Ayshe.
~
Asin sent us home with a small army headed by Ovuz, one of his most trusted confidants. They waited with a smile as we said our goodbyes.
" You will be late tonight, huh? " asked Marie, unable to tear herself away from him.
To be honest, he did seem just as clingy as she was since we arrived.
" Nope.. I'll swear some nonsense, sign some silly book, and be home.. around 2 AM at the most. " he reassured her.
As they finished their goodbye ritual, we got hit by the rain.
Asin stood in there and waived us off until our convoy took a left turn and headed back to the mansion.
" So .. now that we're alone. " I turned to my sister.
" What the hell was that!? "
Marie smile was true, and it showed none of the shadows that surrounded it not 2 hours ago.
" I don't know .. but remember when that tall guy took him away and ..
" Yes, he watched something on the screen and sent some of the crew away straight after. Do you think he .. saw us? " I asked, thinking out loud.
She nodded, slowly biting her lip.
" Which means two things.. " I started on my theory. " For one .. he knows everything. Or at least a portion and got really mad at Desiree ..
Marie kept bobbing her head along my words.
" .. Two, he already made sure those videos never see daylight. And three ..
I stopped because my phone pinged.
I knew who it was before cheking it.
After I texted Oliver, he was suspiciously silent up until now.
* I will be there in 20 minutes.. I called Desiree as well. She's coming separately. We can talk later after tonight. *
It made me sad how our previous conversations were full of love and affection, and now ..
" Was that Oliver? " asked Marie, looking up at her phone. " By the way .. there's a bunch of videos deleted when I searched our names or that dinner about 2 hours ago. "
She showed her screen with a bunch of grey videos with even the titles blurred out.
At least that's one last problem.
" Yes, it was him. " I put my phone away, leaning on her shoulder for some support. " He took his sweet time replying and .. Well, he sounded like he's talking to a colleague. "
Marie kissed the top of my head before resting her own on it. " It will get better .. if we only survive until tomorrow. We can fix everything. "
I enjoyed the hopeful outlook she had now. She showed a kind of sadness I never felt when she dialled Asin before we met.
She gave up back then..
But Asin's love was enough to pull her back.
At least their love is untainted and seems indestructible.
But I swore an oath.
Tonight.. I will clear the air between me and Oliver.
I will tell him everything I've done .. and hope our love will triumph as well.
But first .. let Asin do whatever he intended and see how we're doing after that.
——
Oliver.
~
I meet with Desiree outside the Balton well before the hour Asin arrives.
I had to ask her a few things and tell her some as well.
Now that her life might be in jeopardy.
" Oliver .. do you know why he wanted to see the two of us? " she asked, looking around nervously.
I checked myself, constantly feeling the same fear.. if Asin saw us now, whatever happens here might bury me as well.
" No idea. He didn't even text me. He let Ayshe do it. " I walked towards the hotel side just in case before continuing. " Look .. what happened at that dinner..
" I k-know .. it was stupid to agree to it. I see now. Others had phones out, and I .. I..
I closed my eyes as she switched into full panic mode as the reason behind Asin's call became somewhat clearer.
He knows something.. and the hammer is about to drop.
And also ..
" I done something stupid as well .. " I opened my eyes.
I waited until her expression cleared, and she asked.
" What .. what did you do? " she asked, stepping closer.
I took a deep breath, properly preparing myself.
But first thing first..
" Before answering.. let me ask you one thing. " she nodded, and I continued. " What happened before you ended that call? What did Anna show the girls? "
I felt excited despite what had happened in the last 24 hours and the ever-present knot in my stomach since then began to bother me less.
She shook her head at first but stopped and started contemplating her decision. I saw her weighing her options ..
After a defeated sigh, she answered.
" It was .. a picture of an ultrasound. " she leaned closer as if someone was near, and she didn't want them overhearing us. " Of .. the child of them.. Asin's daughter. "
I literally felt the strength leaving my legs as her words registered. It has to be a lie, right!?
She is a liar after all .. I.. I..
That night.. at the chalet Suirless. That was the night.
And Anna got pregnant with his .. daughter??
I leaned to the wall for support and even felt Desiree stepping closer to support me.
" Oliver! .. are you okay? Get a hold of yourself, for heavens' sake! "
" Is the baby.. is she .. is she alive? " I asked between my panicked breaths.
Desiree shook her head with actual tears in her eyes. " Anna was on pills .. and was at a very bad state and .. She .. apparently, the baby was stillborn and .. and then..
Damn myself!!!
I helped kill my own niece.. I .. I ..
Asin.. will kill us all if he finds this out.
" Oliver, you promised to tell me if I ..
" I talked to his parents.. they know about you, about Anna .. about everything. They most likely already buried you two in their heads. "
Now it was her turn to lose her strength.. her colour disappeared as well.
" W-why.. why did you ..
" BECAUSE I MESSED UP!! " I broke away shaking her hands off. " BECAUSE I COULDN'T TRUST ANYONE! .. I needed allies myself and..
Desiree started to attack my arms in a childish manner but without strength.
" AND YOU DECIDED TO HAVE US ALL KILLED BY THOSE HEARTLESS MONSTERS!!? "
I didn't even attempt a defence.. she was right after all.
My state of mind was no excuse.. I knew all along talking to them would mean the end of her and Anna
I just .. wanted this to end.
She took my silence as an answer and broke down in tears.
We stood there .. both wholly broken and utterly defeated.
And the worst .. is just about to begin.
~
It took us almost 15 minutes to pull ourselves together, and that only happened because Asin's text woke us up.
He asked us to wait inside room 615. He was 5 minutes away.
We spent the elevator ride in complete silence, both contemplating what was about to come.
Asin.. brother .. I can't keep these inside me anymore.
I will come clean today .. and let his wraith burn me and all others.
I had to ..
I not only played a major role in his years and years of torment, but I.. and his parents .. killed his child.
I felt the stinging of tears in my eyes before they rolled down my cheeks.
Damn my entire cursed life..
" This is not the time for tears.. " Desiree reached over cleaning my cheeks. " Asin most likely found the video footage from today and .. probably put the picture together. You need to be resilient and not break in front of him. "
" I will tell him everything..
" No .. you won't. Unless you want to lose your brother of 13 years. " she smiled, cupping my face.
She wasn't wrong. And also..
We haven't been this close and intimate over 3 years.. it felt familiar and comfortable.
I almost didn't want the elevator to stop.
We settled inside the room, and despite our moment on our way here, we sat in complete silence.
With each minute passing, my mind wondered, and my heart was racing.
How much did he figure out?
Can I actually come out of this clean?
If I look at this objectively.. my fate is entirely of the hands of my ex-girlfriend..
Talk about Desi ..
Why is she so calm now, even fully knowing he come here after their little dust up today?
Right .. the baby .. she can always just ..
( CLICK )
As we both snapped towards the door at the same time, Asin walked in wearing an elegant black suit with the same colour t-shirt.
He wore a cold smile to match it.
It reminded me of what tonight was supposed to be.
Our time to reach.
" Evening. " he smiled at the both of us taking a seat.
I was so nervous I forgot to even say something ridiculously easy .. like hello.
Desiree was the same. I could see in the light she was perspiring like she was running a marathon.
Asin noticed our strange atmosphere but said nothing. He just wore that same smile he walked in with. I saw his eyes .. cold, calculating, for anyone else, he had the near perfect poker face.
But for someone like .. his aura spelt our doom.
" So you had a busy day, huh Desi? " he turned to her.
" I .. it was okay, I guess..
" Do tell. " he cut in.
Desiree was caught off guard and stayed silent for an uncomfortably long time prompting Asin to snap his finger.
For a second, I thought he just got annoyed by her prolonged silence, but soon one, his guards appeared handing him a large screen tablet.
" You know .. I hate surprises. " he started while working on the thing. " .. birthdays, fucking wrapping on presents, even that silly chocolate egg with that shitty toy inside it ..
He looked up now visibly upset.
" .. but worst of all. Betrayals. "
Desiree gulped shaking nervously and I grabbed the edges of my seat feeling not much better at all.
" It's surprising! At least it surprises me .. " He laughed without humor. " Especially from a friend..
He looked at me and his smile died slowly. Desiree chose this time to make her stand.
" A-asin I think it's ..
" Susya! ( Silence ) " Asin got up stepping forward frightening her to sit down again.
" I wasn't finished.. " he continued handing the tablet to her. " You said Anna was out of your life .. and for whatever reason, I believed you. But this ..
Desiree was playing a video I couldn't see but remembered her blabbing something about getting recorded by some bystanders at the dinner or something.
As the video finished which only took 30 seconds he took back the tablet.
Desiree's tears stained her face as she kept her gaze on the air where the tablet was.
Asin threw the tablet on the large bed and raised her chin forcing eye contact.
" You will take me to her.. tomorrow. You will stay here and than.. you WILL TAKE ME TO HER. " He pressed the last bit through his teeth.
" Asin I promise you. I d-didn't betray you. I .. I mean .. I had my reasons. " she stuttered.
" Good ones? " Asin smiled.
Desiree kept silent as my mind contemplated coming clean before he started on me ..
" And you..
But I was too late.
" .. For months I was on edge, feeling guilty about forcing you to work with her. " he motioned towards Desiree. " But you knew all along right? "
As I opened my mouth trying to deny it ..
" And remember.. no more fibbing. " he shook his finger.
All I could manage is a short nod.
" Hmm .. my kerdes. ( brother ) " he said with his eyes filling up.
It made my eyes tear up as well.
He took a few steps back and sat down rubbing his eyes and face.
Desiree stood up and I knew.. she was about to tell him something that will make our situation worse.
If I had the right head on .. I probably would've stopped her.
But I didn't.
" Asin .. I did kept contact with Anna. Only recently though " She looked at me for a second. " But I wasn't the one betraying you. Marie is a killer! She killed a girl when she was but ..
" Nora Woods .. right. I know. " he looked up with his eyes red.
Desiree stumbled back to her chair and my hand slipped off my seat making a noise and Asin noticed it.
" Hahaha.. what? " he asked me. " You honestly thought you could sneak around with such knowledge and MY MAN WOULDN'T NOTIFY ME!! That girl sold you out in a second! "
His voice filled the room almost shaking it.
What killed me is the hurt I noticed in there.
The door slammed open and a dozen or so man came in holding loaded guns.
" Leader? " one asked.
Asin waived them away. " I'm okay .. "
The one in the front nodded but didn't put the gun away and walked out the rest following him.
" Brother I simply wanted to .. I wanted to know for a 100% before telling you. " I finally found my voice.
" Right .. like the time when you sneaked up to the Suirless and let .. Anna or Desiree destroy it? "
He even knew about that? How long has he been putting things together?
I couldn't hide my surprise and he continued.
" It was a random event .. and I didn't know where to put it. I guess it was you leaving Anna's pictures on the bed that day? "
He asked Desiree but she was utterly defeated and couldn't even say a half decent reply.
" You don't.. you don't care about Marie..
" Being a killer? " he walked beside her sitting by her side. " No .. no .. fuck no. You see ..
He put his arm around her resting his head on her tear stained face.
" .. I'm a killer myself. "
That made her shake like a leaf as Asin left her alone.
" I tell you what .. " he motioned behind himself and like magic the same dozen guards appeared.
" These gentlemen will stay by your side until I appear like a bad smell and make your day so much worse .. and that bitch of a best friend of yours. By the way..
He leaned down.
" I instructed them to hurt you like you stole something if you even start breathing weirdly.. and unlike my own shitty friend.. they're are loyal. "
Desiree couldn't help herself and now openly wept seeing the large military trained man wearing grim expressions.
He turned to the one on the front.
" Take her phone and make sure she's breathing by the time I arrive. "
" Yes Leader. " the man bowed slightly.
Two man did just that without even attempting to be gentle and handed the phone over to him.
" You don't think I'm done with you .. " he sat back down putting Desiree's phone away. " .. I contemplated a lot of things along the way. How to punish my own brother and such. What should I do? By the way is there anything else you like to tell me? "
To many things .. my brother. But he was right..
I would kill me as well if I were in his shoes.. I mean who wants someone who betrayed him for months by his side where we were headed? Years .. but he just didn't know yet.
With everything going to shit.. I decided to at least clean my soul before I die.
But Desiree had the same thoughts or just wanted to grip at something ..
" Your parents orchestrated you break up with Anna. She was pregnant and forced by her own parents to agree .. you had a daughter. "
.. so she calculated that unleashing a demon who will turn our world into true ash was her only way out.
——
Marie.
~
Hope.
Such a short word but it was the most powerful and quintessential feeling a human could have.
And I was filled with it.
Asin will fix everything and make sure we are heading towards a bright future.
Unless ..
That picture from the dinner came to my mind. What if Desiree will try something desperate with nothing left to lose?
I couldn't guess Asin's reaction.. would he question it? Break down? Unleash his fury on his entire family?
" .. and let's order something. Dinner was nice but I crave something else. Like ITALIAN! Girls? "
Henny kept nudging me, rocking me until I acknowledged her word.
" Yes .. just go and do it. I'm not hungry. " I said handing her my phone standing up.
Ayshe, Lilly and us two were inside our room as the sounds of rain on the roof supplied a quiet background music.
" Marie are you .. okay? " Lilly stood up stopping my pacing. " In fact both of you been acting strange for .. days now? "
She asked Henny mainly. Who bobbed her head standing up herself.
" Exactly. Since we came back from Paradise in fact. You two missing work, acting aloof and didn't even asked me how my date went! " She stomped on the floor.
Ayshe smiled apologetically but the knot in my stomach kept me from acting normal. Luckily Ayshe helped me out.
As she spun some fabricated tails about our recent strange behaviour, I stood near the balcony window looking out into the torrential rain.
What will the future look like after tonight?
Will Asin choose me even after he learned everything?
Will he stand by my side against his own family and the world?
But that will be another story altogether..
———
Book 1 End.