Chapter 5

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Without giving him the chance to react, I sank my teeth into his flesh.

"ARGHHH!" Elio's sharp scream did nothing but fuel the bloodlust in me.

A deep, wicked satisfaction ran through me as the taste of blood invaded my senses. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back from him.

"Raven, stop it!"

I didn't. My movement was swift as I once again attacked him with everything I had, my nails, my teeth, my feet. Elio fought back.

He raised his fist, ready to deliver a punch to my abdomen, but Vance caught his hand.

"Enough!" He commanded, the air around him growing colder.

Elio stopped but I didn't, not when each moment I spent around him only dragged me back into the memory of being trapped in that stale room, helpless.

Vance held my wrist and yanked me into his chest. "You need to calm down Raven. There is no reason to attack Elio." His brow lifted as though he never would have imagined I would hurt Elio.

"No! You don't get it, he..." I bit my lips to stop myself from saying anything else, Instead, I held him tighter. "Just get him out of my sight. Please."

"How could you do this to Elio?" Aurora cried, eyes bloodshot as she fussed around him.

Suddenly, I understood.

These two weren't just accomplices, they had some kind of relationship. What If the two of them were lovers? That should explain why they would work together so we'll.

"I already told you, don't meddle in my business. Do you not get that?"

Aurora was taken aback, the anger in her eyes was quickly covered with an awkward nod. "I am sorry."

Vance patted my head softly. "Take Elio out to bandage his wounds. And inform Alfred that the birthday party won't be happening. Express our apologies to the guests."

"I can't take this, Raven has to apologize for hurting me-"

"I won't repeat myself, Elio." Vance turned around, and his eyes locked with Elio with unblinking murderous intensity.

Elio sent him a sharp glare, yet he didn't refute. "I won't let this go." He promised, then stormed out of the room. All while I never took my eyes off him.

I just couldn't understand what I was thinking in my past life. What was so good about him that I ruined my life for him?

"You are trembling." He led me to the bed and helped me sit, then he handed me the milk Aurora had brought.

"I don't want anything from her." My voice was small. The screaming and fighting just now had drained me of the strength I have left and with a baby on the way, I was beyond exhausted.

Vance placed it down, and sat beside me. "Do you want me to get you another one?"

"No."

He watched me like a puzzle he couldn't figure out. "Did Elio hurt you? Is that why you are like this?" I gripped my dress tightly. The action caught his eyes yet he didn't ask more.

I grabbed his hand, my eyes desperately searching his, again "I know I have done a lot to hurt you in the past. But... Do you still see me the same way?"

He looked away, jaw taut. "How I see you doesn't matter, Elio is the one you love. And with what you did tonight, I doubt he will forgive you anytime soon." I didn't miss the bitterness and mockery in his words. "If you don't want the baby after it's born. I will take care of it."

"No. I am keeping the baby and you are staying with us."

"Raven- "

"Elio is no one to me. If anything, I wish I could throw him in hell and watch him burn."

A chuckle slipped out of him. "Then why did you spend all these years chasing after him?"

I couldn't respond.

A heavy silence enveloped us. Vance kept his gaze on the bright green wall of my room, brows puckered, a sign that he had a lot on his mind.

I lay my head on his shoulder, eyes closed as the smell of his cologne lulled me to sleep. "Can you stay with me tonight... Please?"

He kept quiet for a moment. "You keep asking me to stay." His voice grew softer. "Why?"

"Because you mean more to me than you think."

That night, we ended up lying together on the same bed, just like years ago, when my mother died and I would go to him for comfort.

By the time I woke up the next morning, he was gone. I ignored the sting of his absence and got out of bed.

It has been a while since I slept so well, what was more surprising was that I had no nightmare. This brought a smile to my face as I headed down for breakfast.

Dad wasn't there, neither were Elio or Vance.

They were all avoiding me. "Good morning." One of the maids arranging the table caught my eye. She was one of Elio's people.

After breakfast, I called her into my room. " You are Jade right?"

"Yes Miss."

I leaned back on the chair. "From today on, you are dismissed."

She staggered back, eyes wide. "What? Did I do something wrong? If I did, please give me a chance to change-"

"Oh. But why should I do that? You don't even need this job."

"What? Of course I do-"

"The money Elio gave you for monitoring my every move is enough to last you for more than five years." She already had tears in her eyes, but the moment I said this, she flinched.

Bingo.

I didn't wait for Jade to begin apologizing before I had someone send her away. Drugging someone is not enough to keep her behind bars, besides, she was still useful to me.

Over the next two weeks, I secretly cleared Elio's people with one excuse or another, but I didn't confront him head on, if anything, I avoided him. However, Aurora still lurked around me, in her case, I refused to be polite.

I made her do all the work, from the dirtiest to the hardest.

This time, I was determined to protect myself and those I love, so we wouldn't end up like we did in our past life.

Dead.

Without even knowing why.

Dad still didn't want to speak to me. I made sure that his well being was reported to me everyday.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Winter, my best friend asked, the sound of the keyboard stopping as she turned to me.

"I have never been this certain in my life."

She scoffed. "I thought you couldn't do without him, why did you change your mind?" Her words only made me feel like hurling myself down a building.

In my past life, Winter had tried her best to convince me, but I never listened, even after I got married, she tried numerous times to make me see Elio's true color, yet I humiliated her and broke our friendship.

I smiled bitterly. "There are many reasons, but let's say it's because I realized that he has just been using me."

Winter chuckled. "Wow. I never imagined that my love struck friend would finally realize her foolishness." She returned her gaze to her computer. "Or it would have been disastrous."

"Yeah." I mumbled, chest burning as I read more of the contents on the bright screen. To think that Elio has not only been transferring company funds to another account, but has also recently been In contact with shady organizations.

My hand balled into fists.

I have really been utterly foolish.

"It says here that he transferred twenty million dollars to an organization named Flame Wings." She tilted her glass up. "That is after he had transferred another thirty millions dollars to a local account. What exactly is he using all this money for?"

To plot mine and my Dad's death.

It dawned on me that he had been planning this for a long. Maybe even before he was adopted. "This isn't enough to convict him, We need to find out exactly what he used the money for."

"I am on it."

"While you are at it. Can you download the CCTV footage of the kitchen."

"Huh? Why?"

"Aurora will make her move on Dad tonight."

Her eyes widened. "You mean..." I already told her about Aurora pushing me into the swimming pool, I even added that someone had reported to me that Aurora was planning on drugging Dad.

And the fact that all the new maids in the house worked for me, only made it easier. I nodded and she gasped. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Miss Knight, Mr Knight is asking for you downstairs."

Tonight was the twentieth anniversary of the company. The same day I caught Aurora and Dad in bed in my past life. "Tell him I will be right there."

"Yes ma'am."

"How do I look?" I asked Winter who was still gaping.

"Like a fairy." She cheered. " I didn't know you looked this beautiful in white."

"Neither did I. Let's go."

She stood to her feet and slipped her hand in mine. "Are you ready?"

My lips curled faintly but it didn't reach my eyes. After weeks of careful planning, it was finally time to begin my revenge.

"Always."

~P-Lia~