Chapter 44 - Make Her Life Hell

Three words. Yes, three freaking words. If someone were to tell Santiago that one day three words were going to change his life, he would have chopped you off into tiny tiny pieces and then fed your now mashed flesh to whales. 

But Fate, the cruel bitch would pull the carpet from under your feet when you would not expect it and you wouldn't even realize until you had fallen on the floor, and the pain in your ass was the proof of your flipped destiny. 

Like those romantic / cliche stories, those three words were not ' I love you', 'I miss you' or even 'I hate you' but...

"Sir, she escaped." 

Yes, you absolutely guessed it right. Persephone Marino had successfully run away from his clutches. But the suffering on Santiago's face was not that of a captor who had lost his precious captive but that of a lover who was still unaware of the fact if his beloved was alright or not. 

However, Santiago being Santiago would never admit that he had started feeling something for Persephone even to himself. This was because he was still unaware of the changes happening to him. But these changes were not enough to make him show his redemptive side. Not like it existed in the first place. 

"How did she escape?" This question was not asked by Santiago who was still shell-shocked but by an angry Killian. It was not every day one would see an angry Killian instead of an indifferent one.

"We have no idea, sir," the guard who was posted outside the villa to keep Persephone secure spoke while avoiding their eyes. Great, you should be afraid of your death. 

"You are kidding me?" Killian snarled at him. "She ran away from right under your nose and you have the audacity to say that you are not aware?"

Santiago who had now composed himself and his scattering emotions looked at the guards and said, "You have ten minutes. And I want every single piece of information as to how she ran from the island. Who helped her and… inform your families that you won't be returning home for the next few years and also that you are not sure if you ever would…" 

"Boss, please punish us for our mistake. We are ready to bear any kind of punishment but please do not send us away from here." They begged and wailed like miscreants who were about to punish but only if their loud voices were ever going to change the outcome. Right now, they only have one option and that was -- to find Persephone at any cost. 

"Do not show me your faces before you have any news on her," snapped Santiago. 

Once they left, Santiago also was in a hurry to leave his office but was stopped by Killian's voice. 

"Did you set the in-skin GPS tracker I told you about before?" Killian asked him. Santiago stopped in his steps when he heard the question. Of course, Killian told him to arrange a GPS tracker inside Persephone's skin in case she would try to escape. But he didn't. He didn't know why he refused Killian's suggestion back then. And now he was repenting not doing that. 

"Dammit! Santiago, what the hell is wrong with you?" Killian couldn't help but snap. He had an urge to open his friend's brain and check out the thoughts that were going inside his head. 

Never had he ever fathomed that a mere woman named Persephone Marino would have such an intense effect on Santiago. By God, if he had known, he would have never let Santiago head this mission. 

This mission was not just to catch Lorenzo. It was much more than that. It was the key to finding the most important thing/person of his life. 

"Killian, head the boys. I am leaving." Santiago didn't reply to Killian's question, instead, he said those words in a hurry as he left the office. 

Killian watched Santiago sprinting to the South of the island through the window, where the port was located. The only location used to enter or exit the island. 

"Persephone Marino, pray that we find you alive. I swear on the only thing that matters to me that I will make your life hell. And trust me, no Santiago would be enough to save you from my hands." This was Killian's promise to himself. He could break anything but never his promises. 

____

"What was the last means of transport that left the island?" Santiago inquired as soon as he reached the port. The only place he believed that Persephone had used to escape his island. 

The workers had never seen Santiago so anxious. However, his anxiousness was making them nervous. They were wondering if they had done something wrong?

A courageous worker came forward and said, "We were not on night shift, boss. It is said that a special ship left the island last night according to your orders." 

Dammit, why didn't he think this before? 

Persephone certainly had taken the advantage of a power outage last night. Since she knew that it was her only chance to flee from his clutches, she used it intelligently. 

But there was one more question which was troubling him-- if Persephone had used the ship which was supposed to deliver oil to the empire, then why did nobody notice her? 

As far as he knew, Caro and his team were best at what they did. How come Persephone used that ship without their knowledge? 

At the same time, Santiago's phone rang. 

"Boss, we checked all the cameras but we didn't find her anywhere captured by the camera. It appears as if she hadn't left the island at all. If not for the fact that her glimpse was seen in the CCTV, we would have thought that she never left the villa too." 

"How did she dodge all the cameras?" asked Killian who was standing with Santiago's subordinates. 

"Perhaps, she knew where cameras were placed," another man said. 

"That's not possible," Killian said again, not believing his words. 

But Santiago knew better. His Red played him. She was not exploring the island only as she used to say and pretend. Instead, she was looking for ways to leave this place from the very beginning. 

He believed that he had seen all through her facade but no, she proved to him again that she was Persephone Marino, a calculative and an extremely tricky woman. And he was nothing but a toy in her hands. She pretended all along that it was him who was making her dance on his strings. When in reality, she was just feigning to be who she was not. 

"Kill, make sure you handle everything here. If you find any trouble, ask help from Nash," said Santiago. "I do not know when I will be back, but I can assure you that when I come back, I will come with her. And we will teach our little pawn a lesson that a pawn could never be the queen in chess." 

"Don't worry. I have everything under my control." Killian didn't know what else to say. Just a few minutes ago, Santiago was ready to end him if he was thinking about harming Persephone. But now...

He wondered just what changed in a couple of minutes. However, it was for good. As long as Santiago knew what was good for him, all was fine. Even his temporary infatuation with Persephone. 

____

A few hours ago…

"Boss, we found a woman in the oil barrel!" A short man who was looking like a cheap gangster shouted. 

"Ahh!" The boss, who was a man of average height and looks, placed a finger on his mouth to shut him up. "How many times have I told you not to share any kind of important news with me in front of Caro and his lousy crew?"

"Sorry, boss." The first man said. He brought his mouth near his ear and whisper-shouted. "But boss there is a woman inside this barrel." 

The boss whose name was Jeno Costas was a small-time gangster working under Villain with his tiny crew. Hierarchy wise, they come a lot below Caro and his crew. And this reason was enough for 'Flamingos' which was the name for Jeno's crew to despise Caro and his crew. They had done a lot of cheap tricks to make Villain throw them out but nothing worked. 

A third member of Flamingos came and nodded, "Boss, what are we gonna do with the woman? It seemed like she was asleep. We can't give her back to Caro and his lousy mates. You, as the boss of Flamingos, had every right to claim that woman as yours. I assure you boss that she is a beauty and you will like her." 

"Little three, abduct the sleeping beauty. And make sure no one sees you. I, as the boss of you all, have everything to take that woman as my new mistress before Caro claims her as his." The cheap boss proudly declared without worrying about the death which was awaiting him. 

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Sorry for single chapter. I just returned home from a long journey and my electronic devises were out of battery and so I had nothing to post today. Forgivee for the errors. Ugh.. Gotta go, I have yet to write another chapter and then post it before next hour.