"She's been using you this whole time" LDM snickered "What a fool she's made out of you"
"Stop lying" Isabela scowled "Haven't you had enough?"
"Do you need proof? I can give it to you"
"That's bull"
"She remembers you clearly, dear. Oh and if I may also share this...even Ricky knows his sister has been faking it"
Isabela faced away from LDM "You won't make me fall for it"
LDM chuckled gently "I don't intent to trick you, I just want you to realize what kind of person is Elena"
"I know who she is"
"A lying snake?"
"Don't-"
"And you're still defending her! You're loyal I'll give you that"
"You expect me to believe you after everything?"
"Honestly? No. But do yourself a favor and listen to me"
"A favor? You've done nothing but cause trouble to people who haven't done anything to you"
"Are you sure about that? Maybe my reasons are deeper than you can imagine. What is the word? Morally gray? Yes. That's it, you could say I am a morally gray person...but I don't want to talk about myself tonight. Elena is the one we should focus on"
Isabela scoffed
"You really don't have any doubts about her? She's been moving incredibly fast, I've heard she's been enjoying the company of many girls lately "
"If you think I'll believe you over the woman I love you are very wrong"
"Now that you bring that up, you love her. But are you sure Elena loves you?"
LDM continued before Isabela could have a say
"Think about it Isabela. She agreed on the double date without concerns, if it was true that in her head she barely knows you...why did she seem so calm to expose herself like that you. A homosexual person wouldn't dare"
"I took her to a party for people who are like us, I think she can put two and two together and figure out I'm okay with it"
"You can keep trying to find explanations and all" LDM sighed "But it won't change the truth, Elena is lying to you"
"I'm going home" Isabela muttered exhausted of the back and forth games.
"Now now Isabela" LDM stepped in front of her preventing her from leaving "I won't let you go until you hear all of it"
"Hear what? Your cunning lies?"
"I'm trying to help you out, you are being quite ungrateful little girl" LDM snapped a finger and Isabela was held in place by two strong sisal ropes "You are going to listen for your own good"
"Let go of me!" Isabela trashed against the hold "You-"
"Relax, it will only take a few minutes to explain"
"I won't believe anything coming out of your disgusting mouth"
LDM shrugged "Don't you understand that I'm looking out for you? Have at least some dignity Elena has you eating from the palm of her hand. How pathetic."
Isabela glared with a fiery intensity "I'm done with your games"
"I hate to be this harsh but I must be honest" LDM cleared their throat "Elena simply got tired of you, she used you for some fun and then couldn't get out of it. She knows how powerful you are...she was scared to leave you. So I gave her a way out. I made you believe that I'd taken her memories of you. And she gladly went along with it"
"That's not true" Isabela gritted her teeth "You-"
"So why didn't her brother Ricky tell her about you?"
"He tried but she-"
"He told you that he tried once, but he didn't keep trying after that, right? Why is that?"
"Because Elena wouldn't believe him. There was no-"
LDM shook their head "Because he was in it the whole damn time! Ricky knows the truth, he played along because his sister asked him to"
"This is pointless" Isabela muttered angrily "Let me go now"
"Stubborn as hell like always" LDM tapped on their mask, something that was a habit of them.
As Isabela continued to struggle against the ropes the wind picked up and a flash of lightning jolted her in surprise.
"I won't trust anything that you say, you are the pathetic one if you think I'll do"
LDM tightened the hold on her "Then go find out by yourself, right now go and ask her straight to her face"
"You're crazy"
"Isn't everyone? I'm patient but there's so little time left"
"For what?"
"You'll see. But right now I'm commanding you to do one last thing for your own good"
"No" Isabela was fuming "I'm over this"
"It wasn't a suggestion, it's an order. I don't want Elena to keep playing with you like this, go to her and confront her. I bet she'll tell you the truth"
"It's midnight! You are completely out of your mind"
"If you don't do it...let's just say that there will be consequences, and I'm looking forward to having some fun with Elena so be careful with your decision"
"You are insane! Why can't you just leave us alone?"
"Because you have something that I want, and you'll find out just what it is very soon"
LDM snapped their fingers once more and the ropes were immediately withdrawn "You know that I find out about everything and if tomorrow morning I hear that you didn't do what I said...you'll be responsible for what happens to Elena"
"I can't just do it now-"
"Yes you can and you will. Go and confront her tonight...she's already home as you saw. Tell her that I told you about everything already"
"I don't want to-"
"Well then I'm sorry for what's about to happen to her"
"No" Isabela resisted the urge to punch them right under the mask "I'll do it, but I know that this is just a sick game to you . Don't you dare touch a single hair on her"
"I promise I won't...and even though my word means nothing to you, this time I mean it"
°
That's how Isabela found herself outside of Elena's house, she was ashamed to even be there but LDM promises were not just idle threats .
"This is ridiculous" Isabela muttered as she stared at Elena's quiet window
"Uh is everything alright?"
"What the- Elena!" Isabela shrieked startled by Elena's abrupt appearance.
Elena sheepishly took a few steps back "Sorry"
"I thought you were already inside..." Isabela trailed off as her eyes landed on her
"What are you doing here?" Elena raised an eyebrow gently
"I...Elena I need to talk to you" Isabela's hands felt clammy, the whole thing was dreading.
"Oh" Elena stared at her with a tad of confusion "What do you want to talk about?"
Isabela didn't dare to look at her in the eye, how could she be doing this?
Isabela took a deep breath and closed her eyes "I need to ask you something"
Elena gave her a faint "okay"
"Elena...do you know who I really am?"
"What? Who you really are, what are you talking about?"
And of course LDM was lying. Elena had no clue what Isabela was talking about.
But she had to do it either way, LDM had ordered it.
Isabela just had to get it out or she wouldn't be able to do it at all.
"LDM told me everything Elena"
°
"Y-You know about it?" Elena's face fell and Isabela's heart dropped instantly.
"S-So it's true?" Isabela's voice broke in disbelief and complete betrayal.
"I...I didn't have any options, I had to do it"
"You had to do it?!"
"I'm sorry" Elena's face remained still
"So e-everything that LDM said is true?"
Elena nodded once "They gave me a way out but I recognize that it wasn't the best decision on my behalf"
"A way out?" Isabela felt a few raindrops hit her face "Of what, our relationship?"
"Yes. I...didn't want you to find out like this"
"Why? Were you scared to leave me...is that true?"
"I didn't know what you could do to me, your abilities go beyond and I-"
"I would never hurt you"
"How could I know that?!"
"You know me, I-"
"Isabela I didn't love you anymore" Elena muttered just as the sky roared "I'm sorry but I had to do what I thought was necessary"
Isabela's eyes welled with tears her heart breaking into a million tiny pieces "S-So you faked losing your memories"
"LDM said that was the safest choice for me"
"You've been working with them all of this time?"
"No. But when LDM realized that my feelings for you were...questionable they offered their help to make you think that I'd lost my memories, it would benefit both of us"
"I can't believe you would do that" Isabela roughly wiped at her eyes "How could you?" More tears were spilling out even as she tried to contain them.
"Because I don't love you!" Elena wouldn't meet her eyes but her voice was loud and clear "I wanted to move on with my life"
"And what about Katy, you just used her to hurt me?"
"I never intended to hurt you! I just wanted you to realize I was moving on...I would dump her as soon as things went further"
Isabela's knees felt weak "When did you stop loving me?"
"To be honest" Elena sighed "I don't think that what I felt for you was love. I believe that it was just mere fascination for who you were and evidently that quickly died down"
"The night we were going to-"
"If your grandmother hadn't interrupted...I would've gone through it, but it was just lust Isabela, don't be naive to think I wanted to do it for love"
"I need to go" Isabela put her arms around herself "I can't stand to be here with you"
"Move on Isabela, and let me live my life. You are not a part of it"
Isabela swallowed a sob and turned away from Elena "I-I don't want to see you again"
Isabela started to walk away, her heart had been broken before but not like this.
Nothing had felt like this.
She had completely been tore apart by her.
"Wait" Elena suddenly called out desperately "Don't go"
"You've said enough" Isabela hugged herself tighter "Just stop"
"I...I can't do this" Elena's voice quivered "I can't break your heart"
"Y-You already did!"
"Come to my room" Elena whispered brokenly "Please"
"No" Isabela stopped walking and faced her with a pained expression "I'm not going to-"
"No. That's not what I mean" Elena looked down at her shaking hands "I need to tell you the truth"
°
Isabela stood by the window watching as the rain hit the glass, Elena kept pacing around the room anxiously.
After a few minutes Elena stopped, she took a breath and walked behind Isabela gently placing her hand on her hip "Please look at me"
Isabela pushed her away with agony "Tell me the truth? What is it Elena? You already expressed your feelings about me"
Elena shook her head with sorrow "N-No that isn't how I feel. I love you more than anything in the world"
"Why are you still lying to me? Do you enjoy hurting me?"
Isabela finally turned to look for her eyes and this time Elena met hers.
"No! I'm not lying this time" Elena sighed remorseful "Isa"
"Why would I believe you?"
"This was part of LDM's sick game" She finally whispered nervously.
"T-They made you do this?" Isabela's heart stopped for a moment her eyes searching for anything that indicated that she was telling the truth.
"Isabela you need to go please"
"What?"
"LDM is going to hurt you" Elena placed her hands over her face and covered her eyes "I shouldn't have said anything"
"Elena" Isabela softly lowered Elena's hands to look at her face "You have to tell me the truth"
"I can't" Elena sobbed "I can't let them hurt you"
"Elena" She tried again "What truly happened. You have to tell me"
"Isabela..."
"Please I need to hear the truth"
"T-The night that LDM kidnapped me...they said that I would return home safe, but I had to do a favor for them. If I didn't do as LDM said...they would hurt you. I had to pretend that my memories of you were gone"
Elena's whole body was shaking now
"LDM told me that after awhile they would reveal to you that I was faking my amnesia and that you would confront me about it...and then I had to break your heart in that moment or else LDM would hunt you down and make you pay for my disobedience"
Isabela stared at her for a long moment after finding her genuine eyes.
It was a roller coaster of emotions.
Things had gone terrible so suddenly and now they were going in a totally different direction.
Her world had fallen and now it was spinning again.
–
"E-Everything that you said...it was because LDM forced you?"
Elena nodded faintly and Isabela's heart beat with hopeful expectations.
And this time it wasn't just wishful thinking.
"I'm horrible! I'm sorry for what I did I-"
"No mi amor" Isabela exhaled at last, the pain slowly fading away "You had to it's not your-"
"Isabela I couldn't go through it, this isn't good LDM is going to go after you" Elena was hyperventilating alarmingly.
"Hey" Isabela took Elena's face into her hands "It's okay, everything will be fine"
"No" tears cascaded down her cheeks "LDM always find out about everything"
"They won't be able to do it, their power is only temporary, soon they will be weak and useless"
"They have one last plan" Elena closed her eyes again "They said that it would take us both by surprise, it would be nothing like before.
LDM said it was their last move before losing it all"
"We will be careful-"
"Run away with me" Elena's words slipped out as she placed her hands on top of Isabela's
"What?" Isabela's eyes widened with utter surprise "Run away from encanto?"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that" Elena looked ashamed of herself and let her gaze fall to the ground.
Isabela took a few seconds to fully compose herself and then after an agonizing moment leaned in slowly to tentatively kiss Elena "I'll leave this place if it means being with you"
"No my love, I can't ask you to leave everything behind. I know how important your family is to you . It would be selfish of me to-"
"Elena" Isabela let her forehead rest on hers.
This was it. The truth bared on an open heart.
She couldn't take more chances. After thinking that she had lost Elena, her desires were clearer than ever.
"Elena I-I want to build a family with you. My family is important to me but you are my partner... I want to spend my life with you...if you want it too"
"I-I want it" Elena was breathless "I want to spend all my life by your side" Her lips quivered as she whispered the next part "You are the woman I want to...marry one day"
"Really?!" Isabela choked out, feeling a different kind of tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yes"
"I want that as well " Isabela admitted shyly and kissed her again this time urgently as she parted her lips slowly "We will run away together towards our own future. Leave LDM behind."