After Friend and Online Lover Scammed Me, Three Crime-Lord Brothers Raged

When my best friend found out I'd won a $500,000 scholarship, she immediately set me up with a great guy. We chatted for three months, and on the day we finally met in person, he ordered a whole table of food, then slipped off to the bathroom and vanished when it came time to pay. When I saw the bill, it was $880,000. I froze on the spot. I'd stumbled into a scam joint, and I refused to pay. The boss didn't say a word. He just had his men tie me up, then snarled at me viciously, "You don't pay, we finish you off today!" I looked him over carefully, and instantly flew into a rage. Wasn't this one of my eldest brother's men? My mom is an underworld heiress. To keep me safe, she adopted three orphans. She paid for their schooling and their studies abroad, and even handed the family businesses over to them to run. My three brothers spoiled me rotten. If anyone dared touch a single hair on my head, they could make that person's entire family disappear. Later, Mom grew tired of the killing and fighting and decided to retire. She strictly forbade my three brothers from ever getting mixed up in underworld business again, or they'd never set foot in the house. Eyes red, my three brothers vowed to go straight. But who would have thought that years later, my eldest brother's men were still pulling this kind of thing, and they'd damn well kidnapped me! ... "You've got the nerve to eat for free on my turf? Take a piss and look at your own reflection!" "Pay up now, or I'll sell you off somewhere!" Several thick-faced, burly men surrounded me, the one in front bald with a knife scar across his face. He twirled a butterfly knife in his hand, waving it back and forth in front of my face. A chill ran down my spine. Four dishes and a bottle of wine cost me $880,000? Was this food made of gold? I forced myself to stay calm and asked them, "Where's my friend? Where did he go?" The bald man sneered. "Looking for your sweetheart? He's the one who had us grab you!" "Said you were a fat pig, that your scholarship alone was worth half a million, and your family's sitting on a fortune!" "Turns out we misjudged. Dressed up all fancy, and you can't even cover an $880,000 tab!" "What rotten luck! Wasted a whole table of good food!" I was stunned. After I told my best friend Mila Fox about the scholarship, she insisted on introducing me to some rich, handsome guy. We chatted for three months, and I figured he seemed decent, so we became a couple online. Today we met in person. He'd booked this private club and said he had a surprise for me. But after he ordered the food, he said he had to take a call, and never came back. Was this a romance scam? Seeing that I wouldn't speak, the bald man slammed his hand on the table. "Can't come up with the money? Fine. You're pretty enough. I'll ship you off to a club to service clients, and you'll clear the debt in six months!" I panicked when I heard that. "I'm not going! This is extortion, it's illegal, let me go right now!" The bald man acted like he'd heard a joke. "I am the law! Don't want the club? Fine, pay the meal off, or I've got plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead!" As he spoke, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and slammed my head into the wall. My forehead struck the corner, and blood ran down my brow into my eyes. I fought through the pain and shouted, "I'll pay! But I don't have that much in my account! Let me make a call! I'll get someone to bring it over!" I wasn't lying. My mom always gives me the best of everything, so I hardly ever have anywhere to spend money. Even this scholarship, I only kept $100,000 for myself and handed the rest over to her to manage. Who knew a single meal could cost a fortune! The bald man slapped me again. "Designer from head to toe, and you don't even have $800,000? Who'd believe that!" "Making a call, huh! Don't think I don't know what you're planning. You dare call the cops, and I'll tear your mouth off first!" The henchman beside him got impatient. "Butch, quit wasting your breath on her, just ship her off already!" "Look at her, she'll fetch a good price for sure!" I looked harder, and suddenly the scarred face seemed familiar. Wasn't this Butch Reed? My eldest brother Ray Whitney's right-hand man back in the day. My mom is an underworld heiress. Back then she adopted three orphans and raised them specifically to protect me. My eldest brother, Ray Whitney, is vicious in his methods, a notorious underworld boss. My second brother, Benedict Whitney, looks refined, but he's actually crueler than the eldest. My third brother, Bertram Whitney, is even more terrifying. But my three brothers spoiled me rotten. If anyone dared lay a finger on me, they could make that person's whole family disappear. Later, though, my mom grew tired of the killing and fighting and decided to retire, keeping my three brothers out of underworld business for good. Who would have thought that years later, my eldest brother's men were still doing this kind of thing. And they'd damn well kidnapped me! If I hadn't been away studying abroad so long, and I weren't nearsighted, I wouldn't be recognizing him only now. I was furious enough to burst. "Butch Reed! Are you blind? You dare tie me up!"

The thug froze for a second, then whipped a hand across the other man's face. "You think you can say Butch's name? You want to die?" As he spoke, he raised a foot to kick me. Butch grabbed his arm and squinted. "You know me?" Thinking he'd recognized me, I quickly shouted, "I'm Ray Whitney's sister, Lisa! Let me go right now!" "Because if he finds out, he won't let you off!" Butch was startled for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Little brat, of all the people to impersonate, you pick our boss's sister? You must be tired of living!" "Just now at dinner your boyfriend called you Lisa Sanchez, plain as day! You think I'm deaf?" I quickly explained, "I really am Lisa! I changed my surname to Sanchez because my parents divorced and I took my mother's name." "If you don't believe me, look at the screensaver on my phone! It's a photo of me and my three older brothers!" Butch had been my eldest brother's right-hand man back in the day. There was no way he didn't know my mother's surname. But he just spat on the floor. "The boss's parents love each other. There's no way they got divorced!" "You dare spout any more nonsense, and see if I don't rip your mouth open!" I sucked in a cold breath, and only then did I remember: to keep the stock price from swinging, my mother had always hidden the divorce from the outside world. I never imagined it would end up sinking me now. Just then the thug handed my phone to Butch. My hope flared up again. Once he saw the screensaver, me surrounded by my three older brothers, he'd have to recognize me. But Butch held the phone up, waved it back and forth comparing it to my face, then suddenly sneered. "I actually fell for your tricks, letting you play me again and again!" "You really think I'll believe you just because you photoshopped a few pictures?" "Our boss's sister is round and chubby, with a blessed little face. A net-celebrity pinhead chin like yours dares to impersonate her?" I choked on my words. It was true, I used to weigh close to two hundred pounds, but after the college entrance exams my mom sent me off to a weight-loss camp. Now I was only ninety-five pounds, plus makeup and beauty filters. Nothing used to make me happier than people saying I'd gotten thinner. Now I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I was about to explain again when a heavily made-up woman leaned in beside him. "Butch, could this little slut be a woman the boss keeps on the side?" "If you touch her and the boss comes down on you, what then?" Butch slapped the woman across the face. "Bullshit! The boss doesn't touch women!" "It's too late even if she pays up now! Shameless sluts like her are what I hate most!" As he spoke, he yanked off his belt and swung it at my face. I was scared out of my wits. "I really am Ray Whitney's sister! If you dare touch me, my three brothers won't forgive you!" But the belt still came down across my face. "You dare impersonate the boss's sister? Even the king of heaven couldn't save you now!" I curled up in the corner, my face smeared with blood, drowning in despair. Just then someone outside shouted, "Butch! The boss is here! Says he wants to hold his birthday party at our place! He's looking for you!" Butch lit up. "Really? I'd better make a good showing this time!" Then he kicked me in disgust. "Lock this bitch up first! Don't spoil the boss's mood!" With that, he hurried his men out of the private room. I gave a start. Could my eldest brother really be here?

Tears welled up all at once, and I fought to hold them back. I knew this was my only chance to live. The moment Butch left, one of his men threw a sack over my head and dragged me toward the door. I jerked my knee up hard, right into his groin. He screamed and let go. I ripped the sack off and ran. But this run-down club was like a maze. In my panic I bolted up the stairs and missed a step. My whole body pitched straight down from the second floor. The back of my head cracked against the marble floor, and everything went black. Through the blur, I saw a familiar figure at the end of the corridor. A crowd was gathered around him. It really was the eldest brother. I opened my mouth to shout, but my throat was full of bloody foam. Right then, the man chasing me swung a club down on my back. "Run! I'll teach you to run!" I passed out completely. When I came to, I was gagged and tied up in a storage room. My clothes were still on. I hadn't been assaulted. It seemed they'd all gone to greet the eldest brother. As long as he hadn't left, I still had hope! I dragged myself desperately to the corner and started grinding the rope on my wrists against the rough seam in the cement. Just then, a hushed argument came from outside the door. It was Mila! "Where's the money? Give me Kent's share along with it!" Butch cursed at her. "You've still got the nerve to ask for money? This woman only had a hundred grand in her account! And she was pretending to be the boss's sister! She's got a death wish!" "Decent-looking, though... My wife's not around, so let me have a taste first, then you can take whatever's left." Mila was quiet for a moment, then lowered her voice. "Do whatever you want with her! But her designer bags come to me!" "That little bitch, always acting so high and mighty. It took Kent months to reel her in! Thought she was so pure, and turns out she's just as shameless behind the scenes!" "But she's got to be rich! Her scholarship alone is five hundred thousand—how could she have nothing! Search her again!" My heart went cold in an instant. I'd always thought Mila had been fooled by Kent, and that was how she'd gotten pulled into dragging me into this. I never dreamed she was the mastermind. I'd treated her like a real sister. I'd even planned to give her half my scholarship to pay off her student loans. I'd been blind. Right then, the rope finally snapped. I'd barely started to breathe again when the lock clicked and the door opened. I quickly gripped the broken rope and shrank back into the corner, pretending I was still struggling. The door swung open and Butch came grinning toward me. "Little beauty, don't bother. Not even a fly could get out of here." "How about you take me as your sworn brother? Stick with me and you'll eat and drink well, and that eight hundred eighty thousand gets wiped clean. How about it?" As he spoke, his filthy hand reached for my waist. I spat in his face. "Pah! You're not even fit to carry my shoes! And you want to be my sworn brother?" Before I finished, he clamped a hand around my throat. "Think I'm going easy on you? I'll give you one more chance. Think hard before you talk!" I clawed at his fingers, and just before I ran out of air, I squeezed out a few words. "Let's... let's talk this out..." He let go, smug. "That's more like it. Ready to go with me now?" I coughed until tears streamed down my face, and suddenly I saw a fat woman walk in through the door. It was Butch's wife. I immediately screamed at the top of my lungs, "Butch, your wife's so devoted! And you're still keeping a mistress?" "How can you face her? Aren't you afraid she'll tear you apart?" A flicker of disgust crossed Butch's face. "Don't bring up that tigress. Fat as a pig!" "Not like you—young and fresh..." Suddenly he flinched, glanced back, and his face changed. "Honey, let me explain..." His wife had already slapped him across the face. "Butch, you bastard! Fooling around behind my back the second I'm gone!" The two of them tore into each other. I took the chance to fan the flames. "Butch! Beat your wife and I'll go with you!" "A man who can't even beat his own wife—what kind of man is that!"

The second Butch heard that, he lit up like he'd been shot full of adrenaline and actually started swinging at his wife. I hunched low and slipped out along the side, but the moment I reached the door I was spotted. My leg had taken a hit from a stick earlier, so I couldn't run fast. Looking down from the second-floor railing, I saw my eldest brother being escorted out of the hall by a crowd of people. My second brother, Benedict Whitney, and my third brother, Bertram Whitney, were there too! The three of them seemed to have come to talk over some matter, and none of them looked pleased. I opened my mouth to shout, but the man who'd caught up clamped it shut, hard. Seeing I was about to be dragged back, I steeled myself, grabbed the man behind me, and went right over the second-floor railing with him. The club lobby had a ceiling six or seven meters high, so the second floor was like an ordinary third story. A fall like that would leave me crippled if not dead, but I was past caring. If I didn't run now, I really would die. With a deafening crash, I slammed into the giant fish tank in the middle of the hall. The tank burst, water flying everywhere. Shards of glass sliced open half my face and my arm. Even with the water cushioning me, my leg and ribs still broke. The pain nearly knocked me out. Luckily, right as they were about to step out the door, my three brothers all turned back at the same moment. My eldest brother frowned. "What's going on? Butch, have you dragged me into trouble again?" His face darkened too. "Didn't I tell you not to touch the dirty rackets anymore? Have the dogs eaten the rules?" My third brother sighed. "If you can't keep yourself in line, then get lost back home! Stop being an eyesore here!" For more than twenty years, my three brothers had always smiled at me. I'd never seen them like this—murderous air all around them, their eyes cold and indifferent. And yet, right then, not one of them recognized me. No wonder—my clothes were a mess, my hair was down, my face was covered in blood. How could they possibly know it was me? Butch immediately planted himself in front of me, forcing a grin. "No, no! How could I ever forget what the young masters told me!" "It's just a new waitress who slipped and fell! I'll deal with it right now!" He shot his men a look. "Get her out of here, now! Don't let her offend the young masters!" But if I got taken away this time, I really was finished. I watched my three brothers start to turn and leave. Summoning the last of my strength, I tore a red string off my neck. Strung on the red string was a gold locket. On my eighteenth birthday, I'd spiked a high fever and collapsed. The doctors issued a critical condition notice, and my three brothers were nearly in tears. My eldest brother found a craftsman overnight and had this locket made from antique jade and gold. My second brother traveled through three provinces to find the most sacred temple to bless it. My third brother, his eyes red, fastened it around my neck. And the strange thing was, once I had the locket on, my fever actually broke. From that day on, it never left me. To see the locket was to see me. Later, every time I got into trouble, I would deliberately hold up the locket to call for help—it became our own little unspoken understanding between us siblings. They always said, "Lisa, as long as this locket is still on you, even if you run to the ends of the earth, your brothers will bring you home." I never imagined he'd be proven right. I held up the gold locket with everything I had, betting they'd understand. But the instant I raised it, Butch charged over in a fury and stomped down on my wrist. "You just won't quit, will you? Get this one out of here now!" As he said it, he ripped the locket off and hurled it to the ground. "Damn bad luck! Now there's blood in the hall—I'll have to bring in a master to clear it!" Then he turned back to my three brothers with a forced smile. "Young masters, please don't take offense, it was an accident—" But suddenly my eldest brother's pupils shrank. He stared at the locket on the ground, his face changing in an instant. He bent down and picked it up, his fingers trembling. "My sister's gold locket... how is it in your hands!"