08| The Monster In Your Fairytale Story.

Mia Kincaid:

I let Rose and my father guide me into the house I once cherished as home, just yesterday. The instant we step into the living room, Rose embraces me tightly, “Oh, Mia…” She cries softly into my ear, her tears leaving traces of sorrow on our cheeks.

On autopilot, I return her embrace, but it lacks the warmth and depth that hers carries. Seeing everyone in this room with me, not really fighting for me, has taken away a piece of my heart that was once theirs. I find it difficult to express the new sensations as it savagely grips my heart with its chilling touch. Where it once embraced the light, it is now enveloped in shadows filled with sorrow.

As Rose gently steps back, Nate is the next to wrap me in his warm embrace, and I sense him quietly, slipping something cold and pointy into the opening of my sleeve. “I had been saving to give you a present for your journey abroad, knowing you would have countless envelopes to open. What was intended as a gift has now become a tool for you to wield. I’m so sorry, and I wish there was more I could do,” my brother whispers into my ear, his voice strong yet filled with deep regret.

I remain silent as he steps back, and I turn to look at my father, who refuses to meet my gaze. He looks fragile, as if he has miraculously aged overnight.

I guess it’s all the guilt he’s been forced to endure now that the truth is out in the open.

“What happened to the door? Did someone try to break in?” I ask with concern.

When I knocked on the door, I noticed that the door frame was split and the door was uneven on the hinges.

“Mr. Yilmaz kicked it in when he showed up to kill your brother yesterday. Now, let’s get straight to the point about why you are here. Ask your father what it is that you have come here for, Mia. I just hope it’s worth bringing trouble to our front door this early in the morning. Shameless…” My mother hisses behind me, her voice filled to the brim with contempt.

“Mother!” Nate growls with wide eyes as he glares at her. “Please, just stop…” His voice suddenly turns from a demanding tone into a pleading one. “She has a right to know the truth.”

I tilt my head to the side, glancing at her. “Why do you hate me so much?” I whisper with my bottom lip trembling. “All I have ever wanted is for you to love me and be proud of the goals that I have accomplished.”

“If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have raised you.” My mother replies in a bitter tone. “You have always wanted more than you deserve, Mia. You are the definition of selfish.”

I quickly wipe the lone tear sliding down my cheek. If anything, I’m the definition of selflessness.

“Is that why you gave me to that family without batting an eye?” My body trembles, mirroring the tone of my voice.

“You are the youngest. The second daughter of this family, and it is your obligation to sacrifice everything you hold dear to your heart for the lives of your older brother and sister.”

Shifting my focus to the front, I lock eyes with Nate and Rose for a moment before I divert my gaze. “If you had told me to go to that man outside yesterday, I would have obliged. If it means securing the well-being and happiness of Nate and Rose, I would willingly endure any hardship, even sacrificing my own life for their sake. But you didn’t consult me, and you didn’t clarify why I had to go to that man who insists I wed him by tomorrow, father." I utter my words, my tone stripped of all feeling.

“Marriage?” Rose whispers with disbelief, her gaze boring into our mother behind me.

Nate runs a trembling hand through his hair before he brushes it over his face, clearly unhappy.

My father lifts his head to look at me with unshed tears brimming in his eyes. “I’m sorry…” He whispers, with his shoulders sagging.

“I don’t want an apology. I need an explanation.” I demand an explanation from him, as I need more than just an ‘I’m sorry’. “I also want to know who the man is I am expected to marry.”

He glances at my mother and nods his head. “His name is Quenten Yilmaz.  He is the head of the Turkish underworld and is most recognized as the blood diamond kingpin. The Kincaid and Yilmaz families have been locked in a bitter feud for as long as I can recall. What began as a struggle for dominance escalated into a relentless vendetta where survival hinges on striking first.”

I swallow deeply, experiencing nausea as I pose my next question to him, eager to hear his response. “Who did you kill?” Unable to tear my gaze away from his, I ask, unsure if I truly want to hear his answer.

A light sob departs through his parted lips, “I killed Quenten’s father and his mother.”

I gasp, covering my mouth as my eyes grow wider than saucers. Being told that he is a killer is one thing. But hearing him admit it is another.

“I also shot his older brother Cenk, who was left paralyzed.” My father adds.

“No…” My voice comes out in a whisper. “You’re lying.” I spit out, unable to accept the fact that my father, the man who, I thought, had the sun shining out of his ass, is a cold-blooded killer.

 “I wish I were, cupcake.” My father mutters with deep regret as he reaches for my hand.

I take one step back, so I’m out of his reach, and I place my hand over my aching heart. “This house has suddenly become suffocating. Your secrets have been used as a weapon against me. You traded my life for another, like mine is worth less.” The words pour from my lips before I’m able to stop them.

I sense my soon-to-be-husband walking through the door before I see him, and he glances around the room before his gaze falls on mine. His eyes narrow as he eats up the space between us. “It’s time to go.” He orders as he towers over me.

Silently overwhelmed, I nod my head, terrified of losing control and breaking down into tears. He catches me off guard; his touch is soft as he takes my hand, and the warmth of his thumb gliding over my knuckles sends a thrill through me, heightening my awareness of him, and he guides me back outside to where his vehicle awaits.

Again, no one came running after me.

Before he opens the front passenger door for me, I can feel his gaze on me as I lower my head and focus on the ground. A heavy weight of shame courses through me, and I find it impossible to look him in the eye. No matter what he seeks in the depths of my expression, it will remain elusive to him. I’ve always had the ability to wear a blank facade when I wish to keep my true feelings hidden from others.

“Now you know who the real monster is in your fairytale story.” He sneers in a menacing tone that compels my head to snap upwards and my gaze to collide with his. “I’m a victim just as much as you are from the destiny that’s been paved for us, Kincaid.”

I yank my hand free from his, thankful the envelope opener didn’t slip out of my sleeve. “The same? We are not the same, you and I. Did your family disown you? Betray you?” I snap at him with my heart beating wildly in the nest of my chest. “Are you being forced to live in a house with people who want you dead? To give up everything for a blood feud that has nothing to do with you?”

He clenches his jaw and lowers his head so we are face-to-face. “Your baba killed my family, forcing me to grow up in a home with people who wish to see me dead, and just like you, I’m also giving up everything to stop this blood feud that I was born into. Whether you want to believe it or not, Kincaid, we are the same.” He continues, straightening his posture, and he opens the door for me. “Get in,” He demands in a tiresome tone, and when I don’t move instantly, his gaze darkens. “It wasn’t a request, Kincaid. Now, get in the vehicle before I put you in myself, and it’ll be inside the boot. You are testing my patience.”

With no choice but to do as I’m told, I comply, and when I’m halfway inside the vehicle, I pause, meeting his gaze. “I’ll marry you and pay for my father's sins as long as my brother’s life isn’t in danger.” I surprise myself when I register what I’ve just said while I settle into the car.

Snorting with one corner of his mouth kicking upwards, “It’s cute that you thought you had a choice. The stakes aren’t in your favor, my soon-to-be wife.” He replies with a roll of his eyes and slams the door in my face.

Staring straight ahead, I exhale through my nostrils, taking his reply on the chin. After all, it’s my father’s doing for why I am to marry this man. And I’ll be forced to spend the rest of my life paying for his sins, with the hopes that his soul will be washed clean before he is to meet our creator.