INSANELY FALLEN

THREE QUESTIONS

Miller’s viewpoint…

“I lost my daughter once, Shawn. I am scared I will lose her again. I beg of you not to associate her in your rivalry."“

“What do you mean by that? And I did not decide for your daughter. It’s her choice.”

I know I sounded curt, but I don’t see any alternative approach to deal with such situations. It’s not every day that someone shows up and declares me he is going to lose his girl. Somehow knowing my discomfort, David went on,

“I know, but now my daughter’s life is in your hands, Miller.” I was about to inquire how when he drew a wallet from his pocket and opened it to reveal me a small group picture. 

A husband and wife seated on two armchairs with the mother holding a baby. At the back were three smiling boys with a girl in between them. I recognized everyone except the woman to be the Stapletons family. I was amused to see Isabelle all grinning and cheerful, entirely contrary to what she is now. Somehow the picture of hers’ produced a smile in my face. What’s happening to me? 

“I presume this is your spouse?” I suggested now looking at the graceful-looking wife, who is a maturer version of Isabelle herself.

“Yes, her name is Sophia. My companion and mother to my children.” He answered, his eyes lovingly boring into the picture.

“Where is she now?”

I asked, partially knowing the answer. She was not there when I visited their residence and the Jacob boy served us drink. So either they are separated or she is deceased. Whatever it is, the answer will not be good. Or she may have gone for shopping or something, as I could always be incorrect.

“She left me solely with four wonderful kids to the place of nowhere.” Yup. Definitely dead. 

“And?” I suggested. Where do I come in here?

“While she was alive, she constantly had one request, to keep Seb protected. I did that by making her a fighter girl, a rebel. I am sure she will crush a group of troubled individuals who attack her, survive in wild without decent food and water, and take care of her siblings better than I would.” 

I am not claiming he is wrong, but it appeared as if he is boasting about his own offspring. I was about to draw it to his attention when he interrupted.

“Nothing would break my girl except one thing, or rather a somebody,” he stated now gazing at me with a half scared expression. What the hell is going on here? 

“Redfield. She cannot withstand Redfield.”

My ears perked up with concern and my mind drifted to the time of her panic attack and the way she scribbled on the notepad after seeing Lucas. 

“What exactly happened, David?” I was now standing a bit closer to him. He had a disoriented look in his eyes but whispered anyway, I know I shouldn’t be involved in any of their personal matters but the sentence was already out.

“Lucas made Isabelle kill her own mother.” s**t!!!

I was totally blank. ‘Lucas made Isabelle kill her own mother’. It took a few minutes for me to digest the words. I didn’t know how to respond. The girl I thought was a total b***h had a painful past, more painful than mine. Jane is momentarily safe there, but Isabelle on the other hand lost her loved one. Wait, didn’t he just say she killed her mom? I looked at him with part shock and part doubt.

“He is more dangerous than you think, Shawn. And now he is going to take my daughter away. From that cursed day, he has his eyes on her. He is just waiting for a chance to prance and kill my daughter. I can’t let that happen, son. I can’t lose her too.” The Mafia King of the Country had tears in his eyes when he said those words.

“Tell me what happened” I had a pleading voice, and I didn’t care. I want to know, even if it isn’t any of my business. I want to know to what extent Lucas plays his cards. And more importantly, I want to know what made Isabelle what she is now. I do not know why, but her panicked face back in the office is haunting me. Her helplessness takes me back to Jane; and now they are both alike, destroyed by Lucas. 

“I don’t want to drag you into this Shawn,” I looked defeated, but my hope was renewed when David said, “But you should know how dangerous he is.” I wanted to smile at him, but the situation claimed otherwise. So I just gnawed my inner cheeks and waited for him to continue. He temporized for a few seconds before sighing audibly. 

“Sophia and I had an arranged marriage as no woman wanted to be the wife of a dangerous man; I then understood that it only happened in movies. Sophia was the daughter of our rival g**g, my father and her father offered each other their children as a peace treaty. It was difficult at first to live with a person who is totally alien to me, but Sophia proved to be a very bold girl and adjusted with my life faster. Only after the birth of Ben did we go for our first date. When she spoke she had an infallible look and it just attracted me more to her; soon we were inseparable. After three sons we badly wanted a girl and the next time God heard our prayers. Isabelle was a beautiful girl just like her mom and she grew up to be a charming one as well.”

Isabelle and charming, totally opposite words; but I didn’t voice my thought.

“She grew up to be the happiest girl and got our special attention even after Bry was born.” 

I suppose that’s the youngest one. He is a cutie.

“But everything collapsed from the day Lucas wanted my position. He wanted to be the ruler, but unlike me, Lucas targeted poor citizens and took quotations that were against the innocent. He doesn’t even check who is at wrong; but only money. I am sure you know that.”

I nodded. I know that very well. All his life the only thing he badly wanted was money, not considering he is one of the richest among us entrepreneurs. 

“Lucas did all he could to bring me down, but nothing happened to my Kingdom. His last straw worked, though. After a shopping session, my wife and daughter were kidn*pped by Lucas. We took two days to reach them as Lucas took them to countryside. When I entered, I saw Sophia lying on the cemented floor, with her brains shattered and a large hole in place of her beautiful face. I searched for Seb everywhere and at last I found her in a broken closet, but she was totally disoriented. When she saw me she tried to run away screaming, she will kill me too, that he will make her kill me.”

He wiped the tears from his cheeks as it continuously streamed down and looked at me with a small smile of pain. 

“She never told us what happened, but one of his assistants did. My daughter didn’t know it was her mother who was in the dark. Sophia’s scream was a bucket of icy cold water for Seb. She had one look at her when Lucas switched on the light; that bastard was enjoying the scene all that while through cameras when he let my family play hide and seek. Seb lost her mind that day as she screamed and shot aimlessly at his henchmen. Among them was Lucas’ son.

My eyes went wide. My head was throbbing with all the information. Isabelle killed Xavier. But I thought it was an accident. That day for the first time I saw Lucas cry during the funeral which I attended without invitation. I wanted to see him break his heart just like how he broke hundreds of families’, and it was a sight to see. I know it sounds sadist, but to a person who knows what Lucas is would have another opinion. My legs wore out, and I suggested sitting somewhere to which David obliged obediently. I never ever thought I would see this man in such a position and of all people he chose me to open his heart, I am sure it’s the situation that made him do so but still I am privileged if that’s even the right word. 

Sitting in a slouching position, David now looked at me with guilt, “I am sure I am being an extra weight on your shoulder, Shawn, but... I don’t know what else to do.” Gesturing to him dismissively, I took hold of his hand. 

“Don’t worry about your daughter; I will end the contract tomorrow itself.”

He shook his head hopelessly, 

 “That’s the problem son, if it isn’t you, someone else. Just like Lucas, my daughter was waiting for a chance to get to him because she fears his existence and wants to destroy him, his empire, his family. But it’s not possible. And she knows it. That’s what making her more adamant. Just look after her, keep her safe when she is with you.” Telling that he dug his pocket and handed me a white rectangle box of something; by the dim light, I understood it was a packet of medicine. I looked at him quizzically,

 “What is this?” I asked, turning the packet to read the description. From the look of it, it’s a psychotic medicine. 

“This is my daughter’s. We haven’t left her alone ever since that day, but for her new mission that’s going to change. So whenever she has a sudden panic attack or anything of that sort, give her two tablets from this. I know this is absurd being you are a total stranger to us, but somehow I believe you.”

Relentlessly, I hid the packet in my back pocket. I felt a little satisfied knowing he trusts me and I should prove him right. We sat in silence for some more time before heading back to our supposed houses. 

The whole night I was awake thinking about Isabelle and when I finally slept I dreamt about a girl who screamed and fired g*n aimlessly. 

…………………………….

Seb’s PoV

“You are late.” Said Miller as I climbed into the passenger seat of his latest model Porsche. We were at the front of my house and I turned to acknowledge the awaiting figure of my father who came out to see me off. 

“Good evening to you too Mr. Miller” I replied avoiding his statement.

He looked at me sharply before reviving the engine and slamming his foot on the accelerator, not forgetting to give my dad a stern nod before changing the gear. Maybe I have imagined it, but I think I saw a trace of something else in his eyes other than pure hate. Miller having an emotion other than hatred towards me? Definitely imagination.

Our journey was quite long but spent in silence, I hate to agree this but it was rather a comfortable environment. Samuel’s house was located in the countryside where little mountains and paddy fields took more space than sky scrapers. Mostly farmers and ultra-rich people who could afford acres of land lived here. By becoming Redfield’s right hand, Samuel has upgraded his name from an average person to the latter list. We drove with the help of GPS as both of us are unaware of this area, with many curves and similar lands, collected from a secret source as it is a policy of Lucas to hide his and his men’s house locations. One may think it is to protect the families, but in reality it is for the gold bricks that are buried inside these houses. 

As we approached to the red mark on the screen, my heart started changing its rhythm and sweat dripped from my palm. The last time I saw Samuel, he was helping me hide in a closet from the wrath of Lucas. I clearly remember him to be the only person who showed some sympathy on those days.

“Relax, Isabelle.” A distant voice asked me, followed by a soft touch on my lower back. It was rubbing circles. Oddly, the friction slowly steadied my heart and I could hear the voice that is asking me to breathe more clearly now. I fluttered my eyes open and found to be in the middle of nowhere. I was surrounded by fields that raised fresh green harvest and the cool breeze reduced my sweat glands to excrete more. Slowly my vision darted left and was met with worried looking Miller. I assessed his face for a few seconds, which held perfect features I have never seen in any man before, not that I have come close to any other except my brothers. I zoomed in on his lips that kept on moving, but I could hear nothing. A slight shake to my shoulder and my senses rushed back in faster than lightning, such that it made me dizzy. 

“You okay? Should we extend this trip? Maybe we should return.” 

He had a frantic look in his eyes, which I found unusual. Is he really this worried for me? And what the heck is wrong with me? It started with a panic attack, but what was with me staring at him like that, surely that was not part of the package. I was hyperaware of his hand on the small of my back and somehow it spread warmth through my body. s**t!!! This is insane.

“I am fine.” I said, stammering.

Uncertainty was clear in his face but not bothering to voice his thoughts, he started the engine and started moving forward. Within seven minutes of uncomfortable silence, we parked in front of a large gate that led its way to Samuel’s estate. The place was astounding with its properly maintained trees on both sides and his bungalow being an elegant yet magnificent building. The only thing I loathe about this place is that it reeks of Lucas and that speak volumes. Suddenly the idea of him being inside crossed my mind, and it stopped me dead in my tracks.

“He is not here. Already checked.” Shawn said in his usual imposing tone. Was I that easy to read?

Composing my look to the usual glare, I turned to him.

“Don’t care.” He shrugged his shoulders. Why was he acting protective suddenly? And I do not like it one bit. I am not a person who needs protection; I can handle myself even if a group of guys attack me, except Lucas. I mentally cringed at the thought. 

We made our way to the security room and a man in ash uniform stood to greet us. He had a large black mustache which highlighted his usually dull face that twitched when he spoke, interesting. Miller did most of the talking and I just studied the place. It may come handy in the future. The guard contacted Samuel and his reply was as expected,

“I can only meet Mr. Miller in the presence of Mr. Redfield.” 

Miller looked at me, arching an eyebrow. I excused myself and asked the guard to inform his Boss that Miss Stapleton is here. Within record time the reply came, and we could go in. From the irritated look on Miller’s face, I understood he didn’t appreciate my upper hand in this situation, but I clearly liked it. The incident back in the car somehow left me disappointed. I have lost my bold facade twice in front of him, and I am adamant in getting my reputation of being a b***h back. 

Samuel himself came out to greet us in, though he had a bewildered look seeing me and Miller together. He knows we are against Redfield and here to squeeze some information out of him; still he maintained a smile and asked us to take our seats on his couch, which screamed expensive. Soon our beverages were served, and we left it untouched. He took the single chair that faced directly to us and fidgeted with his hands. 

“So, how are you, Miss? I can’t believe the last time I met you was two….” 

I didn’t let him finish as panic struck me. I can’t let him blabber my past in front of Shawn, and I do not want to relive those days. Hence I sent him a stern look which shut his mouth completely. Shawn tensed beside me, knowing that I know Samuel already, or so I think; but relaxed once he stopped.

“Cut the pleasantries, Samuel. We want Jane.” I shot the bullet and was waiting for the response other than his flinch. 

“I….. Uhhhh….. not my busin….”

“Don’t play games with me, Samuel.”

I spat with venom in my voice. I know he saved my life, but there was no other way to deal with him. Samuel is a guy who gets easily intimidated, though he does anything for Lucas; he has a human side. 

“I…. Lucas…..” he stammered again, unable to meet my eyes. Shawn beside me was clenching and unclenching his hand. He was clearly interested in a physical questionnaire than vocal. 

“Okay. Let’s do one thing, Samuel. I will ask you three questions and you will answer me yes or no. Nothing further.” He contemplated his decision for some time before faintly nodding.

……………………………………..