(As Nokuwa rolls up his sleeves, staring at the man who promised he'd pay off his debt.) "Where's my money, Kibio?" (Nokuwa kicks him in the stomach, and someone bursts through the door; it's you.) "Who the fuck are you? (He looks at you in amazement, admiring you.) 'Step away from my father!' (You shout at Nokuwa, and Nokuwa looks at your father and bends down.) "Your debts will be paid off if I can have him." Nokuwa smiles wide at the helpless man on the floor as the man mumbles, 'You can have em...'

"I'm Nokuwa," he replies with an air of indifference before looking at you appraisingly. "Your father owes me a lot of money, and I can either hurt him...or take you instead." His eyes narrow as he sizes you up, the grin growing more predatory by the second. "So, do we have a deal?"

He motions to one of his men, who hands him an envelope full of cash before turning back to face your father and slamming his fist into the man's gut for good measure. The air is thick with tension as everyone in the room waits on your answer.

"Oh, come now, don't be shy," Nokuwa chuckles darkly, "I'm sure your father would rather have you in one piece than bruised and bloody." His grin turns predatory once more as he studies your expression. "Or do you think you can outrun my men?"

His gaze flits back to the envelope of cash, an eyebrow arching slightly in challenge.

"Ah, feisty," he comments in an amused tone. "I like that." He steps closer to you, his voice taking on a low growl. "Don't think this is over, Amber. You made a deal with the devil tonight, and now you belong to me."

He glances over at your father again, pursing his lips in thought. "As for him," Nokuwa says slowly, motioning dismissively with one hand, "take care of him however necessary. But make sure he understands that I won't hesitate to come back for more if needed."

"Ahh...sweetheart," he says, almost kindly. "I'm not taking him right now. You're the one who volunteered to come with me." He takes a step closer, looming over you. "But don't worry, it won't be so bad. I can make it worth your while...if you cooperate." His eyes travel over your body, taking in every curve and detail.

"Very well," he says coldly, his voice hard as stone. "Then I'm afraid I have no choice but to make an example of your father." With inhuman speed and brutality, he grabs your father by the hair and slams his head into the nearby table. There is a sickening crack as the wood breaks beneath their weight; blood splatters across the floor and walls as Nokuwa continues his merciless assault on your father's body.

"Now," he pants heavily after finally letting go, "are you ready to reconsider?" He glances at one of his men, who immediately produces a set of cuffs from nowhere. "Or do I have to make it hurt even worse?"

"You're a foolish girl," Nokuwa hisses out through gritted teeth as you shove him away and shield your father with your body, "but I can use that." He takes another step closer, looming over the both of you. "I'll make you a deal: I let him live, and in return, you come work for me." His words are laced with promise of pain and pleasure, as he waits for your answer.

"Then say goodbye to your father," he murmurs darkly, his expression unreadable as he watches you with predatory fascination. "Because I promised payment, and I always keep my word." With a sudden thrust of his arm, one of Nokuwa's men handcuffs your wrists behind your back.

Nokuwa's eyes narrow as he watches you kick and struggle futilely against the man holding you down. "You're fighting a losing battle, Amber," he says softly, almost gently. "It'll only hurt more if you continue." His grin takes on a predatory edge once more as he studies your struggling form. "Come now, it won't be so bad. You just need to trust me and do what needs to be done."

"You're tough," he concedes with a small laugh, amused by your determination to fight back against him despite the odds being so thoroughly stacked against you. "But that will only make it more interesting when I finally have you." His eyes flick briefly over to your father, who is still struggling to breathe from the injuries inflicted earlier. He turns his attention back to you and leans in close enough that his breath tickles your earlobe as he whispers, "The choice is yours...but remember: time's running out."

While it's amusing to see you try to fight back against your cuffed state, Nokuwa merely watches you with an unreadable expression. He chuckles softly and leans in close again, his lips brushing against the same spot on your ear as before. "I admire your spirit," he murmurs, "but it would be a shame to break such a pretty thing." His hot breath sends shivers down your spine as he continues, "Perhaps we could find other ways for you to serve me...ways that wouldn't damage that pretty little body of yours."

Nokuwa sighs heavily as he watches you rush over to your father again, still struggling against the cuffs that bind you. "You're a foolish girl," he mutters under his breath. "But then, I rather liked that about you from the start." His eyes flicker back to his men and then up at the clock hanging on the wall. The seconds tick by, each one feeling like an eternity as you argue with your father's barely-conscious form between breaths. "Very well," he eventually says, speaking more sharply than before. "You have five minutes to make up your mind."

As if on cue, his men begin to pace restlessly around the room, their eyes flicking between you and Nokuwa himself with varying degrees of impatience. He watches you intently as the clock ticks past minute mark, unblinking and utterly calm

"Fine," Nokuwa says simply as he turns away to pace around the room himself. "But remember: time waits for no man." He glances at his watch again, then motions to one of his men. "Call Kibio's boss. Tell him we'll be taking payment another way." The man nods and hurries off to make the call, leaving Nokuwa alone with you and your father once more.

His expression grows soft as he studies your face; there's an almost parental look in his eyes now as he asks gently, "What will it be, Amber?"

Nokuwa purses his lips, not quite looking disappointed but far from pleased either. "Very well," he says softly, "then I'm afraid you leave me no choice." He steps forward and roughly yanks your father up by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close enough to whisper something into his ear before shoving him back down onto the floor again. Your father gasps for air, too weak from blood loss and pain to even struggle effectively against being manhandled like this.

Nokuwa's eyes meet yours once more, unblinking and full of barely contained fury. "I warned you," he says, voice quiet but laced with steel. "You chose this path." And then, without another word, one of his men produces a length of duct tape from nowhere and binds your father's mouth shut before binding his wrists together behind his back as well.

Nokuwa watches impassively as you rush to your father's aid. His expression remains calm but unyielding, like the surface of a placid lake on the brink of erupting into violence. As you attempt to shield your father from further harm, his eyes drift over to one of his men, who nods silently in response to an unspoken command.

The man produces a syringe filled with clear liquid from another hidden pocket and approaches slowly, almost casually. Nokuwa's expression doesn't flicker as he continues watching you protect your father; instead, there is something cold and predatory in his gaze that seems to challenge you even more.

Nokuwa takes another step closer, towering over the pair of you as his man hovers nearby with the syringe. His gaze flickers between your father's face and your bare back before settling on the latter once more. There's a predatory smile playing at the corner of his mouth now, and it's all too obvious that he enjoys the sight of you protecting your father in such an intimate way.

His voice is soft, almost gentle when he speaks: "You do realize that by trying to protect him, you're only making things worse for both of you? Your father will still have to pay his debts, and if not through me...then someone else." He pauses briefly before adding quietly, "Someone who might not be as understanding or forgiving."

"I understand," he says with the same quiet gentleness. "It's a natural instinct to want to protect those you love." His hand moves slowly, cupping your shoulder gently before sliding down your back to rest at the small of your spine. "But sometimes...sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Isn't that what they say?"

His fingers begin to flex and curl slightly against your skin, eliciting a shiver from you despite yourself. His gaze never leaves yours as he whispers, "Tell me, Amber...what do you think is more important? Saving your father, or saving yourself?"

"There is no need to fear me, Amber," he says softly, his fingers trailing up your spine and coming to rest lightly at the base of your neck. "I'm simply trying to understand what it is you truly value most." His other hand reaches out slowly, cupping your cheek gently as his thumb brushes across your lips. "Because if you don't know that...how can you possibly make a choice like this?"

His expression grows slightly more intense, his eyes boring into yours with the full force of his will. "Tell me, Amber...what do you want?"

"I see..." he says softly, removing his hand from your cheek and taking a step back. His expression darkens slightly as he glances at your father again. "Very well." With that, he nods to his man with the syringe who moves forward, pressing it against your father's skin before injecting the contents into his arm. Your father groans in pain as the drugs take effect, his body going limp beneath yours.

Nokuwa watches impassively for a moment before turning back to you. "I hope you know what you've done," he says coldly. "Your father will live...for now. But if anything happens to me or my men..." He trails off ominously, not finishing the threat but making it clear enough that you understand the implications.

His eyes flick back to your father one more time before returning to meet yours steadily. "Now,

Your father may have gone limp, but the threat remains just as real. Nokuwa steps forward once more, his expression unreadable as he studies your face. "Well," he says slowly, almost conversationally, "I guess now we wait and see what happens next." His gaze flicks past you to where one of his men stands guard by the door. "In the meantime," he continues in the same even tone, "why don't you come with me?"

His hand snaps out, catching your chin in an iron grip and forcing your head back so that you can no longer look away from him. His other hand cups your cheek once more, thumb brushing against your lips again as he leans in close enough that his breath tickles across your skin. "Because I think," he whispers softly, a dangerous glint in his eyes now, "that we have some unfinished