HATE OR LOVE: Devils In Obsession

To Test Me

Eve

I was having a meeting with the top members of Mad House when Crandon interrupted with a call card to the Elders' Court.

I let Omar continue the meeting and left with Christopher and Crandon. Arriving at the theater where the meeting was holding place, I couldn't let Christopher get involved in matters for elders so I let one of the new stewards take Christopher away to the minors' section. After receiving a red cross from another steward, I went in.

The sight that greeted me was rather unusual. The elders sat up front as the stage as judges, while the rest of the family members sat shattered theater seats, at the front rows on the left side was my dad, Elle, her sons. Eric's face and arms were bandaged, same as my... stepson, Sydney.

Earlier, while I was in London in a private meeting with a minister, I'd received several calls from the school. Apparently they'd expelled Syd. Reason? a fight. Now, seeing Eric, he clearly was the fight.

"Well what a beautiful evening. What's this about?" I raised a brow, dragging my eyes from one person to another. Who was going to respond, when they were all glaring at me , except my dad. While everyone was seated, Flavian stood around a dark corner, observing as always, that's what I know.

"Evening, Eve. Have a seat," Jonas, the great-grand uncle, beckoned me to sit.

I inserted my myself on an empty seat in-between Alan and Sydney, glancing at both. "Are you alright?" I whispered to Syd, and his head sagged loosely. I'll make it up to him. I swear it. I can only imagine how much pain he's in, on top of this ~I narrowed my eyes at Danielle~ this embarrassment. I'll make it up to him. I swear it.

"Danielle has made a report," said grand uncle David.

Of course she did.

"Which is?" I asked indifferently.

"Your stepchild attacked my son. I'm sure you already know!" Danielle yelled into the mic, already on her feet.

"Yes, I do," I said calmly into my mic, relaxing back into my chair.

"That's enough. Eve, we've got questions for you," said Isabelle, the twin grand aunt with the default deadpan expression. She couldn't be bothered to care.

"These children... where are they from, and why did you legally adopt them?" Jonas resumed the questioning, checking some files on his desk. Questions that were only formalities— those files had all the details already provided by non-other than Flavian.

"I legally adopted them because I could. They're from America," I replied, glancing at Alan. They were in fact Americans, where was the lie? They hadn't really grown up on this island; they only started living with their mom once she began setting her schemes in motion, using them to her advantage.

"Here it says they're residents of Rostovs territory," grand uncle Elwin, with the white beard, just had to point out.

Dad, Danielle, and every other witness in the court spotlighted me with their eyes. "Correct," I calmly agreed.

It's a rule that our residents aren't allowed to associate with their people. Everyone was giving me the side eye like I'd committed treason. Good that their eyes were on me, just me, because if they dared look at these boys the wrong way, they'd pray to see the next sunrise.

I'm only taking things easy; I can't have anything stressing out my old man. I pray he lives long enough to see me win... I pray his new wife doesn't go poisoning him.

"And their parents?"

"Dead. The mother killed the father. I killed her."

"So these children were orphaned by your hands?" Jonas's face wrinkled further as he scowled at me.

"When you put it like that, you make me sound like the grim reaper. They're not orphans. They are my children." My voice was loud and firm, for everyone to hear. I said it audibly so that no one, and I mean no one, would question their identity. I side-eyed Eric and Frederick. I'd seen the fight video on my way here. I'll admit, I overestimated their IQ back in the past.

"What was the cause of the fight?" Dad finally asked, after a long, overdue silence.

I guess his wife hadn't been close enough to inform him about the situation, because he was the only one who looked confused and fatigued.

"Your daughter's stepchild maimed my son, over a girl!"

What? Perplexed, I furrowed my brow, glancing between the two boys. Sydney kept quiet as he met met my eyes. But Alan...

"That's a lie! My brother was trying to defend me, it was Eric who hit me!" he screamed into the mic, eyes watery.

I've had two children, and this is the first I've seen a boy child cry over something so petty. Christopher would normally sleep off his hard feelings. Grace had an explosive anger and would end up breaking things. But then I understood, his nose was red, and so was the side of his cheek, bruised and discolored.

"It's alright to be mad at your bullies. But it's not okay to cry in front of them," I whispered into his ear, squeezing my pocket watch into his hand. "That's a time-out for you. Let the adults do the talking."

"And why would my son hit you, boy?" Danielle's eyes flared, glaring at the innocent boy with a cruelty her son mimicked perfectly.

I was just about to answer the unnecessary question again when Flavian moved to the center of the stage, before the elders, his eyes meeting everyone's except mine. In his hands was a remote control. I had a hunch about what he was about to do.

"Unfortunately, there's no popcorn or chicken nuggets to enjoy the show. But I'd hope we learn some..... " he paused deliberately, tilting his body, now staring at me, comically, "lessons," he finished off, sweetening the word.

Actually, I was wrong... I don't know what he's up to.

He pressed the remote once, and a hallway scene from the school came alive on all four TV screens embedded in the four walls of the theater. Everyone present started watching, and in that moment, all the built-up tension crumbled.

It all started with a bell ringing and ended with Sydney getting beaten to a pulp. So the video I'd watched wasn't even the full story. Just some edited garbage. Damn...... The internet is a funny place.

I was wrong again, this issue wasn't so petty. And if my blood wasn't boiling before, it was freezing cold now... Chills circulated my body.

I sent these children to school to learn, not to become someone's punching bag. I gritted my teeth as the screens finally went dark and Flavian stepped out of the center, back into his corner of observation.

Once again, he'd left me speechless. He'd certainly done this to see what I'd do.

To test how much I cared for these kids.

To test my patience.

To test my sanity.