Twins With Benefits

12

Gigi

Sitting with my mom and Alex, we talk about how she's feeling. Alex asks, “Are you feeling fine now?” Pouting my mom says, “Alex, I don't want to eat this bland food anymore. Please bring me a pasta or something.” Alex and I exchange worried looks because mom needs to stick to a special diet for her health.

However Alex ever soft hearted nods at her, reassuring her, “Of course, Amber. I will let Natalia know about your preferences.” I throw a wide eyed look at him and he gives me a single nod before he turns his attention back to my mother to inquire, “What else do you like, Amber?”

My mother then asks Alex, "Can I take a walk in the garden? I want to enjoy some fresh air." Alex responds with a warm smile and agrees to her request. As my mother drifts off to sleep, Alex and I step out for a walk. Concerned, I question Alex, "Why did you agree to let her have pasta? The doctor specifically instructed us not to give her any unhealthy food.”

Alex takes a deep breath and calmly explains, "Gigi, I understand your concern, but she's going through a difficult time. If we don't show her understanding, she might lose hope. We need to help her out of this difficult situation." I gaze at him as he goes on, "I'll ask Natalia to prepare fresh and healthy meals for her from now on.”

After a brief pause, he suddenly exclaims, "Hey, you promised me a movie night. Let's do it now!" Tiffany joins us for a movie night in the spacious home theater, and the three of us settle in to watch a horror movie. As the scary movie unfolds, memories of my encounter with the stalker unexpectedly resurface in the back of my mind.

I quickly pop two pieces of popcorn into my mouth when I feel my phone vibrating. As I open the text message, a frown creases my face in confusion as I try to figure out who could be texting me from an unknown number. The message is filled with threats, and I nervously gulp, feeling the color drain from my face. A lump forms in my throat as the popcorn gets stuck, adding to the tension of the moment.

Starting to cough, I set my phone aside, and Alex, looking concerned, asks, "What's wrong? Are you choking?" He rushes to get me some water, and after a few moments, I manage to clear my throat and regain my composure. Tiffany lightens the mood by teasing, "Looks like Gigi can't handle horror movies." I play along with a mental response, acknowledging that my life feels like a horror movie that no one else knows about.

Taking it as a joke I smile back before excusing myself and heading back to my room. A few hours later, after completing my assignment, I decide to take a stroll to the balcony. From there, I notice Alex bidding farewell to his girlfriend, and they share a kiss on the lips. A pang of jealousy briefly washes over me, but it quickly fades as thoughts of my stalker resurface, reminding me of the more pressing concerns in my life.

As I watch Alex's girlfriend's car disappear, I see Alex heading toward the garden. Frowning, I decide to follow him and notice him approaching the cellar. Intrigued by his actions, I make up my mind to leave my room and discreetly follow him to see what he's up to.

As I step into the darkness of the cellar, I am surprised to find that it is no longer dark. Faint lights flicker along the long path, guiding my way forward. I continue walking, the dim lighting casting eerie shadows around me, when suddenly I hear a piercing scream that sends shivers down my spine. The sounds of someone being brutally beaten with whips echo through the cellar, and the agonizing screams of the victim pierce the silence, filling the air with a sense of dread and helplessness.

My heart pounds harder as I approach the wine barrels, the tension remains in the air. Peeking through a crack in the wall, I am stunned by the scene before me. My stepbrother Alex is standing in the blood, mercilessly whipping a man who is on his knees in front of him. "Tell me! Who sent you?" Alex demands, his voice filled with anger and determination, before delivering another brutal lash of the whip that elicits agonizing screams from the man.

Shocked and horrified by what I am witnessing, I cover my mouth to stifle a gasp as the ground feels like it's slipping away from beneath my feet.

As I continue to watch in horror, the man before me appears weak, wounded, and covered in trails of blood that stream down his battered body. My stepbrother Alex, once familiar to me, now seems like a different person altogether—merciless, dangerous, and consumed by hatred and rage.

His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscles tense with anger, and his face is contorted with a scornful expression that I no longer recognize. The sight before me sends a chill down my spine, making me realize the depth of darkness that lies within someone I had thought I knew.

My heart clenches in my chest as one of Alex's men opens the wine barrel, revealing a sight so horrific that it freezes me in place. Inside the barrel lies the lifeless body of a man, drained of blood, his pale and empty eyes staring into nothingness.

The scene before me is overwhelming and shocking. I can't believe what I am witnessing. Just moments ago, I was watching a horror movie with my stepbrother and his girlfriend, thinking it was all make-believe. Now, the reality of the situation is sinking in, and it's too much for me to process. The boundary between fiction and reality has blurred in a disturbing way, leaving me feeling frightened and disoriented.

The truth is far more sinister than I had ever imagined. My stepbrother is not the person I thought he was—he's a twisted individual who takes pleasure in killing. As I overhear a conversation between Alex and his men, “Sir, Ray wants to meet the most fearsome mafia in the city -”

I make a hasty retreat from the cellar, running as fast as I can until I reach the safety of my room. Panting heavily, my heart still racing, I struggle to process the terrifying reality of who Alex truly is. The image of Alex Knight, the charming businessman with a kind heart, has been shattered, revealing a cold and ruthless mafia figure hiding beneath the facade of my stepbrother.

How uncanny is that? Why is this hard for me to believe? Is this real or was I just hallucinating? What is happening in my life? First my stalker is trying to frighten me and now my stepbrother is…what if he killed my stepfather? His own dad?