Fatal Alliances: Chapter 48

Just like Adrian said, he took me back to Rocillie’s place. I knew he was annoyed at me for wanting to go back there but he never said anything about it. Maybe it was because he didn’t know how to feel about the situation, about falling in love with the daughter of the man he hated all his life. Maybe it was because he didn’t want me to be anywhere near that crazy Lucas, yet never told me anything because he would’ve felt bad about telling me not to meet my own brother. Still, I think Adrian indoctrinated himself to think that I was smarter than that, that I would be cautious of Lucas and stay away from him. I think he just convinced himself that I just wanted to go back to find out more about my mother. Hell, if he found out what I was really going back for I knew he would’ve turned the car around and took me with him whether I liked it or not. I wanted to fix a broken relationship and that meant talking to Lucas.

As I entered the house I remember I had been wearing Adrian’s T-shirt. Gosh, I should probably change this first before anyone gets the wrong idea. Quickly heading to the room, I nearly walked into Melissa turning the corner.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” she apologized looking a bit shocked with a bright red colour fading from her face. Had she been crying? Exercising?

“It’s alright.” I assured her as I noticed her eyes dropped from my face to my clothes, “Umm… I had wanted to meet Lucas… is he here?”

“What?” she asked as if she was caught off guard.

“Lucas. Melissa, are you alright? You look like someone just dipped you in hot water.”

“Oh, I was just taking a jog outside.” she said in a short laugh touching her burning face, “And no, Lucas isn’t here yet.”

“I see, well I had wanted to speak to him. So when he comes back, can you tell him that for me?”

“Sure, Juliet. I’ll do that,” she said sweetly and walked away.

Maybe Melissa really changed during all these years. Maybe she was regretful about what she did. She deserved a second chance. I understood how the poor girl must’ve felt. She didn’t deserve to be shunned by anyone again. And out of everyone here, since I came she’s been nothing but nice to me. The gonging of the large grandfather clock at the side brought me to my attention. It was already midday, I had to somehow talk to Lucas before Adrian gets here too. I hope Lucas gets back from wherever he was quickly. Heading to the room, I changed into grey jeans and a cream cashmere sweater. Staring at my reflection on the mirror, I noticed how pink I actually was. This was probably the result of being with Adrian, maybe because of what happened. I’ve never felt like this before, never turned this permanent shade of pink before.

Pressing my hands on either side of my cheeks, I tried to suppress myself from blushing. That was probably an epic fail. No, no, I had to get my mind a little off that right now before I turn too red and explode. Walking out the room and along the hall, I swore I heard a gagging sound coming from a room nearby.

“Hello?” I asked pushing the door a little, only to reveal an empty bedroom.

That was odd. I thought I heard something.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard a terrible cough and the bedspread being pulled down a bit. Oh my God, there was someone there. Rushing inside, I saw a horrific sight. Lucas slumped on the ground holding his bloody stomach, trying to stop the bleeding.

“Lucas? Oh, God!” I knelt down beside him unsure of what to do and yelled for anyone’s attention, “D-don’t move I’ll- I- Someone! Anyone!”

I honestly didn’t know what to do. Panic flooded my entire being. Pressing my hands on his stomach to stop the bleeding didn’t help. God, what to do! I frantically pulled out my phone and called the ambulance.

“W-why. Are. You. H-helping. Me?” Lucas gasped in short breaths.

“Because you’re my brother!” I answered, suddenly afraid that I would lose him.

I pulled the bedspread off trying to put pressure on where he had been stabbed. Who did this to him? A few maids and servants suddenly rushed in and took over my job. Thank God because they looked as if they knew what they were doing.

“Melis- don’t-” he muttered when one of the maids hushed him not to speak.

Melissa? What the heck was he talking about?

As I looked out the window, I saw from a distance the ambulance driving into the driveway. Fortunately, that was really fast. This was crazy, where was Melissa anyway? Everyone was here except his own wife? I quickly walked out the room searching briskly for her. Going up another flight of stairs, I heard a thud from a room upstairs. What the hell was that? Rushing up there, I flung the door open to stand in a freshly trashed library with books scattered- no- flung murderously on the floor. There was someone sitting on the chair at the desk. I couldn’t see the face because the chair was faced against me, all I saw was just strands of the person’s hair. Strawberry blonde hair.

“Melissa?”

“Oh- I thought you’d never get here, Julie,” she said turning around with a scowled plastered on her face and a deeper tone of voice. A more womanly tone than I’d expected her to be able to pull off.

“You- what are you-” I asked a bit confused.

“I’m tired,” she replied getting up to walk in front of the desk- only to lean on it.

“Of?” I replied firmly trying not to show my uneasiness.

“You.”

“Excuse me?”

“You stole everything from me,” she said with gritted teeth.

“And how have I done that?” I asked with furrowed eyebrows.

She suddenly gave a sharp laugh. It actually sounded wicked, not like the sweet innocent ones she gave before, “Ever since. Ever since he found out about you being alive. You’re bloody father. I did not leave my family, my life, my love, married a bastard, to be duped. To be ignored!”

“What?”

“He gave everything to you! He put every bloody thing in your name! You little tramp! And

what did Melissa get? Nothing!”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” I replied cautiously.

“It’s in your name! You damned father put his bloody will in your name! He bequeathed everything to you! It isn’t fair! After all, I did for them! After everything! I wanted this! What he gave to you!” she shouted with a vigorous rage seeping out of her, “I did so many things! I gave him so much information, about the families, I helped him get rid of them! God! I even helped him get rid of my own parents for this- what you have! He cheated me! He deceived me! Rocillie that bastard!”

That’s what she did? How could a daughter even do that to her own parents? Did she give him information on everyone? On the other families? On Donnie’s and Ricardo’s parents? She was helping Rocillie with all these misdeeds? How sick was that, to have your own parents killed for money and power. That’s what she wanted all this time. I felt disgusted by her, angry, and sick.

“What you did was wrong,” I stated sharply.

“And what you did was right? You didn’t do anything!” she screamed.

“Exactly! I didn’t betray the people I loved, got them killed, and help someone fulfill their heinous motives for wealth and power. You stabbed Lucas, didn’t you? What did you even get by doing that? That’s stupid actually.”

“Shut up!” she raged in irritation.

“No, I won’t. I don’t think you quite know me yet. I’m not the weak little girl who would get scared that easily anymore, I’ve seen things- experienced things- hell, you don’t know what I can do.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you can do. And one is stealing things that belonged to me!” Her voice rose as she looked at the ring on my finger.

So that’s where she wanted to go.

“Adrian never belonged to you, Melissa.”

“He did! He still does! I love him and you- God! You!” she said suddenly pulling a gun at me and sweetened her voice in a sing-song manner, “I’m so tired Juliet, I just want to kill you and everything will be over.”

“Do you even hear yourself? What good would killing me even do? You still won’t get anything out of Rocillie’s property, Adrian would hate you, and Lucas- oh” I laughed, “Well you just messed up big time with him. What did you stab him for anyway? You’re really the idiot here,

Melissa.”

“He would forget you.”

“No, I don’t think he would.” I smiled.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp object near me and noticed a strapping man keeping a knife firmly at my side. “Oh, so you do have friends.”

“You should know how you’re speaking with me Juliet, I’m a very delicate lady.”

The man abruptly grasped my wrist behind me tying them together.

“Really? Huh, you were gravitating more towards unconventional to me.”

“Shut up!” she snapped, slamming her hand on the table as the man tied a sturdy piece of cloth over my mouth and pushed me to the ground. “Now that’s better,” she said sweetly.

All I wanted to do right now was beat the living shit out of this girl. If only I could get out of this. What was she even going to do? Sitting up, she glared at me with a smug look.

“She’s pretty, isn’t she Mark?” she said to the man who hungrily walked up to me, cupped his hand at the back of my head, and pulled me aggressively up to him. “Let’s make a deal, if you make her cry I’ll let you keep her. Hit her. I want tears.”

“Now what kind of a man hits a lady?” A familiar voice spoke up from the doorway, a person who I was literally dying for right now.

“Adrian?” Melissa said in a bit of shock.

He glared at her with piercing grey eyes, “What the hell is all this, Melissa?”

“Adrian, it isn’t like this. You have to understand me.”

“Understand what?”

“That I’ve been tricked, all because of her. She- she and Rocillie planned this! If you don’t believe me then look at this.” she said showing him a folder, “It’s Rocillie’s will, he bequeathed everything in his daughter’s name. Everything Lucas and I worked for Rocillie even gave that to her.”

What? What was she saying? That liar!

I struggled to move and say something but it was all in vain because the man held me firmly and only muffled sounds came out of me.

“I didn’t want to do this to her Adrian, but she- she stabbed Lucas- tried to murder him. You know he’s got quite a temper and he was enraged when he found out about this but she didn’t have to stab him! I was scared so I called a guard from outside- Mark- to try and hold her until the cops get here.”

No, no, no, no. She was lying! If she wanted attempted murder just let me out of these darn clutches and there’ll actually be a valid reason to get me arrested!

“She was going to ruin you,” she continued making her eyes become damper, “She was just using you, Adrian, to get here safely. It’s just sad to know that she turned out to be just like her father. She has his blood after all. I know I did my share of wrong over the years, I know I’ve wronged you and I’m sorry for that but I couldn’t help how I felt. How I still do. Lucas married me only because Rocillie wanted him to- if I didn’t I knew they’d kill me, they even threatened to find Finny and kill him too. I couldn’t put my brother’s life at risk like that. All these years Adrian, I never stopped thinking about you, what I did, how I still feel. I love you and I can’t help it. So tell me? Am I still the wrong one here?”

Adrian stared at me for what seemed to feel like a stabbing second and then turned his attention back to the will. Was he was actually buying that crap? He couldn’t be serious! No, he wouldn’t believe that. He couldn’t.

“No.” his voice pierced me through my heart, “You’re not.”

“I knew you’d understand!” she happily beamed throwing her hands around him trailing her hands in a somewhat seductive manner on his back and pressing her body tightly to him.

I felt sick. Hurt. Angry. Somehow I just couldn’t believe he’d buy that story. He wasn’t a man to listen to the rumours, he judged from himself yet I couldn’t believe he’d judge me this harshly. He wouldn’t and I needed to believe that. I needed to trust him. I do.  As she slowly took her hands off him, I saw him take an object from the table behind. In a spit second, he pushed her off shooting at the man who held me.

Blood gushed from Mark’s foot as he slumped to the ground in pain. Melissa quickly plunged for Mark’s gun which fell out of his pocket when he fell. She clutched me tightly and dug the rim of the gun at my temple. Adrian stood there aiming the gun at her as she targeted hers at me. Honestly, I’ve never felt this helpless in my entire life.

“Don’t do it, Melissa,” Adrian warned.

“I don’t know what you’re pointing at me Adrian because that gun has no bullet in it. There was only one and that was for her,” she growled shaking me a bit.

Trying to shoot again was futile, she was right. He swore under his breath and threw the gun to the side walking a little closer but she stopped him.

“You’re angry with me. Shoot me instead, let her go.”

“Let her go? Why is it that she ends up with everything that I had wanted! She got everything- Rocillie’s wealth, his businesses, you! It isn’t fair! And since when does he even have a soft spot? It’s only for her- his daughter! Wasn’t I like a daughter to him too? No! I was just another one of his pawns!”

Adrian stared at her, almost a bit unsure of what to think of her crazy arguing, “Listen to me.”

“Why should I?” she yelled, “How is it that you could fall in love with her? I loved you first!”

“Then I’ll give you what you want, I’ll be with you, love you. Just don’t shoot her.” Adrian’s voice ached in a plea.

“You’re lying to me!” she shouted as I heard the click of the gun.

Oh, God.

The gunshot fired.

I was alive?

Melissa gave a yell of pain as Adrian suddenly pulled me with him watching her slump to the ground holding her bloody shoulder.

At the door, Finny stood looking as agonized as ever as he lowered the gun.

“I can’t believe you would do this, Mel.” Finny shook his head as he walked in and glared down at his sister ashamed.

The sounds of siren were heard from a distance as Melissa’s cries got louder, “I’m not going to prison!” her voice thick and vicious grabbing the gun and aiming it at her head.

“Melissa no! Don’t-“

The sound of the gun ripped through my ears as I sank my head into Adrian’s chest startled at what just happened. I was about to turn around when he held my head back to him.

“No, don’t look,” he said with a break in his voice as he stared at Finny in utter shock and disbelief.

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