Athena
I couldn't believe my ears. The words leaving Vincent's mouth made my entire world come to a halt.
"No, Sebastian can't do something like that. I know him, he is a sadist but....he can't kill a woman for no reason," I stammered, my eyes wavering as unrest settled within me resulting in the tremble in my voice.
"Ironically, you are the one who's saying this, Athena," Celine spoke, "Didn't he rape and tortured you for no reason? Tell me."
"No! There was a reason," I hurriedly added, not caring about my words that were ending up in a cluttering mess, "He does not want to let go of his curse and being near me...made him feel human again, it triggered his emotions that he thinks would destroy him, that's why he put me through every possible pain one could imagine so that he could keep himself believing what he wants to, he could stay the same way, find the stability he has always had in his life and not feel a thing....it's not his fault, he's still stuck in his childhood trauma. He just doesn't want to get hurt again."
At this point, I didn't even have any idea what I was saying. It was miserable but I couldn't even realise the dilemma I was trapped into.
I know, it was fucked up that I was defending Sebastian for his crimes.
I didn't even have a single clue on why I was doing this, but I...just did.
For no reason, or perhaps for causes that I was afraid to admit. The connection between him and me was so toxic, every place of the string was filled with so much venom that...I was trying to justify my abuser despite knowing even with arduous effort and bringing every logic here to the topic, I would still fail to hide the truth that fought to unfold in one way or another.
"You are so fucked up, Athena," Celine spoke, watching me in pity, "You are so blindly in love with him that you are willing to justify everything he did to you, I just can't believe it. How can you be ready to look away from the truth because deep down you still want to be with him?"
"I am not looking away from the truth, I am...not," I did not want to cry, but what else could I even do? Life had always put me in places where I could only see darkness, suffer alone with devils lurking everywhere, "I just don't think he could do something like that....he couldn't snatch the chance of a child to step into this world.....he could never!"
It'd be a lie if I said that— Sebastian wasn't the only person giving me a sense of security, making me feel protected and safe in spite of everything he put me through.
We were so wrong for each other....or maybe, he was wrong for me.
But how would I stop myself from loving him?
Did anyone have the answer to my question? How could I not fall weak when in the chasm of the cruelty of his eyes, I saw my entire world at once?
"Oh really? Then why did you leave him to save the life of your kid?" Celine asked, "If you really think that he is that kind and considerate, and incapable of such crime, then why is that you, his mate bearing his child, had to run away from him?!"
My eyes were open, my consciousness was there, and every part of my body functioned fine keeping with my rapidly beating heart but.....
The way Celine pushed me to face the reality with her questions, I slowly fell, helplessly into a dark and silent abyss.
Did my mate actually murder her?
"She has got no answers," Vincent emitted a better chuckle, his hand that had left its hold on my jaw now returning to grasp my throat, so tight that I heard my bones crack underneath his hold, "Do you have any? I don't think so. But you know what? Soon, I am going to pay back your mate for each of his crimes. And it all starts with your and your child's death."
"I won't let anything happen to my baby." I spoke up loud, not knowing if I was going to be able to keep the words, "My baby will live, no matter what!"
"It hurts even thinking of losing your loved one, doesn't it?" Julia spoke, walking over to me, "But do you know how it feels to actually see them die before your eyes? Watch them laying lifeless, in the pool of their own blood. Or find them with hands and legs tied to a chair and body with bullets piercing nearly every inch of their skin?"
Vincent stepped away, giving her mother space as she advanced towards me. Something about Julia was scary. A woman blinded with the want of revenge ready to cross every extent, capable of breaking people apart with her calm quiet words whilst being incredibly masterful with manipulation— What could be scarier than this?
Yes. She was dangerous in such a way that I had trusted her when she was secretly planning to destroy me.
She bent to my level, sitting on her knees in front of me as she looked at me with her icy gaze, "You wanted to know why I chose this path?Right?"
I did not say a word. Her demeanour was confusing; Too petrifying for me to react or utter a response to.
"You see, this chair you are sitting in today, is the exact one where Elijah tied my husband and shot him to death just because of mere disputes that had nothing personal," A chill ran down my spine, and my breathing caught in my throat, "There is still Draco's blood marks all over it, see these armrests as an example, these are still covered in his blood though you can not notice it anymore at first glance, no one can actually. It has been years, but time doesn't wipe off history, does it?"
"And you'll be killed the same way, with sixty-seven bullets inserted in every inch of your skin and flesh, with all your blood laying around you in a mess, with your eyes open and tongue cut off so that you can't scream even when you feel your organs being crushed, slashed, and yanked out of you with the untamable force of bullets, and your intestines hitting the back of this chair— The exact same way, but in the end, one extra bullet right at the middle of your chest— And that'd be for Hailey."
The brutal description left me speechless, not that I was capable of speaking anything at all before this.
This was not only the way she'd planned to kill me— This was also the way Elijah had killed her husband, Draco Thompson. The last bullet mentioned, in the middle of the chest— Was the way Hailey was killed.
It was her way of revenge. It was what she had been waiting for, longed for and I could see it all over her face— Nothing would give her more peace than my death.
And it was hurtful to think, how the want of my death has become someone's only way for peace.
"You see, Athena. You have got no fault in any of this, you were not meant to be here, you were not one to be here at this spot— It was Sebastian. But your only fault is that you loved him....and made him fall in love as well," She said, her soothing voice proficiently masking the malevolence beneath it, "I am sorry but you have to die and this child in your womb has to die too."
"No, please..." A small sob left my mouth, "My child has no fault. You can kill me after I give birth, I will not object, I promise....but don't hurt my baby. It's only.....a month. I want it to see the world, stay alive... at least."
I found Celine looking away for some reason, as if she did not want something to be apparent.
Vincent, on the other hand, seemed as emotionless as prior but there was a hint of sympathy that I saw disappearing as soon as it crossed his face.
"We are doing a favour on you, Athena. What would your child do in this world all alone without his parents?" She chuckled, gently wiping my tears, camouflaging her vicious intentions underneath, "Who would take care of your kid? It'll get thrown on the streets and eventually fall to death. You have seen how cruel this world can be, your own parents sold you for money, do you think without you and its father, the world would be a safe place for your kid?"
"Why are you doing this, Julia?! Why do my baby and I have to pay for someone else's mistakes? Elijah killed your husband, not me! Sebastian killed....Hailey. Not me! I have caused you no harm, then why are you doing this to me?!"
"Because I just want to!" She announced, "I want to see you die, I want to see your mate die, I want all of you dead! That is the only way my revenge will be fulfilled. All these days even though my ultimate plan was to kill you and your dear mate, I had not lied to you—Not even for once. You are welcome to speculate as much as you want, but truth does not change itself over time." She added.
"Everything I said is what happened in reality, our intentions can surely make you doubt our statements and it's not like I am obliged to clear your doubts but I am doing this only because I want you to know the truth before you die. I want you to see— There's nothing wrong with what I want and what I am doing, I am putting an end to this cycle— Finishing this story with my revenge. Paying back the wrongs that had been done to us and nothing can stop me. Not even god."
"No, god will because you might not know the difference between wrong and right but he does," I finally spoke up, loud, "Everything Sebastian did was under his curse, and yes, I am not denying the things he did that he could have refrained from, he has committed many sins till now but you are no one to judge him cause you are not a saint either."
"Oh really? Enlighten me about my crimes, do it!"
A bitter chuckle left my mouth, "At least Sebastian had tried to save you from his curse by sending you away, right? What did you even mean to him? Just a nanny and even though he didn't have to do anything at all, he helped you financially, he sent you away because he knew how dangerous his curse was, he knew it would gradually turn him into a monster, but what have you done for him? Have you tried saving him from his curse when you could? No, you didn't. Staying silent and watching someone get destroyed is a crime too, Julia!"
"You are not gonna persuade me, Athena," She stood up, acting careless but in the wavering of her gaze I could see signs of worry; She feared something, "You can't save yourself with these word games."
Vincent and Celine's expressions had a sudden change— They looked doubtful. Perhaps, it was their supposed change of mind that worried her?
"I am just telling the truth, Julia. Everything you did was acting, but what he did was the reality. He shows what he is, whether it's his best side or the worst," I let out, "So, god has actually paid you the price for your own deeds. You did not bother to save him from accepting the curse and you ended up losing everything because of his curse. It's the karma that got you and mark my words....it will, again."