The One Who Forgot

: 22 :

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And that is when everyone stopped breathing and just stared. Because she looked like Calla when Calla was in her 20s, a replica almost if it wasn't for the tattoos that were missing and the brown eyes. Especially the fact that Aurora was blind in one eye with a scar that went across that exact eye.

They knew she wasn't lying, the resemblance was too much to be false.

"Half-sister? And you helped us because?"

"Does there have to be a reason for wanting to do something kind out of my heart?"

Stella smiled, "Yes, because if you haven't noticed, there are no good deeds in the world we run. There is always something, and my question that you have yet to answer is what might it be?"

"To see my sister. I want to see my half-sister," Aurora finally said, giving in. There was no point in beating around the bush.

"Haven't you heard? She died." Stella said nonchalantly.

The world had no knowledge of Calla Lebedev because Calla Lebedev didn't exist. Only Calla Ricci did. And when marriage was formed between Calla and Stefano, Stefano made sure to keep her last name the same for her safety.

Clearly, it worked because Aurora had no idea. No idea that Calla Ricci no longer lived.

Tyler inwardly smiled at the fact of how well they planned out for the future. They did good, he thought.

Aurora looked at Stella, trying to detect anything that told her that Stella was lying. But there were no clues because she wasn't lying.

"If you're trying to see if I'm lying, I'm not," Stella bluntly said, trying to speed up the process. She didn't need to talk about the past and let unhappy thoughts resurface.

Not at this moment. It wasn't a good time, it was never a good time.

"How? I don't understand..."

Blaze on the other hand found this amusing, more than he should've. He was not shocked because he knew, he knew Calla Ricci had been dead for 13 years.

Aurora whipped her head, staring into Blaze's eyes, and immediately, she knew. She knew that he knew about it already.

He knew he should've told her. Stopped her from getting her hopes up about finding her older sister, but he was an asshole, so he kept it to himself all this time while Aurora was left wondering.

Tyler had left the room already, not wanting to hear anymore. He was content knowing who saved Stella and Luca, and that was all he needed. He didn't need to be in this place any longer.

As for Luca, he figured it was time to leave Stella alone, so he walked out as well and sat in the car waiting for her.

Aurora who was teary-eyed said, "Can you tell me about her?"

Stella was hesitant, why the hell would she tell a stranger about Calla? About one of the most important people in her life and how they lived and then how they died? But she wasn't that much of a bitch and she didn't like owing anyone. And a favour is a favour. After today, she would no longer have to speak with Aurora and she can carry on with her life.

She took a deep breath in before getting started, "She died saving my brother. She and my brother loved each other till the moment they both took their last breath. She's been dead for 13 years, and she's buried in New York because that's where she grew up and where she met my brother. She was very smart. She became one of the best lawyers at 24, but her career didn't last long because she ended up quitting for my brother. And if you're wondering whether she regretted it, she didn't. Gavrie, your father, didn't give two shits about Calla, not until she had her own army. Her favourite colours were red and yellow. She was kind, considerate, and powerful. What else do you want to know?"

Stella blurted out everything that she could at the top of her head. Things she would never want to forget about Calla.

"Did she at least go peacefully?"

"No, she didn't. She was held by my brother until she was placed on the operation table and bled to death."

She didn't sugarcoat anything. It wasn't worth sugarcoating. Aurora should know the brutal truth, not the fairytale version with glitter and rainbows because Calla died unfairly. Calla didn't deserve anything bad that she had received. Her life was taken away, simply because she had loved the person that she did. 

Aurora nodded, processing everything slowly.

"I want to know how you knew Calla was connected to us somehow?"

"Dad left some things behind about her, just not the fact that she's dead. He wrote about the fact she was in love and that he saw her in the happiest state she has ever been. Everything else, I had no knowledge of."

Stella nodded, and she had completely forgotten that Blaze was still in the room. She may have received the answers she came for, but she still had unfinished business. "Okay then. Do you mind leaving Blaze and me alone for a second, Aurora?"

Aurora got up from her seat and smiled, "Thanks for telling me about her. I appreciate it. As for you Blaze, we have shit we need to talk about after. Prepare yourself, bitch."

"So, what did you want to speak about?" Blaze asked with an eyebrow raised, clearly curious.

"Why did you call me ворон," Stella asked, pronouncing it extremely well.

"You speak Russian?"

"I know a couple of words here and there."

Now that was a lie.

She was fluent, wrote and spoke Russian perfectly, but he didn't have to know that. In fact, nobody needed to know besides herself.

"I'm hurt you forgot about me," he said. His accent was so strong. "ворон, I appreciated you saving me in Samara. However, I didn't really need saving, but I think you already knew that."

Holy fuck, Stella thought. Samara was hot and humid and what she was wearing did not work well with the weather here. She was covered all in black, no skin of hers was exposed except for her eyes. Even her hair was tucked back.

Being Raven gave her a thrill. And travelling around the world doing what she was best at was just a bonus.

She went from roof to roof after finishing her mission, and she was almost back at her motel when she noticed some struggling below her. Stella wouldn't have cared if it wasn't for the fact that she wanted more action. The mission she had today was easy, and there's no fun in easy missions. So she did what the majority would not do, she interfered.

There a man, pinned against the wall, with a knife to his neck, was struggling to fight his opponent off. Or so it seemed, so Stella threw her knife and when it hit the opponent on the back of his head, Stella fled moments after the body collapsed onto the ground.

She had her small moment of fun before she had to go, and even though it was short, she would find the thrill of seeing it on the news the next morning.

Blaze went through his drawer for a couple of minutes before throwing the knife that she used two years ago onto the table.

"You kept it, all those years and you still kept it."

"Yes, I did. But don't flatter yourself любовь, I only kept it because it was nice. But since you're here, it should go back to its rightful owner, no?"

She grabbed the knife, god knows how many of these were around the world. Stella liked leaving things behind, things she knew couldn't be traced back to her. She had too many of these knives and very little clue on them that actually linked them back to her.

"I still owe you one by the way. And I don't like owing people, so let me know soon. Yes, красивая?" Blaze winked.

Stella got up from her seat and laughed to herself before saying, "Спасибо и берегите себя Blaze." And winked at him in return.

Blaze grinned to himself the moment Stella left.

Enemies don't always have to stay as enemies.

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