Chapter 41: Chapter 41

I still don't understand why I deserved to be hurt like this. I don't get the reason why all this pain turned into traumas and issues I have no idea how to resolve. I don't think I will ever have a chance to fully grasp what all these sufferings mean, because, at the end of the day, I always forgive.

And I continuously forgive them even without their apologies. I still love them even though there are fears of the history they carved on my skin. I still care even if my trust was milk-powdered.

I hate that I was called resilient for responding greatly to my trauma. I hate that I am being bamboozled by all the what-ifs, the how-it-happened, the go-with-the-flow. I hate that I am undeserving of this hatred, but it never left me since the day it entered.

I am mad because all my life, I have been wondering what I do to deserve all this pain — and all my questions are still unanswered.

I looked up at the door when it opened and it spat out a man unfamiliar to me. He glanced at me for a moment and laid a plate on the table.

"Eat first." I heard him say so I laughed.

“As if you can eat tied up,” I replied lazily and didn't even look at him — whoever he was.

It was only then that I also noticed what kind of room I was in now. Maybe it's a dump of old stuff. It is a bit dark because only one light serves as light. When I looked in the closet near the door, I saw something that looked like a baseball bat. I would not have ignored it but fear filled my heart when I saw that it seemed to be stained with blood.

"I'll ask Ares if you can be released," said the man so I quickly turned my gaze to him and sat down.

“Why would you even ask him? Where is your boss? Why didn't he come here?” I asked him and tried to get off the leash but it only increased the wounds on my wrist so I winced.

He stared at me coldly so I was even more nervous. "He's not my boss, Ana."

My eyebrows rose when I heard that even him calling me by my name. "You know me? Who are you?”

He did not look away from me and sat down in front of me. Just now I also noticed the gun he was holding that he laid on the table. “I’m Hans, Ares’ cousin. Do you have an idea why you're here?”

When I heard that name, the day Hector was talking on the phone immediately registered in my head and he mentioned this name. Is this the man he was talking to that day?

I sighed and laughed bitterly. “There's only one reason I'm here — because your cousin is going crazy. What is he up to with me? Is he planning to kill me? Why didn't he do it right away? Why is he taking so long?”

I was catching my breath when I said that because of the extreme anger I was feeling. Adding to the hunger, the wounds on my wrists and legs, and the fact that no one is still showing up here to save me.

I bit my lower lip. Even Hector doesn’t. Nobody's showing up for me to rescue me! I don’t even know what I’m going to do! I feel like I'm running out of courage and I can't escape it anymore!

“You don’t know Ares that much. Maybe you're right, he's out of his mind. If I were you, just follow everything he wants to happen,” he said and went out.

I wanted to ask him something more but it was too late. When I looked back at the table, I was shocked to see that he had left his gun. I immediately stood up even though it was difficult and jumped over to the table to pick it up. Exactly when I got the gun was the opening of the door again and the blank expression of Ares exposed to me.

My chest throbbed with extreme nervousness. I simply put the gun behind me and remained standing there.

“You’re probably hungry. I'll let you eat with your hands,” he said and approached me.

I stiffened to my feet as he removed the rope from my hand. When that was removed, I took a deep breath and sat down. I was so hungry that I ignored him and just ate quietly.

"Do you know where Hector is right now?" I heard him ask.

I ignored that. I don't want to hear him. As much as possible, I don’t want to see him because I can’t accept it! I feel like I’m going to throw up because of how much anger I feel for him.

“He’s out of town with Ayanna. Are you sure he loves you?”

I was automatically taken aback when I heard his question. My chest began to tighten again especially when I remembered what I had heard right from his mouth — which is why I am here today.

“Are you sure he’s in love with you? Are you sure he's not also using you? Do you know what he told dad before he left the city?” Ares continued with his sharp words.

I bit my lower lip and tried to look at him but I never did. I swallowed the pain I am feeling but it triggers my feelings more.

"I-I don't care," I said emphatically.

"He said that nothing else is important to him now if he is not acquitted in the case he is facing now. His image is more important than you, Anastacia. Aren't you wondering why he's still not here even though he already knows I'm the one who abducted you?”

The deadly pain drew in my heart. My heart immediately reacted to what he said. I turned my gaze sharply to him.

“How can you be sure he already knows? Do you think I will believe you, you fucking liar?!” I shouted.

He just smiled and looked at me intently. “You don’t really know who Hector is. He has more connections than I do. Maybe you still don't know that he is now the leader of your family's enemy organization, am I right?”

At that point, I was completely numb. Suddenly the words fled me. It was as if I suddenly became ignorant because of what he said. My hands were shaking. I forced myself to stand up and slowly took the gun behind me. I need to get out of here! I need to go home! I feel like my daughter’s life has become even more dangerous because of the people around us!

"L-let me go, Ares," I told him trembling. He kept staring at me. "Let me go… or else…"

"Or else what, Ana?"

“Otherwise I will blow up your skull! Let me go!” I shouted at him and quickly pointed the gun at him. I could see the extreme trembling of my hands.

I saw the shock in Ares's eyes and seemed alarmed as he suddenly raised his hand.

“Where did you get that gun? You don't even know how to use that!” He yelled at me and tried to approach me so I quickly shoved it in front of him.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Ares. I can shoot this to you!” I bravely shouted at him.

I heard him swear. “Fine! I will let you go! Just don't fucking shoot!” He shouted angrily and stepped closer to me again.

I was almost engulfed in nervousness as he approached me. When he knelt in front of me to remove the leash from my legs, I aimed the gun directly at his head.

"Stop pointing that gun at me, Ana!" He shouted again as if nervous so I pushed it on his head more. I couldn’t even speak because I didn’t want him to know I was trembling with extreme nervousness because of what I was doing.

When he finally untied my leash, he looked up at me. I was surprised when he suddenly grinned and quickly grabbed the gun in my hand so I screamed.

“Ares! No!”

“I told you to stop pointing the gun at me! Stop trying to be brave. You just look stupid,” he said laughing at me and before I could speak, he quickly grabbed my hair and slapped me.

"Don't you ever try to fucking intimidate me, huh!" He shouted and the second time, he slapped me again.

I almost lost my head because of the force of his slap. I still seemed dizzy when I fell to the floor and immediately looked at him. My tears kept bursting.

“A-Ares, please… I'm sorry. P-please, stop this! I-I'm so sorry...” I begged him but he just laughed and he seemed to look even more frightening.

“Sorry? After you tried to kill me, you'd just say sorry? Are you stupid, huh?!” He shouted again and laughed again like crazy.

I thought he would slap me again but I was wrong. He suddenly turned his back on me. My eyes widened when I saw that he was carrying that baseball bat back.

“Do you know what this is? This is the only thing that killed your mom back then. Just like you, she was begging for her life. Funny how the most dangerous assassin of your family begged her life to me when I was just a kid back then,” he said and his laughter echoed in that room.

I didn’t know what else I was going to do during those hours. My tears just kept flowing as I felt the seeming numbness of my whole body. I tried to stand up which I did but it wasn’t long before Ares grabbed my hair again and violently threw me on the folding bed. There I felt an intense pain in my abdomen that seemed to be cutting into it.

“A-Ares, please! I-I have a child… my child is waiting for me. D-don't do this… please!” I shouted at him and cried again.

"I'm not going to let you go unless you'll let me taste your body, Ana," he whispered to me and quickly stepped on me.

I just screamed and screamed as I felt his disgusting kiss on me again. I tried to push him but he was so heavy that I did nothing with my strength. I'm also weak because of the force of his slap on me earlier! Even the pain in my abdomen — for no apparent reason — was getting worse!

“I fucking want you then until now and until now you can't give me what I want! As for that man, you gave in so fast!” He shouted at me and continued to caress and kiss every part of my body.

I cried again. I tried to ask for help but no one is showing up! I keep mentioning Hector’s name in my mind but it also just keeps frustrating me.

When I felt like giving up, Amari's face suddenly registered in my head. I cried even more and kicked Ares in the private part of his body with all my might.

"Fucking — Ana!" He cried and immediately lay down on the folding bed because of the extreme pain he was feeling.

I wasted no more time and quickly got up and ran to the door. I had the door within my reach but I quickly sat down when I felt something hot and painful on my arm. When I looked at it, I cried again when I saw a lot of blood there.

“You’re not fucking going anywhere! Come back here!” Ares shouted. It was only then that I saw his gun pointed at me. He shot me!

"Y-you're crazy…" I just said and ignored the pain I felt in that arm and the weakness.

I quickly ran out of that room. When I got to the living room of the villa, I met Hans who was shocked to see me bleeding. He was about to approach me so I kept screaming.

“P-please! Please… let me go. M-my daughter is waiting for me. Please… please, Hans!” I begged him as my stomach ached.

"Ana, you're bleeding!" He yelled and pointed at my thigh.

I quickly glanced over there and saw blood leaking down my leg. I felt the pain in my abdomen even more.

“Anastacia! Hans! She got away! Fucking chase her!” I heard Ares shout so I was alarmed again.

I quickly clung to Hans and sobbed again as I gradually became numb.

“L-let me go. I don't want to die… please… I'm sorry… I'm sorry,” I said and sobbed quietly again.

“I’ll bring you outside, but I can’t take you home anymore. Ares will catch us.”

When I heard that, I was immediately encouraged. I nodded repeatedly and drifted him out. When we finally reached the road, he just looked at me as if apologizing. I smiled bitterly at him and nodded before he finally disappeared from my sight.

In an instant, I simultaneously felt a variety of pain throughout my being — emotionally and physically. Before I could completely faint, I quickly saw a car and ask for help. I no longer ignored the driver’s shout when he saw me. I immediately got in.

"T-take me to Terra Verde... sir…" I said trembling while crying.

“Ma'am, you should be at the hospital. You are bloody and— ”

“J-just take me to Terra Verde. Please!” I screamed and cried again.

I never heard him answer. All I knew was that my stomach ache was getting worse. I could no longer feel the gunshot wound to my shoulder.

Just a few minutes passed when we arrived in Terra Verde where grandma and grandpa were. When the guard called the mansion, I was just aware of Leon's loud shout as I was being lifted.

“Ana! Hey! Don't sleep! Fuck! Call an ambulance right away!”

"A-Amari… Leon… is my daughter… okay..." I said before completely losing consciousness.