Chapter 8

Yazmin was startled by the noise and quickly walked over, just about to ask what had happened when she saw Alajos step back and kick open the door to the restroom.

"What's going on?" Yazmin followed to check, and Alajos's face was pitch black. The locked restroom was empty except for the open window.

"Vivian ran away." Alajos climbed out of the window and ran to the open garden gate. "Damn it, she's gone into the woods."

The mansion was backed by a wild forest, which led to the road. There weren't many vehicles on the road, but it was enough for Vivian to flag down a ride to the city or elsewhere.

Alajos wasn't worried about Vivian escaping Houston, but he was concerned that the Bratva might find her before his own people did.

"The Bratva's attacks haven't made her cautious; she's been protected too well," Alajos rushed back to the villa, grabbed his car keys, "Please inform Simpson and Bryson of this news, and have them be on the lookout for Bratva's attacks. I'm going after Vivian now."

"Doesn't she have a bodyguard?" asked Yazmin. "God bless, may she return safely."

"We will return safely, don't worry too much." Alajos hugged Yazmin, drove his car along the road searching for her, his phone ringing incessantly, certainly Bryson inquiring angrily about why he hadn't taken good care of his daughter.

Annoyed, Alajos honked the horn, the sharp long sound echoing on the deserted highway. He drove fast but saw no one and caught up with no cars.

Vivian!

...

Vivian felt the violent vibrations of the car, the roaring noise of the engine assaulting her eardrums, and the stench in the trunk made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

Vivian hadn't gone far from the villa. In fact, she regretted running into the woods as soon as she did. She had no money and no car; she would be caught soon. She had been too reckless.

But when she circled the woods and saw Alajos's car in front of the villa, the desire to flee took over again. Maybe she could find a place to hide and then seek help from Vilem? As long as she remained undiscovered, Vilem would surely help her.

So, she took advantage of the lack of attention and hid in the trunk.

The space in the trunk wasn't large, and even with Vivian's slender figure, she had to curl up with her legs tucked in. She couldn't turn over; any significant movement would make noise and could lead to the failure of her escape. But prolonged immobility was numbing her body.

Vivian was tired, feeling a stifling pain in her chest that only eased with deep breaths. Cold sweat started to layer her forehead. She held her chest and passed out amidst the jolts of the car.

Vivian didn't know how long she had been unconscious. In a haze, she seemed to hear her mother's crying, her father's roaring like thunder, and Vilem's faint sighs.

It's over. Vivian thought. She had still been caught.

Alajos's face was pitch black. The engagement ceremony was in two days, and the girl who was to be engaged to him was crying and unwilling to marry him, even risking danger to escape, almost suffocating in his trunk!

This was a great humiliation for any man, especially since he was the Capo of Houston with many followers in the mafia.

His dignity told him to call off the engagement and leave this humiliating place immediately, but his responsibility as Capo demanded he stay. Houston had been under constant attack, his followers were getting injured and dying, and Houston needed Los Angeles' help. Breaking ties with Los Angeles would do him no good now.

But if he could tolerate this, to make amends for Vivian's mistake, Bryson would compensate him with more benefits, supplies, weapons, elites... Los Angeles had plenty, but Houston was in dire need.

Alajos clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging due to the force.

His brother Simpson was leaning against the door frame with his arms folded, his complexion not much better, watching Bryson rage with fury, calculating the same thoughts as Alajos.

To appease the Hargrave brothers' anger and maintain the alliance between Los Angeles and Houston, Bryson ceded more interests to Hargrave, including increasing the elite troops from the original 15 to 30.

This was all later told to Vivian by Vilem.

After Vivian woke up from her coma, Bryson raged at her, and her ceramic roly-poly toy was shattered in his fury. After that day, Bryson neverappeared again in Vivian's room, but Vivian could hear from the other side of the corridor, the sounds of beating and crying coming from her parents' room.

"Because of your stupidity, mother has suffered punishments she didn't deserve, her misery is all caused by you," Joseph said, looking as if he wanted to smash his fist into Vivian's head.

"Joseph!" Vilem defended his sister's safety, "Don't speak to Vivian like that."

"She should know the consequences her stupidity and immaturity have brought upon Los Angeles and mother," Joseph glared at Vivian as if looking at a dead person, "If it weren't for the need of a healthy bride at the engagement banquet, do you think she could still sit here crying?"

"Put away your foolish kindness, Vilem," Joseph said coldly, "This woman is as selfish as we are, for her ridiculous freedom, we lost the benefits we deserved."

Joseph angrily left Vivian's room, slamming the door with such force that it made a huge noise.

Vivian's body trembled with fear, and she wept on Vilem's shoulder, regretting her attempt to flee. She had been too impulsive; her unprepared escape had put her in a passive position. Her father's guard on her was stricter, and her mother had suffered her father's interrogations because of her.

"I'm really so useless," Vivian said in pain.

Two days later, the day of the engagement finally arrived. Her mother opened her suitcase, rummaged through her wardrobe, but didn't find her diamond red dress.

"Don't bother, it's now in Los Angeles," Vivian said with red eyes, telling the truth, "I never brought it here."

Bryson smashed a glass in anger, "Do you think the engagement will be canceled without that dress?"

Yes, the engagement wouldn't be canceled without that dress, and Vivian's actions seemed so ridiculous to Bryson. He was so angry because he felt Vivian's behavior was an outlet for her dissatisfaction, a rebellion against him, a challenge to his authority, and this realization made Bryson uncontrollable in his rage.

He was the Capo of Los Angeles, his dignity not to be challenged, his authority not to be questioned.

"I don't want to marry Alajos, I don't want this engagement!"

Such resistance was futile. A new gown was quickly delivered, it was more beautiful, more glamorous, and more revealing than Vivian's diamond red dress. The deep red, low-cut gown perfectly showcased her collarbones and cleavage. Her mother did her makeup exquisitely, and her golden wavy hair cascaded down like sunshine on the waves.