Page 18 of Conquered

“Now, that’s just ill-mannered, Violet, not even asking after my well-being, and I know you were brought up better than that. Although, you were also brought up not to steal, whore yourself out, show your body to others…” he trails off like my litany of sins is just too much for him to remember them all. Or like he no longer cares.

His body is loose, like a hunting tiger, as he stalks over to our small kitchen table and sits down, straightening the cuffs of his dark suit jacket like he’s at a business meeting. His dark eyes look back up, locking with mine, another chill sweeping over me at the way he looks at me. Like I’m no longer a person,I wonder if I ever was to him?

“H-how are you, Ace?” I ask, voice shaking as I slip back into old habits of shrinking into myself and trying to appear small.

He nods his approval. “Well, considering you stole my share in Black Knight Corporation sixteen years ago, not to mention hiding my heir from me, I am not too happy with you, Violet.” His eyes cut to me, slicing into me like a honed blade. “It’s a shame she’s a girl when the others all have male heirs, but some things can’t be helped,” he adds, almost to himself.

“What?” A fresh wave of terror washes over me.He knows! How does he know?!

“Don’t be coy, Violet. You left the evidence behind, and you never leave evidence behind,” he tells me, anger flashes in his eyes at my refusal to acknowledge Lilly out loud to him.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammer, flinching when he slams his hands down on the tabletop, his calm disintegrating.

“Don’t lie to me, Violet!” he hisses out, suddenly standing up, and I flinch again from the vitriol in his voice and the wild look in his eyes. “You left the test behind, and I found it that night. You never were the smartest woman,” he sneers, his hands sliding down the front of his jacket, smoothing out any wrinkles as he sits down again.

Oh god, the test. I'd completely forgotten that I'd hidden it in the cleaning cupboard. And of course, he found it, he always was methodical and thorough.

“I see you've finally remembered,” he smirks at me, straightening his tie. “Now, the important thing is you will tellme where the bonds that you stole from me are, and we can maybe put all this unpleasantness behind us.” I swallow as his eyes flit back up, boring into me like he can dig the information out of my brain.

“No,” I reply, my eyes flitting around to try and find my phone. If I could only call Lexi or Ryan, I may be able to get help. Thank god Lilly is out with friends, even if I don’t know where exactly.

“No?” he questions, tone sharp and a tic twitching next to his right eye.

“I-I won't give them to you. They're Lilly's,” I say more firmly, standing up a little straighter. He bullied me for years, and I don't have to take it anymore. I have a life now with people who care about me, and those bonds are mine by right. My money was used to purchase them after all. And they’re Lilly's future.

“They are not Lilly's,” he spits, standing up once again and taking menacing steps towards me. “They are mine, and you stole them from me. Enough with this little game, Violet. You'll give them back to me, now!”

I hearEvery Breath You Takeby Chase Holfelder come on the radio in the silence as he reaches me, standing so close I can see the slight stubble on his cheek.

“No,” I say again, knowing that if I give in, he will have won and running would have been all for nothing. They are Lilly's security, something to ensure her comfort in life. “I'll never give them to you, and you'll never find them.”

“It’s my fucking business!” he screams, and he’s so close that I feel spittle land on my cheek. “You stole it from me, you worthless bitch. I earned it, I fucking earned it! Itook the risks! Itook the paths no one else dared to!” His eyes are wild, his veins bulging in his neck. “Do you want to know why I’m so successful? I am like a fucking surgeon, Violet; clinical, detached, precise. I take what doesn’t work and cut it away,dispose of it. How dare you question me? Steal from me? Take what is mine?” he’s panting, and I watch as he seems to calm himself down, taking in a great lungful of air.

He laughs then, and it's a cruel sound full of shards of broken glass and poison. It makes me wince. It's so cutting. His cheeks are flushed, and his hands clench and unclench into fists.

He leans in so that his lips are next to my ear. “Oh, I'll find the bonds, Violet, just like I was able to find you,” he whispers in a lover's caress that leaves me queasy and shaking. He leans back, his eyes looking away from me.

“You'll never get your hands on them, Ace, I can guarantee you that,” my voice is firm, and I realise that I'm not scared of him. Not anymore.

I see the glint of silver in the corner of my eye seconds before a line of fire races across my chest. Gasping, my hand flies to the pain only to come away stained with red. I look up at Ace to see the silver of one of my kitchen knives in his hand, dripping with blood. My blood. I watch with frightened eyes as it comes down towards me, as if in slow motion, unable to stop it as it enters my stomach smoothly. I grunt with the impact, but there's no fire this time, just a sort of fascination as he pulls it back out, blood pouring out of me and splattering the floor.

My knees give way, and I land on them on the lino tiles that I'd only cleaned that morning. Vaguely, I hear the haunting tones of Akine singingDevil Like Me.I love this song,I think as I sink down onto my side, then roll onto my back. The sunlight coming in from the window waves and undulates as it's filtered through the trees outside, creating beautiful patterns across the ceiling.

Vaguely, I register another impact on my body, then another and another, but there's no more pain. I think there should be, and for a brief moment, my body panics but the comforting numbness soon returns.

Oh Lilly, I think with sorrow.My beautiful Lilly flower. I'm so sorry for leaving you. I know a moment of true regret with the realisation that I'm leaving her all alone.Not completely alone, I remember as my mind supplies Lexi and Ryan's faces flashing before me. I feel my lips pull into a smile before they disappear to be replaced with the face of the devil.

“I'll be sure to keep a close eye on our daughter,” he says, voice soft, and I think that I should feel terror at that statement. But all I feel is the darkness coming to wrap me in its comforting embrace.