I think I lost consciousness.
I lick my dry lips and slowly open my eyes. For some reasons, my head feels heavy. One look around me and I remember everything. I remember where I am.
My eyes close on their own and I strain against the zip-ties around my wrists. Not a prisoner, my ass. Tying me to a chair is not how it's gonna work.
"She's awake."
I stop moving.
Slow footsteps make their way towards me, and my heart beats in synchro. If only I could reach for my necklace or the knife in my waistband.
"I didn't expect you to be so surprised to see your father."
I flinch. I raise my head and finally stare at the man who destroyed my life.
Stephen Matthew Kingston.
Matthew King. I should have known.
Brown hair that's starting to turn gray. Dark eyes, watching me with mockery. A small smile on his lips. My worst nightmare.
He could have been a good father. My father. Instead, he chose otherwise.
He's wearing a dark red suit and a lot of gold rings, making me purse my lips in disgust. He thinks so highly of himself.
I narrow my eyes in a cold glare. I make sure that my voice stays steady.
"You're not my father," I declare, tightening my fists.
The Master tilts his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows. "Is that true? We share the same blood."
"That's probably the only thing we'll ever share," I reply, raising my chin up. Looking at him makes me want to throw up, but I can't show him any sign of fear.
Because he is probably the only person I fear. I know what he's capable of, after what he's done to my mother right in front of my eyes.
He's ruthless.
"You also kill people for a living," he continues, sitting on the couch across from me. Crossing his legs, he smiles. "That makes two things in common."
This makes me regret everything I've ever done. However, I don't show him my reaction. I keep looking in front of me and take a small breath.
"The only person I'm gonna kill right now is you," I mutter.
"That would be tragic. Losing both your parents."
I lose it. "How dare you?!" I scream, turning my head so fast I almost hurt my neck. I try to move my feet, my wrists, but everything's tied and I start panicking.
Deep breaths. Stay calm. You just gave him what he wanted.
Matthew King stands up and walks the small distance between us before kneeling in front of me. Seeing him so close, my eyes meeting his, is when I really realize that all of this is real.
"Finally, she's here," he murmurs, smiling. "The Sophia I know."
"You don't know me," I spit. Literally. Let's see if I find the father I know.
Closing his eyes, a few seconds pass without any reaction from him. Then, he slowly raises his hand to wipe the saliva from his face.
Kill me. Do it.
He opens his eyes. A vein pops up on his forehead. He stands up again and takes a few steps back.
I can't tell if he's controlling himself or unaffected. His lips form a smile again, and I grit my teeth.
"I've been watching you trying to find me," he declares after a while, putting his hands in his pockets. I wonder how many lives he took just by pleasure with those hands. "I admired you for that. You really did not give up. Going around, risking your life multiple times to find me. The only reason you're not dead is because you're my daughter."
I frown. "So you don't want to kill me?"
"Why would I?" He shrugs. "You could be a great use for me."
"Screw yourself," I say, glaring at him.
He shakes his head. "Such a bad mouth. I didn't raise you like that."
"You didn't raise me! You son of a bitch!" I lean forward in my chair, struggling with my tied wrists until I can start feeling blood dripping. I couldn't care less. "Garry did! You're just a fucking monster!"
My voice breaks and I inhale some air, trying to regain control. I'm so angry. My eyes sting.
Unaffected, he sits down again and turns towards me. "Let's talk about that, shall we? Garry." He shakes his head. "I searched for you for a long time. You just disappeared out of nowhere. You couldn't have gone too far by yourself. Then, I found out you were taken by that man." He purses his lips. "Mr. Neil. That he brought you to the North Agency."
He pauses and glances at me. He seems surprised to see me staring at him intensely.
"You were my daughter and he took you."
"He saved my goddamn life," I declare bluntly.
He scoffs, his eyes turning dead serious. "That's when I decided to create The Circle. The only way to get you back. I knew that one day or another, this would get Mr. Neil's attention. That you would come right here. However, as I said earlier, I was surprised to see you trying to find me. You made my job way easier."
"Why didn't you just kidnap me sooner?" I sigh, tired of hearing his disgusting voice. But I know that I need to hear what he has to say. I need the answers I've been waiting for.
"Where's the fun in that? I waited for you to grow up, to see what you would become..." He smiles. "At the end, you turned just like me."
I bite the inside of my cheek to not reply. My hands start to shake.
"When the right time came, we also named this the East Agency. It was easier for what we had planned."
I hold my breath.
"Your boyfriend. He's quite something. After watching you for years and seeing that you were suddenly in... love, I was surprised. I had to do something."
My breathing becomes unsteady. My eyes fill with tears. Angry tears.
"I made you think your boyfriend died and made him join our side. Our agency." He smiles proudly and plays with the rings on his fingers. "All along he was working with us and he didn't know what we were really doing. Who we were. And I watched you fall apart, becoming the person you are today."
"That was all planned," I whisper, a tear spilling down my cheek. Matthew King nods as if I need a confirmation. "You prevented me from love! You made me feel guilty for something that wasn't my fault for four damn years! You made me think I had to..."
I pause, realizing everything. Tears keep coming when he finishes my sentence for me.
"...destroy love?"
I choke. "How could you?!"
He narrows his eyes. "Love is a mistake from life and I soon realized that."
"That's why you killed my mother? You fucking bastard!"
"I made us all a favor!" he yells, standing up. Silence follows. I shake my head, staring at the monster in front of me. "You and I could have done great things, but Mr. Neil was faster and took you before I could."
Closing my eyes, I let out a strangled laugh and try to stop the tears spilling down my cheeks.
"What have you done?" I whisper, looking up at him in disbelief. "What have you done to me? You took everything from me. Mom. Love. Humanity. And there's one of these things I will never be able to find again."
I lean forward, staring at him. "You destroyed me just like I wanted to destroy the only good thing in my life."
He watches me with curiosity, but he's not affected. Of course not. He sighs and takes out a cigarette. He lits it up, then takes a deep drag and exhales the smoke. I watch it slowly disappear above us and wish I could vanish with it.
"I'll see you later. We still have a lot to discuss. Believe me."
And with that, he leaves the room, a trail of smoke following him.
*
I'm emotional.
Okay, so I finally wrote the damn chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for the wait. ❤️
If you enjoyed, don't forget to vote! ⭐️
Also, I already made a post about it, but The Fiction Awards 2019 has started, and if you could nominate this book under the Action category, that would mean a lot to me! Thank you if you do. ❤️
Hopefully, I can publish the next chapter as soon as possible! I'm excited but don't want this story to end. *cries in French*
I'll see you in the next chapter!
Audrey
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