|| 𝕤𝕞𝕙 ||

Thirty.

As Mateo violently struggled to get away, Ares only tighten his grip around him,
"No wait, I- I can't!" Mateo called out to Ares in hope of stopping the unfazed man.

Then he unexpectedly stopped.

"I'm right here with you, why are you scared? Do you seriously think they could do anything to you if I'm there?" Ares explained, clearly annoyed as he leaned towards Mateo, their noses only centimetres apart.

Mateo stayed silent, looking down while biting down on his lips.

"The fuck-" I mumble to myself quietly.

I had absolutely no idea what was happening.

"That's what I thought." Ares declared, turning back around and walking toward the building once again.

All I could do was follow along obliviously.

We walked into the rusty and ancient structure.

After wandering through some corridors, we arrived at a specific room, Ares led the way in, still holding Mateo's hand.

In the centre of the room was my father, chained up to a chair, beaten badly.

As much as he deserved it, it caught me off guard.

Not once have I ever seen him fall into a situation like this, drenched in his own blood so pathetically.

And next to him was a desk, documents lying all over, and a gun to the side.

The only thing that I could focus on was the look of disgust in my dad's eyes.

I could never understand what he hated about me so much to be looking at me with that same exact expression since my earliest memories.

"Look who I brought for you, I thought it would be nice to see your daughter and stepson one last time before you die~." Ares said in the fakest tone possible, a bitchy smirk across his face while Mateo hid behind him in fear.

We could all understand what Ares was implying.

"Well then, I think it's about time we end things, don't you think?" Ares stated.

Only a couple of murmurs could be heard from the chained-up man.

"Oh, my bad, I forgot there was tape over your filthy mouth." He added with a chuckle.

Ares's unbothered self let go of the horrified Mateo and walked over to the desk, grabbing the gun that was laying on it,
"Would you like to do the honours love?" Ares asked me as he shoved the gun into my hands with eyes that looked like they belonged to a psycho.
"Go on." He demanded bitterly after a small wait.

PRESENT TIME

But how could I possibly shoot him?

I was a coward and I always will be.

I couldn't possibly murder someone.

"Ivory, what exactly are you waiting for?!" Ares yelled from the side of the dark room dampened with blood.
"I can't do something like this!" I exclaimed.
"Did you forget everything he's ever done to you?! I'm giving you a chance to finally get your revenge!" Ares screamed back in annoyance while throwing the documents to the ground.

And with the files scattered the photos inside.

Pictures of my mother's dead body, pictures of Mateo, pictures of everything bad that has ever happened that I could possibly remember.

"I- I can't murder someone." I said in a low tone with a feeling of shame on me.

This wasn't what I wanted.

As much as I wanted him dead, I could be the one to do it.

I just simply didn't have the guts and the strength to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life.

"Alright then, fine." Ares said as he marched over snatching the gun out of my hand.

And without wasting a second, he shot him, my dad, right on the forehead.

He was dead.

I couldn't believe it.

After all these years, all these people who suffered, he was finally dead.

Throwing the gun to the side, Ares grabbed me and Mateo, dragging us out of the room.

"Get here cleaned." He ordered one of the men around.

He dragged us out all the way to the front, Mateo barely keeping up with him.

"Hey stop it... Mateo is hurt!" I said as I struggled in Ares's grip along with Mateo.

He suddenly let go of my wrist and grabbed Mateo, throwing him over his shoulder in a not-so-gentle manner.

As Mateo stiffened in pain and surprise, I stared at them with wide eyes.

What was going on between the two?

Once we got to the car, Ares placed Mateo in the car, more carefully this time.

Expecting me to not notice, he whispered 'sorry' into Mateo's ear.

"Get in Ivory." Ares stated.
"No, let's talk first, something isn't right." I demanded.