Love So Strong ~Hueningkai~

Chapter 15

Ari had lost count of how many days she was sitting in a cell. The only light source was a small lamp that was on the other side of the cell. One ankle was chained to the wall. She had tried many times to slip it off. Now, her ankle was raw and bleeding. She had given up on trying to escape the chains. No one came to her except to slip a plate of food and water under the cell. She couldn't see who the person was. It was the same thing every day: stale bread, tasteless soup, and water. The first few days, she didn't have any appetite. She finally gave in and ate, gagging at every bite. 

She was given a mattress and a blanket to sleep and a bucket for waste. Ari was dirty and smelled like death. The one thing that kept her spirit up was Kai. She hoped that he would find her soon. 

Ari tried not to think about her family anymore. She had dreams of their motionless bodies and eyes staring at her in her dreams. She would end up waking up, panting, and sweaty. Going back to sleep was a struggle. 

Ari was leaning against the wall. She was cold, her body shaking every so often. She grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around herself. Ari was surprised that Markoff hadn't come in yet. Only the food deliverer. 

She sat up straighter when she heard voices outside the door. The door opens and speak of the devil, Markoff comes in, with a few men behind him. One of his guys uses a key to unlock her cell, Markoff walking through. 

"Evening, Ari. Thought I'd come down for a visit." He squatted down so they were at the same level. "You don't look good, deary." 

Ari scoffed and turned her head. 

Markoff snapped his fingers, and a chair was placed beside him. He stood up and sat down. "Were you aware that your father killed my family, Ari?" 

Ari didn't look at him. She tried to ignore him. "Ah!" A foot kicked her ankle, the one that was chained and raw. She looked at him now, her fingers carefully touching her ankle. 

"When I asked you a question, you will answer. Or else. Got it?" 

Ari shook her head. "I-I wasn't aware at all. I told my father to-to keep me out of any mafia business." She stuttered out, looking nervously at him. 

"Well, Yujun did a good job at that. Wanna know how I knew about you? I did my research. Right after your heartless father killed my family, I swore to myself that I would avenge their deaths. I was 10 years old. Young age to lose their family, especially watch then die. I waited, very patiently, as you can see. I knew about you brothers being involved. What I didn't know was that Yujun had a daughter. Hidden away from the mafia. Like I said, I did lots of research. I had my men spy on you, giving me updates on you. I have a whole file of information about you. I even know about your boyfriend, Kai, from TXT. I learned a lot about him and the other members. 

Ari glared at him, clenching her hand, her nails digging into her skin. "Don't talk about him." 

"Love is amazing, isn't it. He won't be finding you anytime soon, though." Markoff stood up. "I'm going to be nice and let you bathe and change clothes, since you are my guest. But, if you try any funny business, the consequences will be severe." Markoff turned to a guy and told him to unlock the chain. "This is Sergei. He will be the one taking care of you." 

Sergei bent down and unlocked her chains, her ankle finally breathing. "Stand up." 

Ari slowly tried to stand up, using the wall for support. Once she was standing, using the wall, she tried to walk. Her balance was off. Her legs were shaking and so weak that she fell to her knees, her hands catching her so she didn't face plant. Sergei rolled his eyes and went over, grabbing her arm and yanking her up to her feet. He assisted her, walking her out of the cell room and into another room. In the middle of the next room was a bathtub that was filled with water, soap, clothes, and a towel. 

Markoff came to stand by her. "You have 10 minutes to clean yourself. We will give you privacy, but Sergei will be here to make sure you don't do something stupid. Time starts now." 

Everyone left, leaving Ari and Sergei. He went over to stand by the wall, head turning to the side to give her a minute to take her clothes off and get in the tub. She did that. The water was mildly warm, surprisingly. She drowned herself in the water, enjoying the feeling. She raised her head and wiped her eyes. Her hand reached for the soap, and she washed her body and hair. She had to rub the dry blood off that was caked around her ankle. "3 minutes." Ari rinsed off and grabbed the towel. She carefully stood up and wrapped the towel around her quickly and stepped out, using the side of the tub for support. She grabbed the clothes and instantly recognized that they were hers. Ari looked over at Sergei with a confused look. 

"He grabbed a few things from your closet." 

Ari dried off and put her clothes on. Underwear, black leggings, a bra, and a long sleeve shirt. She combed her hair with her fingers as she was led back to the cell. A new mattress was waiting for her, along with a clean blanket and food that looked edible. 

"Markoff isn't always heartless." Sergei motioned for her to sit down so he can put the chain back on, but on the other ankle. Once he was done, he left without a word, locking her cell and walking out. Ari looked at the plate of food. It was a sandwich, with water and a cup of hot tea. She was very confused but graciously ate it, feeling a little energy surging through her body. After she ate, she stared at the wall. Her mind was very active. What was Markoff going to do with her? Would she be uniting with her family soon? Would she ever see Kai again? Kai, the one she loves. Tears started to form in her eyes. 

"You are my motivation to live, Kai. I'll be waiting, no matter how long it takes. I'll be here."