Franklin shook his head. Not a single word uttered by Clara could sway his decision. Just as Franklin stood firm in his choice, so did Clara.
Not once did she give up on her situation.
"I know you must also need more money. Are you sure the money you earn as a courier is enough to meet all your needs?" Clara asked, staring intently at him.
Faced with such a question, Franklin would certainly say no. After all, what courier could feel satisfied with their meager earnings?
"I'm sure you never feel content and satisfied with your job. Roaming around in the heat of the sun, only to be paid a meager salary," Bella chimed in, joining in to influence Franklin's thoughts. Of course, both women were deliberately invited by Clara to help sway Franklin's mind.
"Think about it again. If you decide to work with Clara, I'm confident you'll never experience injustice. Clara will definitely pay you a fair salary for your hard work," Aura added her persuasion. Franklin realized it was all just their manipulation, a seduction intended to control his mind.
"Listen to what they're saying, Franklin. You'll never regret partnering with me. You'll surely receive fair compensation for your work," Clara added.
But Franklin shook his head. He remained steadfast in his thoughts.
For now, Franklin didn't want to take on another job. He felt he needed to be more responsible in improving his performance as a courier, as he had promised his boss.
This time, Franklin would never disappoint his boss again.
"Wait a moment. I'll be back in a while. Ring! Raa! You guys invite Franklin to chat first, okay. Remember! I can still hear your conversation!" Clara warned her two friends.
The two women then raised both of their fingers, forming the word "peach."
After Clara's departure, Franklin now felt like he was being scrutinized by the gaze of the two women there, focused on him.
"That's it. You don't need to hesitate anymore. Clara just wants to help you. Hey, you know, you probably need extra money right now. Just accept her offer," Bella said softly, clearly trying to persuade the man.
"Clara never offers everything for free. Only chosen people will get the opportunity, offered cooperation by her," Aura also added, joining in to persuade the man.
Silence. Not once did Franklin respond to their words.
"Watch out, both of you!"
Not long after, Clara returned, carrying a bag in her hand. Her gaze turned sharp, intimidating her two friends.
"We didn't do anything! I swear!" Clara chose to ignore them.
She then sat back facing directly towards Franklin.
“Franklin!" she called, gesturing for him to turn towards her.
“Franklin! I'm calling you. Do you want me not to give you permission to take my picture?"
Reluctantly, Franklin turned towards her.
A smile now appeared at the corner of Clara's lips, pleased when her words were heard by Franklin.
Clara then signaled to her two friends, causing Bella and Aura to immediately step away.
"Hm... we both want to get some fresh air first. The balcony can be opened, right?" Bella appeared casual.
She then pulled Aura to join her.
Now, only Clara was left alone with the man.
"Are you sure you're still going to reject my offer?" Clara asked, causing the man to suddenly nod his head.
She seemed compelled to resort to her last move, which usually would be the most effective.
Clara then reached out, taking some money from her bag.
"Consider this as an advance. You can get even more than this if you're willing to cooperate with me."
Her mouth now tightly shut. Seeing the amount of money offered before him successfully stunned Franklin.
At this moment, Franklin was truly made ambivalent by her.
Between accepting or continuing to refuse.
"I know you still want to be a courier at the office where you work now. I don't mind that at all. Just consider, working with me is your side job. How about it?"
Damn it!
Franklin cursed himself for seeming to falter in his defense. Undeniably, Franklin needed that money.
His life would be more peaceful if that money successfully changed hands to him.
"Are you sure you want to refuse this money? You can get tens of millions just by working with me. Are you still sure you want to refuse?"
Seeing the wavering expression of his decision appearing on Franklin's face, it was not wasted at all by her.
She hurriedly continued to press him to be more influenced and finally changed the decision that supposedly was firm earlier.
"Just consider this advance as a gift for you. Because without your help, I wouldn't have survived back then. All of this, if you agree to the contract agreement between us."
In order to change his economy and life, Franklin didn't want to be a hypocrite anymore.
The man immediately reached out his hand, shaking Clara's hand.
"Alright! I'm willing to work with you, Miss Clara."
A wide smile now perfectly etched on the corner of Clara's lips. She was happy because she finally managed to change the man's decision.
"Good boy! A very right decision, Franklin. I know you will never go wrong in making choices for your future."
Clara handed over a sum of money that Franklin estimated could settle the hospital bills of his mother that had been overdue.
Now, Franklin no longer needed to worry about his mother's hospital expenses. Everything would be safe and paid off today.
"Remember! That means you now have obligations to me. Don't disappoint the trust I have given."
Franklin nodded obediently, of course, he would do his best for the job he would do as a form of cooperation with the woman.
However, for a moment, Franklin seemed to feel ambiguous.
What exactly is the job meant by the woman now? What will Franklin do to earn tens of millions in one go?
Would Franklin do heavy work that would strain his physique? Moreover, Franklin felt that his physique could not be used for heavy work.
"Are you thinking about the job you will do?"
Right on target.
Just by observing every movement of Franklin's facial expressions, the woman could already guess what was on the man's mind.
However, everyone would surely wonder what kind of job could generate tens of millions of money like that.
"I couldn't do it if Miss Clara asked me to kill someone, Miss! My religion clearly forbids it!" Franklin seemed worried first.
That suddenly made Clara chuckle for a moment before shaking her head several times.
"Of course not. I know about the religious boundaries."
Clara seemed to smile faintly. "You don't need to worry too much about it. Nothing heavy. You can do it."
Clara's words sounded so ambiguous, leaving a big question mark in Franklin's mind.
"So? What job does Miss Clara mean?" Franklin demanded to get the clearest answer possible.
"Your job is really easy, Franklin." Clara smiled thinly. "You don't need to exert much effort in this job. Your safety is also guaranteed."Franklin became more confused, he saw Clara with her arms folded. The smile on her face made the man doubt for a moment that he had agreed to work with Clara. However, remembering that he had to pay off the hospital debt, Franklin nodded in agreement."How about it?" Clara asked again.Franklin shook his head, not refusing but rather confused. "How can I work if I don't know what to do?"Clara walked over to a room that was always kept tightly locked. Shortly after, she returned carrying an item that Franklin knew was a bundle of tea."Take this." Clara handed the item to Franklin.Hesitantly, the man took it. For a moment, nothing seemed strange about the bundle of green tea. Yet, this was where Franklin's life took a disastrous turn."Do you want me to deliver this tea?"Franklin thought Clara had a business in that field. Although, when he tho
Franklin parked Clara's car nicely. Although it had been a long time since he had driven a four-wheeled vehicle, Franklin was still able to control the car well.He immediately ran to the administration room and paid off his mother's medical expenses. The room at the very end with basic facilities indicated that Franklin was a lower-class person who couldn't afford much."Mom, after this you'll be taken care of properly." Franklin went to the administration desk and faced the hospital staff who had always handled his payments."Good afternoon, Mr. Franklin." The staff was always friendly to Franklin. Perhaps because the man, who was the son of the old woman in the corner room, was very kind and always kept his promises."Good afternoon." Franklin replied with a smile. "I've come to pay off my mother's treatment. And her medications too." The female staff nodded, "You've received the payment invoice, haven't you?"Franklin nodded, taking out cash from a brown envelope. He slowly took
Early in the morning, Vina was already ready with her school supplies. Franklin was also getting ready, putting on his uniform as a package delivery man. As usual, he would go straight to delivering packages to customers."Did you prepare food for Mom?" Franklin asked as he put on his helmet.Vina, his younger sister who had been eating more lavish meals than usual for the past few days, nodded with a smile."Yes, Brother."As Vina got on her vehicle and Franklin rode off on his motorcycle, the man said, "How about when I get off work, we go shopping for household essentials?""Has Brother received his salary this month?"Franklin immediately agreed. Although it wasn't from his main job and he got the money from a side job, Franklin didn't tell the truth."It seems your job is going well. Yesterday, Mom said Brother paid for moving her to a different nursing room," Vina remarked. "Isn't that quite expensive?"Franklin immediately replied, "Nothing is too expensive when it comes to Mom
"The route is making it harder for me to breathe," Franklin muttered.Franklin resigned himself. He went to the parking lot and drove the red sports car according to Clara's directions. This time, the destination was an elite area that Franklin had never visited before.Although it was an elite area, getting there was quite a test of his adrenaline. It was a luxurious place, but Franklin knew it was the center of one of the major cartels in his country.Clara [I'm sure you can use a weapon. Choose one, there are some behind the steering wheel.]Franklin's eyes widened as he read Clara's message. That woman always surprised him in every way. Now, she was even asking Franklin to involve weapons in the green tea delivery operation.Clara [All those weapons are officially certified. Don't worry, Franklin.][What's your plan? Why didn't you tell me about this?]Franklin wondered, while driving he was using his phone to exchange messages with Clara. The woman began frequently directing Fran
Drugs, one word that made Franklin unable to breathe easily. The man who always stayed in his comfort zone, now had to taste the glitz of life surrounded by threats and risks.The man went to the apartment of the woman who had thrown him into the dark world. Cold sweat poured down his entire body. His legs walked weakly into the elevator and down the hallway to the apartment unit on the high floor.As before, Clara knew when Franklin would come. Before the man rang the bell, Clara would open the door with a beaming smile."Hi, Franklin!" Clara greeted again.Franklin handed over Clara's car keys. With a drooping face and slouching shoulders, it made Clara furrow her brows.She immediately asked, "What's wrong? I heard they've accepted the tea from you.""You know, the weapons in the car were used according to the conditions there," Franklin revealed. "I didn't expect that I could do it."Clara smiled, but Franklin spoke again and managed to silence her again."Someone there said there
As promised, Franklin took Vina to a super complete supermarket in their city. This was the first time Franklin and Vina had been there. Vina, the girl, pushed the cart in front of Franklin and looked excited.Tonight, Franklin handed over all the needs to Vina. The man had been working too much outside, so he knew nothing about household matters."From now on, we'll go grocery shopping once a week."Vina turned around, her hand about to grab a pack of spaghetti pasta when she looked at Franklin. Vina thought this shopping trip was just because Franklin got a bonus from his job as a courier.However, it turned out Vina was mistaken. From now on and next week, she would often visit the supermarket for groceries."Really, Bro?"Franklin nodded, while taking several boxes of cheese, he answered, "Yes, so take what we need for one week. We can come back if all the household supplies run out."Without thinking twice, Vina took instant foods that were easy to cook. The girl didn't really ma
Months had passed, Franklin balanced his work as a package courier and drug courier well. During this time, Carla gave him jobs during the hours after his main job was finished.Franklin's life slowly changed. His sickly mother who often struggled with treatment was gradually getting better. Vina was also like other teenagers who were given money to spend time with friends.However, Franklin's financial changes were certainly an important question for his mother. His mother had asked several times, but the answer was always the same."There are fewer couriers at the shipping office, Mom. So I have to handle a lot of packages. The good news is, I'm working well even though I have to bear a heavier burden than before. And that's what makes Boss Tio willingly give me a bonus," Franklin said, as usual.His mother no longer asked questions. Franklin was consistent with that answer and didn't make his mother suspicious. However, Franklin was anxious, afraid of being found out that his side
Franklin took a deep breath. When he thought something bad had happened to Clara, it turned out the woman was actually crying because of another unexpected thing. When Franklin managed to get in, a dramatic themed movie was being played. And that was the reason Clara was crying."Sorry, I did have a job for you. But, since yesterday I've been spending time watching the movie." Clara said after understanding Franklin's annoyance."I thought something bad had happened to you again."Clara immediately turned her head. She nodded, not expecting Franklin to still remember the horrible incident that had happened to her at that time."No. I'm fine. Just lacking rest," Clara answered as she wiped away the remnants of her tears.The woman sitting on the floor finally shifted up to the couch. Following Franklin who had already sat comfortably there."Why do you have that expression?" Clara seemed disturbed by Franklin's facial expression.However, the one being asked shook his head slowly. He s