The Masked - Episode 19&20

  

THE TORMENTOR 2

THE MASKED 

The Masked - Episode 19&20

 ( Where•are•you, Ixora? )

Book 2 in the Mindf+ck Trilogy

by Naomi Cindy B.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a written permission from the author.

Copyright © 2025 

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[Creed Family House]

Beatrice dragged a long breath into her nose after the long remembrance she had, then she wiped the tears lingering at the corners of her eyes before taking another look at the baby hair in the white handkerchief.

She actually cut some tendrils of the baby hair before she buried him that day, and she planned to show it to the Thorne family on the day of her confession.

She's definitely gonna land in jail after confessing, or worse...

Mr. Thorne might take her and bestow her with bitter death, but she's ready for whatever may come.

After all, she committed this sin.

If she had held the baby tighter that day, he wouldn't have fallen from her, the nurses wouldn't have marched him.

He wouldn't have died, and she wouldn't have taken Mykel away from Warren to place on Mariya's side.

If Warren had grown up with his twin brother, maybe he wouldn't have turned out this way.

Maybe Warren's existence wouldn't have been this messy. 

By now, her tears are already falling, so she wiped them again. She blew her nose before folding the hair handkerchief back.

She returned it to the purse and placed it back under the pillow, then she stood and left the room.

She met Elder Creed in the dinning room, still eating, so she sat with him.

"You still wanna eat more? You can join me" he said, and she smiled.

"You're a good person, sire. A very good person." She said, and he looked up, blinking his white lashes.

"If you're saying this cos I'm gonna give Warren my eyes, then it's not needed. I'm giving him my eyes doesn't mean I'm dying" he said.

"I know you're not dying. In fact, you're far from the grave. Good people live long, so you'll live long" she replied with another smile.

"Am I really a good person?" He dropped his chocolate cup.

"Of course, you got crippled cos of your son. You're gonna give your eyes to that same son, and you have the largest foundation in this city for taking care of the homeless. Even when you peacefully pass away, the Creed family name will never be forgotten" she elaborated.

"I kill people" he replied simply.

"Wrong. You kill thieves cos you hate thieves. And anyone else you might have killed, I'm sure you have a genuine reason too" she said.

Elder Creed rested back on his wheelchair.

"What do you wanna hear, Beatrice?" He asked.

"Maureen..." She said carefully, and Elder Creed's fingers stilled.

"She killed more than twenty doctors and nurses in the hospital that day, even patients. And not only that...she bombed the theater room cos she believed Warren was inside, and till now...that hospital never opened again. The new Crescent Hospital in the city is just a copycat" she said.

Elder Creed kept quiet.

"I've been wondering why Maureen would go that far, it's clearly not only because her twin sister died giving birth. There's a bigger reason, and—"

"Ask Lydia" Elder Creed cut her off.

"She wouldn't tell me" she replied.

"And that is to tell you it's top family secret. Lydia is like family, and if she doesn't wanna tell you, then why should I?" The man said, and Beatrice gave up.

He returned to his meal, and she left the dinning room.

--

[Stonia's Mansion]

After the mask off, Elsa still doesn't have the full Ixora look cos of the tanned upper part of her face, so Rafael opened his car door and pushed her inside.

Strangely, she complied without kicking to get away.

Rafael drove her out of the compound to his own house.

It was a rough drive till they arrived at his compound.

He pulled her arm again, dragging her into the house—into the kitchen where he got bottled water from the freezer.

He wet his sleeves with it, then he brought the wet sleeve to her face and began wiping the upper part.

The tanning cream came off with the water after several hard wipes, and her full real face got revealed.

The water bottle fell from Rafael, and he gasped, his eyes popping.

Her shaved brows, black contact lenses and black wig gives her a slightly different look, but it's her 

Even the blind would perceive it.

As Rafael stood in front of her with brown wet sleeve and wide mouth, he couldn't fight the shakiness that crept deep inside him.

His fingers began shaking, so he brought the right one to his open mouth to cover it, and his tears crawled out at once.

"How could you...how could you..." He stuttered, and Elsa had to let out her own tears too.

"Dad" she sniffled, and the man stormed to her at once, cupping her into his arms in a tight as f+ck embrace.

"Dad" she muttered again, hugging him back immediately.

"I knew I felt something, I knew I could feel something anytime I saw your mask. I just knew it...I know my daughter when I see her, I could just...gawd" he cried louder like a kid, and Elsa smiled, wrapping her arms on him tighter.

"Thanks for recognizing me. Even when mum is the one with custody, you know me better" she said.

"How would I not know? You're the most important treasure I own, baby" he replied, and she smiled, her tears streaming down again as she hid her face in the crook of his neck.

--

[Mykel's Place]

Ashton and Capri are both sitting on the couch, but the two other guys are on their feet with Nadine.

Mykel checked his wristwatch then sighed.

"I have a date, so make it quick" he signed.

"Where's Ixora?" Warren cryptically asked, and Mykel gave him a long look before smiling.

"Is that a joke? Ixora is in her mother's mansion" He said, and he wasn't surprised his voice opened for Warren too.

Warren came closer.

He's slightly taller, but their height. difference is not very obvious.

"You know what I'm on about, so quit feigning ignorance. I wouldn't make me lose the little calm in me" he warningly said.

"So what if you lose your calm? What can you possibly do to me with one eye?" Mykel replied, and Konstantin bursted into laughter behind.

He's holding a bottle of vodka which he got from Mykel's cellar by himself.

When his laughter died down, he took a throat full and came closer, hanging his elbow on Warren's shoulder.

"You see...I think you should be more scared now that he's one-eyed. I hate to admit it, but he works better when he's blind" he said.

"Am I supposed to start screaming?" Mykel replied, his calmness infuriating.

"No... you're supposed to be telling us the fuckin right answer" Konstantin sneered.

"Where is she?" Warren asked again, his calmness level depleting.

"Am I supposed to tell you the location of the girl you ruined? What are you gonna do if you find her? Tell her you love her?" Mykel said.

Warren's guilt pulled at his chest again, but he didn't show it, his face was set.

"I'll ask one last time, where is she?" He said, calmness gone.

"No info for you" Mykel bluntly replied, and that was replied with violence.

Warren slammed his punch into Mykel's face, and Mykel fell with a sharp groan.

His eye socket bled, and that eye became black as it swelled up real quick.

Warren cracked his finger bones as he lowered that fist, and the silence in the mansion became deafening.

Before he could punch him again, Nadine jumped forward.

"For my sake, please tell us where she is" she said.

Mykel struggled to get up, wiping the blood in his eye before groaning out.

"She processed your release from Russia with me" he said, and her eyes widened.

Konstantin frowned in both shock and confusion.

"Wait...the Pakhan and his wife?" 

"I sent them cos Ixora asked me to. They're my ... Grandparents" Mykel hesitated before saying the last word.

"You've gotta be kidding me, you're telling me you're the one who saved me from my witchy-woo mother?" Konstantin dropped his bottle.

"Ixora asked me to, I just did what she told me. So we both saved you" Mykel replied.

"Ow man! I can't kill you, f+ck!" Konstantin cussed.

"Well that's f+cked up" Capri spoke from the couch, his voice thick with the smoke he's puffin.

Ashton isn't even here at all. He's sitting on the couch beside Capri, but his face is buried in his phone.

He's still very much invested in searching for Bronx's cult, and he just found something that might be related.

"Please...tell me where my best friend is. Even if it's only me" Nadine said, and Mykel sighed.

"I can't just burst it without her permission. Whenever she wants me to say it, then I'll say it" he said.

"You rescued Konstant, I'll give you points for that, and I won't touch you, but you'll have to entertain me till you get tired of me" Warren said, facing the others.

"Y'all can leave, I just found a new home I think" he told them, taking his seat.

He took Konstantin's alcohol, and for the first time in his life, he drank alcohol, allowing it to burn his miserable throat.

The guys took it as a joke, but then then he doesn't joke, so they took their leave with Nadine, leaving just him with Mykel.

Mykel sat opposite him.

"You can't be for real" he said.

"Do I look like fuckin joker?" Warren replied, and he smirked.

"Who are you, exactly?" Warren asked, and Mykel leaned forward with his elbows on his kneecaps.

"The boy at the mill" he replied, and the shock that appeared on Warren's face afterwards was massive.

--

[Nadine's Place]

Capri went back to the hideaway, Ashton went somewhere else, but Konstantin escorted Nadine back to her place so she'd pack some of her things.

Living here alone would be risky, and she doesn't wanna take that risk. Also, this property belongs to her stupid parents who abandoned her for death, so she can't stay in every consideration.

She has enough money in her account to see her through college and after college, and there's enough to buy another house too.

She's gonna start her life afresh.

As she picked up her important things into the white bag she's holding, Konstantin stood by the door of her room, watching her like a spectator.

He knows she hates when he touches her things, so he just stood there, not intending to go close.

Nadine was close to finishing when she saw an earring and bracelet set.

It was the souvenir Ixora bought for her when she went to Capetown last year, and she kissed it with a large smile before throwing it into the bag.

She was about to zip up when she saw something else on her vanity table .

She slowly picked it up, and as she stared at it, her heart sank deeper into the mud.

It's a picture of her parents with her when she was a baby. She's in their middle, mouth wide with an adorable smile which showcased her two baby teeth.

Nadine cried, and her tears fell on the picture.

To think that these same people left her for death in Russia? She can't just wrap her hear around it, and no matter how hard she tried to pretend that it doesn't hurt, it hurts like mad.

She angrily tore the picture into pieces, then she louden the tune of her tears, crying so hard that snot came out of her nose.

It was at this time Konstantin came closer.

He stayed behind her for over a minute, wondering what he should do.

He's not big at consoling people, but he has seen Anfisa do it a lotta times, so he gently pulled her into a hug.

Nadine didn't struggle to move back—she allowed him, and her tears soaked his white shirt as she cried in his arms.

Konstantin stroked her hair, and she began hiccuping, calming bit by bit.

She hugged him back, slowly.

--

[Rafael's Mansion]

Ixora is at the dinning table, and Rafael is rushing in and out of the kitchen like a wife, setting the table with different meals which he cooked by himself.

He's wearing an apron, and Ixora is smiling as she watched him rush.

Her wig and contact lenses are off already.

"Careful, I won't forgive you if you fall" she said.

"It must have been a while since you had good food,daddy's gonna refine your buds" he replied, and she laughed as he kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, it's really really been a while" she said, and Rafael settled beside her, taking the fork.

"I can eat by myself" she said.

"Ha" he replied, pretending not to hear her, and she opened her mouth.

He fed her the chocolate omelette, and she gave him thumbs up as he continued feeding her the varieties of meals.

Her blindness came again, suddenly.

Rafael brought the fork of salad to her lips, but for a minute, she couldn't see 

"Baby?" He said, and she blinked her eyes before her sight came back.

"What's going on?" He dropped the fork.

"I've got problems with my eyes, I think" she replied.

"What!" He gasped.

"It's not severe" Ixora stated.

"Yunno what? Let's get to the hospital" he took her hand.

"No no no... dad. Have you forgotten what I told you? I can't make any personal move till I reveal myself as the real Ixora. I'll tend to my eyes but not now" she said.

"What's more important than your eyes? It could get worse" he said.

"Trust me" she replied, and when he made to talk again, she placed a finger on his lips.

"Trust me" she repeated, and he finally sat back.

She has actually narrated everything for him before he started cooking, so she's currently carrying him along.

"Evelyn? Is Winter? Unbelievable. I know her mother Mrs. Ortega was a bî+ch, but I never knew it stretched to the daughter" he muttered.

"Her documents will be ready tomorrow, and she's planning to leave the country, so I'm making a move" Ixora said.

"I'm making the move with you" Rafael replied.

"No...

"You can't say no, I'm not letting you take any risk alone. Look, I don't trust the cops too, so we'll get her, cook pains for her and serve her the meal in a tray" he cut her off.

Ixora returned to her meal, knowing she won't be able to change his mind.

"Also, we'll have to kill your Elsa personality first. You're not going back to Stonia's mansion." He continued.

Ixora looked up.

"You'll fake Elsa's death?" She said.

"Leave it to me. Go upstairs to your room and change into something else, then give me the baggy clothes you're wearing, plus the mask and wig" he replied.

Ixora blinked, wondering what he's up to.

--

[Monty's Place]

Ashton rang the doorbell, and it was Bronx who opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" They asked at the same time.

Bronx made to shut the door, but Monty appeared too, stopping him from doing that.

"Ashton Smith?" She scoffed.

Ashton stepped in, and she folded her arms on her b👀bs.

"Why are you in my house?" She asked.

"Your father... Mr. Blair. He was killed by a gunshot when he was recording videos for his blogs. The incident happened at Bova street, and his killers were rumoured to be a dangerous unknown cult. No one knows their identity till now" Ashton said straight to the point, and Monty scoffed again.

"How much did you research about me?"

"Did you know Bronx belongs to that same cult? He has the tattoos on his body, but no matter how much I searched, I didn't find anything about the cult, which only means they're the discreet cult ... Same cult who killed your father" he said.

"I know he belongs in the cult, I've been trying to get them too. They're sending him threats." Monty replied.

"Good, where did you live when your father was still alive?" Ashton asked.

"Why do you ask?" Monty replied.

"Your father saw something he shouldn't have seen, so they killed him. He's a wilder blogger than you, me might have kept something" Ashton replied.

Monty frowned, but then...she can't deny the validity of this suggestion.

"Bova Street, we lived at that same Bova" she said.

--

[Romeo's Mansion]

Romeo's condition got a lot better, though his stomach is still bandaged, and his balls still hurts.

He just finished packaging drugs with  Clover, and they both sat on the big table.

Romeo pulled out his phone and began typing fast like he's sending thunder messages.

Clover observed him for a while before moving close to peek at his screen, only to see he's actually sending bulk messages to a street gang, inviting them to aid him in a fight.

"Don't tell me you're actually gonna go after Mykel" Clover said.

"Why else would I be inviting street thugs? He seems undefeatable so I need more men. Also, Konstantin is back, and Satan's Heirs are now complete, it's time for reckoning" Romeo replied.

"F+ck...are you insane? All because of who? Ixora? The girl you're only lusting over?" Clover glared.

"What do you mean?" Romeo jumped down from the table with a deeper glare, and at the same time, Bethel came downstairs with a backpack on her back.

"I'm gonna go stay some days at an hotel, I need space from you both" she said.

"Go anywhere you fuckin like, just don't get hurt" Romeo replied and continued his bulk text.

Bethel bit her tongue and left the house. Clover followed her, meeting up outside.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To the hospital, I have two more days to live i think. Or three" she smiled.

"Wh...what!" Clover stuttered.

"Don't worry, I won't be alone over there, there's another person with cirrhosis who'd keep me company" she replied, still smiling despite the pains.

She obviously lost weight cos her collarbones are like necklace right now, and her complexion is rapidly fading.

"Don't tell Romeo, but you're free to visit me alone" she continued and left  in her car.

Clover sat by the doorstep, seeming fed up of everything.

--

[Next Morning, Satan's Heirs Hideaway]

Ashton didn't come home last night, so it's just three girls and two guys.

Nadine and Anfisa are probably still upstairs brushing, but Chicago was already drinking beer in the living room when Capri came downstairs.

He ignored her and began heading to the kitchen...

"Coward" she talked, but he kept walking.

"Do you even have balls between your legs? I bet it's balloons instead" she talked again, and Capri stopped this time, turning back.

"You could stay and stand Hawke's crimes after mother's death, that doesn't mean I have to stay too! You don't even know what happened so do not fuckin provoke me!" He yelled.

Chicago spranged up.

"He made me into him because you weren't there you coward! I know the number of people he killed before he went to jail cos he took me along to do every of his murders! I watched him maim people, slit people, cut them tendon by tendon and mutilate them! And I liked it! I loved the thrill! I loved the way it energized me! I grew used to his cruelty and even killed many with him before he went to jail! After he went to jail, I thought I could lead a good life and dated Romeo, but he chased Romeo away too, and I lost it totally! It all happened cos you weren't there so you have no right to hate me!!" She shouted at his face.

"You think you're the only one he tainted? Think you're the only one he muddled? Did you even bother knowing why i fled in the first place? He forced me to kill her! I was the one who killed —"

Capri stopped talking at this point cos everyone is already out.

Konstantin is by the rails, Anfisa and Nadine are on the staircase, all staring down at them.

They both stopped talking, panting as they stared at each other.

Silence filled the place, and on the TV, news of a fire outbreak in a grocery store is currently being shown, but no one payed attention to it.

--

[Stonia's Mansion, Ixora's Room]

Serena is in the bathroom, scrubbing herself with sponge like she wants to rip her skin off.

These days, the odour coming from her is terrible, and she can't even explain where exactly it's coming from.

Her mouth? Armpits? Puxxy?

She has no idea, so she's just scrubbing everything.

Stonia's signing over ceremony is in some days, and she can't be caught smelling.

She has to visit Dr. Fat at this rate.

Winter isn't even picking her calls,...that bîtch.

She spent an hour plus in the bathroom, and when she came back to her bedroom, she met Stonia waiting there.

"Mum?" She blinked, and Stonia came closer to show her the fire outbreak news.

"Look, it's the grocery store at the end of Beverly Hills" she said.

"Their luck" Serena shrugged.

"Can't you see what I'm trying to show you? Only one person died in the fire, and even her bones were crushed to ashes. Her only belonging is the mask which was found hanging on one of the half-burnt shelves" Stonia explained, and Serena took another look at the news, viewing the mask well.

It's Elsa's! 

She recognizes it cos it's easy to recognize with the five thread stitches that's on top of it.

"Elsa died in the fire? Meaning she left this compound last night?" Serena's eyes widened.

"What!!!"

--

[Mykel's Place]

The TV is on, and the fire news is currently showing.

Warren is on the couch which he stayed on since last night, and he's on his phone.

He didn't plan to find out Evelyn's location this fast, but someone actually sent it to his phone anonymously, and he's gonna go check it out.

He could capture her and keep her till he's gonna find Ixora.

He stood, and his eyes caught the TV news, causing his brows to rumple.

When he saw the mask of the victim, his brain told him he has seen that mask somewhere before, and he began racking it up.

He didn't think for long before remembering he actually saw it on the girl who was protecting Serena the other time.

The masked girl.

Well it's none of his business, so he proceeded to the door.

"Going somewhere?" Mykel asked, coming downstairs.

He saw the fire news too, but Ixora already texted him about it last night, so he's cool.

His eye is still black from Warren's punch though.

Warren turned his head over his shoulder, giving her a indecipherable look.

"Not to pry, but I could tag along if it's something beneficial." Mykel talked again.

Without an answer, Warren left the house, and Mykel picked his hood from the couch, throwing it on before following him out.

--

[Rafael's Mansion]

Rafael and Ixora stood in front of the television, watching the outbreak news with satisfaction in their eyes.

Surely, the news would have reached Stonia's mansion by now, and Serena would probably be shocked.

Ixora faced Rafael, smiling.

"How were you able to do it within last night and this morning? You only went out for an hour last night after I gave you my disguises" she asked.

"I bought the grocery store from the owner, it's as simple as that" he replied, and she hugged him.

"Have I ever told you you're the best dad ever? If my future husband lacks your qualities, then I'm not getting married " she joked, and he laughed.

"I already invited Serena's granny from Serbia, she'd be here on the day of the signing over" he said.

"Before the signing over, we actually have a culprit to catch" she replied.

"Of course" Rafael tilted his head.

They're both twinning, wearing leather jackets on black shirts and black trousers like they're going for a real special mission.

"Shall we?" Ixora tilted her head too, her blonde hair pouring since it's insanely long right now.

Rafael hung his arm on her shoulder, and they left the house like that.

--

[Winter's Place]

Winter received the properties documents since 6am, and the time is currently 7am.

Her flight is by 8, and she's busy zipping up her small bag with happiness.

Time to go back to Itaewon and leave this shitty country.

It already killed her mother, she's not gonna allow it to kill her too..

With the money she'd get from the properties, she can buy several guys as pets and have them eat her puxxy and dîck her down every night.

To hell with Warren, he's now blind with one eye anyways.

She'd be the queen of her own world down there in Itaewon, a total goddess.

She finished zipping and stood, stretching her body readily before carrying the bag.

She strode fast to the door and opened it, but before she could step out, visitors stepped in.

Rafael was the first to come in, and her eyes widened as she moved back with two unplanned steps.

"Mr. Rhodes?" 

Rafael removed his shades and proceeded to raising his leg, kicking her ruggedly on the chest—on the br+ast.

The metal under her bra pricked out in the process, stabbing her b+ob as she fell with her bag to the ground.

"You don't get to use my daughter and go Scot free. Itaewon? F+ck that, you're going to burn" Rafael muttered.

And then...

Ixora came in, looking as sinister as her father.

Evelyn was holding to her bleeding breast as she looked up with wide eyes again.

This isn't the fake Ixora from before, this is the only she knows. The aura us unmistakable.

"I....Xora?" She swallowed trembling emptiness.

"Hi, puxxyface" Ixora replied with a harsh nutter, then she kicked the exact place Rafael kicked. She even placed her leg on it, pressing it further.

The metal digged into Evelyn's boob more than before, and Evelyn shrieked out like a pup, shaking agonizingly, kicking and gurgling as blood soaked her br@ and blouse, dripping down her freezing chest.

"You like that? Huh?" Ixora muttered.

"Do you fuckin like it? Answer me cûnt!!" She shouted, pressing her second boob.

"No no no! No!!!!!!!!" Evelyn peed a mixture of blood and urine on herself.

And then, two other people appeared in the threshold.

Rafael felt their presence, so he turned back, sighing Mykel and Warren who're standing there, side by side...

Rafael smirked, but they're not even looking at him.

Their equally dark eyes are on the ruthless blonde who's raining pains on Evelyn.

Ixora's head lifted slowly, but her leg is still on Evelyn's bloody chest.

Her blonde hair is covering her face slightly, but her cruel brown eyes is in view, sending shockwaves to them like electricity.

Their eyes are wide with the same inches, and she did worse by smiling darkly at the two of them.

She smiled with only a side of her face before speaking...

"Welcome to my show, fellas. Where are your popcorns?."

TBC.

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