Maya couldn’t stop wondering about the mysterious man Natalia is in love with and the woman Vico had chosen for him to marry. It had nothing to do with her, and it was none of her business, but her instincts told her otherwise.
Maya joined Vico in the living room.
"Papa, you asked for ," she said, feigning a smile.
"Co sit beside your papa," he patted the empty space on the couch.
Maya took a deep breath and quickly sat down beside Vico on the couch.
"Do you drink brandy?" Vico asked, picking up a bottle of brandy that was resting on the glass coffee table in front of him, holding it up in Maya’s direction.
Maya shook her head. "I don’t drink hard liquor; Champagne and wine are my limits."
Vico said nothing, as he was focused on filling his glass with more brandy. He took a swig, then another, emptying his glass before he rembered Maya’s presence and spoke to her again. "You don’t drink hard liquor because of your traumatic brain injury, right?"
Maya exhaled sharply; her brain injury was a painful incident she would rather forget ever happened and never discussed, especially with Vico, this despicable man who was indirectly responsible for that terrible life-altering event. Because he made the decision to throw her into the den of the wolf.
"I had already sentenced Fredrick Hathaway and his son to death long before he even pushed you to your fall, nearly sending you to the land of the dead. I was hoping that his abuse and tornt would build strong resentnt and hatred in your heart, leading you to snap and kill him when I order you to soday. This would ultimately draw you to the dark side. Unfortunately, Fredrick Hathaway couldn’t contain his murderous instincts and wanted to end your life."
Maya could hear the pounding of anger in her. She wanted to say sothing that would make Vico’s jaw tremble with rage, but she didn’t want to witness the death of another innocent girl.
She was suppressing her anger until she could no longer hold it in.
"You killed him two years later? Why didn’t you do it right after he put on that surgical table?" Anger bubbled in her voice. "Do you know he nearly strangled to death?" She jumped to her feet. "He and his son didn’t stop hitting during all those two years you waited before intervening and killing them!"
Vico sat cross-legged, enjoying his brandy and watching Maya as if she were a little girl throwing a tantrum
"Because you decided to get involved with Dalton Black, the mont I found out you were his personal chef, I decided to let Fredrick Hathaway live longer and allow him and his son to mistreat and abuse you more, to punish you for falling in love with that Dalton fucking Black!" he roared.
Maya flinched. "I... thought..." She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. So, Vico wasn’t describing Dalton to Doctor Gallo; he was talking about another man. He still despises Dalton very much. She feels so foolish.
Vico is truly the devil, she thought furiously. He allowed her, his only daughter, to be abused just to punish her for falling in love with a man he disapproved of.
And before Maya could think more deeply about whom Vico was describing to doctor Gallo, He interrupted her thoughts.
"I love this anger you’re exhibiting. Let’s see if it can turn you into the killer I want you to be." Vico nodded to one of his n lingering at the wall, and the man left.
Maya felt a pang in her chest.
Oh no! She couldn’t contain her anger, and now an innocent person was about to lose their life.
She dropped to her knees and let out a cry. "Please," her voice broke.
"Oh, I thought you hated these two so much, Tesoro," Vico quipped.
Maya paused and stared in the direction of the door, realizing that the people being led in were far from innocent people.
She imdiately sprang to her feet. "Soraya, Valentina!" she exclaid as they were roughly pushed through the door and stumbled to the floor, dragged before Vico’s feet.
Maya gazed at them indifferently; their tears, terror, and devastated faces failed to evoke even a hint of pity in her heart.
"Judging by your cold, detached expression, you wouldn’t protest if I handed you a gun to shoot them." Vico snatched a pistol from the holster of the man who had brought Valentina and Soraya in.
A cry escaped from Valentina’s lips as she stared helplessly at Maya. anwhile, Soraya had fallen silent for so reason, likely due to her bruised lips.
"Which one do you want to kill first, Soraya: Fredrick Hathaway’s niece or his daughter Valentina?" Vico taunted.
"Neither," Maya’s tone was clipped. "You have tortured them enough; that will do." She hated these two, but not enough to want their deaths.
Vico didn’t like her answer. "Didn’t Soraya try to reenact her uncle pushing you to the brink of death, while Valentina aided her brother and father in nearly selling you into prostitution?"
Maya bit her bottom lip to stifle a cry of frustration. She was tired of witnessing deaths, blood, and the gore—the last flicker of life in those victims’ eyes before they plunged into death.
She doesn’t give a damn about Soraya or Valentina, but she doesn’t want to be the reason for their deaths.
Vico tsked. "It’s either these two or Soraya’s mother, Aunt Lily."
Maya’s chest tightened. "She did nothing wrong; don’t touch her! And I don’t want you to kill her daughter, Soraya, either, as it would only cause her grief."
Vico’s lips curled into a villainous smirk. "Unfortunately, I plan to wipe out the entire Hathaway family."
"Please, not Aunt Lily," Maya begged.
Vico’s eyes glead triumphantly. "Then you will allow to kill Valentina and Soraya, won’t you?"
Maya clenched her teeth. "No, don’t kill any of them. You can do whatever you like to Soraya and Valentina, but don’t do anything to Aunt Lily!"
Vico finally relented. "Alright, but you can never see Aunt Lily again. She will be out of your life, like she’s dead."
Maya sighed in indignation.. "If that’s the price I have to pay to keep her alive, so be it."
She’s going to soak her pillow with tears tonight. She was devastated when Aunt Lily couldn’t attend her wedding because she was caring for her Sick Spanish husband. Never seeing Aunt Lily again will just rip her apart inside.
"Can I leave now? I don’t want to see the terrible things you are going to do to these two." Maya gave Soraya and Valentina a quick glance, noting their bruised and battered faces. mories of her half-brother Terrence using her face as a punching bag flooded her mind. Her face resembled what Soraya and Valentina looked like now anyti she took a beating.
Maya hates these two so much, but it hurts her inside to see her fellow won so beaten up and tortured rcilessly. She rushes out of the living room before she spills tears on her cheeks for these undeserving won.
***
Maya rushed to her room, only to et Natalia in her room, leaning against the wall, waiting for her.
"Cousin."
Maya flinched, startled. "What do you want?" she snapped at Natalia.
"Well, I’m going back to Arica to et your darling husband, Dalton Black, to relay an important ssage from Vico to him. As your good cousin, I thought you should know."
Maya felt her heart thudding in her ears. "Dalton."
"Don’t worry, cousin. I’m going to tell him the state of your well-being." Natalia turned toward the door.
"Wait," Maya leapt to her and touched her shoulder to stop her from leaving.
"Can you...?" Maya was at a loss for words, unsure of what ssage she wanted Natalia to deliver to Dalton.
Natalia whipped her head around to look at Maya with a raised eyebrow in a question form.
Maya settled for. "When you get back, just let know how he is doing."
Natalia ignored her and strode out the door.
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