CRIMSON DEBTS Chapter 19
Chapter 19: The Currency of Flesh
The luxury of the Thorne estate felt more suffocating than the frozen cottage ever had. Behind the reinforced glass and velvet curtains, the air was thick with the scent of expensive bourbon and the lingering chill of Silas Thorne’s expectations.
Kaelen entered the guest suite—Julian’s gilded cage—without knocking. He had discarded his tactical gear for a silk shirt, but his eyes still held the predatory sharpness of the Enforcer. He found Julian staring at the city lights.
"Go," Kaelen said shortly, tossing a heavy coat onto the bed. "My driver is waiting. You have until sunset to see your father and your friends. Remind yourself what you’re fighting for."
The Father’s Plea
When Julian walked into his father’s small apartment, the smell of stale coffee and old paper hit him like a physical blow. His father didn't just greet him; he grabbed Julian’s shoulders, his hands trembling with desperation.
"Jules, you have to listen to me," his father whispered, eyes wide.
"Don't go back there. Take what little cash I have and leave the city tonight. Run! I’ll sell the gallery—I'll sell everything. I’ll work two jobs, three... I’ll pay the Thorne syndicate back myself, I swear it. Just don't let them have you."
Julian felt a lump in his throat that threatened to choke him.
He forced a calm smile, gently taking his father's hands to steady them. "Dad, stop. Look at me. I’m fine. I’m working for a high-end firm now.
It’s professional, it’s safe. They pay me more than enough to cover the interest. Just focus on getting better.
" He spent the next hour calming him down, promising over and over that he was in control until the older man finally settled.
The Interrogation
Julian called his "gang"—Leo and his art school friends—to their usual rooftop hangout. They had ordered stacks of pizza and snacks, but the moment Julian arrived, they swarmed him.
"Jules! Where the hell have you been?" Leo demanded, blocking Julian's path to the pizza. "We’ve been going to your house every other day! Your dad said you 'traveled,' but why would you leave without letting us know?"
"Yeah," Sarah added, her eyes suspicious. "Since when do you just ghost your best friends? What kind of emergency was it?"
Julian felt a cold sweat on his neck. He forced a hollow laugh, grabbing a slice of pizza to buy time.
"It was... an emergency family thing. My aunt in the countryside got sick suddenly and I had to go help.
I just got back yesterday, and honestly, I have to go back again tonight to finish helping her move. "
"Which city?" Toby asked, squinting at him. "The countryside is huge. Why didn't you answer your texts?"
Julian dodged the questions, giving vague answers about a "small town north of here" and "bad reception.
" He hated lying, but he couldn't tell them he was being held by a mafia enforcer.
Despite the tension, they eventually settled into laughter, chatting about art and gossip.
For those few hours, Julian felt the warmth of his old life—a life he knew he was losing.
The Terms of Surrender
As the sun began to dip, Julian returned to his father's house for one last goodbye. He held his father in a long, tight embrace, burying his face in his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back the salt and heat.
The heavy purr of an engine sounded outside. To Julian’s shock, it wasn't the driver. Kaelen himself was leaning against the black SUV, a dark silhouette against the sunset.
Julian pulled away from his father, wiped his face, and walked to the car.
The moment he climbed into the back and the heavy door clicked shut, the mask shattered.
He turned his head toward the window as they pulled away, and the tears he had been hiding spilled over—silent, hot, and uncontrollable.
Kaelen watched him in the rearview mirror, seeing the boy's shoulders shake. When they reached the estate, the silence between them was deafening.
"Is this part of the debt then?" Julian whispered as Kaelen cornered him in the study later that night. "How much is my dignity worth in your ledgers?"
Kaelen’s grip tightened on Julian’s waist, his heart thudding with a mix of guilt and desire.
"Every inch," Kaelen growled, his mouth crashing onto Julian’s.
Julian didn't fight; he accepted the touch because it was the price of his father's safety, his body responding with a desperate heat while his heart remained back on that rooftop with his friends.