Page 21 of TAINTED by TWINS

"But ma'am, the gala—"

"Do not question me, stop the car." There, her Stuart Weitzman heels had to step onto a cracking cement.

Her fur wrap is hooked on her elbows, cigarette holder on one hand and her other hand pulling her $45k Bvlgari sunglasses off her face, just to look up at a suburban house smaller than her closet.

With a gloved hand, she opened the door and surprisingly, it's not locked. It irked her—do they not care for safety? What if something happens to the woman currently hunched over the kitchen counter with an empty glass of wine?

God, she is beautiful. Lady Deveroux aged elegantly, while Lei aged as if she truly died in the past. She hasn't even opened her eyes yet, unaware to the woman walking into her house with her heels clicking on the floor. Lady Deveroux almost hit her head on the way to the living room.

Oh Lei... I'm finally breathing the same air as you—it reeks of wine and grocery store cheese—but your air nonetheless—"Crash!" Her legs accidentally hit a side table and sent an owl paperweight to fall to the ground, smashing to pieces.

"Hmm? Lian...?" Lei pulls her head up and rubbed her eyes, focusing them on the amazingly tall and beautiful woman on her living room, wearing clothes that's worth more than this house. Lei looked confused and out-of-it. "... Mina?"

Velomina sighed, her breath being taken away by how Lei said her name. After all these years... she still says it softly and innocently. It's real now, it's reality...

"Is this a dream...?" Lei asked with a mumble of those pale lips.

How many boxes of wine did you consume, silly girl?

Velomina somehow felt anger at the way Lei is wasting her life at.

Has she done nothing but drink all day?

Or.

.

.

maybe the alcohol is the only reason she's not freaking out or scared of Velomina. Without it, she may demand Lady Deveroux to get out.

"Yes," Velomina answered with a sad smile. It is a dream. She slowly walks to Lei, but halted at what she said next.

"Good... because you torment me in my every waking moment..." Lei yawned, "I hope that... you're kinder in my dreams."

"Oh..." somehow, the lady felt hurt. Velomina stayed where she stood. "I'm err... sorry. I promise to be kinder."

"You have white hair," Lei pointed out with a giggle. "Did you color it...?"

"No, Lei. You're only remembering me as I was before," Velomina slowly walked to the kitchen, "I wish you don't remember me at my cruelest. Why don't you remember me at our sweetest moments? Why don't you remember my gifts, my kisses, my—"

She only stopped walking when she was merely a foot away from Lei Ann, because the girl removed herself off her chair and hurriedly stepped back, but standing was hard to do so she had to hold onto the chair.

Velomina's heart broke seeing her back away. "Do you fear me... my love?"

"No..." Lei starts to break into tears as she shakes her head. "I love you. And that scares me."

"Why?" Velomina stepped forward, and Lei Ann took a step back. "You still love me after what I did?"

"A-and you don't want to kill me after what I did?" She took another step back until her hips hit the kitchen sink. She felt trapped, scared she won't be able to escape like she did years ago. She could remember the pain... it hurt so much she had to hold her stomach right now. "Mina please..."

"I will not touch you," Velomina says, heavily disappointed she won't get to. "Yes, I was angry. You slept with my husband and pretended to be dead—I went insane, Lei. I was angry, I wanted to hunt down a dead woman. And now I found her..."

"I'm sorry!" Lei Ann was trembling. "Please forgive me, I'm sorry Mina!"

She knew who she was talking to, it's Lady Deveroux. One of the most powerful women in the world, who only had one question for her.

"Did it die?" Velomina questioned, looking at Lei's stomach. "Answer me, Lei. Did your baby die that day you fell?"

Lei covered her mouth, nodding with tears streaming down her face. She can still hear her screams of sorrow on the bottom of the stairs, legs bloody and potentially broken. But worst of all...

"I see... I hope you find a place in your heart to forgive me."

Leo shakes her head. "It's me who should beg for it, Mina... I'm so sorry..."

"Hmm." Velomina sadly looked at the pictures on the wall.

One of Lei smiling for a little elementary boy's graduation. "So he isn't the child promised to me? You'd have to thank your son, Lei. One look, and I forgot what revenge tasted like... I forgot what I wanted to do to the child who took you away from me. Your wish came true, Lei. Everyone who meets him... will fall in love."

Velomina lifts her own hand to try touching her, but Lei violently flinched and sank to the floor. "Mina, I'm sorry! Please forgive me... don't hurt my son, leave him alone! Leave him alone and hurt only me! Please!"

Two decades, Velomina had wanted to touch a dead woman. Now that she could, and has all the power in the world to touch and kiss Lei Ann once again. She was drunk, trapped in her kitchen unable to move away. But she didn't.

I am no longer the impulsive young girl who wanted nothing more than to imprison you, Lei Ann.

Velomina returned to the car with a heavy heart and a single tear threatening to stain her perfect make up. But she refused to cry, just sitting there for a whole hour thinking about the past, what she could change and how everything could be so different.

There, he saw his drunken mother try to clean up the broken owl on the floor. "M-mom! Did you break that? This was your gift to me..."

"I-I'm sorry, Xiao Lian... I'm sorry," she apologized half-awake, making Lian pull her up. She was so drunk she didn't even question Lian why he's home so early.

"Come on, Mom... let's get you to bed, I'll clean it up later..."

"Follow him. Move the car only when he's out of sight."

Lian didn't take the car, he meant to walk to the convenience store to pick up some medicine and maybe more wine to avoid his mother's sober depression. On the way, he kept bumping into people since he cannot watch where he's going. The tears are too thick, blocking his view...

Until, car stopped beside him and rolled down its window.

"Teacher?" A bored, nonchalant voice called out, known only to be coming from Velomina Deveroux. She peered down on him suspiciously. "Absent now, are we?"

"M-mistress..." Lian wiped his face yet again. "I... I'm just trying to—"

"Your pathetic reasons bore me, come inside before the heat strikes me dead..." she closed the window, but the driver came outside to open the door for Lian.

Reluctantly, he went inside to join her. What if this woman gets him shot in the road for disobeying her? Velomina Deveroux is scarier than her sons.

The car starts moving without Lian even knowing where they're going. She just continued smoking until he coughed out, "Uhm...? Where are we going—"

"Questions cause me headaches," she nonchalantly dismissed him, "I am currently late to a gala, and I decided I won't be going there alone."

"You'll take me? But I'm just a teacher—"

"Yes, and an inexperienced one at that," she scoffed, looking out of the car window. "But you have a face I'd like to show off. Usually, I'd take my darling Jonah but he is at school. Jade would rather die than have me on his arm."

She likes my face? Lian is currently in pain, but he managed to slightly smile at the appreciation for his presence. At the very least, this'll take his mind off what happened.

"We'll have you fitted at L'étoffe Noble before we go to the gala. They won't start without me anyway."

"But my mom—"

"The world will keep spinning without her and frankly young man, I run the world..." she takes another sip of her cigarette, but this time she opened the window before exhaling it. "I will make sure she has her medicine delivered."

Slightly against his will, Lian was brought to a tailor where it took Velomina the entire day to judge everything about his body.

"It's too wide at the waist."

"You're making him look like a waiter."

"More gold! Don't even think of giving him matte, I will have your head put on a platter!"

"What's with his hair, why is it like that? Disgusting, a dog's."

"His lips, moisturize it. Get him a facial, make his face lose 12 pounds."

Still, he looked sad, as if he didn't light up the room with his tearful eyes.

Velomina didn't say a word—she just walked towards the sad young man to lift his chin up. "My dear... whatever is dimming your light cannot take away the shine you are born with. Come with me."

"Thank you for hosting this year's Regal Vault Gala, our most beautiful Lady Deveroux..."

"I have prepared the whole year for this," says the Lady.

"Where is your most handsome children, my Lady?" They asked.

"They will be here soon, after their studies." Velomina presented them the young man she has her arm wrapped around. "Meanwhile, I have this young man to accompany me."

Everyone in the group looked at Lian as if he was an uncut diamond to be examined by wandering eyes. He had to lower his own eyes to avoid anxiety.

"Beautiful indeed... is he a muse by any means? Where did Lady Deveroux pick up such a wonderful gemstone?"

"He is actually my sons' tutor. Marvelous, isn't he," Velomina answered, which earned a chorus of awe from the group.

"Smart and beautiful, wow..." / "He should be a muse!"

Velomina proudly looks at Lian, who looks a bit uncomfortable from all the attention. Jonah knows how to carry conversations as he has been trained by his mother from a young age—but Lian was an innocent lamb, someone who doesn't belong in this world.

"The auction is about to start, my Lords and Ladies..." an organizer informed them, to which Lian gets pulled into the theatre room where they're about to bid on the rarest jewelry known to man.

Lian sits beside her, "You hold auctions here?"

"Every year, the Regal Vault exclusive club chooses a patron to host their auctions... I happen to be chosen," she shrugged, "I detest this event, I had a team of people prepare this gala for only three days."

The audience started bidding, until it was bought at a price of $22,000,000, much to Lian's shock. Velomina just clapped beside him stating, "I love diamonds. But this one is a bit too cheap-looking."

"Cheap-looking?" Lian gave her a shocked look as the auctioneer presented another piece.

"$17,500,000!"

"$18,500,000!"

"Do you know why it's called the Widow's Flame?" Velomina whispers to Lian, "It's because it belonged to a noblewoman who lost all her husbands under strange circumstances. One might say I envy her."

"You want to kill your husband—sorry, ex-husband?"

"No," Velomina answered, "I envy her courage to do so. I don't want him dead, I just... wished I had done something."

This woman confuses Lian, but he claps alongside everyone when the piece sold for $34,000,000.

Everything was blinding, flashy... Lian hates it, he hates this place. He hates everything in it, everyone who looked at him like he was one of those jewelries. Those outside this mansion, too. Those in school... those in his life...

"Why is everything priced so high, they're just rocks?" Lian asks.

"The price they're sold to determines its worth, my dear..." Velomina answered. "Indeed, they are just polished rocks with years of craftsmanship to build them. But it is worthless until someone is willing to buy it at a price."

Lady Deveroux looks at him. "Has anything caught your eye?"

Lian stares at the choker. "I think that there is the prettiest. It's simple, and the gems are cut to form a flower. It's more art than jewelry... like the ruby has more purpose as a rose other than to sit there and look like a pretty rock."

"Do you like it?" Velomina turns to look at him as the price for the ruby rose were announced to be $10,300,000.

"I like it. But it's not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's just a rock."

Velomina's eyes softened, watching Lian not even look at it. And so, she picked /&up her auction paddle and raised it, "$20,500,000!"

Lian turned to look at her in shock as someone else bid $30,000,000.

Velomina raised hers, "$50,000,000!"

"Lady Deveroux gives us 50million, who is willing to take it from her? We've got 70million from Sir D'noir!"

Lian could see fire in Velomina's eyes as she raised her voice for the first time in a while, "One hundred and five million!"

"Sold to our hostess, Lady Deveroux!"

Velomina places a hand on Lian's shoulder, "I'd like to see it on him, please."

Everyone paused what they're doing to watch a shocked young man beside their hostess, his face dusted with gold that will match the golden choker. "Wait—" but he was still escorted up the stage where everyone turned to look at tonight's muse.

He could only look at Velomina, who calmly clapped for him. Lian cannot make a scene in such a sophisticated situation, so he stood up there as everyone admired him. He looked unsure, scared, nervous.

But the ladies were warmly smiling as they put on the choker on his neck, in front of the spotlight. One of them says, while looking at him in the eyes, "Wow... you're glowing, sir."

As if he wasn't just physically destroyed earlier, he smiled at her in appreciation. His one dimpled smile made everyone gasp in awe.

"The Bloodrose Muse, everyone!"

They all clapped as Lian turned to look at them nervously, but his lips slowly parted watching Jonah Deveroux approach his mother in the crowd, looking starstruck at Lian Miller.

"Mother, you brought Lian here?" Jonah asked her.

"Why yes, I saw the little rat in the streets and I decided to have him bathed," Velomina proudly says, "He looks marvelous in gold, doesn't he?"

The auctioneer announced another piece of jewelry so Lian ran down the stage. However, the crowd was so pleased with him, one of them held him back.

"Wow, let me see the choker my boy!"

"I want to see him."

"Uhm...?" They are getting too close to him.

"Fine specimen, are you married?"

"You should model more jewelry!"

A rude young man pulled a billionaire's hand off Lian and pulled him away from the gathering crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, respectfully f*ck off, will you?"

It was Jade Deveroux, in a velvet black suit lined with silver chains across his chest.

His hands filled with bulky rings, his eyeliner freshly dark and glaring at anyone looking at Lian.

He is tall and commanded the room full of black ties and sequin dresses, unforgivingly pulling Lian towards his mother.

"What were you thinking, woman? He was almost eaten by your friends!" He barked at his mother while Jonah was seated next to her in a satin red suit with rose vines embellishments.

Velomina only smiled at Lian in a way she has never done to her children. "Beautiful, my dear. You will be the star of this gala."

"Uhm... thank you, ma'am..." Lian nervously says, but also smiling in appreciation towards Jade. "Thank you... but I'm fine."

Lian does indeed look shining with that jewelry... but Jade only saw him as he is, more beautiful when bare. He had to shake that thought away.

Jade mumbles to his twin, "If he went home because he was sick... why is he here? He doesn't look sick to me."

"Him and Uncle Chris were speaking were they? Don't you wanna see if he left some marks?" Jonah smirked at Jade, watching some older gentleman approach the Bloodrose Choker's muse.

"My dear, your neck is perfect for these necklaces! I would recommend you to model for Bvlgari..."

"Model? He'd be the face of Bvlgari, I'll fly him out to HQ right now! What say you come with us?"

"Gentlemen!" Jonah appeared behind a terrified Lian.

The blonde was warm, smiling, casually picking out a biscuit from Lian's plate which made him glare at the Deveroux. Jonah told the elites, "I wholeheartedly agree he looks beautiful, does he not? But unfortunately, I'd have to say no to your proposals."

"Do you represent him, Jonah Deveroux?"

"No." They both watched as Jonah pulls Lian by the waist and handfed him the cracker with cheese and a cherry on top. "He is mine. Dance with me, my love."

The two older men stared in wonder at the sudden revelation of famous model Jonah Deveroux's relationship. Even Lian is shocked.

"What did you do?! I was eating, too!" Lian protested when Jonah gave the waiter his platter.

"You can eat whatever you want later darling, even me, but for now let's get you off their scent..." Jonah held his waist, and the one hand lifted Lian's for a gentle waltz. "I also got scouted as a model in a gala. They flew me out to London when I was 14... I've been modeling ever since."

"I don't look as good as you, Jonah..." Lian can't help but admire Jonah in his satin red suit, but the man spins him on his feet, earning a smile. "Haha, I've never danced like this before..."

"You can do the Macarena here, I won't care..." Jonah smiled so charmingly, making Lian feel even guiltier. His heart felt so heavy, he rested his head on Jonah's chest as they slow dance.

"What's the matter, beautiful?"

"A lot," Lian says, trying to hold back his tears. "Being called beautiful is nice and all... but it has lost all meaning to me."

"Why?" Jonah softly asks.

"I don't wanna be beautiful anymore..." Lian softly sobbed in Jonah's chest, which made the blonde panic internally. Lian was hiding himself, his tears, and his shame.

"Come... don't show your vulnerability to the vultures," Jonah pulls him aside, and Lian blindly follows him to the nearby music room where he can't hear the music and laughter anymore. Jonah seats him on top of the piano, the Deveroux's arms on either side of the crying Lian while he stands in the middle of the muse's legs.

"Don't cry, you're giving me the urge to destroy the place..." Jonah used the back of his hand to swipe the tears.

Lian looked at him, "Why does everyone destroy everything beautiful? Why do you pluck the prettiest flowers and leave them to die? Can't the world just leave them to grow, water them, let them live?"

"Why? What makes you think that?"

"You and Jade, you slept with me! I was drunk, I was not in the right mind, I was drunk and didn't know what was happening, I was young!" He sobbed, making Jonah's face fall without expression. "I was innocent, I was curious, and you took advantage of me!"

"You were," Jonah whispered, holding his face. "You were young, weren't you? Curious, vulnerable... I'm sorry, Lian. I am no different... I wanted you all for myself. I'm no different for wanting you, am I?"

"... you still want me?" Liam sobbed, "After being tainted, you still want me?"

"No amount of dirt will take away my love for you." Jonah took his hand to kiss it. "My obsession... if you are painted red, I will paint the world with blood for you."

Jonah... Lian leans in to the point where Jonah's nose can touch his tears. "Jonah, please..."

What exactly is he asking? A kiss, which the Prince Charming delivered? Or a touch, which landed on his waist as Jonah pulled him closer? His lips were gentle, careful, but his hands were fiery and possessive. Why would Lian beg for him, beg for his world to be painted with blood?