Chapter 51: Chapter 51

*** STILL FLASHBACK

“Josephine…”

Josephine tightened her fist, and their men halted. She glanced towards Verno's room because of her concern for Scarlett.

“This isn’t what we’re talking about! You said we’d talk! I agree with you, Fernando!” Josephine exclaimed, but Fernando approached her.

“No! You’re coming with me right now!” Fernando drew her in, but she struggled in his grip.

“Lady Josephine!”

Fernando slaughtered the men who approached her.

“What the hell, Fernando! I’m not going with you! It’s clear what we’re talking about!” Josephine flinched and glared at Fernando.

“What?!?”

Josephine took a deep breath. “I told you to stop exacting revenge on Verno! I asked you to stop!” she sobbed. Fernando grew angrier and tightened his grip on Josephine’s wrist.

“I won’t stop until I get you back from him!”

Josephine stepped back and cried, shaking her head. “Enough already, Brother!”

Fernando was stunned, and his face softened when he saw Josephine crying, but the plan to reclaim Josephine from the Knights continued to persist in his mind.

“We’re not related, Josephine!”

Josephine came to a halt, her eyes widening as she looked at Fernando. “Are you insane? We’re siblings!”

Fernando grinned and dragged Josephine, who refused to accompany him.

“We are not siblings, Josephine,”

Josephine shook her head, knowing that her brother would never listen to her.

“I now have a new family,” said Josephine. “I love my family, so I’m not going with you.”

Fernando became even more enraged because she still refused to accompany him, but Josephine faced him with courage.

“They are my life, brother; I have many children and grandchildren; they are my strength now, and they are the reason I prefer a quiet life.” Josephine knelt in front of Fernando to put an end to the conflict between her husband and her brother.

“So please… stop seeking vengeance; nothing will happen if you and Verno keep killing each other!” she cried.

“Josephine, I’m your family, not them! Verno is only fooling you! You know what a demon he is! You know how much he tortured me!”

Josephine exhaled and approached Fernando. “It’s not his fault, brother; it’s all your fault that your anger has blinded you until now!”

It took aback Fernando and couldn't believe what Josephine was saying to him.

“I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry if I left you alone; I didn’t mean to choose Vernon over going with you,” Josephine sobbed as she covered her mouth. “We’re no longer children, brother; please stop; more people will hurt if you keep doing this.” she smiled at Fernando and took his arm, but her brother just shook her, leaving Josephine stunned.

Fernando stood firm and faced his men.

“Kill everyone in the Palace! We will leave no one alive.” he said to his men. Josephine’s eyes widened as Fernando refused to stop.

“F-Fernando, what are you going to do? Stop them!” said Josephine. While Fernando’s men were shooting their staff in the house, and they also killed Knights’ men.

“You’re not coming with me?”

Josephine’s eyes widened as Fernando gave her a strange smile.

“Before I leave, I will do whatever I want with you,” he said with a smile to Josephine, who backed away because she sensed something strange.

“Please, brother…”

“You don’t know who I am, Josephine.”

Fernando approached her, smiling. Josephine shook her head.

“You can’t do that to me.”

“Oh, yes, I can… I’ve been kind to you for a long time, Josephine, and I’ve longed for you for a long time.”

Fernando grabbed her and kissed her passionately on the lips, but she pushed him away as she wiped her lips.

“You’re going too far!” Josephine shouted, slapping Fernando so hard that they were both astounded.

Fernando faced Josephine, who shook her head and apologized repeatedly for what she had done. Instead of listening to her, Fernando became even more enraged and rushed over to strip her clothes.

Josephine backed away, and covering her chest, but Fernando moved faster and caught her. The man is still forcing her to kiss her, and she is almost crying and pleading with Fernando to change his mind.

However, it seems Fernando’s mind is closed and that he is changing into a demon in front of her.

“What the hell, brother! I’m your sister!”

“You’re not my sister, Josephine!” He grabbed her jaw and forced her to face him. “You’re no longer my sister,” Fernando stated as he kissed Josephine, who was avoiding him and hitting him.

“What’s going on, Grandma?”

When Josephine heard Scarlett’s voice, her eyes widened, so she kicked Fernando, who screamed, and tried to get away from her.

She noticed something close to her and reached for it, hitting it on Fernando’s head, who sat on the floor while holding his head.

“Asshole.” exclaimed Josephine as she ran up and grabbed Scarlett’s hand, dragging her to the top of the Knight mansion.

“G-Grandma, w-who is he? What’s going on? W-why are there so many dead?” Scarlett asked in surprise as she noticed the huge amount of dead people near her grandma. “Are they bad guys?”

They entered the mansion’s attic, and Josephine closed the door. She turned around and knelt in front of Scarlett.

“Venice, please listen to Grandma.”

Scarlett was in tears as she looked at her grandmother.

“What’s going on?” asked Scarlett

Josephine wiped her tears and led Scarlett to the far end of the attic.

“When you’re old enough, you’ll understand everything. If grandma dies, protect our family, okay?” she smiled as she stroked Scarlett’s hair. “Protect your grandpa, and protect someone you love,” said Josephine, while crying.

Scarlett frowned because she didn’t know what was going on.

“What are you talking about, Grandma?”

Scarlett cried because she was nervous, although she did not know what was going on.

Josephine hugged her and held her face.

“Fight for your love, Venice. Fight until you win. Grandma loves you so much. Tell your grandpa, I-I’m sorry,”

Josephine sobbed as she embraced Scarlett.

“Come on, Josephine!”

When Josephine heard Fernando’s voice, it took aback her and let go of Scarlett’s embrace. She looked around and led Scarlett to an old closet, where she let her in.

“Don’t go out, okay? Cover your ears and don’t go out, no matter what happens. Is that clear?”

Josephine smiled and looked into Scarlett’s eyes as Scarlett nodded and covered her ears.

“You will take the throne, Venice; you are the hope of the fourth generation; I will protect you even if I die,” she said to Scarlett, as she kissed her forehead.

“Josephine!!”

She wiped her tears and shut the closet door, but it remained ajar.

“Josephine!”

After waiting for Fernando to open the door, Josephine took a deep breath.

She gave the closet a quick glance before walking away. She is also concerned about Scarlett’s condition, especially because she is still young and will suffer a tragedy.

“Josephine!”

Fernando finally broke down the door and entered the attic.

“Josephine…”

Josephine gave him a death stare and bravely faced Fernando.

“Where is Scarlett? She looks like you,”

Josephine tightened her fist. “Don’t touch her! I’m precisely what you need!”

Fernando laughed while looking around, but there was no sign of Scarlett.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me as her grandfather to her?”

Josephine shook her head and said, “I will never introduce you to her! And I will never introduce you as her grandfather! Verno is the only grandfather of Venice! No one else!”

Fernando, seething with anger and ran up to her, destroying her clothes.

Josephine kept punching Fernando. “You have no shame! You have no respect for me! Let me go!” she pleaded, but Fernando ignored her.

“We wouldn’t have gotten this far if you’d just come with me and left Verno alone!” Fernando exclaimed, and Josephine chuckled.

“I love Verno more than myself. He’s my family now! He’s my husband.” Josephine exclaimed, and Fernando slapped her.

The shouting startled Scarlett, when she heard outside the closet and opened her eyes and silently cried. She noticed the hole and peered in… her eyes widened at the scenes she was witnessing.

She covered her mouth and cried out in sympathy for her grandmother. All she could hear was her grandmother’s grief, and she saw Fernando’s tattoo on his chest.

“Josephine, you are mine, not Verno’s; I will kill them all, and I will kill all obstacles in our path; I’ll take everything Vernon has,” he smiled and whispered to Josephine, who was dumbfounded as tears fell from her eyes.

“You will not take me, Brother; I’ll die before you hurt my family.”

He slapped and touched Josephine until he became bored.

Scarlett couldn’t take it any longer and got to her feet. “G-Grandma,” she said as she opened the closet door and ran towards her grandmother. “Grandma!”

When Josephine saw Scarlett, her eyes widened. “V-Venice…!”

Scarlett sobbed as she hugged her grandmother. “Grandma!!!”

“Venice!”

Scarlett ignored her and turned to face Fernando, glaring at him.

“Oh… no wonder you’re going to take over the throne.” Fernando grinned as he was about to grab Scarlett.

“Bad guy! You’re bad! What did you do to grandma?” Scarlett slapped Fernando's leg. “You’re a monster!”

“Shut up!” yelled Fernando as he kicked Scarlett, who was embraced by Josephine. “You shouldn’t have lived!”

Scarlett sobbed as she hugged her grandmother.

“You must die! The heir to the throne must die! The fourth generation must die!”

Josephine held Scarlett’s face, and said, “I’ll protect you, okay? Go back into the closet and don't come out!”

“G-Grandma…”

“Don’t be stubborn, Venice.”

Scarlett jumped up in surprise when Josephine yelled at her.

“Venice, I love you.”

While crying, Josephine smiled. Scarlett stared intently at her as she walked back into the closet.

“Tell your grandfather… I’m sorry. Tell them I-I love them so much. I’m sorry.”

Scarlett sobbed as she entered the closet and went back to her old spot. Josephine took a deep breath and stood to face Fernando once again.

“Don’t you dare to hurt her again!” said Josephine as she stood in front of the closet.

“No Knight can survive! Only I can rule here!”

Josephine simply shook her head at Fernando's craziness.

“You’re going insane!”

Fernando chuckled. “Yes! I’m crazy about you, Josephine! If you just come with me, we won’t end up like this!”

Josephine laughed and wiped the blood from her lips. “You’re the one who has a reason for being this way, brother! You’re the one who put yourself in this situation!” she shouted, glaring at Fernando. “If you had accepted that I was happy with Verno, this would not have happened; perhaps we would have been a happy family!”

Josephine sobbed in front of Fernando.

“You killed Emily! You killed your wife for your ambition! For your gain, you killed your family. You nearly killed my eldest son, Vernon! And you nearly killed my eldest grandson!” Josephine rushed to Fernando and punched him. “Do you really have no conscience left? Do you really have no love left in your heart?!? Is it just anger and vengeance?!?” Josephine sat down and crying.

“I’m so tired of trying to understand you! I’m so tired of lying to my family to cover you up! Why are you ruining my happiness?”

“Josephine, you know how much I love you; you are my only family and the only woman I have, so come with me; they are not your family; I am your family; let’s stay away from here and be together forever, okay?”

Josephine shook her head because it all made no sense to her. Her fists remained clenched. “That will not happen,” she said, glaring at him, but Fernando was about to grab her and pull her away.

“I hate you. You’re nothing but trash,” said Josephine, and spatting in his face.

It took a back, Fernando and stood up, wiping Josephine's saliva on his face.

“You’re testing my patience, Josephine.”

Fernando pulled out a gun and pointed it at Scarlett, who was peering through the closet door.

Josephine’s eyes widened. “N-no!”

“Go choose, Josephine! Either you come with me or I kill your beloved granddaughter! After all, she shouldn’t have lived!”

“No, kill me, not my granddaughter!”

“Stop talking! Just go pick Josephine! Come with me or I’ll kill Scarlett!”

Fernando pulled Josephine's leg as she crawled towards the closet.

“I’m waiting for your response, Josephine.”

When Fernando pulled out the gun he was holding, Josephine became even more nervous.

“Let me go, Fernando!”

“Josephine, make your decision!”

Josephine gasped. “I’m not going with you.”

Fernando released go of her and was about to pull the trigger when Josephine blocked it to protect Scarlett, and bullets hit her all over her body. She got likewise, but also smiled as she vomited blood from her mouth.

Scarlett’s eyes widened as she saw what had happened to her grandmother. Her tears streamed down her cheeks.

“B-brother, I-I love you…”

Fernando's eyes widened, and he fired another shot at Josephine. “You don’t love me, Josephine,” he murmured.

Scarlett saw her grandmother die in front of her as Josephine collapsed to the floor and faced the closet. Before she died, she even smiled at Scarlett.

“Master, the Knights have returned!”

Fernando also went to see Josephine. “Poor you, my little sister,” he said, turning to the closet and grinning. “See you again, dear.”

They walked away from the Mansion as if nothing had happened.

It surprised Scarlett as she walked out from the closet where she had been hiding. She approached her grandma, who it covered in blood.

“N-no! Grandma!”

*** END OF FLASHBACK

“GRANDMA!”

Scarlett woke up, clutching her chest and dripping with sweat. She grabbed her pendant and hugged her knee.

She didn't understand why she had dreams about her grandmother.

Was it a dream or one of her long-forgotten memories?

“Scarlett?”

Rios sat next to Scarlett and hugged her right away.

“Rios, I saw grandma in my dreams,” said Scarlett. “I heard her scream… I heard her cry…”

Rios stroked her back and helped Scarlett get back into bed.

“Will you just go back to sleep?”

Rios adjusted the blanket and kissed her on the forehead. Scarlett grabbed his clothes before he could leave.

“I saw him… I saw his tattoo…”

“Sleep, Scarlett, you’re just tired.”

Rios smiled and left Scarlett’s room, but before he closed the door, he took a peek at Scarlett. He clenched his fist as he looked at the whiteboard and saw no picture of the mastermind.

He dialed Carter’s number.

“Brother, Scarlett’s memory is coming back.”

(“I know, I know Scarlett will remember. She was clueless the whole time. We lied to her. We betrayed her about Grandma's death. She’s suffered a lot.”)

Rios let out a sigh.

“What should we do? Can we tell her the truth?”

(“Scarlett will still know everything; we know her and we can’t stop her; take care of her; you are the one she can rely on now, especially since they are still holding Erin; we must first save Erin.”)

After he hung up, he rubbed his forehead and looked at the bedroom door.

He’s not afraid of the war, but he’s afraid of where Scarlett’s rage will lead her when she remembers everything.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. When he saw Dane in front of him, he came to a halt. “Dane.”

Dane gave Rios a warm hug. “I’m here,” Dane whispered.

Rios nodded and hugged Dane even tighter. “Thank you for everything.”