The Gang Leader

Chapter Eleven

Jasper took Adeline to the house under Ophelia's strict orders which she fought Lance until he caved in. Lance was about to tell Ophelia that they needed to go until she wandered into her own room. It was strange for her to be back, she was here a month ago. She was normal a month ago, one night at a stupid club and she doesn't know who she even is anymore. Lance watched her from the doorway as she grabbed a purse and shoved a few of her starter scrapbooks with her designs when she was younger. She grabbed a few more sentimental things before Lance heard sirens in the distance. "Come on Ophelia," Lance said and she looked at him and sighed. She looked tired and exhausted, like she lost a lot of her light and that devastated Lance. "We're going out." Ophelia looked at the apartment one last time before nodding and started to the front door but that was too risky. Lance grabbed her arm and climbed down the fire escape out the window. There was less risk of getting caught and questioned by the cops.

"Won't they find me eventually? It's inevitable Lance," Ophelia sighed as Lance was on the ground and motioning her to follow him.

"No it's not. I have someone on it." Ophelia shook her head as Lance stared at her questionably. "What do you mean?"

"There's security videos of me in the apartment complex, me going to that room, the fucking apartment is in my name." Ophelia explained and Lance rolled his eyes at her.

"Maddox is on it. The videos are wiped out and it's under some random guys name. Please hurry Ophelia." Lance looked out to see the blinking lights down the street and Ophelia quickly climbed down and grabbed the handle of the car door but Lance shook his head. "It's too dangerous. It's a stolen car anyways. It'll be fine come on." Lance gripped Ophelia's hand tightly as they walked to the end of the alley and looked around but no cops were out there. They walked down the street hand in hand and when Lance looked back, he saw the cops entering the building. He nudged Ophelia and they looked back, Lance smirking about his smart getaway.

"I don't think I like your New York." Lance stopped and looked at her confused. "It's not the New York I know. It was never dangerous for me until you showed up in my life. It was the best place in the world."

"Show me your New York then." Ophelia smiled and they weaved their way through the crowds, Lance behind her and she would turn around sometimes and shoot him a breathtaking smile. Eventually they slowed down when they reached Central Park. "I've been here before Ophelia." Lance stared skeptically at the girl as she sat under a tree and pulled out the books she grabbed at the apartment.

"But not with me." Ophelia pointed out and grabbed five dollars out of her purse before walking over to a hotdog stand and getting one for each of them.

Ophelia opened her sketchbook and flipped through to find a few of the first sketches she did. "Every Thanksgiving my family would come here, I was obsessed with this vintage look my mom had. It was a blue dress, the color of Tiffany's boxes you know? I fell in love with it. Every time I would play dress up, I would wear that dress. So I did a more modern version of it for my first sketch," Ophelia explained and pointed to the sketch of a blue dress. Lance watched and was mesmerized by Ophelia looking through the book. He was hardly focused on the sketches more as he was focused on her.

Ophelia stopped at another one with a saddened smile. "My mom loved lilac, it was her favorite color. I remember that my parents went to a gala thing every year and she wore this lilac dress with white elegant lace on the skirt." Lance could watch her talk about stuff she was passionate about for hours and hours.

Lance stopped the page on a sketch of the Bronze Dragon necklace and a golden dress sketch next to it. "What's this?" Ophelia's eyes widened as she forgot all about this since it was from 15 years ago.