Chapter 9 The Terrifying Abyss

Tia’s cries of agony echoed all around the massive villa. She had thought that by agreeing to Aaron’s conditions, he would spare her father. However, she had not expected Aaron to be so despicable, even sending people to monitor and place him under house arrest. “Caius! How can you be so shameless?!” “This is all your doing! Since it’s a deal, you can’t break the rules. You’re my prisoner now, and you have no right to resist me! You crossed the line today, so this punishment is well-deserved, isn’t it?” Tia knelt on the ground with a thud, slowly crawling toward Aaron. She clutched his clothes pitifully. “I was wrong. I’m willing to be punished. Please just spare my father…” “I initially wanted to punish you, but I’ve thought of a more interesting way to do it.” Aaron chuckled, his laughter taking on a twisted tone. “From now on, every time you defy me, I’ll have a piece of your father’s flesh cut off and delivered to the villa. How would you like that?” “No! Please—” Tia screamed in agony. “Please don’t harm my father…” Tia had no other family left in this world. Her father had treated her the best, providing her with all the warmth and care. Back when she heard that her father had passed away, she had even thought about following suit. When she heard that her father was still alive, a glimmer of hope had rekindled. But Aaron ruthlessly stripped her of even that remaining family connection. “If you don’t want me to harm your father, sure. You just need to promise to never defy me again.” Aaron sneered. “Be my dog!” “What?” Tia had never experienced such a humiliating insult, but given the circumstances, what could she do but agree? Seeing Tia remain silent, Aaron lost patience entirely. He waved his hand, signaling his nearby bodyguard. “Do as I just said.” “Yes, sir!” The bodyguard nodded expressionlessly and turned to leave. “No!” Tia suddenly snapped back to reality and pleaded desperately, “I agree! I can sign an agreement with you! Just don’t hurt my father!” It was her recklessness that had caused her father to fall into Aaron’s hands again. How could she stand by and let her father be harmed because of her? “Very well, let’s do that." Aaron got the answer he wanted, so he adjusted his sleeves with satisfaction. “Go draft an agreement.” Aaron’s assistant gave Tia a somewhat pitying look. He sympathized with this beautiful woman. Then, he shook his head and began drafting the agreement according to Aaron’s instructions. The assistant worked efficiently, and in less than half an hour, Tia had the agreement in her hands. Tia stared at the document in her hand, feeling utterly defeated. “I want to ensure my father’s safety before signing the agreement.” “Do you think you still have the right to negotiate terms with me?” Tia wished she could tear this man apart. “You’re such a despicable person! Is there anything you wouldn’t do? What if this is another one of your schemes?!” “Heh, how ridiculous.” Aaron calmly glanced outside at the courtyard. “If you don’t trust me, I can have someone cut a piece of flesh from your father first. Then you can see for yourself if it’s him.” “Caius!” Tia was surprised by this man’s shameless cruelty every time. “How can you be so…” “I don’t have time to waste on you. Let's not waste each other’s energy. If your name is not on this agreement when I return tonight, you should know the consequences very well.” Aaron stood up from his chair. His expression was cold as he walked out of the villa. Tia wept copiously before eventually signing her name on the agreement with immense humiliation. The assistant furrowed his brows as he took the agreement from Tia’s hand. “Ms. Tia, I’d like to advise you again. Mr. Aaron isn’t someone you can easily defy. You’re already in this situation now, and continuing to oppose the CEO will only bring you more hardship.” The assistant had a tinge of sympathy toward her and could not help but offer a word of caution. Tia slowly turned her head, her voice husky from crying. “Where’s my father now?” “I’m sorry, Ms. Tia, but I can’t tell you.” “Is he safe, then?” “Yes. Mr. Aaron has given you his promise, and he won’t break his word.” Tia found it somewhat ironic. “I don’t think so.” After all, the Aaron she had seen had no trace of any redeeming qualities. “Ms. Tia, rest assured,” the assistant said before leaving. Tia helplessly stared at the ceiling, unable to cry any longer. She knew that from today onward, she would be plunged into hell… At night, the villa fell into silence, with moonlight pouring into the room from outside. Tia curled up in a corner, gazing at the somewhat desolate moonlight. Her sorrowful emotions overwhelmed her once more. She wondered how her father was doing now. Her father had remained hidden for so many years, yet Aaron had tracked him down to the sanatorium where he was hiding. It was possible that even Sorian had been threatened by Aaron. If it were not for her recklessness, she would not have implicated her father and Sorian. She had underestimated Aaron’s power and methods. Tia began to blame herself again, regretting not being better prepared before approaching Aaron. Faced with such a formidable opponent, she had no chance of resistance. Tia even thought of ending her own life, but the thought of her pitiable father forced her to muster her strength once more. As the days passed, Aaron seemed to have business matters to attend to at his corporation. He had not returned to the villa for several days. Tia experienced a relatively peaceful period during this time. The villa’s maids and butlers seemed to treat her as the lowest-ranking servant, always assigning her the dirtiest and most tiring tasks. Just as Tia had finished tending to the plants and flowers in the courtyard, Janelle called her to clean Duke’s doghouse. “Forget it, I’ll ask someone else to do it. Duke hasn’t been feeling well lately, and his feces are all over the place. It’s too tiring for you to do it alone,” said Elfie, the oldest maid in the villa. She had been working here for over a decade. She was kind-hearted and treated Tia well. “Thank you, but if I don’t go over, Janelle will get angry.” Tia was grateful to Elfie but did not want to hear Janelle’s unpleasant yelling. “It’s alright. No other maids would dare to object to my assignments. Why don’t you go and tidy up the small attic on the top floor of the villa? The work there is lighter,” Elfie suggested understandingly. “Thank you so much, Elfie.” Tia smiled.