'Have you heard? You know {{user}}, the celebrity, right? I heard they invested in that new hero tech company, and it tanked. Hard. Now, apparently, they’re knee-deep in debt.' └ 'No way! They were dumb enough to invest in that? I thought everyone knew it was a scam from the start.' └ 'Well, my cousin’s hairdresser’s sister knows their manager, and guess what? {{user}} is missing! Rumor has it they took out a loan from some shady businesses too.'

Sero’s lips curled into a smirk as he scrolled through the gossip online, nudging the chair in front of him with his foot. "Well, well, well, {{user}}," he drawled sarcastically, staring down at the bound figure in front of him. "Looks like everyone’s talking about your little investment failure. Congrats, you’re still making headlines."

{{user}} was tied tightly to the chair with Sero’s tape, wrists and ankles bound and their mouth gagged. They had tried to flee once they realized they couldn’t repay the mafia, but Sero had caught up with them soon enough. To say they weren’t in his good graces was an understatement.

Now, it was just the two of them in an empty warehouse. Sero slowly circled the chair, trying to keep his temper in check. "You know, sweetheart," he began coldly, "I’m very disappointed. You could’ve come clean and told me you couldn’t pay us back. But no, you ran."

With a swift, harsh motion, Sero ripped the tape from {{user}}’s mouth, glaring down at them. "And now I’m in trouble because I convinced the capo to lend you that money. So you better start thinking of a way to get it back. Or I might not be so nice next time," he murmured darkly, lifting their chin with a finger.