A black cab came to a sudden halt in front of the apartment, and the door flew open.
Aurora, her face a mask of fury, stepped out, her eyes immediately locking onto the thug's raised arm.
"Back off!" Aurora's voice cut through the chaos like a whip, freezing everyone in place.
The thug hesitated, his hand lowering slightly as he glanced over at her.
Aurora marched forward, her presence commanding attention.
She placed herself between Sophia and the thug, glaring up at him with icy resolve.
"You touch her again, and you'll regret it," Aurora warned, her voice low but dangerous.
The thug glanced back at the landlord, who looked less sure of himself now.
"Who the hell are you?" The thug sneered.
"I'm her friend," Aurora said, her tone steady. "And unless you want a problem on your hands, you'll leave her alone."
For a tense moment, no one moved. Aurora's eyes never left the thug's, daring him to test her.
Then, the thug sneered and glanced back at the cab that had brought Aurora. His gaze flicked to the old cab, its paint chipped and windows slightly dusty, and then back to her.
A smirk curled his lips as he gave her a once-over, clearly unimpressed.
"Who does she think she is?" one of the other thugs muttered under his breath, loud enough for Aurora to hear. "Rolls up in a cab and thinks she's our boss now."
The thug who had threatened Sophia crossed his arms, chuckling. "Yeah, just because you're her friend doesn't mean you get to tell us what to do. Stay out of this unless you want to end up on the ground, too."
Aurora curled her lip in disgust, her expression hardening. "I'm not here to negotiate. You lay another finger on her, and I'll call the police. Do you want to explain why you're assaulting a tenant instead of handling this legally?"
She pulled out her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen as she glared at the landlord.
The thugs exchanged uneasy glances, but the landlord stepped forward, laughing loudly as if Aurora had just said a joke.
"The police? Do you think they care about this?" He scoffed, eyeing her phone with mock amusement. "Do you even know what your poor, church-mouse of a friend did? Five months—five whole months of rent she hasn't paid. She's a reporter, she says, but look at her—barely scraping by. The reporters I know are living it up, not like your unfortunate friend here."
Sophia's face reddened, and she looked down, the landlord's words cutting deep.
She couldn't even argue. He was right—five months behind on rent, struggling to get her career off the ground.
It all felt like too much.
Her chest tightened, the shame weighing on her like a stone.
But Aurora wasn't backing down.
She glanced at Sophia for a brief moment, sensing her distress, before turning her icy stare back to the landlord.
"So what if she hasn't paid her rent?" Aurora asked, her voice cold but calm. "Why didn't you file for an eviction lawsuit like you're supposed to? You can't just throw someone out because you feel like it."
The landlord stammered, taken aback by her directness. "Lawsuit? Why would I bother with that? That's a waste of time."
Aurora raised an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at the corner of her lips. "A waste of time? Or is it that you didn't want to spend the money it would take to file a legal eviction? You think it's easier—and cheaper—to call these thugs to do your dirty work."
The landlord opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, clearly flustered.
He glanced at the thugs for support, but none of them said a word. They all stood in uneasy silence, looking at each other with uncertainty.
Aurora stepped closer, lowering her voice but making sure every word hit hard. "I know my friend made a mistake by not paying her rent, but what you did is worse. You called thugs to throw her out, manhandling her, and tossing her belongings onto the street. You're breaking the law. Do you know what happens if I sue you for illegal eviction and assault?"
The landlord's face paled, and the thugs shifted uncomfortably.
The tall one who had pushed Sophia swallowed audibly, his bravado from earlier gone.
One of the thugs shot a nervous glance at the landlord. "You didn't say anything about a lawsuit, man."
"Yeah, we don't want any trouble," another thug muttered, taking a small step back.
Aurora crossed her arms, eyes steady and unwavering. "You should have thought about that before putting your hands on her. But it's not too late to fix this. You all leave now, or the police will be here within minutes, and we'll see how you like explaining this situation to them."
The landlord, now sweating, nervously ran a hand through his thinning hair.
He glanced at Aurora, then at Sophia, and back to the thugs, realizing he had lost control of the situation.
"Fine, fine!" he snapped, frustration bleeding into his voice. "Just take your things and go. I don't want to see either of you again."
Aurora gave him one final, piercing look before turning to Sophia. "Come on, we'll get your stuff. This is over."
Sophia, still shaken but deeply grateful, nodded weakly, unable to find the words to express her relief. Together, they began to gather what was left of her belongings.
The landlord scowled as he watched them gather the scattered belongings.
His frustration deepened, and after a few moments of tense silence, he crossed his arms, his expression darkening with greed.
"Hold on a second," the landlord sneered, stepping closer. "She still owes me five months' rent. I'm not letting her off that easily."
He shifted his gaze between Aurora and Sophia, his eyes filled with contempt. "Birds of a feather, huh? Both of you broke, trying to stand up to me. You don't have the money, do you?"
He let out a mocking laugh, especially when he saw Sophia hesitate.
Sophia's heart pounded, and her hands trembled as she clutched a box of her belongings.
The truth was, she didn't have the money.
She had been struggling for months, barely scraping by.
The landlord's smug grin only made it worse, deepening the pit of helplessness she felt.
He could see her hesitation, and it fueled his arrogance.
"See?" he chuckled darkly. "Just as I thought. All talk, no money."
He pointed a finger at Aurora, his grin widening. "You too, probably. Broke and trying to act like a hero. You'll both be out on the street before long."