Until We Die|✔️

4| Maybe

~I found true peace when I learned to let everything go~

Tobias's PoV
I sat in front of her fathers file. I went through it once before double checking what I had seen. Nowhere in there does it even say her name. Evangeline.

How can I be sure she's even his daughter? Is Evangeline even her name?

She's a strange woman. She is. On the way to my home, it's like she was seeing things for the first time and she wasn't wearing any shoes. It was strange. She didn't resist when we took her and she was staring at us like she had never seen people before.

Her assumed father must definitely have a death wish if he exchanged a random girl to clear his debt. In his file, he does say he has a daughter but nowhere does it mention anything about her. A loud knock sounded on the door of my office before Enzo, my younger brother, walked in with Evangeline beside him. He's the nicest brother out of us all but he's also the youngest whereas I'm the oldest.

He gestured to Evangeline to sit in the chair in front of me before he left. "So, Evangeline, who are you?," I asked. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion like she didn't understand the question. "I've never heard of you," I elaborated. "You're a ghost. You practically don't exist."

"I don't...," she trailed off.

"Evangeline, if I find out you're lying to me, you don't want to know what'll fucking happen," I threatened her, watching her face pale in terror.

I'm not the nicest brother.

"I-I'm not lying!," she stammered, eyes wide. I didn't say a word as I observed her for a moment trying to read her body language as if that'll give me any indication on whether she's telling the truth.

Evangeline's PoV
He stared at me intently like he was trying to read my mind. I have no idea why he thinks I'm lying, after all he's the one that 'exchanged' me.

It still doesn't make sense in my head. Like I understand why it happened but what I don't understand is how I've been exchanged. I had no part in whatever my father got involved in so why am I the one who's paying for his crime, in a way?

He looked away and pulled out a phone. I've never used one. I've only ever watched my father use it so I know the basics of what it does but I've never physically touched one. He held the phone to his ear and spoke in a language I didn't understand.

I didn't recognise the language either mostly because the only language I've ever heard being spoken is English but I'd love to learn another language but that's if I'm allowed.

"Vieni a prenderla, (come get her)," he spoke curtly before he cut the call. I sat in the chair uncomfortable, not understanding what he said and not knowing what I'm supposed to do now while he tapped away on his phone, not even giving me a second glance.

I bit my lip, wanting to say something. I let out a breath as I debated back and forth on whether I should say it. "Why was I exchanged?," I asked instantly regretting my choice once his icy gaze snapped on me.

I felt myself shrinking under his gaze. "Because that was the deal," he spoke. "He gives me you and his debt is wiped clean."

"You never even met me. Why?"

He let out a frustrated sigh as he clenched his jaw. He's the prettiest guy I've ever seen from the small variety of them I've seen. Pretty may not be the best word to describe him. My mother used to always describe me as pretty.

"That's enough questions," he said sharply just as Enzo entered the room. Enzo ushered me up from my seat as Tobias glared at me. I didn't do anything wrong. I just asked a question.

Enzo and I walked towards my room in silence.  I was deep in thought as I mulled over the question I was dying to ask Enzo since Tobias refused to answer me. "C-Can I ask you something?," I asked him.

"You just did," he chuckled. I forced out a chuckle before we fell back into the awkward silence once again. "I was just kidding," he clarified himself, clearing his throat. "Ask away."

I took a deep breath. "Why was I apart of the deal?"

We stayed silent as Enzo tried to find his words. "You're too innocent for this world, Evangeline. It's better for you if you don't know," he simply spoke after a minute of complete silence. Before I could open my mouth to speak, we had arrived in front of my door and he had bolted down the hallway.

-

I've only been here for barely a day and I've not eaten at all. Normally, I'd have little snacks or a piece of fruit to keep going for the day but I don't have that here. Are they trying to starve me?

The woman that works here knocked on my door and handed me a pile of clothes consisting of a dress and underwear. I didn't say another word as she turned and left. I stood awkwardly, not knowing in if I was allowed to use the bathroom before walking towards it and jumping in the shower.

I glanced sadly at the floral dress my mother had sewn on the floor. It was dirty and torn, there's no way I can wear that now and I don't have a needle or a thread for me to sew it back together.

I washed my hair and body with the shampoo and soap that was already in here. I accidentally glanced at the scar leading from my upper thigh down to my knee.

I whimpered as I watched my father jam the knife into my thigh before he slowly dragged it down. I let out a gasp before the excruciating pain hit me. I let out an ear shattering scream as my mother watched from the staircase.

"This'll teach you to SHUT THE FUCK UP," he screamed in my face, spitting slightly before pulling the knife out and throwing it next to me.

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to get rid of that horrible memory. I can still feel the pain. After that, he left and my mother and I were left to tend to my wound. Not knowing anything medical, my mother just cleaned around it getting rid of any excess blood before grabbing a needle and sewing my skin back together. That's how she got so good at making dresses.

I slowly traced over the scar.

I closed my eyes once again and let out a deep shaky breath before opening my eyes and resuming what I was doing.

Once I had gotten out of the shower, I wiped the mirror with my hand to be able to see through it. I stared at my face, realising I was going to get a bruise on my cheek from when my father had punched me. I winced as I touched it.

So far, I've not been hurt. So far, I've been treated better than before. Maybe, it'll be different here. Maybe, I'll have the same sort of life my mother had before she had met my father here.

It's a big maybe but I'm not willing to bet on it.