Page 38 of TAINTED by TWINS

P.S. The boys' outfits don't exist irl, don't search them up.

It was the night of the gala, and I faced myself in the mirror barely recognizing the face before me. I've changed so much, it's scary. But I'm not scared of the change, I'm scared of forgetting who I once was.

I wasn't even given time to wrap my head around Sasha's death. I failed to save him... and yet I'm being framed as someone who killed him out of self defense. That's not what I wanted for Sasha—I wanted him to suffer, to pay for what he did.

What he did to me.

I removed the bandage, revealing a fresh scar that tainted this "perfect beauty.

" What once was a hidden scar, now resurfaced.

It pierced my eyebrows, rendering the hair in its path unable to grow back.

It missed my eyeball, but didn't spare my eyelids, requiring one stitch before it continued to my upper cheekbone. It's fresh, red, stitched.

On my body is a Dolce I've answered 14 questions about it already.

Where is Jade? Where is my father even? "Excuse me, gentlemen..." I escaped from the group of Chairmans trying to set me up with their daughters. I tried to walk towards Jonah, but someone else blocked me.

"My dear, what happened to your face?" I had to put on a fake smile and tell the story for the 15th time, leaving behind the late Petrovna's identity.

I can't reach Jonah, but I need to get away from them. I escaped to the men's restroom, a toilet with its own disgusting display of wealth, having a 4ft pure gold statue of a Greek goddess. I barged into one of the stalls and puked all my nervousness out.

Those men and their wives... with their stinking designer perfumes touching me with their oversized rings and unwelcomed hands! Disgusting!

"Congratulations..." says a man washing his hands from the sink, and my heart sank realizing who it is.

It's the charming Christian Wayne in a white tailored Armani Privé Velvet suit, silk tie, and polished Italian shoes.

Looking as plain as he can to prevent standing out, but this man is not plain himself.

"You finally found out who you truly are. You're beautiful as always, Mr Deveroux. I hope the twins are taking good care of you?" Chris casually asks through the mirror as if we didn't have a relationship that lasted for years.

"Chris..." after what happened with Sasha, I have the right to be afraid, so I stepped back. But he noticed this.

"I'm sorry about what Sasha did to you. Rest assured, I have no desire to hurt you any further. You've had enough from the twins."

"You..." I swallow the fact that I missed what we once had, "You have the nerve to hop on a high horse. The twins never hurt me as bad as you did."

"You still believe the twins wouldn't hurt you just to have you?" Chris sighed while looking at me in the mirror, "Even Jade wouldn't trust his twin, what makes you think you should?"

"I know Jonah is manipulative, but he's doing all of this for me," I argue.

Chris nods, "That boy knows how to steer a ship. If his mother weren't my sister, I would've been dead right now. He spared me by convincing me to transfer schools. Far, far away from you."

"You're transferring schools?"

"Not so. More like... retiring," Chris smiles at me.

"I've always loved you. But just like your mother, you tend to drive your lovers insane.

I should've seen it coming for me, with how Velomina turned out.

Forgive me for blaming you, but there's a pattern here.

I couldn't help but fall for you... then take it too far. That is my sin."

"I was in high school," I remind him, about to cry my heartbreak out but then... I decided to take control, take responsibility. "I did beg you to help me through my sexuality. But why didn't you say no? You knew it was wrong for us to be together."

"I love you too much to reject you, I loved you too much for me to think things through," Chris turns around to face me, intending to leave.

His eyes are just as gentle as before, though scary this time.

"Jonah says as long as I stay away, he'll keep me from legal consequences.

But I have to see you on your special day, I have to apologize for the scar that I left, and the scar that Sasha made.

And if that risks jail time... so be it. "

Chris... he went against Jonah for me? He started walking, but I reached my hand out and pushed him towards the sink, demanding him to stay.

"I have a few questions... before you leave. If you don't answer them truthfully, I'll expose you," I say, making him lean against the sink to listen to me. Those eyes, my first love, is breaking my heart all over again.

"I owe you the truth, Lian," he sincerely replies.

My chin is held up high but mainly because I'm trying to stop my tears. "Did... did Lady Velomina ask you to spy on me and my mother? Was it the reason you were kept your eye on me ever since I entered school? Ever since you started working with my mother?"

Chris has a twitch of a smile—not devious like Jonah, but a reminiscing smile, filled with memories of the past. Those of happiness and sadness, he recalls all of them, and hopefully he will tell me everything.

"The truth is like a reflection in the mirror, sometimes we can only see what we're focusing on and not so much what is behind us. Yes, I kept a close eye on you. Yes, I watched over you and your mother. But not for the reason you think."

He adds, "I was the same as you, my Med school was sponsored by Carvalle and therefore I have to intern at this school, where your mother took care of me. While everyone bossed me around, Miss Lei Ann barks them away—" Chris finds himself laughing at the memory of his internship.

"Why would you let a DOCTOR make your coffee Samantha—good lord, either use your hands or get yourself a disability check, 'them amputated people are more independent than you!"—Lei Ann

"Miss Lei Ann protected me, that's for sure.

Angry Asian women scare me, and apparently everyone else was scared, too.

I thought she was so tough, she was my hero.

But after catching her drinking wine after classes, I knew there was something more to her beauty and toughness.

I stayed with her as a colleague, subordinate, and a friend.

I can't help but listen to the reason why she's that depressed.

I can't help but watch over her and protect her as she did to me. "

"Why was she depressed?" I ask.

"You." I seemed to look confused so Chris chuckled in amusement. "Don't get me wrong, she never stopped talking about how she loves you, Lian. Her beautiful little blessing. She loved how she's both a mother and a father to you. Hmmm... what did she keep saying to me?"

"He has the darkest hair, the prettiest lips, and a nose I can slide my finger on... my baby is so handsome and kind, and I know that everyone he meets will instantly love him."—Lei Ann

"When she introduced me to you, I knew she jinxed me. I instantly felt the need to protect you, and I could never take my eyes off you. That feeling grew stronger when she retired and personally left you in my hands."

"Please don't let Velomina know about my son," Lei Ann confided to him. "I'm okay being in danger, but not my Lian, no. Please help him."

"Miss Miller, I would never tell my sister about you. You and Lian are safe with me."

Lian finds himself stepping back in shock, his body hitting the doorway when he realized Chris never intended to spy on them. In fact, he may be the reason Velomina hasn't known for a very long time. Lady Velomina only found out when...

"I tried to keep you away from the twins, you know.

.." Chris says, arranging the painkillers on their respective drawers.

"But Jonah Deveroux is always one step ahead.

.. I could never protect you from him. I went as far as to blackmail you—I was so desperate to keep you away from them, even if it means chaining you to my side.

I guess the twins and I were all cut from the same cloth, huh? "

"Jonah..." I find myself hurt. Betrayed... thrown around, played around. "Jonah told his mother, then? Because Jade wouldn't have..."

"I don't trust him either. But Jonah is definitely guilty. And I won't be surprised if he's the one who told Khalid Deveroux about you," he said. I couldn't speak. I stood there, knees getting weak as I stepped forward to save myself.

"All that... so he will pull my strings..." I realized in horror. I look at Chris, only for him to give me an apologetic look. All of them hurt me, I still haven't forgiven him yet. But Jonah... why would you do all this, Jonah?

I call out, "I have one last question. Answer me, and I'll forgive you for everything you've ever done. After this, we will forget each of us has ever existed."

"It is hard to forget someone like you. My intent to protect became obsessive and desperate—all that, I couldn't even forgive myself for.

At the end of the day, I realized you're my sister's chosen child.

And I have done both of you wrong for simply hurting you.

" Chris looks at me with a box of his stuff beside him.

"Since I owe you everything, ask ahead. And you will never see me again. "

My heart hearts. I can't forget him, too.

Chris was my first in everything... my first love, be it forbidden it was still my choice.

Whether he took advantage of me or not, he still comforted me in my darkest days.

It's very wrong and I don't see myself doing the same but.

.. would my life be better if he wasn't there?

I'm still confused. I'm still a confused little boy.

"If I ask you to help me again, would you?" At the end of the day, I'm still that confused boy who escapes to the clinic to seek help from him.

A smile crept on Chris' face, that handsome gentle smile that greeted me in the clinic every day, all those years.

It seems like he would always accept; his love for me is still dangerous, but so are the twins.

He reached for his pocket and pulled out a small ziplock bag, walking towards me to place it in my hand.

"This is the last time I will ever help you again. But at the end of the day, only you decide how you will use this. Consider this a land gift... to the new CEO of Maison du Rouge."

With that, Chris walked away and left me, not even a kiss on the cheek or any further touches. Just a gloved hand on my own, leaving behind a... lethal dose of anesthetic. Euthanasia.

I immediately hid it in my jacket pocket, realizing he's helping me by—oh god, why did he give me this?! My head spinning as I exit the restroom and is immediately surrounded by strangers who made my head spin.

Does he want me to... ?

"Here he is, Lian Deveroux!" Khalid calls out for me, while I search the crowd and weakly call out Jade's name.

Does he want me to kill...

"Come here, my pride and joy!" They're all applauding.

Is this for them or... ? I saw Jonah, but before I can go to him, I was pulled and forced into a platform, feet spinning before me and so is the room.

"... I almost lost him, you know. There was an assassination attempt yesterday, an attempt to rob me of the pleasure to introduce him to you.

But my Lian is one tough young man who cannot just be taken down!

" They erupted in applause, yet I could only see all of them as shadows.

My father looked proud of me, something I've always wanted for myself.

This is what I've always wanted. A father... looking at me with pride. I'm being held on both shoulders by my own father, forcing everyone to listen as he talks about who I am as a person, who I will become.

"... he has grown up to be as great as me!" I couldn't hear what more he's saying, but I faced the crowd, particularly the spotlight blinding me. I hear familiar footsteps approaching the platform, and my spinning vision sees Jonah opening a leather folder.

"... to my one and only son, the one true Deveroux heir!" Everyone clapped as a pen is forced into my hand and I mindlessly wrote my signature like we practiced. So that's me. The Deveroux heir... Lian Deveroux.

This is it. I'm Lian Deveroux. My life has changed. After life changes... would I still be in control? My eyes met Jonah, who had nothing but a smile on his face as he turns to his father who is about to sign.

I still felt the room spinning, and for some reason the lights are comforting me because they're not people. I looked back at the spotlight, but my expression changed because I suddenly saw... "Mom?"

My mom... here to see me? Smiling at me from behind the spotlight, happy that I finally have somewhere to belong to—

"MOM, NO!" That was Jade, calling for his own mother. I look to where Lady Velomina stood, hand pulling out a gun from her vintage real fur arm warmer before pointing them at my father. I snap out of my mind and look at Jonah, whose contract isn't signed yet.