Fallen For Revenge

Chapter 3: The Other Half.

Chapter 3. The Other Half.

Days had passed since Anna was kidn*pped and kept hostage by Vincent Escobar. He would order his men to come pick her up whenever he felt like getting in between her legs.

She was treated like a s*x toy with no say for herself. Grown to tolerate his s****l abuses, his cruelty, and the new life he showed her in general. No matter how many times she tried to escape, she failed.

Now, there she hung helplessly, stripped naked and strapped to the ceiling—her face covered with a bag, and her legs, which had trails of dried blood that had trickled down her, suspended in the air.

She was still trying to recover from her last moment with Vincent when she heard footsteps of two different leather shoes, solid footsteps, approaching her. One was of her enemies, whom she had come to learn over the past times he visited, while the other was unfamiliar, precise, and calculated.

The two men were discussing something she could barely hear, but as they approached her cell, the discussion became clearer.

“So, yur’ telling me that the only reason you flew all the way down here was just so you could get yer favorite coffee? Aye?” Anna heard. It was that of Vincent's, but the next voice was totally different.

“Yeah. Atimes we just gotta say hello to the old times, don't you think, brother?” the strange voice said. His voice was deep and polished with a perfect English accent, devoid of the harsh Mexican English accent that defined Vincent's speech.

Their footsteps reached the gates to her cell. Slowly, they pushed it open. The rusted metal let out a painful screech as it lazily gave way for her visitors.

“She's the one?” the voice with the English accent asked, a hint of unexplained curiosity filling his voice as he stepped closer to her.

“tsk! tsk! Absolutely.” what seemed to be Vincent's voice replied.

Anna felt a hand running down her tummy, carefully inspecting her as if it was taking note of every single curve her body had.

“Easy, Brother. This one is not to be shared.” Vincent said, his voice sending off signals of displeasure at his touch.

“Oh! How about you let me see her face and I will let you have my cigarette lighter, huh?”

Vincent let out a chuckle, “Yu always amuse me, twin brother, but who am I to refuse such an offer?” he said.

Anna gasped in fear and disgust. There she was, hanging helplessly, and was literally being traded for a mere cigarette lighter.

She felt the bag which covered her face slowly slide off her as the dim lights of the dungeon penetrated her eyes.

Standing right in front of her was another version of Vincent—a man who looked eerily like him, standing in front of her like a god. He looked exactly like him, and even way better.

This new look-alike stood with confidence, dragging the spotlight from everything living and breathing. His aura immediately replaced the toxic smell of the room, domineering, stern, calculative, but yet somewhat kind.

His green eyes lingered on Anna, hanging helplessly from the ceiling. There was a brief flickering of something—pity, curiosity, or maybe disdain—but it was gone before she could decipher it.

“And why would my brother have such a beautiful lady all tied up. Does she not deserve a bed…,” he paused, glancing at her body, “...And a bath? Has she been that much trouble at the house?”, Carlo asked with a weird smirk as he glanced over his shoulders at Vincent, then back to Anna.

“None at all.” Vincent's voice dropped defensively. “You see, I just don't take chances when it comes to family affairs. They don't know what it means to rule a family.”, Vincent said sarcastically.

Carlo could detect the true meaning behind his words. He knew how much his brother hated him.

“Of course, brother.”, his smirk deepened. He turned back to Anna, who couldn't help but somehow admire his handsomeness. She knew it was crazy to be admiring someone who could kill her at any moment, but somehow, she couldn't help it. He was very handsome.

“What is your name, miss?” he asked, his deep voice commanding and yet peaceful.

Anna made to reply, but the duct tape which covered her mouth resisted her speech.

He took notice and immediately stretched out his masculine hands. Slowly, he pulled the duct tape off her lips. His eyes followed every movement of her lips as it regained its shape.

Anna could feel her throat tighten up as his green eyes fixed on her lips, and she could see his lips parting slightly as he pulled off the tape.

When he was done, he stepped back again. “What is your name?” he asked, this time with more calmness in his voice.

“Anna. M…My…n…amen is Anna.” she stammered.

***

Later on that night,

The dim candlelight flickered across the grand dining room as Anna sat beside Vincent. All thanks to Carlo, who let her eat at the table. Her eyes went downward to avoid the weight of Carlo’s gaze. Carlo, on the other hand, sat across from them, his calm demeanour a stark contrast to Vincent’s simmering aggression.

They would occasionally steal glances at each other whenever Vincent was not looking. But Vincent knew exactly what was going on, so he decided to break the drama.

“Business in America is doing well, I assume?” Vincent’s tone was casual, but the underlying tension was unmistakable as his disdainful eyes fixed on Carlo.

Carlo took a sip of his wine, his eyes drifting briefly to Anna before he answered.

“It’s stable. The drug trade remains profitable, though some of our suppliers are starting to get bold. But nothing we can’t handle.”

Anna’s stomach churned as they discussed their dealings as if it were just another day. The two brothers were clearly cut from the same cloth—both ruthless, both unyielding, yet something about them piqued her interest, which was their obvious hatred for each other.

Why would two twins pretend to like each other, despite the obvious facts in front of them?

Anna shrugged the question off. It meant nothing to her after all.

But there was something different about Carlo. He was methodical where Vincent was impulsive, cold where Vincent was fiery. And it unnerved her.

They were twin brothers, of course, with Vincent sitting on the family throne. Calculated scheming, drug trafficking, and tobacco plantations hidden across the world were just some of their illegal deeds.

“I’ve heard troubling things, though,” Carlo continued, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. “The Voyagers have been making moves.” he paused, as if to measure the impact his words had on his elder brother.

“Speak, brother!” Vincent urged on with curiosity.

“It's the snow field”, Carlo said, letting his voice hang in the air.

Vincent seemed to stiffen up, “What about it?” he asked with a new sense of interest.

“The voyagers stole the documents to that part. I tried retrieving them, but my men were not strong enough. He required the Escobar Prince to come on his own if he ever wanted to retrieve his field”, Carlo said.

“No one sets bargains with my field. I am the leader of this family. Anyone who dares…”, Vincent was interrupted.

“I think my brother here is slowly losing power.” Carlo cut in as he took another intentional glance at Anna, and then back to his brother, “Your counterparts are beginning to forget who you are, and I even heard the leader of the voyagers are planning to overrule our family legacy. I know how horrible it would be if generations of supremacy ended in your reign as prince.” Carlo said calmly, which vexed his brother the more.

Vincent slammed his fist on the table, causing Anna to jump out of her skin. She had tried her best to reduce her existence in the room, but Carlo's deceptive eyes wouldn't just let her disappear.

“I shall move tomorrow morning. The voyagers would kneel to me while I s*******r their men one by one” Vincent said coldly. He took one last sip of his wine and stormed out.

“I hope to hear you victorious, elder brother”, Carlo said, his well wishes cloned with a sense of dubiousness. His gaze followed his brother until he left the room. Then his green eyes went back to Anna with a cold and intentional stare, which surprisingly had effect on her.

Anna stood up with a bottle of wine—her eyes still locked on Carlo’s as she felt a cold shudder run down her spine. The air began to choke her, and decided it was best she walked out of the room. All thanks to Carlo who managed to convince his brother to let her move freely around the house, but under close watch.

Whatever plan Carlo had, whatever darkness lingered between the brothers, she knew one thing—her survival now depended on more than just escaping Vincent. It meant navigating the dangerous game between these two monsters.