Chapter 7

“Oh uh, indeed,” Matthew speaks.

Melody chuckles awkwardly. She gripped at the hem of her hoodie knowing she couldn’t run this time. She trapped.

“Finally, now I can talk with a professional pick-pocket,” Damian gazes at her firmly.

“Professional? Am I professional in your eyes!?” Melody beams. She squeals brightly, “Oh my gosh! I know that I’m good at pick-pocket!”

Victor frowns and leans to Matthew, “It’s my first time seeing someone thrilled about how good they are at stealing.”

“I told you this girl is nonsense,” he rolls his eyes.

“I’m saying you are professional because you dare to steal from the person you don’t even know who he is,” Damian said. His gazes keep on her and never move. It is just like he trying to observe the girl.

“I mean...I steal a lot of things from a lot of people. So, I kind of do not care who I steal from,” she rubbed at the back of her neck.

Damian chuckles and steps forward almost taking up her personal space, “That’s why, you are in this mess, little girl.”

“First of all, I’m not a kid. I’m a healthy 20-year-old young woman, mister,” she huffs. Her doe eyes stare right into his with no sign of fear or anything.

Somehow, it makes Damian amused, “Like I thought. I’m right about your age. Even if you are small and short, you didn’t like a 12-year-old, little girl.”

“Isn’t that an advantage of being look like a young girl?” Melody tries to make some jokes.

“We are not playing here. Give back our stuff,” Victor strictly asks.

“Stuff? I steal a lot of things, mister. So I don’t know which stuff are you talking about...” she chuckles, trying to make up some excuses.

Damian chuckles to hear that response from her. Matthew was about to speak but he raised his hand, gesturing to him not to talk. He doesn’t even care about the stuff Melody steals from him.

“Hmm...I see you are a beggar, huh,” he smirks.

“Excuse me, I’m not,” Melody frowns.

“Oh, you are not? I thought you were since you said you steal a lot of things,” Damian taunting her.

“Stealing doesn’t make me a beggar,” she said with a hint of offence in her tone.

He let out a low chuckle before getting closer to her. Melody could feel her back pressed against the wall. His bulky arms were on the side of her, completely trapping her. She slightly gulped, looking anywhere but at him.

“H—How did you find me...”

He chuckles, “You good at stealing but stupid in knowing things. My phone got a tracker.”

Melody shuts her eyes as she realises his words. She should have checked it first. She was supposed not to be at Uncle Woo’s store tonight since he coming here. But, if she’s not here, they will harm Uncle Woo.

“I—I know that. I—I just...um...wanted to see if you care about your stuff,” she make up some excuses.

“If that is so, then it wouldn’t hurt if you give us back our stuff, right?” Damian leans his face forward.

Melody could feel the hot breath from him. His body heat almost melted her. Not even a single time she had been close to a man like this. She turns her head to the left which is a bad idea since his breath hits her bare neck.

She clears her throat, “Oh...um...about you and your friend’s stuff...”

“Mhm. What about it?” he speaks, in a low tone.

“Y—You see...” Melody stammered, shifting in nervousness. “I—I already sell your phone and spend those two man’s money...”

“YOU WHAT!?”

Matthew yells in stunned. Melody flinched to hear the guy’s yell. The hundred dollars in his wallet are being spent just like that. Meanwhile, Victor just sighs, expecting this will happen.

“Yeah, it’s not like I expect it to stay in my wallet though,” Victor said. He didn’t hope that he would get back his money.

Matthew pushes Damian aside and grabs her shoulder, “I swear if you are a man right now, I already punch you to death!!”

“You are so over-dramatic! It’s just a few hundred dollars! It’s not like you don’t have any money left in the bank!” Melody scowls, and pushes his hands off her.

“Over-dramatic, you said?” he scoffs. How he wish he could bury this girl alive. “That’s my money! It’s doesn’t matter if I rich or not but money is everything!”

“Yeah, live with your money instead and bring it to death!” Melody talks back.

Matthew scoffs, and rolls his eyes, “Unlike you. You don’t understand because you don’t have any money.”

“I rather I didn’t have money than easily being tricked by a simple girl,” she mumbles.

Her words hit Matthew so hard. Victor who heard it bursts into laughter knowing what Melody talks about. She doesn’t even think twice before talking. Matthew felt his pride and ego being swiped away.

“You—”

“Matthew, that’s enough,” Damian firmly speaks.

He huffs and mumbles to himself.

“And you...” Damian walks toward her, “I don’t care about my phone. But, your debt with my men, it up to them how to settle it.”

He walks away leaving her with Victor and Matthew. Melody let out a sigh of relief. Amongst them, she felt intimidated by that guy even more.

“Who is he...” she questioned.

“That’s the dumbest question I ever heard,” Matthew huffs.

“You don’t know?” Victor frowns. She shakes her head. “One of the high-rank mafia.”

Mafia?

“It's such a surprise that you didn’t know,” Matthew chimed in. “Not though since you are busy with your pick-pocket job, little girl.”

Melody glares at him, “I’m not a little girl. I’m 20 years old!”

“Still, you look like one, little girl,” he grins.

“Enough, both of you,” Victor push Matthew’s shoulder.

Melody exhales in annoyance. She puts her hands in her pocket, rocking her feet back and forth. She knows it is wrong to steal someone’s stuff or money but it is the only way to survive. Also, she has no reason to tell them why she did it.

“I will pay you guys back,” she said, a hint of guilt in her tone.

The two men stop talking and look at her with surprise. They didn’t expect her to pay. They expect her to run or make up some excuses.

“Well...we thought you wouldn’t. It’s not that we ask for you to pay,” Victor crossed his arms on his chest.

Melody furrows her eyebrows, “You...didn’t?”

“No. We just wanted to scare you off,” Matthew chimed in.

“I’m right about you being dramatic,” she mumbles to herself but he hears it. Matthew glares at her, “I—I mean, thank you for giving me a chance but I still pay. It's not like I did this stealing on purpose...”

“Here,” Victor gives his business card, “Call us when you want to pay. It is better if you don’t relate to us. We are not a good people to be with.”

As much as they didn’t want this ordinary girl to get involved with someone like them. Since Damian is one of the most powerful mafia, that means he has a lot of enemies around them.

They might be cruel or tyrant, but that didn’t mean they dragged anyone innocent with them.

“Sure....” Melody wanted to know who are they but she felt like she didn’t have to.

Victor nods and walks away. Matthew stares at her for a moment with no expression on his face. She arches her eyebrows in confusion.

“What?”

Then, he slightly flicks her head causing her to frown, “What the...”

“That’s what you got from stealing, little girl,” by that, he walks away.

“I’m not...a little girl,” Melody mumbles as she glares at him.

Damian is scrolling on his phone, distracting himself with social media. After a long pause, Matthew decided to speak.

“Why did you let that girl go?”

“No reason,” Damian simply said, deadpan.

“You never let anyone off the hook. Whenever they mess up with you, the last thing I see is their dead body. But this time—”

“I said no reason,” he cuts Matthew’s sentence.

Victor chuckles a bit, “You sound defensive.”

“I’m not. Why do I have to be defensive? I’m just telling the truth and you guys questioned it like it's some kind of big deal,” Damian rolls his eyes, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

“I’m just asking, no need to be grumpy,” Matthew scoffs. “I'm just curious since you never let someone go. That was the very first time we saw you did that.”

“She just wasting my time to deal with,” Damian crossed his legs, “I got a lot of work to do than dealing with some useless woman.”

They just chuckle to hear that.

“I can’t imagine if you get married after this,” Matthew grins.

So does he.