Twisted Empire - Episode 89&90

   

TWISTED EMPIRE

Twisted Empire - Episode 89&90

(Her Blade, His Neck )

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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 

by Naomi Cindy B.

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The fastness of Teal's twist was lethal. 

She was facing him within a millisecond, and the moment she saw it's really him, her tears fell more.

He's standing tall in front of her, shirtless too, his muscles are sticking out rebellion, and it's just so obvious that he had fought cos there are few scratches on his lower belly and arms, and his black p+nts is fuckin dusty as if he had walked the valley of shadows.

She went behind him and wasn't shocked when she saw his scar is bleeding.

Four turned on his feet and faced her. He cradled her small face gently in the middle of his palms, but she still won't stop the tears. 

Her sound is low, though.

"Teal..." He called, the whisper as low as her cries.

She sniffled, lifting her lids at him. His lips lifted slightly in a small smile, and he wiped her tears with his thumbs.

"Shhh." He said, and she sniffled again, taking her face from his palms and bringing it to his chest to rub.

He closed his palms to the back of her head and caged her, tightly.

"I hate you..." She hiccupped, curling her arms around him. She touched his back scar in the process, and a slight squeeze folded the middle of his brows, but it didn't last.

"I know you do." He smiled a little again, his lips barely moving as he kissed her hair.

"If you die, I'll wed another man on your gravesite" She looked up, and he nodded once, the smile still lingering.

"I won't. And if I mistakenly die, promise you'll live on without peace and joy. You'll live in gloominess and sadness, and sickness." He said, and she smiled with a slight chuckle.

Teal drew a long needed breath into her lungs, shut her eyes then opened them back.

"Why you were captured easily by Usman in the washroom. I know your scar weakens you when messed with, but I also know your abilities. It was five short minutes, Eros. Five minutes and you were taken just like that? And the drained body in the wall? Your bloodied shirt on the ground? The layered message on the wall? The blood on the walls and floors and ceiling? All within that short period? It's not adding up." 

"Usman didn't do the job himself. It wasn't him who took me in the washroom." Four replied.

"What!" Teal frowned.

"He has more mercenaries than I thought. The one who came for me didn't act humane. No human can move that fast." Four said.

He pulled her to the wheelchair and sat, then he sat her down on his laps.

"What was it?" She asked without blinking.

"His movements were too fast to follow. It was mechanical—almost robotic." Four explained, looking ahead.

"Usman creates human robots?" Teal muttered in shock.

Four looked her in the eyes, she frowned a little.

   •10 Hrs Ago, Moussaka Mansion•

"I'll be right back, stay here." Four told her, rubbing her hair before leaving for the washroom with his ringing phone.

It's Usman calling.

Not that he calls with one particular number, but there are just tells to his numbers. Usman's lines are always three digits.

Four arrived at the washroom and clicked the green.

"Congratulations, buddy! You became the General, you deserve a gift, don't you think?" Usman's voice shook the phone speakers.

"Why?" Four asked slowly, the rasp of his calm voice hitting the walls with thrills. "Why are you doing all of these? Why do you take pleasure in killing innocent folks?"

"That shouldn't be a question from you to me, considering the fact that you once killed innocent souls, too." Usman rumbled.

Four's jaws tightened, but he kept quiet, avoiding provocation.

"But you're starting to ask WHY, and I'll give you a quizzical answer for that." Usman continued...

"Ever heard of using one stone to kill two birds? The birds aren't two in my case, and my stone isn't one. I'm using thousand stones to kill battalion birds, and to gawd be the glory...Four DeVille. You're one of those birds. I'm playing with you this much cos you're more entertaining than the other birds. By the time I'm ready to kill you, I'd have drained you dry, and I promise to give you a easy death. You're my buddy after all." Usman sighed.

It seems like an answer, but too poetic and interwoven to be one.

Four's brain isn't even responding to it, and it's exactly what Usman wants.

Confusion.

His hand is still around the phone, and his chest is slamming. Not with fear but with unprecedented anxiety.

"I'm one of your damn birds? Who are the others?" He muttered, and Usman's mocking laughter sounded again, rattling his ears.

"It's my revenge, Four. You have no right to know my birds. And about your congratulations for becoming General, you'll receive it in 3...2..."

Four hung up before he could say 1, but his fastness still didn't match up with the person behind him.

He didn't even know when the person came inside the washroom with him, and that's the first odd thing.

He doesn't get caught unawares no matter how perfect the tiptoe is, so this man is surely different from all other Usman's men.

It's a man that's not as tall as him, but a lot bulkier and stout.

Four's back slapped the wall, and the bulky man was with him within the shortest period of time. It's like he's moving with the wind.

Four bent sideways, and the bulky man's punch slammed on the tiled wall. That part of the tile cracked.

Before Four could control the wideness of his eyes, another hit came. Four dodged it like the first two, then he managed to push a blow to the man's throat.

The man lurched away, bled black blood from the mouth and nose, but it's like that blow recharged him cos he smiled dementedly and came for Four again...

"Shit." Four muttered, going heads-on with him, and...

That was his mistake. 

Their bodies collided, and he instantly realized this ain't his normal usual opponents.

He couldn't even move the bulky man from his spot. Whatever is inside him must be so strong—very strong cos his hand slipped behind Four with a swiftness that rivals the air's.

He's wearing spiked brass knuckles which he pierced Four's scar with.

The scar leaked blood, and Four groaned thickly, but the room he left Teal inside is soundproof, so she definitely won't hear him.

Four lost his tight grip on the man, and his knees kissed the ground with a heavy thud. His arms fell weakly at each side of him.

Eyes red. Neck veined. Body madly hot. His whole body fell on the ground, unconsciously.

All these happened within two minutes.

The man took off his shirt and shredded it with his bare hands.

He brought in a pail of blood and dipped Four's shredded shirt inside.

He roughly painted the walls and grounds. He climbed the porcelain and painted some part of the ceiling with the blood-soaked shirt too.

While doing that, he scribbled the message on the wall with his index finger, then he wrote the underlaying SMASH message with the black blood from his own mouth.

By the time he was done, five minutes has been spent.

He dragged Four's body out, taking him through the emergency door.

When he exited, the owner of the mansion locked the door from behind.

The bulky man dropped Four's body in his waiting car and drove him to ring building where he dropped him after giving him shots of sedative to keep him asleep for long.

 

                  • Present Time •

"So you didn't meet Usman at all?" Teal stood from Four's laps with shocked eyeballs.

"Not even a glimpse. I woke up earlier cos I heard you yelling my name in my subconscious. That bastard loves mind games. He enjoys making me run, and now he has involved you in his games. I feel like he's up to something. He's a bloody genius that's not supposed to even exist. He knows everything about me, about you, about every fuckin person in the base. I won't be surprised if he knows everything about everyone in this city too." Four said at once.

"He gave me a code to crack, and the decrypted form was BLIND. I gave him an answer before he gave your location. If I was one minute late, I'm sure he'd have broken your legs for me in your unconscious state. Just thinking about it is making my head howl. How is any of these even making sense? What does he want from you? From us? Just what??" Teal said, looking stressed.

Four stood and held her firmly by the shoulders, hooking their eyes and peering into her soul.

"BLIND?" He repeated.

"That was the code we cracked." She replied. Four's eyes rolled up.

"Does it ring a bell?" Teal asked.

"Do something for me before anything," 

"What's that?" Teal blinked.

"Your knife?" He asked.

She brought it out of the back-pocket of her boy shorts and pointed it at him. He didn't take it.

He just turned his back on her...

"Cut it off, the scar." He said.

"What! Eros are you crazy? This is a poisonous knife, and this scar is part of your flesh!" Teal's voice went high.

"You've heard about fighting poison with poison. I was branded and given this scar with a flat poisoned branding iron, so you have to get it off me right now. Poisoned knife or not...cut it off." 

Four faced her, caressing her hands softly with assuring eyes...

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"I do, but—"

"Cut it off, I'll be fine. Cut it off, Asteri. Please." He muttered, and her throat closed on the dryness, her hand suddenly getting clammy on the knife handle.

She nodded once, and he turned his back again...

The moment she lay the knife on the scar edge, she felt Four going still through the knife blade, and her throat quivered.

"Eros?"

"Continue!" He ordered, hardening his muscles. She saw their bunched bulges.

She started the cut, slicing the knife through the scar.

Jason ran into the building with the rest. There's actually a tracking device on his bike that's connected to his phone. He tracked Teal with that.

Yulia was dumbfounded when she saw the scar. She began crying.

Kash and Jason share the same look. None of them knew about it, too.

"Can things get any weirder? I haven't stopped getting shocks since yesterday." Kash muttered.

"Tell me about it, what the hell is that big scar? On the back of a human? Shit, my General..." Jason said.

"I was wondering why he sometimes developed that dark neck vein. I thought it was a kinda sickness, so it's this scar?" Yulia sobbed, and she didn't expect any answer.

Teal continued cutting, her hands filled with blood from the flesh. She has cried so much today, and that's the only reason she's not crying like Yulia right now, but she's crying on the inside.

Hardening of bones stopped working for Four when she got to the middle of the scar. He screamed out in raw, bloody pains, and it echoed in the building.

"I can't do this...I can't." Teal stopped cutting, letting go of the dangling flesh and the bloody knife.

Yulia took over immediately.

"I'll get it away from my son myself, steady him." She blankly said.

Teal went to the front, hugging Four tight. His face went cocooned in the crook of her neck.

Teal was kissing his hair repeatedly and rubbing it continuously as Yulia continued the cutting.

Blood already wet the ground of that place, but Yulia just closed off all emotions and cut...

"F+ck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Four shrieked violently, his shaky hands caging Teal inside his body completely. He's nearly crushing her bones with the otherworldly tightness, but she stood there, rubbing his head round.

"I'm so sorry...Baby."

She was sniffling, obviously holding back the tears.

The scarred flesh fell on the bloody ground when Yulia finished cutting, and she dropped the knife.

She staggered back, looking choked. She's panting, too.

She quickly took off her jacket and covered the bleeding wound with it.

Jason took off his jacket too, making two jackets on the wound to take the pouring blood.

"I need to call my uncles. I was thinking of talking to them before anyways. I need to call and tell them to bring any poison detoxifier they have." Teal said.

"I don't trust your uncles, Teal." Four said hoarsely.

"At this stage, I don't trust them either, but I've been mixing antidotes, detoxifiers and poisons with them since I was a teen, so if they bring a fake, I'll detect. Trust me." She assured.

"I have their lines" Yulia got her phone.

She dialled Dave, but he didn't pick, so she dialled Paul who picked.

"To what do I owe this unusual call, Yulia DeVille?" Paul asked.

Yulia handed the phone over to Teal immediately. She's still holding Four, so she took it with her second hand.

"Uncle P."

"Biglady!" Paul gasped in recognition.

"Every poison antidote and detoxifier you have in your artillery, I want them in the base within an hour." 

"Why? Please tell me you're fine." Paul quickly said.

"I'm fine, but my husband isn't. Get what I asked here, and apart from that, we need to talk. Drag Uncle D with you." 

"Dave left this ranch since last night, said he was going outta town for a while and he's not back yet." Paul replied.

"Then come alone, and better bring answers about my parents bodies along with you." She finalized and hung up.

Kash and Jason supported Four by either side, and he was taken out of the ring building.

Teal and Yulia followed them behind, and Yulia suddenly held Teal's hand.

Teal faced her. Both their hands are red with Four's blood.

"Thank you." The woman smiled.

"I did nothing," Teal said.

"Of course you did. And now I can't even imagine my son's life without you in it anymore. Thank you, sugar." Yulia nodded.

Teal returned her smile, then they joined the rest in the car.

She stayed with Four at the back of the car, and his head stayed on her bare laps. She resumed rubbing his hair, and at the same time she held the jackets to his bleeding back.

Kash and Yulia sat at the front, and Kash drove the car.

Jason followed behind on his bike.

--

[Therapeia Mental Institute]

Stormy and Allegra didn't look different from thieves as they tiptoed round the fence of the institute.

They'd have come last night, but the journey here took long since they took the longer route which took longer time.

Police yellow tapes really curled around the building. DO NOT ENTER was inked on the body of the tapes.

But they're here to trespass anyways.

They climbed over the fence with thick bull ropes, and they landed on the other side at the same time.

They're not in uniform to avoid stories that touches the heart.

After giving each other ready nods, they entered they entered the large compound together, and the silence is so deep that their footstep echoed even on the grass.

Allegra is leading the way, and she's just going straight for the entrance, but Stormy watched the surroundings thoroughly.

She was about to follow Allegra when she noticed a dark, burnt part of the lawn ground. She ran there and knelt. There are still peels of Sierra's burnt flesh on the ground.

"I said it!" She gasped.

Allegra rushed back to her, kneeling beside her.

They both stared at the spot with popping eyes.

"She was burnt. My best friend was burnt like her father." Allegra muttered vengefully.

"Four...." Stormy seethed.

--

[Underground Annex]

Sierra's burial ended last night, but Uncle Dave is still here.

He's sitting face-to-face Empress on a table, and he's just drinking alcohol like a fish. He's on the fifth bottle.

"Are you here to drink? Things went south, so now we need another plan. I don't mind leading a coup! Four and Yulia have to just level with the dust." Empress said, relaxing on her chair.

"I shouldn't have stopped trying. I should have killed Four too. I should have killed that bastard and rendered Yulia barren!" 

"You tried, didn't you?" Uncle Dave sighed, dropping his bottle.

"I did, but Number 44's father is the cause of everything." Empress replied, pointing at Number 44 in her ward.

"When Yulia was pregnant with her first three babies, she grew a gun addiction, so she bought gin from Number 44 father's store, but she bought them secretly cos she didn't want Pedro to know she was drinking during pregnancy. She payed Number 44's father to deliver the gin secretly, and me? I payed him each time Yulia got pregnant, and he injected the gin cans with my serum before delivering them to her, so all three pregnancies, she birthed weak babies, and they died eventually." Empress explained.

"My father didn't inject the gin cans cos of the money you payed him!! He injected them cos you threatened him with my mother's life!! You wanted your daughter to be Pedro's only child despite the fact that she's not even his child! You wanted the base for her!" Number 44 shouted from her ward.

Empress ignored her.

"On Yulia's fourth pregnancy, I gave him the injection to inject in the beer too, and he injected it right in front of me, which means Yulia drank it, but when she gave birth to Four, he was one healthy bastard kid, and I was shocked." Empress continued.

"That's because evil don't always win!!!" Number 44 laughed loudly from her ward, pulling at the chains she's chained with.

"So why is she here?" Dave asked, looking at Number 44.

"Her father later gave birth to with his wife. He stopped running the store maybe cos he was feeling guilty for the three babies he killed for me. He left the area to start a new life with his wife and daughter, and yunno the mistake he made? He got drunk one night and told his daughter everything he did to the gin cans following my orders. Unknown to him, I had placed cameras in his house. I was watching his every move cos...he was my puppet anyways." Empress continued...

"And this stupid daughter began sending me anonymous threat messages, telling me to confess or she'd tell everyone my dirty secrets." She laughed, creepily.

"Unluckily for her, she was in a relationship with the President's son back then. President Spyros has this big hate for peasants, so he sent assassins to off her and her family. Her parents were killed by the assasins, but I took her and killed another girl to replace her. She has been with me here in my madness harem since then." 

"Yunno sometimes you scare me..." Dave said, and Empress laughed.

"I love fear instillation."

Number 44 is crying in her ward already, and she's so loud with it.

"You stole my black training book, too." Dave said.

"You found out?" Empress grinned.

"I kept shut intentionally. Sierra is my daughter, and you should know you killed her. I clearly told you I didn't want her trained. I wanted her to grow into a free woman, but what did you do? You trained her, sent her to base, and now she's gone."

"If you're here to blame me, leave." Empress pointed at the door.

"What's your relationship with The Marquis?" Dave asked.

"It's a power bite stuff. He wants me to mother his daughter, and I want him to connect me with dignitaries. It's simple." Empress shrugged.

"And Usman? Why searching for him?" Dave questioned again.

"Some say he's a scientist, some say he's an artist. But bottom line is ... He's a genius, and I'm a genius too. The collaboration of the two of us would shake the continent. We're both feeding on destruction." Empress stood.

"Now that Sierra is gone, what next?" Dave questioned again.

"Hera, The Marquis daughter. I already put a call through to her father. She'd be here very soon. She's filling that spot." Empress said.

Her phone did a soft beep, and she frowned as she picked it to read the message from the President.

"I'm gonna go see Spyros, and I'll be back in an hour. Stay here, and make Hera feel at home when she arrives." She said, took a nose mask and cap.

She left through the tunnel, and Dave looked back at Number 44 who's still shedding tears.

He turned away from her as fast as possible, and he resumed drinking.

--

[Military Base]

It's the beginning of the tier 2 trainings today, and the squad is starting with patrol.

Some new recruits joined the squad, so they're back to their original number.

Everyone is in their combat uniform, and they're wearing gasmasks too since their patrol would be reaching the mountains.

Kash is handling it. 

Four had ordered him to lead the patrol, and Four himself is recuperating in his Suite.

They're going on the patrol in a group of threes and fours, and they're already grouped.

Theo, Paine and April and Brent.

Rook, Shannon and Morgan.

And in that order... everyone belongs to a group.

Stormy is in the second group, but since she's nowhere to be found, Kash automatically removed her from the squad.

"I'll be watching from the mountain foot. Each group is to get three yellow flags from marked spots, and while hunting for flags, take your time to study the geographical features of the areas too. You're all drawing maps the moment you return." He addressed.

"Yes sir!" They replied in a chorus.

Theo smiled sweetly at Rook, and they're the first two to take off in their group.

Rook is holding a necklace in the middle of his palm, intending to give it to Theo during the patrol.

Brent and Shannon are unusually quiet as they departed. Since Shannon denied him the best friend position yesterday, Brent has been salty.

April and Paine have no idea what's even happening between them, but there's this sudden hate, and they both hate it obviously.

They went with their group too.

Morgan is the only neutral one who's smiling as she ran after them.

Kash tucked his gun into his pocket, and he was about to follow behind all the patrolling groups when he sighted Cassie behind the pile of training ground tires.

She was initially staring at him, but immediately he turned to her side, she ran away.

"I hope you go blind." Kash sighed, then he followed the forest path.

--

[T&F Suite]

Uncle Paul arrived faster than expected. He flew, though, and Four payed for the flight.

He came with a full bag of the antidotes and detoxifiers, and Teal was examining everyone of them before he applied it.

Yulia is with them, looking too worried.

"I've been prepping antidotes and poisons all my life, but I've never seen anything like this. Who poisons people with branded scars?" Paul said in awe.

"Just keep pouring everything you can find, I mean everything. I'm the General of this base, not a stupid fuckin weakling. I can't stay in bed throughout today. I can't lay low while my squad suffer from inadequate trainings. I'm getting up before noon, and you better make that happen." Four said.

"These antidotes will only lessen the pains for maybe one or two weeks, and it'd also close the wound. But trust me when I say the scar will regrow." Paul said.

"Keep going." Four replied with a glare. He's sitting on a stool, and his face is bent over Teal's stomach.

Yulia and Paul are at his back.

Paul continued pouring every antidote within his reach, both black and white on the wound.

"Why did you plant fake skeletons in the riverbed?" Teal asked.

"Dave suggested it, and I accepted cos we didn't want you to worry about your parents for long, and it worked. Since we found the fake skeletons, you've been living fine." Paul explained.

He didn't stop applying what he's applying though.

"I'm not a kid, Uncle P. When will you stop seeing me as that 7 year old girl who lost her parents in an accident at the edge of a cliff? I'm stronger than any female I've ever met. You trained me, I'm strong." Teal said.

"I'm sorry, Teal." Paul looked up.

"I'm sorry, I know better now."

"You better tell me everything you know. Everything about my parents connection with the President, and then why did Sierra have the same skill as me?" She said.

Paul stopped the application immediately, and he looked up with shocked eyes.

Even Four and Yulia looked up.

"What did you just say?" Paul said.

--

[President's Mansion]

President Spyros is in his room, prepping to go to the base for the inspection at noon.

He just finished having his second bath at 10am.

He's the type that believes having several baths washes away some sins.

He sat on the edge of his bed, sighing.

Empress will be here anytime soon, and he's so expectant.

He kept sitting there, reminiscing deeply. His past deeds are many, and there's barely an end to it.

He doesn't regret them, actually.

     • Years Ago, Greece Mid Prison •

After Vaughn and Rue were rusticated from school and arrested, there was no court trial at all.

They were jailed directly, and not even in the crowdy jailhouse. They were thrown in solitary where only the two of them stayed without food or water for days.

They lay on the ground of the solitary, both facing up the rusty dusty ceiling. They look so thin, underfed, malnourished and miserable.

"If I could just have a sip of water." Rue muttered, her throat pulling painfully with each word.

"It's my mistake... You warned me when Spyros and Katerina came with their friendship. I should have listened to you. Now we lost the medical degree we worked all our lives for, we got rusticated. He stole our hard work and now he's the best graduating student of UNN." Vaughn replied, his voice barely coming out.

Hunger and thirst is hitting him as mercilessly as Rue.

Rue lay on her side, facing him. Her lips are just as dried and peeled as his own.

"Don't blame yourself, V. Let's just keep enduring, and when we finally get outta here, we'll go back to Kalynda, our hometown. We can become painters. Let's build a small happy home and have only one girl child. We'll name her—"

"Teal." Vaughn interrupted.

"Teal is your favorite color, and mine too. She'd be Teal." 

The prison door opened, and a guard pushed a sweet-smelling plate of food and a sparkling bottled water into the room.

The door closed back, and Rue rushed to carry the food and water, coming back to Vaughn with it.

"It's food, V. Finally. They decided to pity us. There's water too." She opened it to see pasta and salad.

"Really?" Vaughn smiled.

"But there's no spoon, we'll have to use our hands." Rue said.

She helped Vaughn wash his hand, and she washed hers too.

They began eating together from the plate. 

The guard who brought the food made sure he saw them eating through the door holes before leaving.

He met Empress by the main door of the prison, and he nodded at her.

Empress smiled and left the prison, going out to meet Spyros who's standing beside his car in front of the prison. He removed his fashion shades and smiled.

"You became the best graduating student with their projects, and now you're even tormenting them in prison? You're an animal, Spyros." Empress entered the car with him.

"You're the fifth member of our project group, Emily, that's why you know this. And you'll keep it forever." Spyros cocked her a look.

"I have no desire to broadcast your dirty secrets." Empress shrugged.

"Rue shouldn't have turned me down, and Vaughn shouldn't have punched me. Those bugs." Spyros smirked.

"Your job is done. They can be with each other for as long as they want, but they'd never have a child. Rue's womb is ruined." Empress said.

"For real?" Spyros grinned.

"Trust me. I'm one of the brightest stars of our set for a reason. Rue ate that food and drank from the water, so it's done. She won't even know, till she starts having difficulty with childbearing in the future." Empress explained.

"You're the best, Emily Kroger!" Spyros grinned again.

                 • Present Time •

  

The guards announced Empress's arrival, and Spyros left his room to go meet her in the circus.

Emily sat in the circus with a cup of tea to her chapped lips, but she lowered it when Spyros appeared.

"If you invited me to talk about how my plans failed back then, then I'm not talking to you." She said.

"Why are you even being adamant about it when it's obvious? You said she was gonna get damaged womb after she ate that food and drank the water, but... she's the same person who gave birth to Teal for Vaughn." Spyros sat.

"And I still stand on my words. Teal ain't Rue's daughter. I'll bet my life over this. Do you know how potent the powder I added to that food was?" Empress scoffed.

"Your stubbornness irks me. Anyways, I didn't call you here cos of that. I called you cos I want you to make me the powder again. I need it in case of necessity." Spyros said.

"And I'm guessing it's for Teal this time." Empress scoffed.

"I ruined her mother cos she wouldn't chose me. I'm ruining the daughter too cos she wouldn't have my son. I love patterns. From generation to generation." Spyros said.

"And I'm telling you Teal ain't Rue's daughter!" Empress insisted.

"Shut up, Emily. Make me the powder, and you better make it work this time." Spyros snarled.

--

[Boma Village]

It's a gloomy cold morning.

Anassa sat in her room fur chair, wearing a hopeless forlorn look on her face.

She held a small picture of a small girl child in her hand, and when she stared down at it, a streak of joy doused the sadness in her eyes.

She wiped the tears that are trying to fall on the picture, then she stood and walked to the window, pulling the sweater on her body closer to her skin to fight the cold.

"Are you missing my sister again?" Vonn asked behind her, and she faced the smiley guy with a slow turn.

Vonn stood there radiantly, his deep dimples out with his smile.

"I'm just...I'm just regretting. I shouldn't have let Vaughn sleep with me back then, but Rue begged me, and I had to concur. I birthed his child and gave her to them. They payed me off and I've been regretting. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't need the money." Anassa said guiltily.

Vonn came closer.

"Don't heap blames on yourself. They were desperate for a child, but Rue had a womb problem. They came to you, and you needed the money, so you did it. It happened the way fate planned it." 

"But I miss her. You saw how beautiful and tall and strong and cool she was when she came with her squad, right?" Anassa smiled.

"Don't worry, she promised to come visiting again. We would see her soon." Vonn smiled back.

Anassa nodded, taking another look at the picture.

"My darling Bells." She sniffled.

"Bells?" Vonn blinked.

"The parents I sold her to...they named her Teal. But I named her Isabella. My Bells." Anassa said.

TBC.

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