Chapter 146: They are the entertainment

Thomas let out a scornful laugh.

"What was your mother ever good at?" he sneered. "Nothing. She was a useless woman whose entire life revolved around feeding her daughter."

His voice dripped with bitterness.

"What about her husband? Did she ever care about me? No. She only cared about you."

Gen looked at him with undisguised contempt.

Then...

She laughed.

It wasn’t a laugh of amusement.

It was cold.

Bitter.

Almost mocking.

"You’re right," she said quietly. "She was a very ’useless’ woman."

Thomas smirked.

But Gen took a step forward.

"She was the kind of useless woman who cleaned up your mess every time loan sharks came banging on our door."

Her voice grew sharper.

"She was the kind of useless woman who still treated your wounds after you came home beaten half to death."

Another step.

"She was the kind of useless woman who starved herself just so you and I could eat."

Her eyes burned with restrained fury.

"And after working herself to exhaustion all day, she still waited for you to stumble home drunk in the middle of the night."

Bang!

Gen slammed her palm against the wall beside Thomas, making both him and Paul flinch.

"And don’t forget what she got in return..."

Her icy gaze locked onto Thomas.

"...for saving you over and over again."

Thomas’s confident expression cracked.

"W-What nonsense are you talking about?" he stammered, instinctively looking away.

His heartbeat quickened.

He knew exactly what she meant.

The sin he had buried for years...

The truth behind Raine’s death...

If it came to light, everything would be over.

Gen watched him with a humorless smile.

"Of course you don’t remember, Thomas."

She deliberately called him by his name.

He had long since lost the right to be called Father.

That title belonged to men who protected their families.

Not to someone who had mercilessly taken his own wife’s life.

Paul looked between the two in confusion.

He had no idea what history lay between them, nor did he care.

What mattered was surviving.

"Enough!" Paul barked impatiently. "This isn’t the time to dig up old family drama. We should be figuring out how to get out of here alive!"

Thomas fell silent.

Paul was right.

There was no way he intended to die at the hands of Karlo’s men—especially when he hadn’t been the one who killed Marco.

Before either man could speak again, Gen calmly folded her arms.

"Who said I was planning to leave?"

The room fell silent.

Paul blinked.

"W-What did you just say?"

Gen walked to the wall and leaned against it as though she had all the time in the world.

"I’m not leaving this place."

She looked at both of them without the slightest trace of fear.

"And neither are you."

Paul’s face instantly drained of color.

"W-Have you lost your mind?" he cried, panic rising in his voice. "Those people will kill us! We have to escape before they come back!"

Thomas stared at Gen in complete disbelief.

"You want all of us to die" he demanded.

Gen’s expression remained calm. However she didn’t reply.

She had already set her mind clean. She was not going to let Thomas go and the only thing that will end this was them surrendering and accepting the fate she decided for them.

***

Meanwhile, Clara was escorted to the main office by Luca and the rest of Karlo’s men.

The moment she stepped inside, an eerie feeling crept into her heart.

The room was silent.

Too silent.

The cheerful atmosphere from earlier had vanished without a trace.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Miss Claire."

Karlo’s deep voice broke the silence.

"But now that you’re here..."

"...I can finally show you what I’m capable of."

Clara lifted her gaze.

Karlo sat at the head of the room behind a massive ebony desk, his posture relaxed yet commanding, like a king seated upon his throne.

The playful charm he had shown her earlier was gone.

His dark eyes were colder now, carrying a dangerous calm that made the entire room feel heavier. Yet the faint smile on his lips remained—a smile that wasn’t warm in the slightest.

It was the smile of a predator.

For some reason, Clara’s heartbeat quickened.

Why does he suddenly look so... dangerous?

She quickly brushed the thought aside.

Well... this must be his office.

Her curious eyes wandered around the luxurious room before returning to Karlo.

Without saying a word, he gestured toward the chair opposite him.

Clara walked over at an unhurried pace and took her seat, crossing one leg over the other as though she had entered an ordinary office instead of the headquarters of one of the city’s most feared men.

Luca and the others quietly moved to the side, their expressions turning solemn once again.

The playful guards from earlier had completely disappeared.

Watching them, Clara narrowed her eyes slightly.

They’re acting completely different now...

Her gaze drifted back to Karlo.

Ever since she had arrived at the Crimson Crest, one question had been bothering her.

Thomas...

He has to be connected to Karlo somehow.

Otherwise, why would that man be here of all places?

What kind of business could an ordinary gambler possibly have with a man like Karlo?

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that Thomas had been hiding far more than she had ever imagined.

And now...she intended to find out exactly what it was.

"Then you should hurry," Clara said without hiding the impatience in her voice. "I’m already too bored to waste another minute here, mister."

In truth, her thoughts weren’t on Karlo at all.

I just hope Thomas hasn’t left...

If he had escaped, then everything she had done to reach this place would have been meaningless.

Karlo threw his head back and laughed, the rich sound echoing through the office.

"I like your honesty, Claire."

His dark eyes remained fixed on her.

"It’s refreshing."

He slowly rose from his chair, every movement calm and deliberate, radiating an authority that made the room feel even smaller.

"That’s precisely why I brought you here."

He stopped a few steps in front of her.

"I’m certain what I’m about to show you will keep you entertained."

His gaze lingered on her beautiful face without the slightest intention of looking away.

The more time he spent with her...

The stronger his obsession grew.

At first, he had only been intrigued by her wit.

Then it became admiration for her courage.

Now...

It was desire.

A dangerous one.

She wasn’t like the women who threw themselves at him for money or status.

Claire challenged him.

Argued with him.

Looked him straight in the eyes without fear.

It only made him want her more.

She belongs beside me.

The thought crossed his mind so naturally that even he was surprised.

And if she refused...

His lips curved into a faint smile.

Then he would simply make sure she had no choice but to stay.

After all...

Everything he desired had always become his eventually.

Clara remained silent, completely unaware of the possessive thoughts running through his mind.

She simply folded her arms, waiting impatiently.

"So?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you planning to keep speaking in riddles, or are you actually going to show me something?"

Karlo chuckled.

"You truly are impatient."

He turned toward the door.

"Don."

The man immediately stepped forward.

"Bring the three of them in."

"Yes, Boss."

Don disappeared without another word.

A heavy silence settled over the office.

Within moments, the doors opened again.

Three figures were escorted inside by several armed guards.

The first was Paul, whose face had already turned pale from fear.

The second one was...Thomas.

The moment Clara saw him, her eyes narrowed.

So he really is here...

Her suspicion had been correct.

But before she could process that discovery...

A third figure stepped through the doorway.

Clara’s breathing stopped.

Her pupils widened.

"...Gen?"

The name escaped her lips in a whisper.

Disbelief filled her eyes as she stared at the young woman standing between the two men.

Why is Gen here...?

Her mind went blank. She had expected to find Thomas. However she had never imagined Gen would be standing beside him.

Across the room, Gen slowly lifted her head.

The moment their eyes met...her own expression froze.

For the first time since being brought into Karlo’s headquarters...the calmness on her face cracked.

...Madam?

Neither woman had expected to see the other there. And for a brief moment...the entire room fell into stunned silence.

"Do you know who these people are?" Karlo’s voice broke their trance and Clara quick composed herself.

She shared an alert look with Gen before darting her eyes at Karlo. And the way, he looked at them back her heart sink.

"Who are they?" She asked, her voice a little solemn. But the second Karlo laughed like a malice her expression grim.

"They are the entertainment"