Chapter 246:

Julie’s POV

The guards took us upstairs, shoving us roughly into a lavish office. Deep down, I knew I had landed myself in serious trouble this time. I glanced to my side at Max; he was writhing, trying to break free, but three guards were pinning him down with a ferocity that made movement impossible.

The office was massive, dominated by dark mahogany furniture that lent the room a terrifying sense of authority. Suddenly, the tall man entered; he had piercing green eyes and was coldly wiping blood from his forehead with a white handkerchief stained crimson. He looked at me, his eyes blazing with rage. "You hit me and think you can get away with it?"

I lifted my chin despite my racing heart. "Who told you to harass me?"

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I harassed you?"

"You offered to pay for my drink," I shot back impulsively. "What else does that mean?"

He stepped closer, scoffing. "Do you think you’re the Queen of England?"

"Just let us go," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"No," he replied with lethal coldness.

Fear began to creep in. "Why?"

"You’re going to pay the price," he said, fixing his gaze on mine.

I swallowed hard. When I saw him pull a handgun from behind his back, the blood froze in my veins. I realized then that he, too, was a man of the mafia. "What are you going to do?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Let us go, now!" Max screamed, struggling to stand.

The man turned to me with curiosity. "Is this your boyfriend?"

A desperate, crazy idea struck me perhaps my last lifeline. "No... do you even know who my boyfriend is?"

"I don’t care," he said nonchalantly, inspecting his weapon.

"You’ll care once you hear his name," I said defiantly.

"Who?" he asked mockingly.

I knew that if I spoke Robert’s name, it would be a death sentence; his wounded body couldn’t handle a new war. So, I chose to lie again. "Carlos Mendoza."

Max looked at me in total shock, his eyes widening as if screaming silently, Julie, stop lying! But I didn’t think I could stop now even if I wanted to.

The man burst into a sarcastic laugh that shook the office. "Carlos Mendoza? Is this an April Fool’s joke?"

"Let me go," I said, trying every way to convince him. "If he finds out you’re holding me, he’ll kill you."

He laughed again, shaking his head. "Are you just imagining this?"

"I’m not lying," I insisted.

He stopped laughing abruptly. He pulled a phone from his pocket with terrifying coldness. "I have his number. Do you want to check?"

Oh God! Was he actually going to call him? A chill swept through my body, but I tried to project strength. "If you call him and he finds out you’re detaining me, do you think you’ll escape with your life?"

He studied me, tilting his head. "And do you think I’ll just believe you and let you walk out?"

Clearly, he wouldn’t let me go until he was certain. I swallowed, feeling the abyss drawing closer, but I said with faked resolve, "Fine. Call him."

He coldly dialed and put the phone on speaker, placing it on the desk between us. It rang twice before Carlos answered in a flat, hard tone. "Yes, Wilson. What do you want?"

"Mr. Carlos," Wilson said, watching my reaction. "There’s a girl here claiming to be your girlfriend."

Without a second of hesitation, Carlos replied, "I don’t have a girlfriend." Then he hung up immediately.

"No!" I shrieked in terror.

Wilson looked at me with cold eyes. "I don’t like liars."

I stepped toward him, pleading. "Call him again! Let me talk to him!"

"Are we playing children’s games here?" he exhaled in frustration.

"Our relationship is a secret! No one knows about it that’s why he answered like that!" I scrambled for an excuse.

Wilson suddenly stepped close and gripped my jaw violently, his fingers digging into my facial bones. "Are you ever going to stop lying?"

"Call him again," I said, pain radiating through my face. "And if you find out I’m lying... hold me accountable."

"I will do things to you that you can’t even imagine," he hissed.

"Fine. Just call him," I challenged.

He redialed, but Carlos didn’t answer. "He’s not picking up," Wilson said, releasing my face.

"Please, call one more time," I begged.

He called for the third time. Suddenly, Carlos’s angry voice came through: "Yes, Wilson! What is wrong with you today?"

I screamed before he could cut him off. "Carlos!"

Carlos went silent for a heartbeat. "Julie?" he asked, stunned.

"This man is holding me here in his club," I said, my voice shaking.

"What?!" Carlos roared.

Wilson snatched the phone away quickly, his tone shifting completely to one of polite agitation. "Mr. Carlos, I’m not holding her... I didn’t know she was your girlfriend."

A heavy silence followed before Carlos spoke just three words: "I’m coming now."

He hung up. Wilson looked at me with a face full of regret and anxiety. "Why didn’t you say you were his girlfriend from the start?"

"What’s the matter?" I mocked, adjusting my clothes. "Are you scared now?"

He turned to his guards and barked, "Let her go! Now!" They released me and Max as well.

I pointed a finger at Wilson. "Listen, you prick, you’re going to regret this."

He ordered his men out, then looked at the floor, whispering, "I’m sorry."

"Oh, now you’re sorry?" I sneered. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Max stepped close, pulling me aside and whispering in my ear, "Okay, Julie, let’s get out of here before this place explodes."

"No, we’re waiting for Carlos," I insisted.

"What is wrong with you, Julie?" Max whispered in a panic.

"I want him to pay the price."

"Carlos is coming, and things are going to get complicated," Max argued.

"Listen, if we leave now, Carlos will definitely come back and kill him."

"Do you want him dead or not? I don’t understand you," Max said.

"Of course I don’t want him dead," I whispered. "I’m the one who hit him over the head with a bottle, so I’m a little at fault."

"A little?" Max mocked.

"Come on, let’s sit."

I went to a chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Minutes later, the door swung open violently. Carlos walked in, rage radiating from his eyes, the veins in his neck bulging. He looked at me in total shock, scanning my male attire with extreme confusion, then marched straight to Wilson and delivered a powerful punch that sent him reeling.

"How dare you hold her here, you bastard?" Carlos screamed, hitting him again.

Wilson wiped blood from his mouth. "I’m sorry, Mr. Carlos. I didn’t know she was your girl."

Carlos turned to me, grabbing my shoulders anxiously. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," I said calmly. "Leave him be now."

Carlos suddenly drew his gun and pointed it at Wilson’s head. "He’s dead."

"Damn it, Carlos! Put that away right now!" I screamed in horror. He looked at me hesitantly. "Put it away!" I commanded.

Carlos exhaled sharply, holstering his weapon. He looked at Wilson with a threat. "Thank God she saved you."

He grabbed my arm firmly, pulling me behind him. "Let’s go."

We left the office, followed by a silent Max. Once we stepped outside and the cold air hit us, Carlos stopped abruptly. He turned to face me fully, staring at my cap and baggy clothes. "What are you doing here?" he asked sharply. "And what is with these clothes?!"