm. "And I'll throw in an additional $5 million if you tell me who hired you."

The man's eyes gleamed. "Okay, then. Please, I accept cash only, Ms. Grant. Hurry up and pay me, and I'll let you go."

Sophia's eyes narrowed at the man's greediness and selfishness. How could she have such an amount at hand? She needed to go to her bank or do a transfer.

"I don't have cash on me," Sophia said, "but if you let me go, I promise to do a transfer to you once I get to my manager."

The man clicked his tongue. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Ms. Grant. Since you don't have the money at hand, it's only a loss for me to let you go."

The man pulled out the dagger from its shield and brought it close to Sophia's face. "Ms. Grant has really beautiful skin. I'll consider letting you go if... you can pay with your body."

Sophia quickly moved away from the man, feeling disgusted. But instead of the man coming after her, he just clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Don't worry, Ms. Grant. You're not really worthy of it. I like natural beauty, not one made with lots and lots of plastic surgery."

When the man said these words, Sophia's face turned ugly. How did he know about her surgeries? She had made sure that no one would ever find out about them. The doctor was a very confidential person and had signed a contract to never let anyone know about her surgery.

"You don't have to be shocked, Ms. Grant. Let's cut to the chase. You're here because you messed with someone you shouldn't dare to."

Sophia racked her brain for anyone she may have wronged lately, but there was absolutely no one. She hadn't messed with any big shots. What was this man talking about, or was this also their way of asking for more money?

"It seems Ms. Grant has a very bad memory, but don't worry, I have all day and will help you remember."

The man said and snapped his fingers. Two burly men emerged from the shadows.