Chapter 93

Sophia jumped up, all worried. "What happened? Who's he tangled with this time?"

"It wasn't a fight. He... he got nabbed by Arthur King," Max Harrison, Owen's buddy, said.

"Arthur?" Frank's face went pale, and he spilled his drink as he shot to his feet. "How did he get mixed up with Arthur?"

"Who's Arthur?" Sophia asked Max, her voice shaking.

Max explained, "He's the big shot around here, runs all the shady stuff. Yesterday, his underground boxing ring was offering a hundred grand for fighters. Owen went, won, but Arthur pulled a fast one and made him sign a death match contract. He only gets the money if he wins tomorrow."

"A death match?" Sophia gasped, almost losing her balance.

"Mom." Sarah quickly steadied her. "What's a death match?"

Max said, "It means only one walks out alive. The loser gets beaten to death in the ring."

Layla's mind flashed to Owen collapsing in the ring, making her go pale and start shaking.

Layla said, "His opponent's some top fighter from overseas. Owen doesn't stand a chance; he's done for."

"Call the cops," Sophia fumbled for her phone.

Max shook his head. "Auntie, Arthur's got too much pull. The cops won't touch him."

"Then what do we do? My Owen... my baby, he can't die," Sophia cried, clutching Frank. "Do something, please."

Frank threw up his hands, "What can I do? It's Arthur we're talking about. We can't mess with him, or we might end up dead."

"You spineless coward! If you weren't such a useless drunk, Owen wouldn't have had to risk his neck for that hundred grand." Sophia was on the floor, bawling her eyes out. "If anything happens to Owen, I'd be lost."

Layla, feeling totally fed up, headed downstairs and stood there for a good half hour before finally pulling out her phone.

The moment it rang, a deep male voice picked up, "Didn't you say you'd never call me?"

"I need a favor," Layla said, biting her lip, looking pale as a ghost. "My brother's in deep trouble."

She laid out the whole mess to Samuel and asked, "This shouldn't be too hard for you, right?"

Samuel replied, "It's not hard, but it's not as easy as you think. I've heard of this Arthur guy; he's got a huge underground network. We legit businessmen usually steer clear of folks like him."

"So, are you gonna help or not?" Layla pressed.

"I'll help the future mother of my child," Samuel said.

"What are you getting at?"

Samuel laid it out, "Have the baby, and I'll save him."

"Are you threatening me?" Layla's eyebrows knitted together even tighter. She thought, 'This is so low, using my family's lives to twist my arm. It's beyond despicable!'

Samuel shot back, "I don't see it as a threat, but maybe you're right. I'm a capitalist. I don't do anything for free and need something in return for everything I do. Think it over before you answer me."

"Go to hell," Layla snapped and hung up the phone.

At the top floor of the Holland Group.

Samuel called James over and said, "Look into what's going on with Owen."

"Yes, Mr. Holland," James replied.

Sophia cried her eyes out until midnight, her voice all but gone from hours of sobbing.

"It's all because of this jinx that Owen is in trouble. Why isn't she the one who died?" Sophia blamed Layla, convinced that Layla's bad luck had dragged Owen into this mess.

"You're jinxing him! I'm gonna make you pay for that!" Sophia lunged at Layla, trying to slap her, but Layla, fed up, pushed her away.

Sophia stumbled and fell to the ground, starting to cry and shout again, "Just kill me. If something happens to Owen, I won't live either. Oh God... why are you doing this to me, making me watch my son's death helplessly?"

Layla glanced at Max. "Come with me for a moment."

Once outside, Layla said, "Take me to find Arthur."

"Even if you go, it's pointless. Arthur won't let him go. You'd better not get yourself into trouble," Max said, worried.

"I don't want to go either, but I can't just watch him die and do nothing. After all, he's my brother." Layla sighed. She couldn't abandon her family.

Max shot back, "But it's pointless for you to go. What can you do?"

Layla fired back, "How will I know if I don't try? Let's go."

Seeing her so determined, Max couldn't argue and had to take her to the underground boxing ring.

When they got to the other side of the street, Max stopped. "I, I won't go over there. The entrance is there. Be careful."

"Okay." Layla swallowed her nerves and walked across.

The beefy guard immediately blocked her. "This ain't a place for you. Scram."

"I need to see Arthur," Layla said.

"You think you can just waltz in and see anyone you want? Beat it, girl. Don't cause trouble."

Layla insisted, "I'm Owen's sister. I have to see Arthur today."

"Owen? He's as good as dead. Arthur won't let him go. Seeing him won't help. Now get lost!" The beefy guard shoved Layla.

Layla's eyes blazed. She grabbed the guard's arm and, despite him being twice her size, flipped him over her shoulder to the ground.

"Girl, you know how to fight!"

Several other beefy guards surrounded her, blocking her path.

"Stop." At that moment, a man in his sixties stepped out of a vintage car.

"Mr. King." Everyone showed him great respect.

"You've got guts, girl," Arthur grinned, a gold tooth flashing. "What do you want to see me for?"

"I'm Owen's sister," Layla replied.

"He's already signed the life-or-death agreement. If he makes it through the fight tomorrow morning, he can leave," Arthur said with a cold smile.

"Please, let Owen go. He's young and didn't know what he was getting into," Layla pleaded.

Layla knew Owen wasn't the type to risk his life like this. He must've been tricked, and Arthur who ran a big underground operation like this, seemed shady enough to have lured him into this trap.

"It's too late. No one walks out of here unscathed after signing that agreement. You can't save him. Just leave," Arthur said, waving her off.

"He's my brother. I can't just abandon him. Let me see him," Layla insisted.

"You want to come inside with me?" Arthur paused, then added, "It's a rough place in there, not for someone like you."

"I want to go in." Layla's face went a bit pale, but her eyes stayed determined.

People naturally fear the unknown, but she had a stronger resolve. She wasn't backing down now.

"If you go in, you might not come out unscathed. Think it over," Arthur said as he walked inside.

Layla clenched her fists and followed him in.