Chapter 30: Chapter 30

KIAN

"Your ex won't know anything unless your mother confronts him directly," I tell her.

"And if she already has?" she voices her concerns, as well as mine, but I doubt it.

"I don't think so. She didn't quite want to believe me and if you told her the whole truth, she would think twice about talking to the motherfucker," I explain seriously. Estrela shakes her head with a sigh.

"Kian, my mother is not a woman of great understanding. She will go to Matthew and confront him, and she doesn't care if he has something on me or not," she says desperately.

"Not if I have a way of taking your ex down. You just have to stop your mom from talking to him." She shakes her head in frustration.

"Damn, Kian, what are you up to?" I walk towards her, cup her face in my hands and look her impenetrably in the eyes.

"You have to trust me in this matter. Do you understand?" I see her struggling inside. She still doesn't seem to be able to trust me enough. But she has to do it this time because I can get her out of all the shit she's been dealing with with her ex.

"I don't know, Kian," she whispers.

"Let me take care of this thing. For you." She looks down and seems to think about it.

"Okay ... but promise me one thing," she says quietly and looks up. "You're not hurting anyone?" I pause for a moment. That promise isn't easy to keep, especially when it's me who has to keep it.

"You know I can't do that..." I say.

"Yes...I know...But I just don't want to hurt anyone because I was too naive to..." I cut her off by putting my finger to her lips.

"No one else will be harmed either, Estrela. I don't always act fair, but I'm not a monster! Do you hear? I only hurt those who deserve it."

"So that means you're hurting other people by helping Gabriel?" I was hoping to avoid this conversation, but what did I expect? Eventually, the truth always comes out.

"I'm not going to lie to you, although it would probably be for the best..." I pause, taking a deep breath. "Yes, I hurt others - worse too..." I notice her breath catch.

"Y-you kill other people?" Although she sounds shocked, I don't think it's the first time she's thinking that. Anyone who is smart enough has an idea that the mafia does not solve many things peacefully. And I know my girl is smart enough to know that. She just certainly didn't expect me to do this dirty work.

"I kill those who deserve it," I say soberly. "People who make the world a worse place. People who hurt other innocent people. People who play sick games with others. Believe me, these people don't deserve to live." She lowers her head. "Look at me." She hesitates, but finally raises her head. I see in their eyes there's a touch of fear in them and I hope it's not for me. "Of course I'm not going to kill your ex, but I'll find a way that he doesn't hold anything against you and he never comes near you again, let alone you ever hear from him again. You just have to stop your mother. Otherwise it won't work." I keep staring into her eyes. she must understand that I'm completely serious. If complications arise, there could be problems and I definitely don't want to put them at risk. Yes, I admit it. I feel a little guilty for telling her parents when I didn't have the right to. While I can't say I'm always honest, I realize how good it is sometimes to just tell the truth, no matter how bad it is. I just want Estrela to have the life she wants. Like me, she still has to deal with demons. It's just that their demons are a little easier to drive away than mine... that I told her parents even though I didn't have the right to. While I can't say I'm always honest, I realize how good it is sometimes to just tell the truth, no matter how bad it is. I just want Estrela to have the life she wants. Like me, she still has to deal with demons. It's just that their demons are a little easier to drive away than mine... that I told her parents even though I didn't have the right to. While I can't say I'm always honest, I realize how good it is sometimes to just tell the truth, no matter how bad it is. I just want Estrela to have the life she wants. Like me, she still has to deal with demons. It's just that their demons are a little easier to drive away than mine...

"Fine. I'll talk to my mother, but I can't promise she'll keep quiet." I nod. I'm sure she can do it. I lean towards her and gently place my lips on hers.

***

ESTRELA

I wake up way too early the next day. After last night my head is full of thoughts and doubts. Which is why I decided to go home. Although I looked at Kian, he is reluctant to let me go. But I just needed some space. I had to think about some things and I still do. So Kian has a "plan". He said I should trust him on this. Yes, I'll admit it's hard for me, but I know that Kian has ways to get my ex out of control of my life. It's the first time I've accepted help. For years I fought the past alone. Maybe the time has finally come when I no longer have to fight it alone. Kian is giving me a way to end this. And I would be stupid if I didn't accept it. While I'm still angry that he so easily told my parents about it, I know deep down that it was the right thing to do. I thought my mother wouldn't understand. She wouldn't believe me and would run straight to Matthew. Because she has always liked Matt and believes everything that comes out of his mouth - every lie. So how could I have fought when this woman was already so blind? But Kian is right, it's about time. I have to oppose it, that's the only way it all has to end. Because she has always liked Matt and believes everything that comes out of his mouth - every lie. So how could I have fought when this woman was already so blind? But Kian is right, it's about time. I have to oppose it, that's the only way it all has to end. Because she has always liked Matt and believes everything that comes out of his mouth - every lie. So how could I have fought when this woman was already so blind? But Kian is right, it's about time. I have to oppose it, that's the only way it all has to end.

"Estrela, please tell me that's not true? Not Matthew!" I see my mother for the first time, so really desperate. My father, who is also here, just looks at me silently. When he walked into my apartment, he hadn't said a single word, and that's driving me crazy. Not because he knows what my ex did, but because he knows that me and Kian have a thing.

"Mom..." It's the first time I've addressed her like that in a long time. Apparently she notices it too, because her expression turns to deep regret. "Matthew hurt me... He deleted the documents of my book because he thought I was spending too much time writing. He destroyed everything. I freaked out and he hit me and not gently. And this incident wasn't the first - although it was the worst of all, he wasn't the perfect friend before either - he controlled me, was extremely jealous and thought he had control over me, he made me feel like a prisoner ." I look up First my mother's eyes, which are wide with shock and I can even see tears glistening in them. Then to my father in which pure anger seethes. I sigh and continue, "I couldn't tell you guys because Matt has something on me that he's threatening to tell me not to tell anyone about what happened." Everything seems to be breaking with my mother because she sobs loudly and buries her head in her hands. My father and I look at each other silently and wait for her sobs to subside. When she has calmed down, she grabs my hands. My father and I look at each other silently and wait for her sobs to subside. When she has calmed down, she grabs my hands. My father and I look at each other silently and wait for her sobs to subside. When she has calmed down, she grabs my hands.

"Estrela...II...God, I'm so sorry. Matthew always seemed so innocent to me. He never gave any indication that he could be like that. He put himself before me as the perfect one spent on my daughter's friend..."

"Well, Matt should be an actor," I say coolly.

"But as a mother, you can tell her daughter is doing poorly, no matter how well he seems to pretend, Diana," my father's sharp voice sounds.

"Harrison, I..."

"No! Diana, dammit!" My father bangs on the table so loudly that my mother jumps at him. "I knew it was a mistake letting the two of you go back then..." Now my mother raises her voice too.

"Indeed, you think so? You're fucking friends with a mafia boss. And when I asked you to get out of it, for our daughter, you still decided against us!" she says angrily. "I left with our daughter because it was the right thing to do."

"The right thing then, yes? And why are we all sitting here talking about what her ex boyfriend did to her?"

"Enough!" I say loud enough to get their full attention. "You are my parents and you both made mistakes, that's true. But it doesn't help me if you fight now," I explain seriously. My father sighs.

"You're right, darling." He grabs my hand. "I'm sorry. We just want what's best for you. We've done everything wrong that could possibly go wrong." The regret in his eyes makes me take a deep breath.

"I know, Dad. You can also help me by doing what I tell you." I look at my parents seriously. "Mom, you will not confront Mathew. You will continue to be normal with him!"

"What did he get from you?" my father now asks sternly.

"That doesn't matter."

"Yes, very much so!" says my mother in an imperious tone.

"Please!" I just say. "You can help me by not banging the door shut for now."

"You can't ask that in front of me, can you?" my mother says, shocked.

"But I have to."

"Listen to our daughter!" My father puts his hand on my mother's shoulder.

"Thanks Dad." He just nods at me. "Everything will be fine again." At least I hope so. No matter what Kian's up to, I have to trust him, willy-nilly, about the matter.