Two Of Hearts

2.2 - The Psychopath

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Absolutely, let's go!" Seyren replied eagerly, hopping into the passenger seat with excitement.

Her exuberance seemed to lift Neome's spirits, making her smile despite her initial reservations.

As they drove, the anticipation of Seyren's new chapter in life contrasted with the peaceful scene awaiting her arrival.

In a sprawling mansion filled predominantly with staff, Elowen was immersed in her work on a laptop.

She sat on a bench by the poolside, sheltered from the sun's rays in the cool shadow of the house.

"Madame Maddy, heto na po ang pagkaing ninanais ninyo" a maid said politely, setting a plate of pancakes on Elowen's table.

"Thank you, Manang Marie," Elowen replied with a grateful smile.

As the head maid departed, Elowen's gaze was drawn to her older sister, Maddy, who had just woken up.

"Good morning, Ate" Elowen greeted, but her sister remained silent as she moved towards the pool.

"You're up early today; it's only 11 a.m.," Elowen remarked, noticing Azara's unusual early rising.

"Yeah, whatever," Azara responded curtly, taking the hint that her younger sister was teasing her.

To Elowen's surprise, Azara then removed her bathrobe, revealing her striking figure.

Despite the stitches on her back from a recent accident, her physical allure remained undiminished.

"What are you doing?" Elowen asked, puzzled by her sister's actions.

"Watch me," Azara replied simply, then dove into the pool.

Elowen's eyes widened in shock, and she stood up in surprise.

"What on earth are you doing?" she exclaimed, her voice rising in alarm.

As Azara resurfaced, she used her hands to push her wet hair away from her face.

"Uhm, swimming, obviously," Azara said with a touch of sarcasm.

"I know! But why? You just got out of the hospital yesterday morning. What if your stitches open up?" Elowen asked, her voice tinged with panic.

Her concern for her sister was palpable.

"Boohoo, Maddy, shut up. I'm not really swimming; I just needed to get wet to wake up. I'm running low on sleep," Azara said dismissively, then submerged herself again, as if trying to drown her frustrations.

"Alam mo, ikaw na lang din ang nagpapahamak sa sarili mo."

"Sinabi mo pa... By the way, I thought Seyren was moving up here today. Where is that child?"

Elowen rolled her eyes at her sister's dismissive tone, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation.

She understood that arguing with Azara about her choices was futile, especially given her sister's stubbornness.

"I don't know where she is at the moment. The only thing I'm certain of is that her friend is supposed to drop her off here," Elowen said, returning to her seat at the table.

She resumed eating the pancakes drenched in grape syrup, her irritation clear in her movements.

She used the mundane act of eating to channel her frustration, venting her displeasure at her sister's reckless attitude.

Azara's nonchalance about the whole situation only fueled Elowen's frustration.

Her sister's dismissive remarks were particularly grating, given the history of Seyren's struggles.

Elowen recalled the difficult times Seyren had faced when she was ostracized for her appearance, a harsh reality that many didn't understand.

"That woman has a friend? That's astonishing. It's almost like in elementary school, where people were afraid of her due to having a d**k," Azara said with a laugh, her tone mocking.

Elowen bristled at the comment, her face flushing with a mix of anger and hurt.

She was acutely aware of the judgment Seyren had faced and the personal battles she had fought.

The dismissive humor in Azara's voice felt like a belittlement of those struggles.

"Don't you dare wear such revealing clothes when Seyren moves in. She might get the wrong idea and make unwanted advances," Azara said, climbing out of the pool.

She retrieved her bathrobe with a casual grace, her demeanor unbothered.

Elowen was quick to defend her sister.

"Who's really parading around in just a bra and panties here? And FYI, Seyren is still a woman. She's not like those pathetic men who are always in the bee mood. Don't make assumptions about her character based on appearances."

Azara's reaction was a scowl.

She snatched the fork from Elowen's hand and took a bite of her food, her movements deliberate and almost defiant.

"It's been six years since we last saw her, Elowen. People change, and I have no doubt that she's become a pervert. Anyone with a d**k, whether male or female, is bound to have those tendencies," Azara said with a sense of finality, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Kaya sinagot ko din siya" Azara mumbled, she licked her lips and bite her lower lips, thinking about her new boyfriend.

"Anyway, if I see her making advances towards you or our female staff, I'll have no choice but to kick her out of this house. I don't care what Mom and Dad say about it," Azara added, thrusting the fork towards Elowen as if to punctuate her point.

Elowen's heart sank as she saw the seriousness in her sister's eyes.

The intensity of Azara's gaze conveyed that she wasn't just making empty threats.

Elowen was genuinely scared by the thought of Seyren being treated unfairly and was concerned about the potential conflict between her sister's rigid views and her own sense of justice.

"Be nice to Seyren, she may not be our sister in blood but she's still our younger sister."

"I'll give it a try," Azara said flatly, her tone devoid of emotion.

Without waiting for a response, she shed her bathrobe once more and leaped into the pool with a splash.

Elowen was poised to continue her meal, but to her dismay, she found that her food had vanished from her plate.

"Why did you finish my food?!" Elowen exclaimed, her frustration evident. Azara, however, merely chuckled, finding amusement in her sister's irritation.

When Azara turned to face her, Elowen, exasperated, shot her the middle finger.

Azara responded with a playful flying kiss, which only made Elowen more irate.

She stood up abruptly, her irritation clear, and stormed back into the house.

Given that their kitchen was on the first floor and their living quarters on the second, Elowen had to navigate the long and steep staircase, a task that only added to her frustration.

She decided against summoning a maid for assistance, feeling capable of fetching her own food.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she instructed a maid to put food on her plate.

Her frustration was evident in her tone as she spoke.

"Madame Maddy, Madame Seyren has arrived with her friend," a maid announced respectfully.

Elowen's face brightened instantly at the news, and without a moment's hesitation, she bolted towards the door.

"This is your home? It's absolutely stunning. Why did you put up with living in a condo when you have a house like this?" Neome inquired, her tone reflecting both curiosity and admiration as she helped Seyren unload items from her car trunk.

"Because I'm not really a biological child here, so I never felt it was my place to live in such luxury" Seyren explained with a touch of sadness.

"Even so, you're adopted. You have just as much right to live here as anyone else," Neome argued, her voice firm and supportive as she continued assisting Seyren.

"Seyren!!" A voice called out.

The two friends exchanged a glance of surprise.

As Seyren turned her head, she saw her older stepsister, Elowen, approaching.

"Maddy!!" Seyren exclaimed with a bright smile, embracing her sister, who looked quite small in comparison to Seyren's towering figure.

Neome stood to the side, her mouth agape in astonishment.

The sight before her was almost surreal, as she struggled to reconcile the reality of Seyren's familial connections with the image she had of her friend.

"Ah ate Maddy, this is Neome my neighbor next door sa condo ko. Neome, this is my second sister Maddy, you know naman na siguro?"

Neome nodded, too stunned to even speak.

"Let's go inside, shall we?"

"May mga gamit pa ako ate Maddy-"

"We have maids, Seyren. Let's go, Ms Neome?"

"We'll follow in a bit," Seyren replied. Elowen went inside first, instructing the maids to bring Seyren's luggage to the vacant room.

"Bakit naman gulat na gulat ka dyan?" Seyren asked, amused, as she approached Neome.

"Why didn't you tell me you were adopted by the Camerons?!" Neome's eyes were wide with disbelief as she playfully hit Seyren.

"I forgot, okay?"

"You forgot? They were my idols, Seyren. My entire life I've looked up to them, and you never mentioned they were your step-sisters," Neome accused, still in shock.

"FYI, they're not my step-sisters. I don't even carry their surname. They're more like a second family, but technically, they're not step-sisters," Seyren clarified.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go inside. I heard Azara Cameron and Elowen Cameron live together. I can't believe I'm going to meet them both now. Oh god, I love my life," Neome gushed, her excitement bubbling over.

As they entered the house, Neome's eyes widened further at the opulent interior.

They felt like they were stepping into a palace, with the two of them as the princesses.

"Madame Seyren, this way to your room," a maid said, leading them upstairs.

As they made their way to the second floor, they saw Azara sitting by the pool, wrapped in a bathrobe.

Neome squeezed Seyren's hand, thrilled to see Azara.

"Oh my god, she's stunning even without makeup," Neome whispered, and Seyren chuckled.

They continued to Seyren's room and began unpacking her belongings.

The two friends helped each other, with Seyren mostly listening to Neome's excited chatter.

Having already had lunch, they declined the offer of more food.

Despite having few items to unpack, the day slipped by quickly, filled with conversation and laughter.

Before Neome left, she asked the two Camerons for autographs.

"Take care on your way home," Seyren said, walking her friend to the gate.

"You too, stay safe," Neome replied, her heart heavy with the sadness of parting.

"Visit me often. I'll miss your antics." Neome turned to face her friend instead of getting into her car. Due to Seyren's height, Neome had to look up.

"Congratulations again on becoming a detective." Neome smiled and stood on tiptoe, kissing not Seyren's cheek, but the corner of her lips.

She smiled at Seyren's surprised expression before getting into her car.

She waved goodbye, started the engine, and drove off.

Azara, who was now on the balcony with a cigarette, witnessed the scene.

She tilted her head slightly, following the car's departure with her eyes.

"Friend, she says... Friends don't kiss each other..." she muttered to herself, lighting her cigarette and exhaling a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile, Seyren stood outside the house and received a message from Sky, mentioning the work she almost forgotten.

"Psychopath" she mumbled under her breath, turning around and accidentally meeting those ocean blue eyes of the older Cameron.

Their eyes locked and at that moment, everything seemed to stop.

---

??? POV

Psychopaths are evil.

They're the devil...

Yet when I found one, I couldn't lay a hand on them.

I can't...

My heart can't...