The next day, Layla's mother returned from Aunt Zeynep's place.
Days went by smoothly, passing without any trouble. Soon, it was Friday.
Just as Layla stepped into the classroom, Asma leapt up from her desk and rushed over with a wide grin plastered on her face.
"Hey, Layla! I have good news—mom accepted! She finally agreed for me to move in with you. Isn't that great?" she said, practically bouncing with excitement. "Now I have no time to lose! I need to move in as soon as possible. The college entrance exam is just around the corner!"
"It's good news indeed," Layla replied calmly.
"You're saying that like you don't mean it at all," Asma complained, narrowing her eyes.
Layla smiled slightly. "I do mean it."
Asma, still full of energy, began chattering non-stop about how they would study together every day once she moved in. She talked about waking up early, making flashcards, and quizzing each other late into the night.
Layla nodded politely through her friend's plans. While she didn't need any of it—she was confident she would ace the exam, even top the entire country—she still felt genuinely happy for Asma. She wanted to help her friend pass this big obstacle. They'd face it together.
The rest of the school day flew by. Teachers came in, taught their lessons, and left. The atmosphere was calm, students relaxed yet slightly anxious with the exam drawing nearer.
When the final bell rang, students packed up and left the building in groups. As usual, Layla walked with Asma toward the bus stand. Since Layla's house was just a twenty-minute walk from school, she usually dropped Asma off and continued home on foot.
But today, something felt different.
Before they could reach the bus stop, four men suddenly appeared, stepping into their path and blocking the way.
Layla's senses sharpened instantly. She felt it—danger.
"Well, well, well," said the man in front, the one who seemed to be the leader. He had a long, jagged scar running from the corner of his mouth down to his chin, making his grin even more terrifying. "Just like they said. You're even more beautiful in person. But it's a pity you're not humble. You offended the wrong people, girl. You won't be beautiful for long."
Asma stepped forward slightly, trying to sound confident despite her rising fear. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"
"Ooh, boss, her friend's pretty too," said one of the men beside the scarred leader, eyeing Asma with a smirk. "But she picked the wrong friend to stand beside. Compared to this one—" he pointed at Layla, "—no one even notices her. Still, looks like we hit the jackpot today."
Layla stood firm, staring at the men without fear. She could already tell what they were after—and she didn't care who sent them. They were just four men. She could end this in seconds.
"I don't care who you are or who sent you," she said coldly, her voice steady. "I'll say it just this once—leave. While you still can. Otherwise..." she paused, her tone turning icy, "don't blame me for being cruel."
For a moment, the men hesitated. Her eyes were serious, her posture confident. They sensed something dangerous in her calmness.
Then the scarred man laughed. "Hahaha! I like this one. She's not just pretty—she's brave too. It'll be even more fun when she's begging me to stop once I get her on my bed."
"Hahaha!" the others laughed, tossing around vile remarks to support their boss.
Not far away, inside a black Hummer parked twenty meters away from the scene, two men sat silently.
"Meher, are those bastards really trying to kidnap students right under our nose?" asked the man in the passenger seat.
Meher didn't answer immediately. He just stared at the scene, his face calm and unreadable.
"Should I go give those cunts a good beating?" the man asked again, cracking his knuckles.
Meher replied flatly, "Rama, is your brain just decoration? Is there even a need to ask? Are you seriously going to let them kidnap students in front of you?"
"Hahaha, I was just being cautious," Rama chuckled. "If I get out of the car, I might ruin the mission."
He reached for the door, but his hand stopped mid-air—his eyes widened in disbelief.
Layla had already moved.
One of the men reached out, trying to pull Layla's hair, hoping to scare her.
Big mistake.
She grabbed his wrist with lightning speed, twisted it, and in one swift motion, lifted him high into the air like a professional wrestler before slamming him down hard against the pavement. The impact made a dull, sickening thud.
But she wasn't done.
Just as she promised, if they didn't leave, she would be cruel.
She raised her foot and stomped it into his stomach. Not too hard—she held back her full strength. If she hadn't, the man might have been reduced to nothing more than splattered meat on the pavement.
Still, the damage was brutal.
The man vomited blood in a sudden spray, his eyes wide open in shock. He couldn't even scream. The pain was so intense he didn't feel anything anymore—he was beyond crying, beyond groaning. His body simply refused to move.
The other three men took a few terrified steps back.
Asma stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat, eyes wide.
Layla didn't lift her foot from the man's stomach. She stared coldly at the remaining three.
"You… you… how can a young girl like you be this cruel?" the scar-faced boss stuttered.
"I warned you," Layla replied, her voice flat, emotionless.
The other three were caught in a dilemma—should they run or attack?
They wanted to flee—more than anything—but they had taken money to put a scar on her face. If they left now, they would be betraying their mission.
"Boss, I don't believe she can handle all three of us if we attack together," one of the men said, trying to sound brave.
"Yeah boss, let's attack together!" another chimed in, his voice shaky but determined.
The boss clenched his fists, feeling his pride and anger push down the fear. "Attaaaack!" he yelled.
But Layla simply smirked.
The first man rushed at her—and was met with a single, powerful kick. His body flew nearly four meters and landed with a heavy thud.
Another one came charging next. Layla responded with a barrage of rapid punches—ten hits in just seconds. His eyes bulged in horror as he dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Only the boss was left.
He hesitated. His plan to overwhelm her with numbers had completely fallen apart.
His confidence shattered.
"F-fuck the money… forget scarring her… forget everything—just run!" he muttered to himself and turned to flee.
But who said he was allowed to escape?
That chance was long gone.
Before he could take two steps, Layla was already in front of him.
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.
"Going somewhere?" she asked with a wicked smirk.
The man's knees buckled. He was so scared he pissed himself.
Layla punched him—once, twice, three times. Each hit landing perfectly. His body trembled, his mind blank.
With the final blow, she sent him flying four meters through the air.
He crashed onto the ground, joining the others—broken, beaten, and breathless.
None of them could get up.
None of them even dared to look at her again.
In that moment, they all wished for death.
Anything… anything but to face the demon who had just crushed them without even trying.
---
Back in the black Hummer, it wasn't just Rama who sat in stunned silence—even the mysterious Mr. Meher was taken aback, unable to believe what he had just witnessed.
That girl—young, pretty, and barely looking older than eighteen or nineteen—had just taken down four grown men with terrifying ease. Not only was she incredibly strong, but the sheer cruelty in her actions had left an imprint on both men.
In their line of work, they had seen it all. Blood, violence, ruthlessness—nothing shocked them anymore. They were desensitized long ago. But this... this was different.
Her face, so youthful and innocent, could easily fool anyone. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they might have underestimated her, maybe even let their guard down if they ever crossed paths.
But not anymore.
Today, they learned a valuable lesson: never drop your guard. Not even in front of a newborn baby. Not even for a second.
"What the hell…" Rama muttered, still staring at the scene, wide-eyed.
Just as he turned toward Meher, mouth opening to say something more, the phone on the dashboard beeped with a sharp notification. Meher glanced at it, his expression sharpening.
"He's here. Let's go," Meher said calmly, slipping his phone back into his coat pocket.
The engine rumbled as the Hummer began to move, rolling away from the chaos behind them. But just before they turned the corner, Meher cast one last glance at the girl—Layla.
His eyes lingered for a moment longer than usual.
There was something dangerous about her—something unpredictable.
And Meher never forgot danger.
---