TORN BY VENGENCE, INLOVE WITH THE KILLER

Chapter 2: Before the storm

Celestine POV

I stood there not knowing what to do. No one moved. Then suddenly, the door cracked open. The man who stepped inside our house didn't look like what I expected. He wasn't as rough as the knock had seemed to be, and he wasn't anything like the kind of danger I had assumed. He was just composed, dressed in a dark suit, neat and precise, as he had just stepped out of one of those events by the bay. Two other men followed.

They stood behind him with the same personality but were silent. Their eyes scanned across the living room before finally settling on us. I felt a chill down my spine.

"Mr. Moreau," the front man said calmly, his voice smooth.

"We have been looking for you,” the man’s voice sounded so stern and rigid. It was obvious he didn’t belong here.

My father didn't say a word, and I had never seen him like that before. Elias Moreau, the loud and arrogant man always ready to shout, stood frozen; his expression showed nothing but fear, and his hands trembled slightly at his sides.

"I...told you guys I needed more time," he stammered.

"Time," the first man repeated softly, while mimicking Father by checking his wristwatch on his wrist.

"You've had quite a lot of that."

His gaze shifted as he saw me. And something about the way he looked at me made my stomach drop. I stepped slightly away from my mother without realizing it.

"What do you want? I demanded, standing in front of my Mother, shielding her like she was the one in danger. I frowned at the man who looked amused by my sudden act.

"You must be his daughter? Aren't you?" he said.

"Take a step back; we haven't come for you; rather, your father has some talking to do," he said.

I stiffened.

"Answer me." I felt Mother's hand grip my arm tightly.

"Celestine…” she whispered, her voice tensed, like a warning laced with fear." Stay out of my affairs and do not interfere in what you know nothing about," he said.

His voice sounded cold this time. But I didn’t move. I didn’t look away either. What did he mean? What agreement? I thought to myself.

"What is he talking about, Father?" He didn't answer; he couldn't even look at me.

I sensed that he was hiding something, but I couldn't bring myself to understand what was happening. The man ignored my question completely and turned back to my father.

"We do not care how you choose to fix your mess, and we don't care how you pay the debt, but once the boss has given an order, you have no choice but to do it," the man continued.

Mother stepped forward a bit, her hands folded.

"Please give him some time. Whatever issue he has with you guys, he will fix it," my mother said, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"We can figure something out."

There was silence for a moment.

Then the second man faced my father.

"We will give you two days, Elias. Failure to do what is necessary or else…" He snapped his fingers twice.

"You face the consequences." His voice was firm.

He then moved closer to Father and whispered something to him. Father replied with a quick nod. I tried so hard to listen, but I could not. The words came out so faintly. The men took a last look at us; the first man lingered his gaze on me for too long before finally stepping out. The heat that stayed in the room after they left was so strong and intense. We stood there silent for a while before I broke the silence.

"Father, what was that all about?" I asked, moving closer to him. But instead of him saying something. He went closer to the table and dragged away all the materials, damaging the canvas and painting that my mother and I created.

"What are you doing? Please stop," Mother said as she tried to stop him, but he pushed her to the corner of the wall, which made her fall to the ground. I barely had time to react before he stormed out of the house.

"Mother!" My voice came out broken as I dropped to my knees, catching her before she hit her head against the concrete floor.

"Mom, I'm sorry," I said as tears began to roll from the corner of my eyes.

"I'm here," I said quickly. She held my hand as she tried to get herself up. I gently lifted her, using my left arm as a support to place her on the chair. I bent toward her; her hands rubbed slightly against my palms.

"Why do you worry a lot?" she asked calmly.

"I'm alright; don't think too much about your father," she said.

She cuts in.

"How dare he do that to you? Why does he have to act like that always? But Mom..."

"Don't be stubborn. Get me some water." Without thinking twice, I rushed to the dining room and grabbed a glass of soft water. I gave it to her as I watched her drink.

Later on, it was already nighttime, and I had tucked Mother into bed.

The atmosphere was calm, but the air shifted a bit. I stood by the window, staring at the silver moon that hung in the sky. I was watching its brightness. My arms folded across my chest as my thoughts drifted. I closed my eyes, thinking about everything.

Because deep down I knew that it wasn't just about my father's failure to honor their agreement but something more dangerous than I could fathom.