A STOLEN NAME

CHAPTER 2

*CLAN FOREST*

In the forest at the end of the clan compound, there's a low mountain, and on the mountain, there's a black manor.

The manor is Dimitri's home; he loves his privacy that way.

Roman climbed up the mountain in a fit of rage, anger radiating off him till he got to the manor.

He was about to break the door down with his gun when he remembered it was not penetrable, so he switched to kicking.

He kicked it hard, and the walls shook with the violence.

"Dimitri!!!" He yelled, but only the echo of his own voice came back, so he kicked again, more aggressive this time.

He continued the kicks till he got tired of it, so he went back down the mountain.

He came back minutes later with a keg of gasoline and matches.

He wet the door and windows with gasoline and was about to light the matches on it...

"That'll be fun to watch," Dimitri's chilly voice finally spoke, and he turned swiftly to see him standing beside a huge stone, not far from the manor.

He has been watching him since the beginning, enjoying Roman's madness.

Roman dropped the unlighted matches and walked fast to him.

He threw him a punch, and Dimitri could have clearly avoided it, but he chose not to.

He smiled devilishly, immediately the punch met his face, but then he returned it sharply.

The force of his punch sent Roman to the ground with a bruise, and he smirked.

It's a known fact to every living and nonliving thing in the clan that Dimitri is stronger than any f*****g body, but Roman is not ready for that conversation.

The fact that he's older than Dimitri makes him always want to boss, but Dimitri is not to be bossed.

Before Roman could stand, Dimitri was already going down the mountain.

Roman stood, grinding his teeth as his anger got refined.

He wants to kill Dimitri right now.

He always wants to.

*BACK IN THE SMALL BUILDING*

"Maksim!"

"Leo!"

"Maksim!"

"Leo!"

The other newbies are currently chanting relentlessly as Sophia and the guy rolled each other on the ground, taking turns to give blows to each other.

Turns out his name is Maksim, and he has lots of fans in the new gang.

He obviously has the upper hand, and his punches are heavier, but Sophia is not one to give up.

She kept up the fight, her face bloody already, till the two girls from earlier showed up.

The twin warriors.

"The last to get up gets punished," one of them said as they entered the circle.

Sophia quickly sprang up, and Maksim stood last, both breathing ruggedly and bleeding.

"Impressive... I love tough mobsters," the second girl smiled, taking a good look at the two of them as the rest stepped back.

"I'm Vera," the first one said.

"And I'm Mila," the second one said, both looking blunt.

"You're Leo Vargas," Vera said, facing Sophia.

"Yes," Sophia replied, and Vera smiled shortly, taking another look at her before joining Mila.

"The trial is tomorrow morning. The clan will decide the ones who'll be staying among y'all after taking the physical tests. Till tomorrow, you'll be given rooms to stay,” Mila said.

Ten minutes later, they were already getting shuffled into different rooms around the residential wings.

Sophia got a big room down the third wing, and immediately she dropped her duffel bag on the bed, she saw two other beds.

Meaning she has roommates??

She momentarily froze.

Her roommates will be guys. How's she gonna continue keeping her real gender from them?

She hasn't really thought about this.

But then... they'll only become her real roommates if she passes the physical trials tomorrow, right?

But one thing is for sure, she must pass... He needs to join this clan.

She needs to train and get stronger.

She needs to.

She gathered a thick hoodie from her duffel, plus a black jean, then she entered the clean bathroom.

She made sure to lock the door before undressing.

She took off her shirt and jeans, pulling down her male boxers, then she unwrapped the bandage on her chest, freeing her boobs.

Her boobs aren't big, she has the smallest size, so that's a bonus.

She turned on the warm button in the shower before getting under it, letting the warm water wash away her cold, and at the same time, her mind went to how she got here.

*FLASHBACK TO TWO DAYS AGO, COLORADO IN THE USA__ADX PRISON*

Only the sound of Sophia's harsh breaths could be heard in the small solitary cell as she did press-ups, counting and sweating like a pig.

Her limbs were already shaking, but she didn't give up nor hesitate as she did another one.

"Sixty-two!" She grunted, saliva falling from her weak mouth.

Her gorgeous golden hair is all tangled, but she managed to pull it into a low, messy ponytail, and lots of strands are stuck on her nape.

Her sweat was dropping below her face, and it's forming a puddle already as she tried to do another press.

"Sixty-thr...

She couldn't finish when a cop showed up at the door.

"Inmate number 30?" he said, his eyes devoid.

Sophia fell on her face before rising to her feet, breathing hard.

Ten minutes later, she had already changed from the inmate uniform, back to the clothes she wore here when she was arrested five years ago.

That's right...she has spent five years here for a crime she didn't commit. She was 20 when she got jailed, and now she's 25.

She was wondering what was going on as she walked beside the cop till they got to the main office.

"What's going on?" she questioned.

"Your release has been ordered by the federal government," the cops told her, and she frowned, looking more confused.

"Why?"

"Evidence shows that you're not really the murderer of your parents. Sophia Hayes, you're free to go," the detective told her, and tears fell from her red eyes.

Hot, piping one.

She has nothing to say.

What would she probably say?

Five years ago, when she was arrested, all evidence pointed at her and there was no escape.

But now, after spending five years here, they suddenly find out she's innocent?

As she walked out of the prison building, she was crying, and as expected, no one was waiting to receive her.

She wiped her tears, and thanks to the money her senior sister sends to her monthly in jail, she was able to ride a taxi home.

The house changed a lot, and time took its toll on the walls.

Her once happy home.

The paint is faded and scratched. Even the roof is rusty, and the doors.

It's like a ghost house.

As she pushed the door open, she let out her tears again because the inside was a greater mess.

The roof is leaking already. Rain washed away the flooring and a lot of properties.

She immediately had a vivid remembrance of that fateful day when her parents died in cold blood, and she could see their helpless corpses lying on the ground after they vomited their intestines.

She covered her mouth to muffle her loud cries.

She had to run out of the house so she wouldn’t break down, and she was panting tearfully as she rested her palms on her knees.

"Yo! Isn't it the b***h who killed her parents for money?" A guy passing by mocked her, and she stood straight, balling her palms.

"Hey, cool down! Don't murder me too! By the way, you killed that outfit!" He laughed in pure mockery, going out of sight.

Sophia was about to rush down the dilapidated stairs when she saw a letter hanging by a crack on the wall.

She took it and opened it with shaky fingers.

It's from Alina, her big sis.

~I've been in Russia for three years now, with the brutal Volkov clan to get stronger. If you see this when you get out, then you might wanna come join me. We must punish the bastard who framed you for our parents’ murder. The clan stopped taking females though, so you'll have to live as a boy if you're coming. I bought you a new identity as Leo Vargas. Get the details from the cyber man in the third street. He'll get you the invite and the QR code, too. See you soon, Sofya~

A sad smile painted Sophia's lips, but at least... there's hope.

Everyone sees her as a murderer here even after she has been found innocent, but she'd start all over as a man in Russia, and she'd get stronger.

She'll reunite with her sister, too.

"I'll go. I'll go" she muttered.

*PRESENT TIME*

Sophia opened her eyes in the shower, cutting off the flashback and rubbing her face, but she cringed in pain because of the bruises caused by Maksim's punches.

"That bastard," she muttered, but then it's not only him.

She also has a cut on her cheek caused by the second bastard who threw a blade at her.

She doesn't give a f**k who he is, she's wounding him back the next time they meet.

A knock sounded at the door, and she jumped.

Her roommates?

She cleared her throat before speaking in her fake male voice...

"Who’s...there?"

"It's Alina," a low voice replied, and her eyes widened.

She quickly wrapped a towel on her body and went to open the door.

Alina's blue eyes came into view, and she quickly came in, locking the door before hugging Sophia so tight, stroking her trimmed hair.

"Sofya" Alina sobbed emotionally.

"Alina" Sophia sobbed too, hugging her back.

They didn't break the hug for more than three minutes, and when they broke it, they smiled. Their smiles radiated from their matching blue eyes.

"Do I look like a boy enough?" Sophia asked.

"Trust me, you do. You're a pretty boy," Alina smiled, palming her face.

"Now that you're here, you must pass the physical trials tomorrow," she said.

"I will, but what happens to those who won't pass it?" Sophia asked.

"Their memories of what they saw in this clan will be wiped, and they'll be thrown out, so you have to pass," Alina replied, and Sophia nodded.

"We have to behave like strangers publicly, right?"

"Yeah. No one must find out we're siblings. Everyone here knows my only sibling is still in jail and she's a girl. They must not find out it's you, and no one must find out you're a female. They're madly suspicious and watchful here," Alina said sternly, her eyes turning frigid.

"What happens if they find out I'm a female? If they find out we deceived them and I'm your sister?" Sophia asked in a low voice.

Alina's lips pressed before she spoke up...

"You'll be killed, by me. I'll be ordered to kill you."

Sophia went cold, choking on her own saliva.