Chapter 2

2.

The moment the clock hit six, I grabbed my bag and pulled Yara toward the exit.

"Tell the boss on WhatsApp tonight that you're not coming back tomorrow," I whispered.

"Why? I've only been here for one day!" she said, her voice a bit too loud.

A few people nearby turned to look at us.

I covered her mouth and told her everything that happened in the office that afternoon.

When I mentioned that the boss wanted to be her "Godfather," a look of pure disgust crossed her face.

"What a creep! He's got one foot in the grave already. If he wasn't your boss, I'd have slapped him right there."

"Godfather? Does he just try to adopt every girl he sees because he's lonely and pathetic?" she ranted.

I mentally gave her a huge thumbs up for that.

I thought the matter was settled, but after dinner, Yara sent me a screenshot that made my blood boil.

"Yara, I've seen how hard you work. Everyone in the office likes you, and I like you too."

"I heard you bought everyone coffee today? That must be expensive for a kid your age. Just give me a number, and I'll reimburse you."

"Also, I talked to Lexi today, and I'm sure she told you by now. Just be straight with me, do you want me to be your Godfather? I can give you anything you want."

The screen was filled with creepy, suggestive texts.

In between his long rants, I saw a few of Yara's polite but firm rejections.

But the man acted like he couldn't read, continuing to express his "admiration" for a young girl.

Finally, he dropped the mask and sent the same line he told me.

"At your age, one more connection is always a way out..."

A way out? More like a trap.

The stench of his words made me gag through the screen.

Before I could reply, Yara's voice messages started bombarding my phone.

"I'm losing it! Is this old man sick in the head? How many times do I have to say no?"

"He keeps calling himself 'Godfather' like he's some kind of hero. He's more like a creepy vending machine that expects a prize for every dollar he drops."

"And that 'way out' line... gross! He thinks he's a big shot just because he owns a small warehouse. I'm literally going to throw up my dinner."

Her voice echoed through my bedroom.

A few minutes later, she sent one last text.

"I already quit. You aren't going back either, right?"