Uriel stepped out of the restroom, leaving his overcoat in the trash, and returned to his seat. He exacted his revenge on Megara by ordering her to make coffee for everyone in the cafe, even future customers. Megara's anger was palpable; she bit her lower lip until it bled, her nails digging painfully into her palms.
The last order was taken, and the clock struck 10:30 PM. Uriel winked at Megara before exiting the cafe, leaving her seething with unspeakable rage. Unbeknownst to Megara and Tobi, as they left the cafe, Uriel watched them from his Ferrari parked by the roadside. With the help of his loyal comrade Zack, who had already departed, Uriel had tampered with Tobi's car.
Tobi and Megara finally settled into the car, exhaling a sigh of relief. "Finally, it's over, but I didn't know Uriel was this sadistic," Tobi exclaimed.
"He thinks he can just bully us because he has money," Megara retorted, untying her hair. She glanced in the rearview mirror, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "I'm kind of sleepy, Tobi." She yawned, raking her fingers through her hair. "Does he have no conscience? I'm not letting this slide that easily."
Tobi turned the key, but the engine remained silent, no signal of life from the car. He tried for several minutes to no avail. They exchanged a look, and Tobi stepped out, opening the front hood. He gasped in shock, startling Megara, who also got out to see the horrific scene.
Megara clapped a hand over her mouth. "This is inhumane! Who could have done this?" she asked. Tobi, equally bewildered, shook his head. "Did you quarrel with the loan sharks?"
"I paid them yesterday when I got the money from my mother. They wouldn't do this, especially since I paid with interest," he explained, clicking his tongue. "Look, I'm sorry, Megara, but I think we're going to have to walk home. I'll have the mechanic come fix the car tomorrow."
Megara sighed, her face unreadable. "Yeah, sure, let's trek home. I'll call my dad; he'll walk me all the way home," she stated firmly. "Lock the car; I'll wait here."
Tobi quickly locked the car, and after ensuring it was secure, they began their long walk. Uriel followed at a distance in his Ferrari, never letting them out of his sight. The journey on foot was tiresome for them but thoroughly enjoyable for Uriel, who reveled in their distressed expressions. His blood bubbled with excitement; each time Megara groaned, punching the air in frustration, he chuckled, and when she turned, he'd halt, blending in with other parked cars.
A few minutes later, Megara and Tobi stopped at a four-way intersection. She urged Tobi to go home alone, and after much persuasion, he reluctantly agreed.
Uriel watched from his car, his eyes fixed on Megara's retreating figure as she stood across the road, waving at the departing Tobi. "Does she have a death wish, walking down these dark streets alone?" he muttered, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
Meanwhile, Megara checked her phone, realizing the battery was at one percent and about to die. She decided to call her father. As she held the phone to her ear, she heard a group of men approaching, catcalling and whistling. She was trained in Taekwondo and self-defense, but facing seven bulky men at night was not going to be easy, especially since, the lighting of the street was dim.
Uriel also saw the men heading toward Megara. He gritted his teeth, and an idea suddenly struck him. Megara's phone died before her father could answer. She tried to hide it, but it was snatched by one of the men.
Megara hissed, reaching for her phone. "Give me my phone, you perverts! I'll scream if you don't hand it over!" she threatened, but they only laughed, passing the phone among themselves until it reached one of them. "What a nice gadget you've got for a country bumpkin like yourself."
Megara narrowed her eyes, trying to adjust her vision in the dim light. "That's none of your concern. Just give me back my phone, and no one gets hurt, and everyone goes their own way," she negotiated. The man stepped closer, the scent of almond and mint filling his nose. "Get off me, you pervert! I'm warning you!"
"You smell divine, pretty lady, and it seems like I've seen you somewhere before," he remarked. Megara rolled her eyes, unamused, her mind reeling with disgust.
Another man walked up to him, whispering in his ear, and he nodded. "Oh, I see, she's the girl who won a scholarship at Royal Von High. I bet she's got money since she must be dating one of the most influential and rich kids, or maybe even the principal."
Megara sneered, clenching her fist, but before she could act, a Ferrari pulled up. The passenger window rolled down, revealing Uriel's reserved and cool playboy face. "Hi, babe, are these guys bothering you?" he asked seductively and compassionately, much to the men's surprise. "I told you to wait; I'd come pick you up, but you refused to listen."
Megara was equally surprised, her eyes wide. For once, she was grateful he had come to her rescue again. "Sweetie, I'm sorry. I wanted to get home quickly, but as you can see, these touts stopped me, and they even stole my phone," she complained, hugging Uriel as soon as he stepped out of the car. Her hands snaked around his waist, feeling his abs and toned muscles.
He inhaled her hair, threading his hand through it before glaring menacingly at the men. "Are you still bothering us, or do you want me to call the police?" he barked. The men quivered in fear at his voice.
The group's leader furiously slapped each of his comrades before walking straight up to Uriel, who still had his hand wrapped around Megara's waist and in her hair. "Aren't you a charming little boy? Who do you think you are to bark orders around here, huh? Just because you pulled up in a Ferrari, you think we're afraid of you?" he questioned, pulling out a dagger, its sharp edge glinting in the light. "Do you know what I do for fun?"
Uriel smirked and gently patted Megara when she turned to face the man. "Sweetheart, stay beside me, alright? Don't move an inch," he whispered, his voice still masked with a hint of command and concern. He turned to the men, fists clenched. "No, please, do lecture me, but I'd like to warn you: I'll only give you ten seconds to leave here, or else…"
"Or else what? You'd hit me, or you'll spike me?" he challenged, and his men laughed at Uriel's bold claim. "I flare up the skin of young, untamed boys like you and sprinkle their… ugh!"
Uriel's fist connected with the man's face, and in a fraction of a second, they were all sprawled on the floor. He walked to the leader, grabbing him by the hair before slamming his face against the iron light stand by the road. "You motherfucking piece of shit! Now what will you do, huh? Do you know what I do for fun?" he barked. The leader shook his head, signaling he didn't know. "I cut my enemies' balls and then feed them to my hounds. Also, I watch my enemies swim in my shark pool. It's a beautiful sight to enjoy, and you'd be cute watching it because nothing is more good than watching it, except when you're the prey, am I right?"
The leader quivered, his nose and face bloodied, a testament to the assault. Uriel looked up, meeting Megara's gaze before facing the man again. "You're right about that, mate, you're absolutely right. I was the one not insightful, but please, I don't want to be attacked by sharks," he pleaded, clasping his hands together while enduring Uriel's tight grip. "I don't want to lose my balls either; just let me go."
Uriel looked at him, then at Megara, who was awestruck and speechless. "Sweet, what do you suggest I do to him?" he asked, the endearment sounding seductive. "If you don't say anything, I might just sit at home and enjoy watching the shark race contest."
"I… want my phone back. That might be all," she replied before walking up to the leader and landing a punch on the same nose, causing him to growl in pain. "That's for stealing my scent and accusing me of dating my principal."
Uriel almost laughed at her statement but composed himself before snatching her phone from the hand of one of his victims. "Have a good night, and don't try running away because I've sent your address to the police, and there's a GPS tracker on you," he announced, and they all panicked.
Uriel took Megara's hand, which felt small in his large palm. He cleaned the blood off it before pulling her to the passenger side of the car, holding the door wide open and scooping her inside bridal style. He then returned to his driving seat.
He turned the key and the engine instantly roared to life. He drove off, quickly gaining speed. Megara remained silent, her phone tightly clutched to her chest, replaying the scenes that had just unfolded. She glanced into the rear-view mirror, meeting Uriel's cold, casual gaze.
Uriel caught her eyes in the mirror, and she quickly looked away. He chuckled dryly, scrunching his nose. "Aren't you going to tell me your address, or do you suggest we sleep in the car?" he teased. Megara rolled her eyes, looking out at the dark sky. "That was quite a show you pulled; you might as well do it again."
Megara whipped her head towards him, her gaze cold and menacing. Yet, deep down, she enjoyed his company more than Hugo's. "My address is No. 42 St. Therese Street, the first house on the block. And just so you know, I'm not interested in pulling such an act again," she retorted, folding her arms across her chest as he typed into his car's AI map.
Uriel chuckled, glancing at her before facing the road. "Mmm-hmm, you did enjoy it, if I should say so myself, but then again, you wouldn't admit it," he said. Megara scowled, a line visible on her forehead. "Stop frowning, you'll get old. You should also carry a pocket knife with you, or else you might get into trouble with men like that, and I wouldn't be around to save you."
"Yeah, very funny, Uriel. I wouldn't be out late if it weren't for you, and to make matters worse, something tells me you destroyed Tobi's car, so playing the hero is kind of unnecessary," she retorted, her voice slightly harsh.
Uriel nodded, affirming his actions, and Megara covered her mouth with her hand. "You're insane! Do you know how much that car cost? That's his life savings, and thanks for ruining it!" she exclaimed, but he remained undeterred.
"He started it by spitting in my coffee first, and I think you also had something to do with it," he said, his hands tightening around the steering wheel as he made a sharp turn that sent her landing with the back of her head on his thigh. "Oh, wow, what a spectacle."
Megara straightened up, slipping her seatbelt lock. She felt her cheeks warm, a clear blush spreading across her face. "Whatever. You should watch the road before you get us killed." Uriel only laughed, rubbing his free hand in her hair.
"I'll get your friend a new car first thing tomorrow morning, and don't ask me how or what it's going to be," he warned. Megara felt an internal flare of anger at his commanding tone.
The rest of the ride was silent. In no time, she was in front of her house. She got out of the car only to meet her father, who was already dressed in sweatpants and a sweater, holding his small gun before stuffing it into his trousers. He hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead. Uriel was mesmerized by the warmth that existed between her and her father. He wished all this were his, but he couldn't switch destinies.
Uriel stepped out of the car and waved to Megara, who introduced him to her father. "Dad, this is Uriel, a classmate. He helped me get home safely."
Her father walked up to Uriel, sizing him up. When Uriel didn't flinch, a pleased expression crossed her father's face. "Thank you for bringing my daughter home safely," he said, extending a hand. "I must say, I like you more than that Hugo fellow. I'd love to see you again."
Uriel beamed, shaking her father's hand as if they were old friends. "It was my pleasure, sir. Megara's good company."
Megara watched, stunned, as Uriel not only spoke so casually to her father but also entered their house and even took a cup of water, despite having called her a peasant earlier and seemingly not minding their humble status.
After some minutes, Uriel left. Megara was left with her father, who wouldn't stop talking about how much more "manly" Uriel was than Hugo. Megara smiled faintly and muttered to herself, If only he knew how much Uriel bullies me at school.