Sienna Stone
The ballroom is huge. All elegant and stylish with colors of ruby red and silvers decorated on the banisters, tables, and ceiling. Crystal chandeliers twinkling above and people pouring in from the front doors. Gowns, suits, masks flowing around the lobby floor. For Nico and Shina to be in the car to arrive has not shown yet as I stand here up high on the upper floor by the staircase. The twins have left not long ago to be at their position up the roof top. Caspian should be around somewhere as well.
I'm sure no one has noticed since the rich seem to be so endowed with conversations on the floor, probably about who donated the most for the charity to boost their social standings.
I have yet to see Edmond or his wife, but I finally catch an eye of familiar figures coming in through the entrance finally. Nico and Shina.
Shina arm is looped under Nicos as there enter. My breathing heightens at the sight of him in his suit and mask. It's a simple black mask, but it looks so lewd on him that I can't keep my eyes off his every move.
He has not once looked up here where I stand, yet he knows where I am since this is where he wanted to try to lure Edmond up to a hotel room we bought.
Speaking of the man, there he is, finally.
I tense up feeling a cold sweat run down my neck, my hands clinging onto the banister. My gut swoops in unease as I can not see Edmonds wife.
He came in alone.
This wasn't part of the plan! This whole plan was to get his wife in our custody, so where is she?
This isn't like them. They both always joined together in these events. Ever since I was little, they have been inseparable for these things, but now, Edmond came alone...
Merda! Does that mean this mission is over already?
My eyes look for Nico until they land on him. My eyes widen when I see that he is already looking up at me. I couldn't quite tell what his expression is beneath that mask, but something seems off about the way he nods his head once at me.
As if it's okay, keep on with the plan. But this entire plan was for the wife?
Nico then looks away from me and whispers in Shina's ear before they both part ways while she goes and gets flutes of champagne from a table. My husband takes a seat at a table and starts a conversation with others as if nothing is amiss in this mission.
I gulp down my nerves and rid my anxiety, or try to when I watch Edmond walk alone around the busy floor. He is the only one not wearing a mask, as if he wants to be seen in the fray of masked strangers.
I blow out air through my mouth and try to compose myself calmly. My fingers are trembling from not knowing how this will work out in the end. For what Nicolai must be thinking...
A loud noise comes put from my right as it startles me. Taking my attention away from the people below and my eyes off the initial target. A man and woman are down the all, laughing and getting hands with each other as a man tries to find something in his pocket while kissing the woman.
Staring at them, an image in mind has me invisoning how life would be like with just a simple life like that. Two people, care free, nothing but time and enjoyment. A normal life just bumping uglies and living the best.
I wanted that so bad. It haunts me.
Instead, I live in a nightmare of a world.
Staring for too long until they both rush into the room and close the door, a familiar voice whispers down the back of my neck, feeling a heavy presence behind me, having my skin crawl, "He said you wouldn't be here tonight. I guess this is a given, yes?"
Edmond freaking Galeon.
And what did he mean by 'he' said I wouldn't be here?
I take a step away from him, feeling guarded, my senses heightening.
The ambiance from the ball floor settles the background while staring at the one person who had raised me in a big lie of a life--hiding unspeakable acts and convictions. The one man I had once cried for at night from my bad dreams, the man who taught me manners, told me he loved me.
Who once was my father at a time, even if we weren't blood.
I hate him. For everything he has done and done. He killed my brother, who I've never got the chance to meet. He killed my pet rabbit. He is breeding soldiers and experimenting with human beings.
I want to so badly sneer at him, but I have to keep my cool. So I say, "Hello, Papa." The words tasted like ash in my mouth, "it's been a while."
Edmond smiles, eyes alight to my words, "You seem different..."
Yeah, from the likes of you and the other men in my life, "I decided to show because I haven't been out a lot." I lie through my teeth. Faking a small smile his way.
He furrowed his brows and looked over to where the people were dancing and talking downstairs. "I must say, it is true then. Nicolai Stone likes to share women, doesn't he?" He comments.
It is truly the other way around. Nico likes sharing only with the twins with me. He never brought another to the bedroom.
I choose not to comment back and keep my eyes on him, not knowing exactly how to take this situation. This isn't going to be according to the plans already. Does Nico want me to place this by ear or...
Edmond looks down at me once again, and something in his eyes darkens. My spine straightens, "Should we find a private space to continue catching up? I have missed you, you know? Your mother is worried about you."
Bullshit. All lies.
I was abused emotionally by these people, making me think that I was the problem, that I was just seeing things, suppressing my memories for their own to save ass. But, the plan was to get Esmond alone in the first place, so, "si, come with me, I have a room." I offer.
I try my best not to cower or show any trace of fear as he follows behind me to the rented hotel room. Walking down the narrow hall with low lighting, my ears are throbbing from hearing how hard my heart is pounding. My fingers are itching to grab the Russian pocket knife hidden on my thigh that's strapped in place. My gun is in my backpack that Don took with him up to the rooftop to our escape route.
Finally, we make it to the door as I slip the key card in the slot and open the door. The room is dark but not too dark as the lampshade on the nightstands is on.
Walking in, I hear the door close behind me, could have sworn here a click click meaning a weapon had been drawn. Slowly, I turn around and see that he did get a gun out, but it's not aiming towards me but held to his side, as if a precaution.
Inhaling much need air I break the eery silence, "I know everything."
He walks around as I follow his each move until he has me to where my back is to the door, "define everything?" He asks, voice hesitant.
"The experiments, you killing my brother and covering up the evidence. That you aren't my flesh and blood. I know you keep women in the basement to breed you soldiers and to sell kids off a black market website as subjects." I concur the details to him.
He nods, bringing the barrel of his gun up and scratching his head with it, "You got your memories back?" He questions.
Shit, was I supposed to be saying this stuff? "If I did, what would you do?"
He smirks, his receding hair line shining from the lamps light, "I don't know... does this mean...you remember a certain subject? Oh...what was his name?" He grins at me almost too sinister like, "ah, Levi."
My entire body tenses up to the name, my blood runs cold while my legs feel numb as if him remembering the boy I came to love in such a short time---burn deeply.
I guess the expression on my face gives him headway to how that simple name renders me as if a weakness -
"Your husband is quite the man, I must say he surprises me. To think he told me you and him have been having marital problems and that he says you have been sneaking around as if hiding something. It's a good thing he signed an alliance with me and told me that you may be conspiring against him...I didn't believe him at first but now thinking about, he did tell me you might be planning to take my wife and start a war to avenge your family." He says, gesturing the gun toward me.
What the he'll? What is he going on about? Is he saying my husband....
I shake my head, "Wait, what? Nico signed an alliance with you? He---he told you what will happen tonight?" How did they have the time to talk or see each other...
Oh my God.
So that's where Nico has been going late at night for the past weeks?
Nicolai is making it seem that I'm the one and only one going up against Edmond himself? But why?
"Guess your husband doesn't tell you everything." He chuckles.
I can't seem to focus as his words hit me.
Because he is right about that, Nico has kept me in the dark. To learn that he is making it seem like all fingers point to me.
Edmond looks over behind my shoulder and scoffs, "About the time you showed up."
"Didn't feel the need to rush."
That voice.
I whirl around, and there he is at the door as he closes it behind him. Not once meeting my eyes as he walks across the room, passing by me as if I was mere air.
I've never felt such deep wounding betrayal as I do right now.
I don't understand what's happening right now?
Nico, my husband, the man I've confessed my love to and is pregnant with his child, is now standing bedside the enemy.
Yet, not enemies.
Both men stand before while there stare back at me as if I'm the enemy instead.
My throat feels swollen as I try to hold back my tears and nerves. I think I'm in shock, but I can not let my guard down for a second. To think my own husband would do this to me. This can't be right, no, I refuse to believe as such. Nico would never do such a thing! This must be his plan all along, right?
Only the way he is looking at me now is as if I'm nothing but a rotten nuisance.
Nico tilts his head and smiles a smile that I've not ever seen him do. It's like a monster staring back at me, "What's the matter?" He asks, voice sickly deep and taunting. As if it's the last thing he wanted to ask of me.
I try to swallow my fear before speaking, my voice croaks, "How could you?"
I know that he knows what I mean by that question. How could he sign an alliance to a monster like Edmond? Whom is selling kids and breeding soldiers and experimenting with a serum on them.
My husband raises a brow and gives me an 'are you seriously dumb' expression on his face, "What do you mean? How could I? It's a simple answer."
I frown, "what could possibly be a simple explanation?"
"To build my Empire with strong soldiers and create a new world."
No... no, no. This isn't like Nico at all. So this has to be part of the plan.
But he sounded so sincere.
We stare at one another for a moment, while I try to see any trace of the Nicolai that I know and love. But he isn't showing an ounce of emotions toward me.
"Now, now, Sienna. This has two ways of going. You should choose wisely." Edmond lifts his gun and offers it to Nico.
Nico takes the gun without hesitation.
My heart is hammering against my ribs as I watch Nico lift the gun up and points it directly at me, with no faults or a lack of care of who I am to him.
Is this my fate? Was I doomed since birth? All I ever did was dream a dream I wanted since ever and everyone in my life wants to take it away.
Why me? Do I deserve such a life like this? And be ended by the man I loved with all my heart, to my heart which is probably broken behind repair at this point?
It as if I can't give anybody of what they need from me. So I'm this pawn the entire time in this game after all.
What's the point in all this? Why is Nicolai going through the trouble to having us end up here?
Surely he wouldn't kill me?
But his eyes say something different, "two choices, darling. I'm going to instead ask one question and I need a simple answer." Nico says.
This was it, this was what he wanted me to say no too. So maybe this is a bluff after all---
"Join me with Edmond so we can build an even stronger army."
The fuck? "No! Of course not!"
Of course I would have said no to that? Why did Nico have to enlighten me on the matter to say NO when I clearly wouldn't want that in the first place!
For a split second, just a second, I seen Nicos lip twitch as if he is amused with my outburst, "so be it."
Huh?
He clicks the safety off and turns the chamber...
Huh?
His finger presses the trigger ever so slightly....
Huh!!?? He is really going to shoot me!
I open my mouth to scream my mercy but then a loud banging sound comes from behind me.
I didn't get the chance to look behind me because my eyes watched as a knife is flying through the room, past my shoulder by a mere second and towards Nico.
"Caspian!?" I hear Edmonds voice shout in utter shock.
My eyes widen in terror, I scream as the knife hits and embeds into my husband's shoulder. Causing the gun his his grasp to loosen and fall on to the floor, blood oozing out on his suit.
I want to run to him but something grabs ahold of my arm from behind and pulls me away. Not giving me a chance or time to react much. The last glimpse is of Edmond helping Nico up off the ground before running out the room and into the hall.
"Come on! We have to go to the roof top!" Caspian utters as he hauls me with him.
My mind is scattered and my vision is becoming hazy. "Y-you almost killed him."
Caspian glares behind him as we run straight to the elevator, "it was supposed to be fatal but the bastard took a step to far to the right...which troubles me."
Wait, "your telling me you two, Nico and you both planned this? And to kill him!?"
Caspian pushes me into the elevator quickly as he stands between the sliding doors before stopping them with his hands, "yes, because he wanted that...but.." he cuts off while hearing a woman shout from afar.
It was Shina, I could tell.
Caspian looks over to me then behind him where the staircase is. A tormented look plastering his features.
Choosing his lover who has a child, or me, his only child that he once left before.
But I knew what his choice was before even thinking of such, because Caspian gave me a look of sorrow before letting go of the doors and leaving me alone in the elevator. The door slowly closes as I have one last look of the father who once again leaves me.
The silence was to thick in the air around me. My eyes watering and legs wobbling from utter shock at everyhting that happened. Two men, who were supposed to love me have left me alone.
The elevator doors open and I'm met with the twins. Both hustle me out, "run, Sienna!" Dimitri shouts.
And that when all he'll breaks loose.
A door slams open while soldier run out towards us, guns in hand, they shoot. We three run to the edge ot the building, the twins are behind me as we try to reach our stanfin point. Hearing a loud winding sound come from a far it was a helicopter hovering down onto the roof.
Our escape route.
The pilot doesn't land it, but hovers over the ground by a foot while we tail our way through. I can feel my blood pumping through my veins and breaths stagger as I try to sprint in heels.
The helicopters door slide open and there, standing up high is Julian. He brings up a large gun and shoots the soldiers down one by one. But he eyes then land on me, could have sworn seen the relief in his eyes, "Come on bunny, faster! Get you pert ass in this dammed chopper right now!" He shouts over the loud noise of guns and the chopper wings. His dark locks of hair flowing into the wind.
Hope feels me when I look at him---
Until I hear a loud pop, and squelchy sound behind me, followed by a heavy thud to the ground. I look over my shoulder---
"DIMITRI!" I scream.
I scream and stop running as I see Dimitris body lying on the ground, a bullet hole on the side of his head. Blood. Blood everywhere.
I wail, "NO! No, no, no! My God no!" I fall to my knees, and scream in hysteria.
This can't be happening.
He can't be gone.
No.
I can't I can't I can't!
Donovan falls to his knees beside his brothers body, his head bowed as he reaches down and scoops him up in his lap and cradles his bloody head...
At that moment, I remember when Don told me how he protected Dimitri in the past. From a gang as Don fought them off while they lived homeless on the streets.
Now, his brother is just, gone. Like that.
"D-Don." I cry out his name but he ignore me as he hold his dead twin.
No more soldiers were near as Julian took them out, "Sienna! Get up!" Julian growls behind me, "it cannot be undone, we must go, now!"
I don't think I can move from this spot.
I can't especially when the elevator doors open again and there comes out Edmond, and Nico.
I can't breath, I can't think.
Until arms wrap around my waist and pulls me up and carries me away. Julian.
"I'm sorry." He says as he carries me to the helicopter and lifts me up in it.
"Wait, Don--" I try.
Julian grabs my face between his palms and says, "it's over. I'm sorry, but it's over. The plan was never to be seen through in success, Sienna."
No...
No!
I look out the window as the helicopter begins to fly away from the rooftop. I watch as Nico walk close and hover over Donovan as he is still grasping onto Dimitri.
Tears fall down my face like an unending waterfall, my entire body trembles from the adrenaline.
And I watch the unthinkable happen.
My very own husband lifts the gun up and points it down at Donovan. Yet Donovan not once looks up to Nico.
I see lips moving from them both while Edmond is a few feet away from them.
No, he wouldnt--
Nico pulls the trigger.
Donovan slumps over his twins body as I see blood trickle down his head from this far.
I silently scream.
"It was an honor to serve you, brother." Julian says from across the seat from me.
I finally look over at him.
Julian gives me a gentle expression, "that's what Donovan said to Stone as his last words."
I didn't give it any thought to how he would have known that, since we are up in the air.
I guess that's his way of consoling me. Yet it didn't work.
They are gone.
Nico killed Don.
How could he?
"He had to kill him."
My head snaps up, stunned by Julian's words, "what the fuck do you mean he had to kill Don?"
Julian gives me a soft look, "He had to kill him. It was mercy, Sienna. Think about it, if Donovan would have survived Edmond would have used him for breeding for more soldiers or better yet use the S Serum on him. Stone wouldnt have a say in the matter, if he did, Edmond would think his alliance is tarnished and he wouldnt be able to trust him completely. Stone needs Edmonds trust now more than ever. So he made it seem like you and your father which he thought was still in prison are the ones only conspiring against him and why Stone tries to make Edmond believe that he just wants his Empire to get stronger. You see now? Your husband is trying to destory Edmonds Empire from the inside out, he just wanted this little act to be believable....he would have to get closer to find the scientist behind the entire operation." He explains,"though that's my theory anyway. I'm good at deductions, and I figured this is how he was planning all along."
I'm hearing his words but I refuse to believe it right now. I couldn't quite let it seem like it's okay for Nico to up and kill his family even if it seems like 'mercy'.
And to think my last words to them in the car ride to the event. That I was ending the relationship between them two and me.
Now I'll never have the chance to tell them that I regret leaving them.
I touch my stomach thinking about what life would have been with the twins and my child. Remembering Don and I's conversation last year in the car outside a party. That he would care for my child as it were his too.
A tear falls down and lands on my lap and stains my dress with dampness.
"Where are we going?" I ask, voice hoarse from all the screaming and crying.
Julian leans back in his seat and folds his arms over his chest, "to a place no one should know of, not even Stone himself."
Leaning my head against the window, I close my eyes and let the darkness take me.
Hoping to wake up from this nightmare.
_not fully edited._
Prologue-epilogue part one will be next and last update before the new book.