THE TORMENTOR 2
THE MASKED
The Masked - Episode 11&12
( Where•are•you, Ixora? )
Book 2 in the Mindf+ck Trilogy
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Five minutes later, Ixora sat on the pool edge with Mykel, their legs swaying inside the pool as they both stared ahead.
"Why were you at the mill that day when I met you? You had tears in your eyes too" Elsa asked interestedly.
"I ran away from home after hearing an heartbreaking news. I needed one day away from home, so I found the mill and decided to stay there" he explained, glancing at her.
"You heard an heartbreaking news? What news?" Elsa asked, and Mykel went silent.
She had to look at him, and she wasn't surprised to find him spaced out.
Everyone has sob stories to tell, but in this part of Cali? It's like every child grew up with traumas, and she's very sure he has his.
"Mykel?" She called, but his eyes refused to blink as the memories of that day replayed.
—Age 12, Thorne Island—
It's a bright sunny day, and Mykel returned from his musical class early they finished faster than usual.
Strangely, his father isn't in his room, and so is his mother.
Normally, they stay home on Sundays like this despite the busy schedules of the empire, but where are they today?
He dropped his backpack in his room and went back downstairs to look for them, and that was when he heard their whisperings from his father's study.
"You got DNA test done on him? Why" His mother's voice came, and Mykel froze by the door.
"I had all the needed reasons. He doesn't look like me! He doesn't look like you! He doesn't look like anyone in this family! And now the results are out and he's not mine, not mine Mariya! Mykel isn't my son!" The father yelled, and Mykel shivered.
"What!" The mother gasped.
"Take the results and have a look! He's not fuckin mine!!" The father insisted, and that was when Mykel rushed out of the house, eyes teary and blurry.
He has lived in this house all his life, known these people as his only companions... his parents, and now he's suddenly not theirs?
He ran and ran with no destination in mind. He just wants to spend the next 24 hours away from the house, so he kept running.
Till he arrived at the mill.
—Present Time—
"Mykel?" Elsa called again, touching him.
"Hmm?" He finally broke out of his trance.
"I asked what bad news you heard that made you come to the mill that day, and you just...zoned out" she said, and he sighed, swinging his hairy legs in the water.
"Not a story for now, I'll pick you up tomorrow if you send the location" he said.
"Fine, we'll see tomorrow then." she curtly replied, and he nodded, then he leaned in for a kiss.
She quickly turned her cheek, and he kissed the cheek before standing.
"Goodnight, jewel eyes" he stroked her hair.
"Night" she replied, and then he exited the building.
The smile on Elsa's face disappeared, and she lay down on her back, covering her spilled br+Ã sts with her palms and feeling the piercings on her skin.
She sighed her new engagement ring and brought the hand closer to eyes.
"Don't worry, Nad. You'll soon be outta that shit hole" she muttered, shutting her eyes.
--
[Russia, Barinov Guild~Konstantin's Room]
The wedding prep has already started, and as Konstantin watched the intake and outtake of items into the guild from his room window, he took another swig from his alcohol bottle, feeling the chills like never before.
It's real.
Not a dream of some sort.
It's f+ckin real.
He blinked his eyes, feeling his own vulnerability.
Now he knows why he was so in love with California. It's because down there he's free to do whatever the hell he wants, but here in his country? Under his mother's watch?
He's useless and leashed.
He's nothing.
He was about to drink from his bottle again when a knock sounded on the door, but he pretended not to hear.
Akem came in, looking all smiley as he approached him.
"Lady Galina is waiting at the park, we're to go check out the wedding suits today" He said.
"Get out" Konstantin replied without turning around.
"Lady Galina will be angry if I go back to the park without you" Akem replied, and Konstantin angrily turned, throwing his bottle of vodka at him.
Akem switched positions, and the bottle flew to the threshold just when Anfisa came in.
Anfisa caught it, then she poured the alcohol on the ground before dropping the bottle to shatter away.
She walked over the bottle pieces to Akem, sizing him up and down with her eyes.
"You know better than to spend one more minute in here" she said.
Akem didn't talk again, he just walked out of the room, then Anfisa walked over to Konstantin whose eyes are rolling.
"Why are you acting weak?" She said.
"Cause I am, I can only exude that bravado in Cali, obviously" he replied, talking another alcohol bottle from his bed.
Before he could open it, Anfisa took it and broke it, wasting it on the ground like the first.
"Do you have a death wish?" He came closer with a snarl, nearly grabbing her hair.
"You're not weak, you're just scared, and the cause of your fear? Nadine" she said, and he turned his back on her, grinding his jaws.
"If you're scared that she'd get hurt, then you'd lose. Make her your strength, make her your motivation, fight for her, you like her!" Anfisa convinced, and he faced her.
"I don't, she hates me and it's mutual" he said with a squint.
"So right now if I order some guards to take turns to f+ck her, you'd watch?" She replied, and his eyes turned cold.
"Shut up" he muttered, and she smirked.
"There,that look. You only have to make use of that anger and survive! The moment you get married to Akem, you're not leaving this country forever, it's a trap! And you're supposed to spend as much time as you can with Warren, together with the guys. This ain't the right time to leave Warren alone, you know what I'm talking about Konstantin" Anfisa held his face.
"I know you miss him, you miss Capri, you miss Ashton, and that you wanna save Nadine...I know I know, and that should be your strength. I'll help... let's do this" she said.
Konstantin released a large breath.
"How many extra guns do you have in your suitcase?" He asked, and Anfisa smiled.
"More than enough, you should go get the suits with them, we need to keep making them believe we're in" she said.
Konstantin buttoned up his white shirt and left the room eventually, meeting Galina by the stairs.
She was already coming back for him with Akem.
"Thank your stars that you came out before I got to your room, it'd have been hazardous" she darkly said, her green eyes witchy.
Konstantin just walked past her, down the stairs.
Galina and Akem followed, and three minutes later, they're already driving out of the guild.
Anfisa came out of Konstantin's room and began making her way to Nadine's room.
She was halfway when Kol came out of his meeting room with two business men.
The men took their leaves, and Anfisa didn't bother to respond to their greetings as they went downstairs.
"Daughter" Kol faced her, and she scoffed.
"You're not even a bit concerned about what's going on in this place, are you? All you do is follow mother's orders like a puppy"
"The marriage? It's for Konstantin's good, I dunno why y'all aren't seeing it" Kol nonchalantly replied, leaning on the hall brick.
"Gawd! Are you even our father? I'm starting to think it was you who carried our pregnancy, and it was mother who impregnated you. You're the wife!" Anfisa stated and walked past him.
"You should be ready! Your wedding is next after your brother's!" Kol shouted after her as she entered Nadine's room.
Nadine is sitting in bed, curled up like a ball, but she adjusted her sitting position when Anfisa came in.
"Fisa" she muttered.
Anfisa sat beside her.
"I know you hate Konstantin, but when the time to run arrives, you should do whatever he tells you to do" she said.
"I don't...grab" Nadine replied, and Anfisa caressed her face.
"You'll understand, soon. Just stay at alert" she said.
Nadine looked on confusingly.
--
[California, Next Day~Obsidian Island Forest]
Warren has been here since last night, he didn't go to the hideaway.
He knew the guys would be looking for him, and Chapel Of Silence would be the first place they'd go to, so he didn't go there.
He came here and just stared at the green river till daybreak—the river Ixora frowned Anastasia in.
His phone is on, but he had to block Capri and Ashton for now, so they won't be able to track him.
He even blocked Elder Creed and Lydia since they might wanna track him through them.
His eye patch is heavily bloody and obviously needs a change, but he kept his composure, looking like a wounded devil that he is as he sat there, alone.
As he stared into space, his hand stayed on the flame pendant necklace on his neck, caressing it with great yearn.
"I LOVE YOU MORE THAN MY LIFE, FLAME" Her confession jeered at him, cracking the cold in his chest and snagging at his thread of warmth.
He subsequently tightened his hold on the pendant, his eye going to her meteorite bracelet on his wrist.
There are three bracelets on his wrists right now.
The Creed family beaded bracelet and Satan's Heirs meteorite bracelet—those two are on his left wrist.
Then Ixora's meteorite is wrapped on his right wrist.
He brought it to his lips and kissed it, his eye blood dropping on the beads.
He should have at least taken her on a McDonald's date.
He should have at least taken her to the national aquarium since she loves fishes so much.
He should have taken her to the anthropology museum since she's a big fan of it too.
There are a whole lotta things his bastardized self didn't do for her, but now...
"Hey cyclops!" Chicago's voice broke into his regretful thoughts, and he wasn't surprised when she joined him, holding a brown envelope.
He actually told her this location.
He took the envelope from her and emptied out the content.
They're pictures of Serena's grandmother in Serbia, together with her maid.
"The maid has been the only one staying with the old woman, Serena never visited" Chicago said, and Warren dropped the pictures.
Chicago was about to say something else when she saw his second eye.
It's starting to get affected by the stabbed eye cos it's madly red, and it looks painful with the swell.
"You should take pity on yourself and get some treatment for that eye at least, you can't go blind totally!" She glaringly said.
Warren stood and covered his head with his hood, then he began heading out of the forest.
"Cyclops!" Chicago went after him.
--
[Stonia's Mansion, Ixora's Room]
Winter spent the night here, but she woke up before Serena, and she entered the bathroom with her phone to take a leak.
While at it, she checked her phone and was delighted to see a text from her lawyer.
L: the documents will be ready for signing in two weeks.
She texted back instantly.
Winter; Two long weeks? I came back to Cali only for those documents, so you better make it faster! I'm leaving this country before anyone starts to suspect me as Evelyn.
After sending, she cleaned up and stood.
Her parents properties documents are the only thing she's here for, she'd be on the flight back to Itaewon the moment she gets her hands on them.
By the time she got back to the bedroom, Serena is already awake, and two maids are inside with her, massaging her legs and taking care of her bruised knees.
"Bethel hasn't called?" Winter asked.
"I wasn't expecting her to do that, she's on her brother's side no matter what. I was wrong to befriend her in the first place" Serena rolled eyes.
"And are you really gonna allow Elsa to continue being your maid? Fire that lowlife, she's trying to steal the boy you like" Winter said, sitting beside her.
"Fire her? Nope. Elsa is destined to serve me forever, so I'm just gonna double her workload. When she arrives, she'd wash my undies" Serena laughed, and Rafael entered.
"Dad!!" She squealed, trying to stand up, but her knees hurts, so she sat back.
"Good morning, Mr. Rhodes" Winter greeted, but the man ignored her, and she blinked.
"Dad?" Serena blinked too.
"The maids at the kitchen were saying you and your mother threw Elsa out last night" Rafael replied.
"Yeah, she left me to get wounded so we gave her the right punishment" Serena replied.
"What the hell is wrong with you!!!!!" Rafael yelled, so much that his throat nearly popped off.
"D..dad?" Serena stood, pushing the maids on her legs away.
"Who are you!!! Nothing about you feels like my daughter!! Nothing about you sounds like her!!! My Ixora is a sweet, sweet girl. Who are you!!!" Rafael he yelled again, and Serena fell back in bed, shedding crocodile tears.
"Dad? Are you doubting me? You think it's easy going through what I went through for one year? But I still came back hale and healthy and all I get is your doubt?" She said.
Rafael was panting as Stonia came in, and immediately she saw the tears on Serena's face, her eyes widened.
"What happened? Why are you in tears?"
"Dad is doubting me... I'm hurt" Serena cried again, and Stonia faced Rafael fast.
"You've started again? Your stupid doubts?"
"Try to see things from my perspective!" Rafael replied, and Stonia Stonia raised her hand to slap him, but the driving in of a car stopped her.
She rushed to the window and was shocked to see Warren coming out of the car that just drove in.
He's with Chicago, and Chicago herself is holding stones.
"What the hell is that bastard doing here?" Stonia muttered, rushing out.
Rafael went after her, and Winter helped Serena, both going out too.
"What are you doing in my house?" Stonia queried as she stepped out.
"The imposter under your roof, get her out" Warren stonily replied, and Stonia cackled.
"I see you now have one eye as it should be, and you deserve to get the remaining one blinded too cos you don't deserve any good thing you satanic thug! You condemned her to court, kidnapped her from prison and sold her to prostitution, and now she came back but you still wanna wreck more havoc?" she said.
Winter and Serena came out at this point, and Chicago swung one of the stones she's holding at Serena, but Rafael covered her.
The stone hit Rafael's back, and he bled from that spot, then Serena began crying again.
"Call the cops, Winter" Stonia said, and Winter immediately began dialling.
"Serena Martinez" Warren called, and Serena's heart skipped a beat.
"I know you're the one under that face, and yunno what?" Warren smiled, his one eye giving him a look that belongs in hell's depth.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, and you better hope Ixora is still alive, cos if she dies, if she does?" he chuckled madly, blood leaking out of his bloody path, staining his face fsce.
"You'd beg me to kill you, and I won't listen, I swear on Ixora's soul" he muttered, then he got back in the car.
Chicago threw the remaining stones at the cars in the park, breaking their windscreens before sliding back in the car with Warren.
They drove out.
Rafael gave Serena a deep look, and Serena shook her head.
"You don't believe him, do you? He's the same guy who ruined me" she said, trying to touch him, but she stepped away.
He left the house, driving out too.
"Mum, what's up with dad?" Serena held Stonia.
"Your dad has always been the senseless one, you shouldn't be surprised" Stonia replied, stroking her hair and wiping her tears.
"I'm gonna be signing over my headquarters to your name soon, you should prepare for the ceremony instead of taking Rafael's silliness to heart" she said.
"Really? What!" Serena gasped, and Stonia smiled.
"It's all yours, baby. I'm working hard only for you"
Serena hugged her, and Winter just stayed behind, watching suspiciously.
--
"Find out who has the scent of potpourri in ILC" Warren said as Chicago drove them down the street.
"You should involve the guys" she replied.
"Everyone of us has our shits to take care of, I'm not gonna burden them with this" he replied.
"Then why didn't you just kidnap Serena earlier?" Chicago asked.
"Won't be peculiar, I need something more public. And I need to get Evelyn too. Also, I need to get Ixora. The three should be within my reach at the same time before I strike" he replied.
"Fineee, you and your darn plans. I have plans to drink Romeo's blood and take Serena's eyes but you just burdened me with your tasks" Chicago groaned, lightening a cigar.
"By the way, I'm branching at a clinic or something, your bloody eye patch is gory" she said.
Warren began rubbing his necklace pendant, again.
--
[Thorne Island]
"We're here" Mykel said, giving Elsa a short look when they arrived at the main house in the island.
Elsa hasn't returned to Stonia's mansion since she was chased out last night. She plans to get all these over with before she'd go back.
She spent the night at the swim house, and thankfully it's Saturday, so Mykel just came straight to pick her there this evening.
He got her the expensive brown dress she's putting on right now, and as they stepped out of the car together, Mykel held her soft hand.
"What if your parents don't like me?" She asked, trying to keep her throat saturated.
"Impossible, I've been bugging them with stories about you since I met you at the mill, especially mum. She'd literally jump at you" Mykel replied.
"Mykel?" A beautiful Russian woman came out of the mansion, wearing a head gear and a long black gown.
Her eyes brightened immediately she saw Elsa, and she gasped.
"Ixora! Right? Ixora from the mill" she said.
"Yeah" Elsa smiled, and the woman hugged her dearly.
"Thanks for finally coming, this young man right here wouldn't stop bugging me with stories about you, even when he was in Germany. My ears are full" she said, and Elsa chuckled, breaking the hug.
"It's nice to meet you, Mariya" she said.
"I see she told you my name already" the mother smiled.
"Yeah, and a lot of other things" Elsa nodded.
"Where's dad?" Mykel asked with sign language.
"You told him to ask for something from your grandpa, right? I think he's already working on it so he'll be coming home late" Mariya replied.
"Oh..." Mykel signed and nodded.
"Is it about Nadine?" Ixora asked.
"What else would it be about? Once my gramps gets involved, she'll be out of Russia by tomorrow" Mykel signed and shrugged, and Elsa smiled.
"I was shocked when you told me to prepare engagement documents. They're ready, but I'm a little bit disappointed. I expected a grand engagement, this is too fast. We haven't even met her parents." Mariya said.
"The wedding will be a grand mafia wedding, but this engagement? I want it as fast as the air I breath. Why don't we sign the documents over dinner? Then we can plan on meeting her parents" Mykel signed.
"Fine" Mariya shrugged, and Elsa was led inside the wealthy house.
At each step she took, her breaths turn sour.
She'd get out of this soon, Nadine only has to come back first.
--
[Tina's Place]
Monty left the house since dusk, obviously still trying to try track Bronx down, and Tina has been lonely.
She kept munching every snack she got her hands on, and she ditched juice today.
She went for alcohol.
She checked the time every millisecond, waiting for when Monty is gonna come back, but it seems that's not happening anytime soon, so she kept eating and drinking.
Thinking about nothing but Romeo, Romeo, and Romeo.
Romeo. The freshman party night. Romeo. The freshman party.
Alcohol and snacks is crazy work, so she was even unaware of when she eventually left the house.
She's as drunk as f+ck, and she was drawling on the wheel as she drove out of the compound.
How she didn't get into an accident remained a mystery till she arrived at Romeo's place.
Luckily for her, the gate is open, so she pushed herself into it, swaying as she entered the house.
"Who's in!!!" She yelled, knocking the main door.
It was Romeo who opened the door, and he was shocked to see her like that.
Drunk. Reeking of alcohol. Red face.
He was actually expecting Clover and Bethel since they left the house since long ago and hasn't returned.
"What are you doing here Tina?" He asked, wanting to come out to her, but she pushed him back and went in instead, resting on his chest.
Romeo pushed her off, and she staggered, swaying her right hand in front of herself.
"Do you know how many years I've been crushing on you for?" She said, bringing that hand to her own chest.
"Three. I didn't start liking you when I saw you at ILC, it started when you were still dating Carina. You both went to the zoo that day when I also went with my parents, and I saw you..." She sniffled.
Romeo inserted his hands into his pockets, looking uninterested.
"But when I saw Carina the criminal's daughter as your girlfriend, I gave up, but then we met again when you got admission into ILC ..." She swayed again, her eyes rolling.
"You should go home, Tina." Romeo pushed her shoulders.
"Do you know how many of my brain cells die daily cos of my crush on you? It's so hard but you're not even ready to see me!!" She cried loudly.
"Tina!" He snapped.
"What!! Is it because I'll never be Ixora? The girl you're obsessed with? No, you're not even obsessed with her, you're lusting after her body! You don't love her! I know what you did!" She shouted, walking out of the house as if her drunkenness is suddenly over.
"What do you mean you know what I did?" Romeo said curiously.
When she got to the front steps, she turned back swiftly.
"I know what you did to her drink at the freshman party night" she said seriously, then she walked out of the house.
Romeo's eyes widened so bad.
"Damn it" he muttered, rushing after her like flash.
"Tina!!!!"
He pushed the gate open forcefully, jumping out with his heart in his throat, and luckily, Tina is still running to her car.
"Tina!!!" He yelled out again.
She stopped, and truly...her drunkenness is gone cos there's tears in her eyes.
"I have the video of how you spiked her drink! You weren't drunk, you knew what you were doing, she was the only drunk one, you hypocrite! You think it's easy to like someone like you without being able to stop? I know you're evil and it has been killing me cos I can't even tell anyone!!! I'm a girl's girl but I stopped being one the moment I saw you do that! You only used Ixora's body to get over Carina!! You drugged Ixora and f+çked her then you pretended you were drunk. You grew insane lust for her after the s+x, you shameless criminal!!" She yelled.
Romeo's chest was slashing as he listened with sweaty backline...
"It's not what you think, I swear Tina it's not...
"Stop lying!!! It's sick!!! You're just like your mother or even worse!!! I have the video do you think I'm lying? I couldn't even tell Monty my best friend cos I was scared she'd be disappointed in me for keeping it! But now? I think my eyes are open" she pointed a finger at him.
"I'm gonna post the video on multiple blogs with Monty's help, and the whole of Cali will know you're just like your mother!! Lust dog!!" She yelled, then she resumed the walk back to her car.
"Tina stop! Tina!!!" Romeo shouted desperately, but she never turned..
Romeo saw his life slipping away, the threads getting brutally severed and the essence getting drowned.
If she leaves, then it's over for him.
Not even gawd will save him from Stonia and Rafael's wrath.
His drug machineries and partners won't save him either.
Ixora mustn't find out too,
And Bethel? She'd be so brutally disappointed...
It can't f+ckin happen!
Tina was about to open her car door when he made the last minute decision.
"Tina!!!" He yelled again, and she looked up from her car door, giving him the middle finger.
"F+ck you, dog!"
But her fingers went down when she saw he's already holding his gun with his finger under the trigger, aiming for her.
"Rom...me...
"I'm sorry" he whispered.
Her eyes widened again, and that was the last thing she could do before Romeo pulled the trigger of the silent pistol.
Twice.
He shot her on the chest, and Tina crumbled into the pool of her own red blood.
TBC.
Interesting
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