The drive back home was shorter this time around, filled with occasional talks from Bellatrix and Elise, who was curious about the past five years of her life.
"A glass Artist. I see you followed in your mother's footsteps. She'd be so proud of you, young mistress," Elise cooed, watching as the scenery passed them by through the car window.
Bellatrix chuckled, her hand light on the steering wheel. "Yeah, she would." She muttered.
There was a brief silence. The kind that felt comfortable and warm, a contrast to the previous ones.
Then, Elise spoke again, sounding more serious and surprisingly, worried this time around. "I'm really glad you're alright, young mistress," she turned her attention to her as she spoke, a soft reminiscent smile adorning her lips. "The Lord truly loves you. He favors you, but please my dear," her smile dropped. "Don't take this second chance for granted."
Before Bellatrix could ask what she meant, Elise reached out, placed
Damien sat in his room, leg crossed ankle over knee. In his hand was the document for tomorrow's meeting.He flipped the page once. Seconds later, he flipped it again, then again and with a heavy sigh, he slammed the folder shut.He couldn't concentrate.No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept reminding him of Bellatrix's words and that in turn, reminded him of the guilt he carried and the imminent fate that would befall him as soon as she finds out that he was lying to her, laying her before Cillian like bait, waiting for the right moment to pull the rod back before Cillian bites.Another sigh escaped his lips, this time around, he ran his fingers through his hair.He was used to the feeling of guilt, having carried it half of his life, so why now, when it came to Bellatrix, was it weighing so heavily on his chest.Then again, nothing is ever simple when it comes to Bellatrix. He'd known that the day she helped him.The sound of t
Cillian stood on the balcony, elbows leaned against the railing, eyes fixed on the screen of his phone.The sky above was a beautiful canvas of orange and pink, a sight that should have mesmerized anyone coupled with the beauty of the Island.But right now, Cillian felt anything but mesmerized. Confused, that was the exact emotion that swirled in his chest as he stared at the information Daniel had sent.It was Bellatrix's call log.Cillian had prepared himself to see the worst, to see the number of times she's called 'Charlie', but much to his surprise and confusion, only one number stared right back at him.Avery.Avery Smith? He thought, putting two and two together. There was no way he could forget the doctor. Out of the two girls in Bellatrix's small group, she'd been the one who stood out the most.All credits to her trashy mouth and hostile attitude.Plus, Cillian could never forget the person who'd taken Bellatrix's bod
Sarah was pacing the room, drawing her hand through her hair, when the door suddenly swung open and Regina stormed into the room."Regina–" she rushed at her immediately. But less than a second later, Regina's words stopped her in her tracks."Get out."She froze, brows quickly drawing together."What?""Did I speak some foreign language?" Regina met her surprise and confused gaze, eyes burning with murderous desire. "Get the fuck out.""But..." Sarah blinked, her brain desperately trying to adjust to Regina's new attitude. "But were meant to watch Bellatrix together–"She was interrupted by Regina snorting. "What? Don't tell me you can't do something that simple? I'm not asking you to go fight a civil war, Sarah. All I asked is that you watch her and make sure she drinks from the water. Don't tell me you're so incompetent that you can't sit your ass down for a second and do that."Sarah flinched at her words. At he
"You came to me, to talk about business?" Bellatrix spoke the moment the room door clicked shut.With her eyes trained on Regina, she walked elegantly towards the sitting area, placing the bottle water on the table in front of her, with more force than usual, before she sank into the chair and crossed her legs."Well that's a first.""Lancaster Industries is also my company. I hope you haven't forgotten that father signed it over to me, putting all operations in my name. So of course, I'd still involve myself in the business." Regina responded.Her eyes flicked towards the bottle for a few seconds before meeting Bellatrix's gaze again. Bellatrix noticed this and she smiled softly."What? Are you thirsty?"A streak of panic flashed in Regina's eyes. For a moment, her composure wavered.Bellatrix chuckled."No," she responded after a beat. "I came here to discuss business with you, not chat over drinks like old friends.""
Regina turned red the moment she saw Bellatrix get on her tippy toes and lean close to Cillian, from her own perspective, kissing him.Her jaws clenched so hard and eyes grew so wide that beside her, Sarah feared she was going to burst from anger at any given moment.She raised her hand, debating whether she should comfort her or not, but at the very last second, just as her hand was about to land on Regina's shoulder, she withdrew it.She knew what it felt like to see someone you love dearly getting intimate with someone who wasn't even as good at them.She'd felt that piercing pain, that raw anger and valid jealousy, when she got wind of those pictures of Bellatrix and Damien right before they disappeared.So, she knew better than to try and comfort Regina. All she could do now was sit here quietly and hope that things don't get worse than they already were.But you see, the thing with wishes is that they never happen when you need them, o
The stuffing of the panda felt soft against Bellatrix's chest, but the smile that danced on her lips felt far too strained for her to ignore.Nonetheless, she met Cillian's gaze with a strange warmth in her gaze.For a second, he felt his heart stutter.His brows furrowed, not from displeasure, but from curiosity, the type that spoke louder than any words could.Was he missing something here? He wondered, allowing his eyes to roam her.He'd seen and experienced several behaviors from Bellatrix, all of which he'd programmed himself to get used to, but this...this side of her who smiled tenderly at him and gazed at him like he wasn't a murderer, like he hadn't wronged her all those years ago, made something stir in the pit of his stomach.Longing, raw and unrestrained.Without hesitation, he took a step forward, closing the distance between themBellatrix was briefly startled. She held herself back from flinching at the very last