Under the Spotlight : The Obsession

This part of the story contains elements of drug abuse. Please respond wisely to the scenes presented in the story. Even though the scenes are fictional, please do not imitate any scenes in the story.

Mia just walked aimlessly, her mind circling about Victor after she went to the lower floor. Her steps slowed down every minute. Mia finally stopped as she looked around her, confused.

After checking the surroundings, Mia realized that the floor she was on did not have a fitness center, restaurant, game room, or shopping place, as Lily had said earlier. The floor she was currently standing on only contained ordinary apartment doors, with a place to rest in several corners of the large floor.

Mia was just about to turn around when a faint whispering voice that she couldn't guess where it came from managed to catch her attention.

Mia tried to find the source of the voice until she finally found the place she had been looking for.

"Ah... all my problems feel like they've been solved after I used it. You know, I don't have to think about my wife anymore since I used this."

From a distance, Mia could see that the person who spoke was a man with his friends in one of the rest areas on the floor. There was a powder that Mia couldn't recognize in each of their hands. Those who sat there looked so relaxed, as they occasionally smiled as if they had no burdens in this world when they would occasionally inhale the mysterious white powder.

"Of course you're happy. This is high-quality opium, we're lucky to be able to get it."

Another man commented as his hand patted his friend's shoulder. His friend smiled mockingly. "It's a shame our boss doesn't want to play in this field. Well, I can't understand the thinking of someone who was born rich since childhood. He can do what he wants and leave what he doesn't want as he pleases."

"Well, at least we have this to forget our problems for a while."

"Um..."

"Mi, Miss!"

The men tried to stand up unsteadily when Mia suddenly appeared and approached them. Their red eyes stared at Mia in surprise while their trembling hands tried to hide the white powders that they had been smoking together earlier in a panic.

Their minds were in a state of chaos because Mia had just witnessed them using opium in secret. They were already imagining what terrible consequences they would have because Mia saw them. Not being killed slowly would be good enough for them. Everyone in Enzo's organization knew how much their boss hated drug dealings. The effects of drugs alone were not enough to relieve their nervousness about the punishment that would soon befall them.

Each of them cursed in their hearts, as their nervousness only continued to increase with each passing second.

"Miss, we-"

"Are you guys taking medicine? Enzo said I had to take medicine to cure my illness. Can... can that medicine cure my heartache too, Mr.?"

The men immediately fell silent when Mia asked them with her innocent face. Her round eyes blinked curiously as she tried to see the drugs that the men were trying to hide. The men looked at each other, not expecting at all that their boss's cousin didn't even know what opium was after living for so long their world.

"Miss, this-"

"Yes, you can make your troubles go away by inhaling it, Miss. Would you like to try it? We can share it with you as long as you keep everything that happened here a secret," someone quickly interrupted. The others stared at him in horror after the man dared to try to bribe Mia with the opium they had. Even when they were under the influence of drugs, the thought of never messing with someone Enzo cared about seemed to still be stuck in their minds.

"Are you crazy?! The boss will kill us if he finds out that his subordinate just tried to force-feed her cousin with goddamn opium!" One of the men pulled his friend's hand and whispered in a stressed tone. His eyes bulged in annoyance, while the one being scolded only replied with a sarcastic smile.

"Then do you think he won't finish us all off if that girl tells the boss that we're secretly using drugs in his territory? You must remember the rules. No drugs or meddling with this kind of stupid matter! Now we can only bribe her and pray that she's stupid enough to keep this place a secret!"

The others began to waver as the man stated his reasons. Everyone's eyes stared doubtfully at Mia, who was still standing where she was, staring at them with genuine hope and anxiety.

"Damn it. We're going to die sooner or later," someone cursed in annoyance. Seeing that no one would protest the suggestion anymore, the man who had previously been gripping the clothes of the person who gave the suggestion finally released his grip on his friend's hand.

"At least we can extend our lives for a few days with this girl. Let's take this opportunity to leave this place. We can join another gang, anything as long as we can stay off Boss's radar," the man said before approaching Mia again. The man smiled as he handed a small packet of white powder to Mia.

"So, how about it? Miss, will you keep whatever happened here a secret?" the man asked again to make sure. Mia looked at the powder for a long time before finally nodding confidently.

"I promise. As long as I can forget everything, I can keep this place a secret," Mia said confidently. The man smiled victoriously as Mia finally took the powder. Following the others, Mia inhaled the last portion the man had given her. Slowly, her consciousness seemed to float as she finally became dizzy and fell to the floor. The men sat Mia down near them before one of them whispered something in Mia's ear again.

"You have to act normal when you come back later, Miss. Don't let Boss suspect anything. This will be a secret between us. Not everyone is willing to accept the presence of this good medicine, Miss. And Boss, he is one of the men who does not want to accept this amazing thing."

Mia nodded unconsciously as her feelings were uncertain at this time. Her longing for Victor, her fear of Enzo, and her desire to sing seemed to be swept away just by inhaling the strange medicine. Mia slowly smiled. That medicine was truly extraordinary.

"I understand," Mia said once again. Her drooping hands began to tremble as drowsiness began to attack her.

No, this time, Mia no longer felt that sleeping was a hard thing for her to do. Her feelings were so comfortable when her eyes were completely closed. She could faintly hear someone whispering back to her. A light whisper, but Mia could hear and remember.

"Come back here if you want to feel it again. Remember, no one is allowed to know this secret point, Miss."

***

DING DONG!

Lily, who was originally sleeping on the living room sofa, immediately woke up when Enzo's penthouse bell rang. Lily hurriedly headed to the door, her gaze changing to worry when she saw the other members carrying Mia, who had her eyes closed.

"What happened to her?!" Lily asked worriedly. The woman quickly took over the task of carrying Mia. Her movements were still careful so as not to wake the girl who had difficulty eating and sleeping for the past few days.

"She wandered around the floor and suddenly complained to us that she was sleepy. We let her fall asleep in the living room before bringing her here when she was sound asleep."

Lily sighed in relief when she finally knew Mia was only sleeping because she was tired. Her head nodded slowly after that. "I understand. I will take care of her from here on," she said before saying goodbye and closing the Enzo penthouse door again. She gently put Mia back in her room, putting a blanket on her before leaving the room. Lily checked her watch when she finished closing Mia's room door. It was almost time for lunch. She had to prepare the food so that her boss could eat as soon as he arrived.

Lily started to enter the kitchen and was busy with her activities after that.