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Expect Incorrect Grammars Typos As English Is Not My Primary Language. Thank you.
⚠️🔞 WARNING 🔞⚠️
This story contains themes, language, violence, and potentially sensitive content that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised.
LINGLING'S POV:
The air in the abandoned warehouse was thick with the stench of decay and despair.  It was a place where shadows danced and whispered secrets, where the echoes of forgotten screams lingered in the air.  The flickering light of a single bare bulb cast grotesque shadows on the walls, painting the scene with an unsettling, almost theatrical, quality.
Standing in the center of the vast, echoing space, a man stood bound and trembling, his face contorted with fear.  He was a man of power, once, a man who had built an empire on the backs of others, but now he was broken, reduced to a whimpering shadow of his former self.  He was Sethrattanapong, a name synonymous with wealth and influence, and he was begging for mercy.
“Please, Lingling. Don’t hurt my daughter.  It’s not her fault.  She’s just a child.  She has so much life ahead of her.  She has dreams.” His voice, choked with fear, was like nails on a chalkboard, scraping against my nerves.
But his pleas fell on deaf ears.  I had come for a prize, and I wouldn't leave without it.  He was just an obstacle, a stepping stone, a means to an end.
I stood before him, my face a mask of cold indifference, the heavy steel of my pistol a reassuring weight in my hand.   My black dress, a testament to my power and authority, seemed to absorb the shadows, making me appear even more menacing.  "You really thought you could defy me?" I asked, my voice laced with a venomous amusement.  "I have a way of ensuring that those who disobey me regret it."
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing erratically. "I never meant to... I never meant to disrespect you, Lingling. Please, just don’t hurt my daughter. She's precious to me.  I beg you."
A cruel smirk played on my lips, a predator sizing up its prey.  "I've seen your daughter, Sethrattanapong. She's beautiful.  And I’ve heard she has a mind of her own. I like that.  Intriguing."
His eyes widened in horror. "But... she's just a child.  She’s not ready for…"
"Don’t make me laugh," I interrupted, cutting through his pathetic plea like a knife through butter.  "You know how I operate.  What LINGLING KWONG wants, she gets. It's just a matter of how much you're willing to pay.  Are you willing to give her to me, properly, Sethrattanapong? Or will I take her by force?"
The silence in the warehouse was deafening, punctuated only by the man’s ragged breaths.  He knew what I was capable of. He had heard the stories.  He had seen the evidence.  I wasn't one to make empty threats.  I wasn't one to play games.
"I... I’ll give her to you," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.  "Just please, don't hurt her."
He had surrendered.  He had made his choice.  His pride, his dignity, his life, all swallowed by a terrifying fear of what I might do.
"Good.  I'll give you three days. Three days to convince your little daughter to marry me.  Three days to understand that you are not the one who decides her fate.  Three days to pray that she agrees. If she doesn't…" I trailed off, letting the unspoken threat hang in the air.
"Three days," he repeated, his voice filled with a desperation that was both pathetic and amusing.  "I’ll do whatever it takes.  I’ll convince her. I promise."
"See that you do," I said, my voice a chilling promise.  "Make sure he's clean and presentable when he returns home, Sethrattanapong.  After all, he’s going to be my father-in-law soon enough. And make sure he understands the consequences of failure."
I turned and walked away, leaving him there, his broken spirit echoing the silence of the warehouse.  This was just the beginning. I had a game to play, a prize to claim, and I wouldn't stop until I had it all.
ORM'S POV:
The air in my father’s office was thick with tension, the polished mahogany desk reflecting the icy gleam in his eyes.  He sat behind it, his usual air of authority tinged with a new, unsettling urgency. It was as if a shadow had fallen over him, draining the vibrancy from his presence, leaving behind a figure that was both familiar and utterly alien.
“ORM, I have something to tell you,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine.  He didn't meet my gaze, his eyes fixed on the intricate patterns of the Persian rug beneath his feet.
My heart pounded in my chest.  It was a feeling I knew well, the anticipation of a storm brewing on the horizon.  My father had always been a man of action, a man who faced his problems head-on, who never shied away from a challenge.  But this uncertainty, this fear, was a new and unsettling facet to his personality.
“What is it, Dad?” I asked, my voice attempting to remain calm, though my heart hammered against my ribs.
"You know LINGLING KWONG, right? You Need To Merry Her " he asked, his voice a mere whisper, yet carrying a weight of finality that left no room for argument.
I felt a chill run down my spine.  LINGLING KWONG.  The name was synonymous with power, ruthlessness, and a chilling ambition that had sent a wave of terror through the city's elite. I had heard the stories, the whispers of her exploits, but I had always dismissed them as mere rumors, exaggerations meant to paint a picture of a woman who was far more cunning and dangerous than she really was.
But now, my father's words echoed those whispers, confirming their veracity.  He was a man of power himself, a man who had built his empire on steel and cunning, but even he, it seemed, was afraid of LINGLING KWONG.
“Why should I marry her, Dad?” I asked, my voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and resentment. "We are both women. And I don’t like her at all. Why should I marry her?"
He finally met my gaze, his eyes pleading, his face etched with lines of concern.  “ORM, listen carefully. You need to marry her because if you don’t, she will make our lives a living hell. You know her, ORM.  You know what she is capable of. She has… a way of… ensuring that those who defy her… suffer.”
His words were a chilling confirmation of the rumors.  He knew I would never surrender to blatant coercion.  He knew I would rather face the consequences than be forced into a marriage that would steal my freedom and compromise my integrity.
"If I agree to marry her, will she not hurt you?" I asked, my voice laced with an icy edge, my eyes fixed on my father's, searching for any trace of deception.
“That’s what she said," he replied, his gaze dropping momentarily.
The words hung heavy in the air, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something, that there was a hidden truth behind his words.  I couldn’t believe he would put me in this position, sacrificing my freedom and happiness to appease a woman who had already cast a shadow of fear over our lives.
"Okay, Dad. I’ll agree to the marriage. But she must ensure she won’t hurt you," I said, my voice firm, my resolve solidifying.  "I won't be your pawn in her game."
I couldn't deny the fear that gnawed at me.  But I was ORM KORNNAPHAT.  I would not be intimidated.  I would not be broken.  I would play this game, this dangerous game, with the same cunning and determination that had always guided me.  And I would not stop until I had unraveled the truth behind LINGLING KWONG's power, until I had found a way to protect my family from her clutches, and until I had brought down the empire that was built on fear and coercion.
TO BE CONTINUED...
AUTHOR'S NOTE : Let me know if you'd like me to continue this story! 😊