Chapter 147: Leave this place alive
"Ah..."
The soft sound escaped Clara’s lips as her eyes returned to the three captives.
With a rough shove, Karlo’s men forced them onto their knees.
Their wrists were tightly bound behind their backs, and strips of cloth were tied across their mouths.
Clara’s gaze swept over each of However the moment her eyes landed on the young woman, her expression darkened.
Paul and Thomas appeared unharmed aside from a few bruises.
But Gen...
Her clothes were stained with blood, and dried streaks ran down one side of her face. Although she remained upright, Clara could see the exhaustion she was trying so hard to hide.
Clara’s jaw tightened.
"I’m not interested in this kind of entertainment, Mister."
She deliberately looked away from Gen before anyone noticed the concern in her eyes.
Gen...
She had no idea what had happened before they were brought here, but one look at those bloodstained clothes was enough.
Someone had hurt her but the blood...
A cold anger quietly settled inside Clara.
No matter what happens...
I’m getting you out of here.
The problem was...
She had to do it without provoking Karlo any further.
"I know."
Karlo’s calm voice broke the silence.
"But if you wish to know what I’m capable of..."
He slowly rose from his chair. "...and if I’m to convince you to remain by my side..."
His eyes settled on the prisoners.
"...then you should know how I deal with those who betray me."
Karlo had never been a man who relied on speeches.
His actions always spoke louder.
And today... he intended to make sure Clara witnessed every one of them.
"Mmm! Mmm!"
The muffled cries drew everyone’s attention.
Paul struggled violently against the guards, desperately trying to say something.
His frantic movements only grew more desperate.
Karlo glanced at him without emotion.
"Remove the gag."
One of the guards untied the cloth.
The second it came off, Paul gasped for air.
"Boss!" he shouted. "Boss, please! You’ve got the wrong person!"
He immediately lowered his head until it nearly touched the floor.
"I swear on my life, I had nothing to do with Marco’s death!"
His voice trembled with fear.
"It wasn’t me! I only came to make a deal! I didn’t even touch him!"
He looked up desperately.
"You know me, Boss! I’ve worked with your people before! I’ve never betrayed you!"
The office remained silent.
Seeing Karlo actually listening, hope flickered in Paul’s eyes.
"I’ll pay you!" Paul continued in a panic.
"I’ll double it! Triple it if I have to! Just... just let me go!"
No response.
Paul swallowed hard.
"I’ll disappear! You’ll never see me again!"
Still...
Nothing.
Beside him, Thomas quickly realized Karlo hadn’t interrupted once.
Perhaps...
There was still a chance.
As soon as the cloth was removed from his mouth, he immediately spoke.
"Mr. Karlo, I don’t even know who Marco is!"
His voice was shaky but eager.
"I was dragged into this against my will. Whatever happened has nothing to do with me!"
He glanced toward Gen.
"It’s because of her!"
He pointed with his bound hands as much as he could.
"She’s the reason we’re here! Ask her! She knows everything!"
Gen didn’t react.
Thomas continued desperately.
"I have a family! Please... show mercy. I swear I’ll never cross your path again."
The room fell into complete silence.
Karlo slowly walked toward the three prisoners.
His polished shoes echoed against the marble floor, step after step until he stopped directly in front of Paul.
For a brief moment...
Paul believed he had succeeded.
"Boss..."
A hopeful smile appeared on his face.
"I knew you’d understand—"
Bang!
The deafening gunshot exploded through the office.
Paul’s body jerked violently.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
A dark stain quickly spread across his chest.
For a second...
No one moved.
No one even breathed.
Paul slowly looked down at the blood soaking his shirt.
"...W-Why..."
His voice barely escaped his lips.
His body collapsed forward onto the floor with a heavy thud.
Dead.
The entire office froze.
Thomas’s face turned ghostly white.
Even Don lowered his eyes for a brief second.
Clara instinctively clenched her fists.
Gen remained silent, though her eyes hardened ever so slightly.
Karlo calmly lowered the smoking pistol.
His expression never changed.
He looked down at Paul’s lifeless body as though he were nothing more than garbage.
Then he spoke in the same calm tone he had used moments earlier.
"The guilty beg." His cold eyes shifted toward Thomas. "The innocent don’t need to bargain."
A chilling smile curved on his lips.
"And the dead..." He nudged Paul’s shoulder with the tip of his shoe. "...don’t get a second chance to explain themselves."
The silence that followed was far more terrifying than the gunshot itself.
Thomas’s entire body trembled as he stared at Paul’s lifeless corpse.
Just moments ago, the man had been pleading for his life.
Now...
He lay motionless in a pool of blood.
The brutal reality struck Thomas like a bolt of lightning.
His throat tightened as he swallowed hard.
Karlo rested his elbow on the armrest of his chair, casually observing him.
"Well?" he asked calmly.
"Do you have anything to say?"
Thomas didn’t dare lift his head.
His confidence had completely vanished.
"...No," he whispered hoarsely.
Karlo let out a quiet chuckle.
"How disappointing."
He leaned back in his chair as though he had just finished watching a dull performance.
"I’m bored now."
His smile slowly widened.
"I need something... more entertaining."
Those simple words sent another shiver down Thomas’s spine.
Clara frowned.
"What exactly are you planning to do with them?"
Karlo tilted his head toward her, his smile never fading.
"You’ll see soon enough."
He snapped his fingers.
"Luca."
Luca immediately stepped forward.
"Boss."
"Prepare everything."
"Right away."
Without asking another question, Luca left the office.
Clara silently watched the exchange.
She had no idea what Karlo was planning.
But judging from the amusement in his eyes...
It was bound to be as cruel as the man himself.
Her gaze drifted toward Paul’s body.
Two guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him across the floor as though he weighed nothing.
Not a single person reacted.
It was as if death had become an ordinary sight within these walls.
Clara clenched her fists.
A few moments later, another guard stepped forward and untied Gen’s wrists.
Gen slowly rubbed the red marks left by the ropes.
For the briefest moment, her eyes met Clara’s.
There was no fear in them.
Only a silent warning.
Then she calmly looked away.
The office doors opened once more.
Luca returned with several men carrying a heavy wooden table and two chairs.
They placed them in the center of the room.
Thomas frowned in confusion.
"What is this...?"
No one answered him.
Luca stepped aside and gestured toward one of the chairs.
"Sit."
Thomas instinctively looked toward Karlo.
Receiving only a silent stare in return, he obediently walked over and sat down.
Like a frightened pet awaiting its master’s command.
Luca then turned toward Gen.
"You too."
Without resistance, Gen walked to the opposite chair and sat across from Thomas.
The room fell silent.
Everyone waited.
Karlo slowly rose from his seat and approached the table.
He placed both hands behind his back before stopping between the two players.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"I think it’s time we play a little game."
With another snap of his fingers, one of the guards stepped forward carrying a velvet case.
He opened it.
Inside... Lay two identical revolvers.
The room instantly grew heavier.
Karlo picked up one revolver in each hand before gently placing them on the table.
One in front of Thomas. The other in front of Gen.
Thomas’s face drained of color. His breathing became uneven.
Karlo looked between them before smiling.
"These two guns..." He tapped the weapons lightly with his fingertips. "...are your lifelines."
A chilling silence followed.
Then Karlo delivered the rules with the same calmness one would use to explain a board game.
"Each revolver contains only one bullet."
His gaze settled on Thomas.
"You’ll take turns pointing the gun at each other’s head and pulling the trigger."
Thomas’s eyes widened in horror.
Karlo’s smile deepened.
"The one who gets shot first..." He paused deliberately. "...loses."
"And the survivor..." He looked toward Gen. "...walks out of this room alive."
Thomas looked at the guns, for a moment speechless, unsettling with the thought of getting killed if someone Gen gets the shot. But then there was also a part of him that was hopeful.
’What if they are empty just like the one Marco gave me before. After all he must’ve learned it from his boss’
The possibility made Thomas happy and without wasting a second he picked it up and pointed at Gen.
’This girl has been pain to my ass. I must soon get rid of her if I have to leave this place alive ’