Hopelessly Devoted

Chapter 59: All of Us Strangers

Moments went by before Eloise leaned back and looked at her once more. Like before her heart skipped a beat, but she was sure in time her eyes, heart, and mind would be on one accord. "You look so much like her." Alyssa smiled at her. "I've been told."

Eloise gave her a sad smile before sitting on her own. "I'm Alyssa." Eloise nodded. "I know. You've been the talk of the family for a little while now. Everyone has been excited for you to know the truth and come around."

Alyssa smiled at that. "Were you crying earlier because you miss your mom?" Eloise looked at her before looking towards the other maze opening. "I always miss my mom. I don't think that'll ever go away. I called her this morning. For a few seconds, I forgot that she was gone. Those instances are the worst."

Alyssa nodded her head at her. "I was crying because up until a year ago my life was perfect. I thought my father was the CEO of an import and export company and my mom was alive and a regular housewife. I went to high school with my friends in Toronto and was captain of the dance team. My crush of three years asked me out and I got accepted into the Alvin Ailey summer program."

Alyssa wanted to smile at the happy smile on her niece's face, but she knew it wouldn't last. "I was crying because I found out that my father was not a CEO but rather the leader of the French mafia. A position that more than likely caused my mother's death."

Alyssa couldn't deny the anger that was present in her voice. "If that wasn't enough, I was told by my father that I would have to leave my home, school, and friends to move to a random costal city in Spain to attend a school for all teens tied to the mafia. Syndicate Academy. A school that has kids that have been there since freshman year, unlike myself so you can imagine the bullying."

"There's a school for kids tied to the mafia?" Alysa was in shock as Eloise nodded her head. "Welcome to Syndicate Academy, an exclusive boarding school hidden away on an island off the cost of Spain. There's no one on our side of the island, but the other side is where Experiment #9 is held."

Alyssa nodded her head. "No one can see our school because it's cloaked in various trees and has an air of secrecy that mirrors the world of the mafia." Alyssa wanted to chuckle at Eloise's exaggerated eye roll. "You can't find what we're taught in any textbook. Our lessons are unorthodox, but they do include some classical and practical courses. I'm grateful for those, but the courses on manipulation, negotiation and strategy are too much for me, chile!"

Alyssa laughed out loud earning a small smile from her niece. "There's a state of the art training facility that covers two football fields for all things combat. There's a shooting range concealed underneath the campus that's honestly my happy place." Eloise smiled to herself. "I should've known something was up with my Dad when he had me out there shooting at 5 years old like that white girl from Kick Ass."

Alyssa looked at her niece before bursting out laughing. She wasn't sure but she had a feeling that Eloise and Erica were very close and with Erica's absence and her obvious anger towards David, Alyssa wondered who Eloise spoke to about her feelings and worries given the state of her internal family.

"Don't get me started on the learning curve, Aunt Alyssa. I was an A student at my school. I was primed and ready to get into any Ivy League I wanted, but noooooo. Pluck me out of normalcy, Dad and shove me into mafia madness!" Alyssa wanted to laugh but her heart was swelling at the title given. Eloise was oblivious to what it meant to Alyssa but she embraced another gift her family had given her.

"Do you know that there are classes centered on weapons, drugs, killing tactics and that's just a few of the calmer courses." Eloise looked back to the maze. "We are taught that loyalty, respect and family go before all things. It's literally in our mission statement that we're meant to recite every morning." Alyssa watched as Eloise looked down.