Chapter 13 Don't come inside
Justin stopped at the broken entrance.
He didn’t turn around.
The hall behind him had fallen silent.
Bodies lay scattered across the floor, still.
“Tell Anita Lawson this,” he said. “The next time I come back, I will not leave anything behind.”
No one responded.
Damien stayed frozen where he stood, and Daniel did not even dare lift his head.
Justin stepped forward and left the hall without looking back.
Outside, Kenneth was waiting beside the car with his arms crossed. The moment he saw Justin approach, he straightened immediately.
“So?” Kenneth asked. “Did you find her?”
Justin entered into the car door.
“She wasn’t there,” he said quietly.
Kenneth clicked his tongue slightly. “This just made everything harder.”
Justin leaned back in the seat.
His face didn’t change.
A pause.
His fingers tightened on their own.
Veins showed faintly.
“It doesn’t change anything. She won’t stay hidden forever.”
Kenneth nodded once and started the engine.
“Where to now?”
Justin looked forward.
“I need to change,” he said after a short pause.
“We’re going to the Mendels.”
[THE MENDEL VILLA]
At the entrance of the villa , an old man in his fifties knelt with his hands on the ground.
“Please… not yet. I can still pay.”
Four large men faced him.
One of them tapped a metal baton against his hand.
Another just watched, bored.
The man in front smiled slightly.
Thick neck. Scar cutting across his jaw. Chewing gum like he had nowhere else to be.
He let out a short laugh.
“You said that last week,” he said. “And the week before that too.”
He stepped closer and looked down at the man.
“I’m tired of promises.”
The old man raised his head from the ground.
“I already paid this week. How am I still owing this much?”
The huge man laughed bitterly.
“You still don’t get it?”
“What do you mean?”
“It means your debt grew.”
Edison blinked.
“Grew?”
“Fast too,” the man replied casually. “You now owe two million.”
The old man stared at him for a moment before letting out a dry laugh.
“Stop joking.”
“I’m not joking.” The man reply the old man.
“That’s impossible.”
Edison pointed a shaking finger at him.
“I borrowed five hundred thousand from your company. Five hundred thousand. I’ve spent months paying you back little by little. How does it suddenly turn into two million?”
The leader shrugged.
“Interest.”
“Interest doesn’t work like that!”
The man stepped closer.
“In our business, it does.”
Silence sat between them for a second.
Then Edison straightened his back.
“No.”
The leader narrowed his eyes.
“No?”
“I won’t pay that amount,” Edison said clearly. “You people can threaten me all night, but I’m not accepting a fake debt.”
The men behind the leader started laughing.
One of them spat on the ground.
“Listen to him talking tough.”
Another shook his head.
“The old man forgot pain very quickly.”
Laughter came from the men standing behind Edison, like the whole thing was just another show for them to enjoy.
Herrick had not always lived like this.
Things had not always been this bad.
His small business kept food on the table. Bills got paid. Life moved on.
Then his wife fell ill.
First came hospital trips. Then medicine. Then more treatment.
Money started disappearing faster than he could make it.
Before long, the savings were gone.
The bills kept coming until there was nothing left to sell.
That was when he borrowed money.
Five hundred thousand.
The lender worked under the Kone family, a name people in Boron did not take lightly.
He thought the loan would carry him through the worst part.
Get his footing back. Start over.
But it never worked out that way.
Payments turned into pressure. Pressure turned into threats. And soon, men like Edison started showing up at his door, not to talk but to collect in their own way.
“Let me go,” Herrick said again as he grabbed Edison’s wrist, trying to pull himself free.
Edison kept his ground. His grip on Herrick’s neck grew tighter, forcing him upward.
“You still haven’t learned,” he said. “You owe us.”
Herrick grabbed at Edison’s hand but couldn’t break free.
“I’ll pay it back,” he managed. “Just… give me some time.”
Edison gave a short laugh.
“Time again? That’s what you’ve been saying for months.”
“Boss, just finish this. We’re wasting time.”
Another chuckled.
“He still thinks begging will save him.”
Edison leaned closer to Herrick.
“You should know we’ve already been patient with you.”
Herrick tried to answer.
Before he could say anything, a door opened nearby.
“Dad!”
Everyone turned.
A girl with a school bag stepped into the courtyard.
After seeing what was happening, she hurried over.
“Christy…” Herrick forced out.
Edison glanced at the girl, and his hand eased a little.
“Hm,” he muttered. “So there’s family here.”
