(Be sure that you read Part I before this)

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Nikolas's POV

I walked closer, careful with every step I took, trying to learn his current motive and his next move.

He unscrewed the cap of the bottle next to him and poured another glass, "Here," He pushed the glass down the desk, "Let's have a drink," He said, motioning for me to join him on the other side.

I stayed up, my wary gaze flickering all over him. He chuckled lowly, "Don't be so guarded," He said, leaning comfortably in his seat, like this was just another casual day, "What could I possibly pull on you right now?"

He quirked his eyebrow, "You know where all of my men are," He said, a hint of admiration in his voice, "You know that it's just me in here," He added, pointing at the seat across, "So, let's have one last drink together, shall we?"

My gaze fell onto the alcohol bottle placed on the desk. I extended my weapon-free hand and grasped it, inspecting the label disapprovingly, "No, not this one," I shook my head, smoothing my tone, playing on with his game as my gaze flickered to the fancy alcohol cabinet he had at one corner of his office and my eyebrow quirked, "For such a distinctive occasion, we should open the Macallan 1926, don't you think?"

His gaze followed my path of sight and he nodded his head, amusement curling his lips, "Yeah, why not."

I headed for the cabinet and retrieved the old, extravagant bottle, not once letting my guard down, my senses were aware of every move, every breath he took, unwilling to fall into any trap he was weaving.

I took two glasses and headed back toward his desk, laying them over the surface. I eyed the bottle of scotch, "There are, what, just 40 bottles of these in the whole world?" I asked as I unscrewed the cap and poured a measure of the rare scotch into each.

He nodded his head, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, you know me," he replied, reaching for one of the glasses, "I like to obtain rare things," he continued, his eyes locking onto mine, a subtle implication woven into his words.

As he took his first sip, a satisfied hum escaped his lips, acknowledging the exquisite quality of the aged liquor.

He nodded toward the seat across from him, urging me to sit down. I took hold of my glass and settled into the plush leather, "Like your mother for example," He added, "She was...rare," A wicked smile danced on his lips, "Can you imagine, the boss's daughter, the mafia princess, she was something alright, almost unreachable," He added.

My fingers involuntarily tightened over the glass as he added, "Rare, but I did obtain her nevertheless."

My jaw tightened and he noticed the shift in my expression. He lowered his glass down, chuckling lowly as he rested it over the table, his fingers still wrapped over it, "I will never understand your undying love for her," He spoke, genuinely curious at the reason behind my devotion to her.

"She is my mother," I grated out, the answer couldn't be any simpler.

His eyebrow raised, "And I am your father," He said, ever so casually, "Yet here you are," He added, pointing at the gun in my tight grip, "A weapon in hand, men everywhere, more than ready to bury me ten feet underground."

"You know everything you have done," I said, "Don't play clueless now."

He shrugged, "Whatever suits you, whatever makes you sleep at night, son," He said, letting go of the glass of liquor, his hand moving somewhere else and my grip tightened over my gun, my body on alert, ready to fight back. He chuckled and raised his hand, "Calm down," He said, "I just wanted to show you something."

He opened the first drawer of his desk and retrieved something from its inside, pulling it up and resting it over the desk's surface. My eyebrows pulled closer as I eyed the years-old worn-out sketchbook, the one...

The one that I had, when I was young.

The one my mother gifted me when she noticed I took interest in her drawings.

"How do you have that?" I asked, my voice dropping low as I eyed it from a distance. Isaac flipped through it, "I am a little bit sentimental," He answered, almost like he meant it, the movements of his fingers pausing as he settled on one specific page.

He turned the book around, pushing it forward, for me to see, "Do you remember this one?" He asked, "You had a thing for this one in particular, for some reason, you drew it over and over again," He explained, my gaze fixed on the sketch below me. Its colors had faded with age, and the edges of each object reflected the amateur attempts of my younger self.

"You even painted a bigger one and you kept it in your house," He added, addressing the painting I've hung in my room since ever.

My eyes shot up to him, trying to get what exactly he was doing by digging up memories. I didn't take him for being the nostalgic one.

"Do you remember this day?" He asked, lines etching between his eyebrows as he tapped his forefinger over the sketch.

"Not exactly," I mumbled, "It's a blurry image in my head, which is why I felt the need to get it out through...this."

Why was I even indulging him in this...god, he is good. His fucked up mental games, trying to connect me to the past, to weaken me. It must be it.

Isaac nodded his head, "Yeah, you were so young, you wouldn't remember," He said, "You were three years old, well, that day was your third birthday," He added, tightening the confused lines over my forehead, having no recollection of that whatsoever, "Your mother and I wanted to celebrate your birthday just by ourselves, away from the crowd," He explained, his eyes going to the sketch, "We went to the lake, you know the one across the bay from our house, your mother used to love it there."

"She even baked you a cake herself," He added, his eyebrow raised. He shook his head, "She was never good with the cooking and all the foodstuff," He grabbed his glass, taking another sip of his drink. Mine was untouched yet, "It was terrible, yet, you still ate it so happily, you always saw the world in her and just accepted anything she did, even if it was horrible."

My gaze fell once again on the sketch, it was of the scenery I recall, of the lake, the trees, the colors of green and blue. The happy woman sitting next to the lake, blue dress, hair flying in the breeze, in my mind that woman was always my mother, well, a version of her, the calm, happy, free-spirited one. A version I rarely ever saw.

"I don't remember you being there," I said. In that image in my head, in that vague blurry memory, he was never there.

"I know," He said, "Have a look at the other sketches, will you," He said, nodding ahead at the sketchbook, "The ones before this, just take a look."

My eyebrows pulled closer and I turned the pages back, my eyes taking notice of the same image, the same sketch, repeated but something was a bit different about it, something I couldn't pinpoint right away. I turned the page back, and again, the same sketch. I kept going back, taking notice of the same drawing, but each one had something different. Not until I reached the very first one, the original one, did I realize what was really missing in the ones following it.

The first image had a man, standing next to the woman, hands in pockets, staring down at her with a soft smile.

It was then that I realized how with every new sketch I made, I altered the image slightly, deleting parts and pieces of him, till he just fully disappeared.

"You slowly erased me from there till you got the last drawing, with me not in it," Isaac said, confirming my thoughts.

I closed the book shut and pushed it forward, angrily getting up to my feet, fed up with whatever psychological test he was subjecting me to, "What are you trying to do?" I grated out through clenched teeth.

He leaned back into his chair, shaking his head as he looked at me, "Nothing, I just wanted to show you that we would've been a normal happy family if your mother didn't do what she did," He said, "If she didn't cheat, if she didn't betray me and my trust, it would've been so much different."

"So next time you go pointing fingers, remember that she started it all," He said, a low cough raced up his throat and he covered his mouth with his hand, suppressing it down, "I wanted power, a family, and an heir," He said, "Simple as it is, that's all I ever wanted."

"If she hadn't gone and fucked my brother, we would've been that family, Nikolas."

He got up to his feet, "Can you imagine it?"

He circled his way around the desk and came to my side, another cough vibrated from his throat but he attempted to suppress it again, clearing his throat as he added, "A life where Frank never got to you, one where you would've grown up with your father and mother, where they'd watch you grow, they'd raise you, teach you, train you," He added, his gaze flickering to my neck, his eyes tracing down the path of my scar, "A life with no pain, no scars, no monsters," He said, "It was the life I wanted for you. The one I wanted for us."

"True I do hate you now, but I didn't back then," He shook his head, "You were just a kid, my kid and I cared for you, I loved you," He said, "Until your mother ruined it all, of course."

My jaw tightened, my fingers on the side twitching and I curled them tighter over the gun. Isaac's eyes flickered all over my face and his expression shifted from serious to amused, his lips twitched and he chuckled, shaking his head as he added, "God, are you that desperate to hear me say that I loved you?"

My jaw ticked and I shook my head, "No, I am just desperate for the poison I've placed in the alcohol to take over and knock you down so you'd finally shut the fuck up," I said.

Lines etched between his eyebrows. A bit of shock flashed across his face, followed by a cough, then a fit he could no longer control.

He grasped at his neck, trying to catch his next breath as the coughs intensified. The skin of his neck turned red, "Nikolas," He grated out hoarsely, his palm falling on the desk, his body slowly failing him, weakening him but he fought through it, trying to keep his balance.

Feeling him teetering, my hand went and curled over the back of his hair, using it to move his head and harshly slam the side of it against the desk's edge, knocking him unconscious for now.

His body limply fell to the ground by my feet and I smiled, "Now, that's more like what I love."

******************

I charged the probe in my hand, raising the current to a level that would inflict pain but not high enough to kill. I wanted him alive, at least for now. The poison I had administered was designed to kill him within twenty-four hours. A poison he himself had manufactured, can you imagine? —to fall victim to your own creation, it must sting.

The poison served as my insurance policy only. If he managed to escape or attempted anything foolish, at least I could be certain he would meet his demise within the next day.

Because my original plan is to kill him in the next hour.

I had entertained dark fantasies of keeping him captive for days, perhaps months even, subjecting him to the same torment I endured for years. Maybe then he would understand, maybe he would develop a shred of empathy, maybe he would get that you don't just survive such abuse. Yeah, I dreamt of all that since I was a kid probably.

But time was of the essence here.

His death is much more important than my twisted vengeful desires.

Edging closer, I pressed the probe against his restrained body, then, I delivered the electric shock. The crackling current left the metal and went into his body, enough to jolt him awake. His eyes snapped open, the pain left him in an agonized groan as his body convulsed against the ropes that bound him to the chair.

His chest heaved, up and down, as he struggled to regain composure, his eyes burning with anger and rage as he fixed a glare on me.

I smiled, "It doesn't feel so good, does it?"

A stuttered breath left him, the muscles of his jaw working as his gaze fell to his tied-up hands, to his helpless form, one I took pleasure in more than I should. Bloodshot eyes, a pallor settling over his features, and blood staining his temple.

"I told you, Nikolas," he croaked, his voice strained. Raising his head defiantly, his gaze locked onto mine, dark and piercing, "There will be consequences."

I shook my head, "I don't care."

"The second I die, the bombs will go off," He added, cryptical still and I shook my head, edging closer, my palm fell on each side of the chair, leaning down to stare him in the eye, "Blow up whatever the fuck you want, I told you I don't care, and I am not stopping. You will die today. End of story."

His lips twitched, still finding joy even in his current state, "You know what, the only thing I feel bad for is that I won't be here to witness you regret this very decision you are making right now."

I wasted no time, I turned on the current and pushed the probe back into his chest, allowing another bolt of electricity to surge through his body, "Nothing will make me regret this," I grated out, "Nothing."

I pulled back and he heaved out for his next breath, coughing up blood, it trickled down the corner of his mouth and his chin, but he wasn't going to give up, not yet.

He straightened himself, tilting his head backward, pressing it against the chair as his bloodshot eyes looked at me, "I should've just left you to die on that yacht, right next to Frank," He quirked an eyebrow, "It would've been more iconic, wouldn't it?"

My jaw tightened, his recalling of this incident, in particular, didn't settle well with me, "Why didn't you?" I asked, "I was already wounded, you could've killed me right there and then, but you didn't," I said and he raised his shoulders up in a small shrug.

"I wanted it to be a test, see if you were going to make it out," He answered, a cough racing up his throat and more blood trickled down his chin, "A test of your strength, turns out all you needed was fear for your little brother's life," He added, "Then I tested your brother, and well, we all know how that one ended when..." His eyebrow raised in mockery, "When he shot you."

Even tied up, bleeding, and so close to his death, he still won't give up his fucking mind games.

I allowed each fucked-up word of his to trigger me. My fist lashed out, connecting with his cheek, once, twice, and thrice, causing his head to snap to the side with a low grunt of pain. But there was no satisfaction in it. No sense of closure. Just a hollow echo of my frustration.

More blood trickled from his mouth and his unconquerable eyes flickered up to me, sinister and sadistic, they held so much power even when he had none now, "You remember how you planted explosives there on that yacht, I had to set them off early," He coughed again, "You see...I always had a thing for blowing stuff up."

He was hinting at something but I couldn't quite grasp it yet. My eyebrows pulled closer and he added, "You know back in the day, in your grandfather's days, we used to manufacture these bombs ourselves, we used to hide them below every property we owned, in case we ever get caught, we'd just blow every evidence up," He added, only adding to my confusion.

"What the hell are you saying?" I shot out, frustrated at his damned remarks.

"I am trying to make you understand, but you are refusing to see it," He commented, nodding his head in acceptance, "I will die, and there will be consequences," He repeated again, "Ones that you are going to pay."

My jaw tightened, "So, you're simply accepting your death?"

He nodded, "I'd rather die a thousand times than live to watch you become the king," He said, "But one thing is, I won't leave empty-handed."

My fingers fisted on the side, my nerves spiking out of control at how he didn't look the least defeated.

"In our world, Nikolas, you either conquer or you die," He said, "We will do death for now," He gave me a wink, "Conquer can come later."

You see, I can overpower him, I can take his throne, steal his precious heir, and kill his men, but I will never ever understand him.

I let go of the probe, letting it clatter to the floor before I grabbed a knife and marched forward toward him. Harshly, I ripped his shirt and tore it open. My fingers curled over his chin, so tightly as I pushed his head backward, my knife-wielding hand pressing to the side of his neck, the blade tearing through the skin as I held him down with a glare, "You don't get to win in this too," I hissed, my face so close to his.

He pressed his eyes shut, trying to keep his pain from tumbling forward as I drew a deep path down his neck, not stopping till I reached his chest.

His eyelids glided open, his jaw tight as he tried not to give up and scream out. He stared back at me, his eyes looking up at mine, there was something in them, something that was always there every time he looked at me, something I never got the chance to understand, "But I already did," The words tumbled out of his mouth as a strained whisper, the poison operating on his insides, ripping him slowly as I did my job on the outside.

"This doesn't mean I lost, Nikolas," He added, a pained cough pushed off his chest, his expression twisting before he regained his hold on the wheel, "I did everything I wanted, I got everything I dreamt of, I lived a long good life, how can you think of that as a loss?"

"But when you reach my age and look back, will you feel the same?" And here he goes hitting me in every place I hated within, "Will you be able to say that you lived the life you wanted?"

He shook his head, spitting fucking facts, "You won't, there will always be that emptiness inside of you, one you will never be able to fulfill."

"Well, too bad you won't be here for that."

A low strained laugh vibrated from his throat, "True," he admitted, his breaths ragged, labored, "But I will have Nathan doing that for me, don't worry."

I scoffed, "It will take me no time to erase you from his head, from all the brainwashing you subjected him to," I said, more than ready to give him the life he won't get with Isaac. The peace he will never taste with this man.

Isaac shook his head, "How will you do that when he'll hate you with everything in him?"

"He won't."

"How can you be so sure," Isaac spoke and for some fucking reason he was urging me to indulge him in this conversation, "Who do you think did it, Nikolas?" He asked, quirking a challenging eyebrow, "The attack on him, I mean I was the one to give you the drugs, to get my hand on your phone and just orchestrate the whole thing, wasn't I?"

A jolt of shock surged through my veins, making me edge backward, trying to absorb the revelation. Images of Nathan's wounded state when I arrived at the house pushed to the forefront of my head, "But why?" I demanded, confusion and disbelief intertwining in my voice.

Why would he hurt him?

"Because he will think you did it, that you are the one who hurt him," Was his answer, "Which will make you the perfect villain in his story."

It made no sense. Nathan knows that I didn't hurt him. The opposite is true – he sought solace in my presence, clinging to me for support in his moment of weakness...

There must be something else I cannot put my finger on here.

"I thought you cared about him," He was and always will be a terrible father, whether it was to me, to Emma, or to Nathan. He will always be the same fucking rotten man.

"Of course I do, but you do know this, my son; there is a stage where every kid in our family will need to be toughened up," He said, "Sacrifices are needed sometimes, I had to sacrifice something when you were with Frank, so I can win," There is it again, that fucking look, "And now, I just have to do it all over again."

"Nathan is still a kid and he is weak, one day sooner or later, he will need to be toughened up, so he can be worthy of the Virachi name, so he can be me," He said, "And you know Nikolas, you know that nothing could fuel someone more than getting hurt, more than hate and the desire for revenge."

"He will get hurt again, and he will believe it is only you," He added, "Because who else would hurt him, right?" He added, "Let's just say, you will be his very own Frank," He chuckled, amused by his own words, "He will grow up to hate you, and even when you do kill me now—"

"He will carry on my work, I will live through him, and he will be my legacy."

I shook my head, "You won't lay a fucking finger on him."

"You're sure," His eyebrow quirked, "My men are on their way to get him right now," He added, exposing his plan, but Isaac never exposed his next move, so he was bluffing. I wasn't stupid, "Maybe you should go and rescue him before it's too late."

"And leave you?" I asked with a fake affectionate look on my face as I brought the knife's blade and let it rest over his cheek, "Now how could I leave and not watch you take your last breath," I added, silver ripping through the skin, the pain he tried to suppress escaped him as a loud groan, a beautiful melody to my ear.

I shook my head, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

****************

Roman's POV

I stood by the perimeters of the headquarters, overseeing our preparations for the impending attack. Every member of our team was poised for action, each fulfilling their designated role with utter precision. With the binoculars in hand, I scanned the area beyond the barriers, leaving no room for error.

As I lowered the binoculars, my focus remained unwavering, mentally rehearsing our strategy. Just as I was about to give the signal to commence, about to lift my hand up, ready to turn my earpiece on and speak, when all of a sudden I felt very soft fingers sneak into my own, interlocking with mine.

Startled and shocked, I turned to my right to find Emma standing beside me, her hand tightly clasping my own, her eyes flickering from the headquarters and back to me.

"You shouldn't be here," I said, my heart squeezing so tight in my chest at the feeling of her hand in mine.

"And what? Leave them to kick your ass," She said in mockery, pulling on me the uncaring undefeated look, but something was trembling within her too, I could see it beneath the surface, "No way," Her eyebrow quirked, "I told you if anyone is going to kill you, it's gonna be me."

I turned my body around to fully face her, I used her grip on my hand to pull her closer to me, see her, feel her, smell her, in case this was my last time ever doing so. She blinked, her eyes flickering up and meeting my own, a few distressed lines etched between her eyebrows, "I know you didn't do it," She whispered, breaking my heart and rebuilding it all over again with her few words.

She shook her head, "I know that you won't," She whispered, shaking her head as she gazed at me, "I was trying so bad not to trust you, so bad to believe everything and not you because...because that's how I was raised, Roman," She shrugged, trying to shift her tone playful but miserably failed, "You know, daddy issues and all."

I shook my head, ready to interrupt but she didn't let me, "But I trust you," She mumbled, bringing her hand up and resting it over my chest, feeling my wild heart do so much more than just keeping me alive, "I trust you," She croaked, her eyes flickering to her hand when she felt my heart pumping so hard, ready to jump out and fall by her feet.

Sniffling, she lifted her teary eyes up and met mine. I felt my whole world shatter at the little bit of vulnerability in her expression, one she could only let free with me, "I am so sorry," She whispered, "For everything," her apology expanded beyond this, beyond today or yesterday, it went all the way back to our first meeting, our first lie, our first love, our first heartbreak.

She retreated her hand, curling her fingers into her palm, seeking control as she tried to gather herself back together, "Now, let's go and give them hell," She said, and my warrior back, my fighter, my beautiful wife, she was my everything; it would be impossible to live without her again...

My lips curled up slightly and the sight of them had her own twitch, she shrugged, "It's us against the world, isn't it?" She said and I nodded my head.

I released her hand and snuck my arm around her waist, my palm pressing against her lower back, pulling her to me as my lips descended into hers, tasting all the love, all the pain, all the loss, and heartbreak.

Emma melted into my embrace, kissing me back with the same slow intensity, "It is," I murmured into her lips, my free hand slipping into my pocket, "Us against the world," I added and she breathed my words in. I pulled the needle out, ever so carefully, "Which is why I can't let you do this, baby."

The second I broke the hold of our lips, in a swift motion, I pressed the needle into her neck, gaining the upper hand and emptying its content into her vein.

Her eyes widened, her hand shot up and pushed my hand away, but she was late.

Bewildered, she pushed herself away from me, her eyes flickering from the ground where the needle fell and back to me, rubbing at her neck, "What the hell did you do?" She asked, breathless.

I edged closer, pulling her back to me before the drug takes over and knocks her down, "If I lose you, Emma, I will lose my damn mind, and I know," I tightened my arm around her back when I felt her body slowly losing its strength, her wide shocked eyes looking up at me, "I know you would do anything in there to keep me safe," I shook my head, "I can't let you do that."

"Roman, no, no," She whispered, her eyelids dropping down but she pried them back up, fighting through this.

"I told you, you shouldn't be here," Using one arm to keep her anchored to me, I brought my other one up and tucked her hair behind her ear, caressing the soft skin of her cheek, "It's a suicide mission inside, a lot of our people will die and I just can't..." I shook my head, "I can't let you do this, you can hate me all you want after this, but I won't let Isaac hurt you again."

Tears gathered in her eyes and shook her hand, "You idiot," She mumbled, "I swear if you die, I am gonna kill you," She mumbled ever so weakly, a few tears escaping through her lids, falling down and clashing with my finger.

A low laugh vibrated from my throat before I leaned closer and pecked her lips, "I love you so much, my crazy girl," I murmured into the softness of her lips. Feeling her flailing within, I slid my arm beneath her knees and lifted her gently, cradling her close to my chest as I made my way to the car.

By the time I reached, she was fully passed out, the drug taking its full effect. Liam pulled himself away from the car and looked at me with a very unsatisfied look before he opened the back door and allowed me to carefully lay her inside. Leaning down, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before stepping away.

"Do as we discussed, Nikolas is waiting," I said.

Liam's eyes flickered inside, looking at Emma before he turned to me and silently nodded his head.

"When she wakes up, she might shoot or stab you, so be aware," I gave him some heads-up.

He glared at me, grumbling in annoyance, "I retired all of this for a reason," He said and I smiled.

He gave me a warning look, "Be careful," He stressed out for the umpteenth time and I nodded my head, "When wasn't I?"

With that, he climbed into the car, revved the engine to life, and drove off, leaving me to face the looming headquarters.

Forcing my gaze away from the departing car, I sucked into a deep breath and turned back to the task at hand.

It's time to finish this mission. Once and for all.

*******************

Emma's POV

I was moving.

No, wait, I am in a car.

In a car that is moving. Cars do move after all.

What happ—

Before I could dwell over the throbbing pain in my head, a rush of memories from the last incident flooded my mind in rapid succession each one hitting me like a freight train. My eyes shot open, widening in shock.

Frantically, I pushed myself upright, my gaze darting from the car window to the front seat, where Liam sat, driving me to god knows where.

His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, "Good morning, sunshine," He said, ever so coldly, like he'd rather be anywhere else but here.

A surge of anger and frustration flooded through me, mixing with an overwhelming sense of fear. Fear for that fucking idiot!

Groaning in utter bewilderment, I reached for the knife in my boots, pulling it up before I wrapped my arms around Liam's neck from the back, my blade poised and ready to slice through his neck, "If you don't turn the fucking car around, I swear to god I will kill you!" I shot out, more than ready to do it.

"Calm down, we are here," Liam said, ever so casually, almost like his life wasn't on the line.

My gaze flickered ahead as the car came to a stop, "Where is here?" I grated out.

"Go see for yourself," He said, and my frustration doubled when my eyes registered the estate positioned ahead of me.

Without wasting any time, I let go of him and went down. Liam followed along, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the car's door, "Nikolas is waiting for you inside," Was all he said.

My heart pounded in my chest, the grip on my knife growing tighter as my hand trembled, and shook with uncertainty. With hesitant steps, I advanced forward, counting each one as I moved closer to the entrance of the house. One... two... three...I kept moving till I crossed the threshold and entered the house.

Another guard stood at the entrance, and he nodded towards the right, indicating the closed room at the end of the hallway.

Each step I took resonated with a heightened sense of awareness, fully aware of the gravity of the situation unfolding around us.

My hand curled over the knob and I pushed the door open, sucking in a deep breath as I stepped inside. My gaze first found Nikolas, and his eyes met my own, the monster lurking in his gaze seemed to be so composed, a calculated calmness that sent shivers down my spine, "I was waiting for you," He said, almost softly.

I tore my gaze away from Nikolas and shifted it towards the other side of the room. There, I saw him, my dear father, Isaac, bound to a chair.

His clothes were ripped, bloodied, and his skin mutilated. Tight ropes bound his limbs. Bruises and cuts marred his skin, evidence of the brutality he had endured. His head was hanging low, but he was breathing still, I could hear the wheezing sound after each breath, slowly traveling through the air, hitting my ears, and making me quiver on the inside.

I stepped closer, my gaze focused on him and him only.

The sound of my footsteps made him force himself to pull his head up, his weakened hazy eyes meeting my own. Through the blood, and the pain, his lips curled up, just enough to smile at my sight, "Emma," he whispered, his voice a pained croak against the backdrop of the silent room.

I turned to Nikolas, my throat bobbing heavily, feeling so much at once. So fucking much, like I was going to lose all of my control, lose myself, my mind, and my sanity.

Something was pushing me forward and backward at the same speed, keeping me frozen in the same spot, at the same moment.

Nikolas nodded his head, sending me a silent message.

I turned my head back to Isaac and he shook his head, "You won't do it," he whispered, not challenging me, no, almost like he was sure, so sure that I was incapable of hurting him—of killing him.

"I am your father, Emma," He said, his voice so low, so weak yet it was shattering my whole world, "I am all you had for your whole life," He stated the truth, smiling weakly at the memories, "I know that deep down...you have a soft spot for me too, that you love me still."

I edged closer, and closer till I was right across from him. I brought my hand up, slowly and carefully as I rested it over his cheek. My fingers tenderly brushed over his wounds, the fresh blood seeping and staining my fingers.

I nodded my head, emotions so overwhelming rushed to the surface, forcing me to face them, once and for all, "I do," I whispered, nodding my head, my vision getting slightly blurry as a few tears gathered, "After everything, I still love you," I mumbled, one tear fell down, followed by another.

Isaac looked up at me, his smile soft and tender. I smiled back, another tear trickling, "In a fucked up way, I do," I said, "In a dark, messed up, toxic way, I still do."

My fingers moved, reaching for the few strands of his hair that covered his temple, I brushed them away. Tilting my head to the side, I gazed down at him, "But the thing is, Father," I whispered, "You taught me how to break the things that I love," I said, my words tightening the lines between his eyebrows.

Before he could register it, my fingers tightened over my knife, my other one left his face and fell into his shoulder as I swiftly drove the knife into his stomach. His eyes widened, groaning in pain at the impact.

"This is for killing my mother," I leveled my gaze with his, twisting the knife into his gut.

"Emma-" He attempted to speak, but his words were choked off by the pain.

Before he could suck into his next breath, I plunged it back again, "This is for taking away my brother," I hissed at him, twisting the blade once more before withdrawing it.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't control his pain as I rammed it back in, "This is for stealing my childhood," I twisted, the blood seeping out and covering all of my hand, my sleeves, my skin; blood, I saw only blood, red, "For making me this heartless person who is ready to kill her own father."

I continued the assault, each thrust of the knife representing another deeper injury he inflicted upon me.

"This is for hurting Alex," I stated, my voice laced with venom.

I pulled it out one last time. His eyes were still on mine, life slowly leaving them, right on the edge, on the brink, that feeble line between life and death...

The blood dripped down from his mouth, into his neck and chest, painting him red. I always loved that color.

I pressed the tip of the knife against his chest, not penetrating skin yet as I positioned it right, "This will be for my baby," I whispered, "Do you know what it felt like?" I asked, my voice low and trembling before I did it as he taught me, "It felt exactly like this," I drove the knife into his chest, between his ribs, and reached for his heart.

With one precise move, I silenced its beat forever.

********************

Nikolas's POV

Isaac did ruin me.

But I knew he had hurt someone more deeply.

He had hurt her more.

And she deserved this more than I ever did. To steal his last breath, to obtain that closure, felt more fitting for her. It was her right, not mine.

Isaac was her monster, just as Frank was mine.

I stepped closer when she withdrew the knife out for the last time, her fingers trembling as she beheld the scene before her. She took a few steps backward, the force of the impact too heavy, too strong it had her stumbling backward.

Her back collided with my front and I brought my hands to her arms, turning her around to face me. Her trembling fingers finally let go of the bloodied knife, the metal clattering to the floor. Emma stared up at me with an explainable vulnerability and I kept myself in control, unable to fall weak, not here, not yet.

Her lower lip quivered, "Nik-" Her voice, barely audible, whispered my name, a silent plea beneath the surface. Without hesitation, I enveloped her in my embrace, holding her tightly against me as she crumbled in my arms.

"It's okay," I whispered as she clutched into me, "It's okay, it's over now, it's all over," I mumbled, the words surreal to my ear as I cradled the back of her head. My gaze refused to flicker up and fall into his lifeless body, scared to face this reality.

"It's over," I mumbled again, maybe I will be able to convince myself too.

I pressed my eyes shut, my grip over her tightening as my mind ran wild.

For some reason, it didn't feel like it was over...

Every fucked-up word of his, it rushed back, it roamed my head as my overworking brain tried to analyze the situation, every sentence and-

My eyes shot open and I let go of Emma, my eyes widening in shock as it finally clicked.

"No," I whispered.

Explosives.

Bombs.

Under every property we own.

The second I die, the bombs will go off.

I stumbled backward, "Oh my god, no," Panic seized my chest, rendering me breathless.

Emma's eyebrows pulled in confusion, she wiped at her face as she stared back at me, "Nik, what's wrong-"

The Asylum.

It was his once upon a time.

One of his properties.

We used to hide them below every property we owned. He said.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't think, I whirled around so fast and rushed outside.

Nathan, Chris, Noah, Jeremy...everyone is in there.

Emma shouted my name again, following me but I couldn't stop. I jumped into my car and drove so fast, my brain on the verge of breaking.

He was right.

He was so fucking right.

I will die,

and there will be consequences.

Ones that you are going to pay.

*********************************

Hey!

This chapter was getting way too long so I split it into two parts; and I wanted to update them both at the same time that's why it took me a while to update.

Anyways, here came the chapter y'all have been waiting for xD But well, for every action, there is a price to pay...

Now that that battle is done, we will be witnessing its aftermath in the next chapter.

If I am not mistaken, there will be two chapters and an epilogue and then it will be over 🥹

Don't forget to vote and comment

See yaa ;)