The scent of Lila's fear soaked sweat stung the cool air, the creak of the wooden door still echoing like a ghost from a nightmare. Lila gripped a pistol with trembling hands, its muzzle pressed against Roni's temple. The small child sobbed uncontrollably, his face flushed with anger and terror. Roni struggled in Lila's hold, his eyes wide with fear as they met Vanessa's, as if seeing something monstrous.
"Lower the gun, Lila," Vanessa said, her voice low and icy, though her chest churned with rage. Her hands quivered slightly, her gaze flicking to the vanity in the corner where a small knife lay hidden in a drawer. 'I won't let you take Roni from me again, Sylviana,' she thought, the memories of her past life bringing a fleeting mist to her eyes before she forced her composure back.
Lila swallowed hard, her wild eyes brimming with desperation. "No! You killed my brother! I'll take this child with me!" she snapped, her voice cracking as the pistol wobbled in her grip. Roni's cries grew louder, piercing Vanessa's heart and stirring a weakness she despised, especially when facing Raven,a vulnerability she couldn't shake.
Vanessa let out a small, cynical laugh, her tone dripping with venomous sweetness. "Heh, let me guess, you can't kill Roni, can you? Because Sylviana wouldn't like that. Hehe," she said, her smile thin yet chilling, her sharp eyes locking onto Lila like a hawk ready to strike.
"H-how do you know?!" Lila flinched, her face paling as the gun shook more violently. She grew increasingly agitated, sweat beading on her forehead, her hands clutching the weapon with desperation. "You… you monster! Sylviana said you were mad, but I didn't believe it… until now…"
Vanessa stepped forward, her movements graceful yet intimidating. "Sylviana, huh? My beloved mother-in-law. She's the one who ordered you to poison me, isn't she? And now you want to kill my son? Do you think that will save you?" Her voice remained calm, but her eyes blazed with a burning vendetta. The wide, rough scar on her back throbbed with heat, a reminder of boiling water from her past, sending a shiver through her core. 'Sylviana… you won't take my family again,' she thought, her anger tightening her grip on her sleeve.
Lila sobbed, the gun dipping slightly as her hands weakened. "I… I had no choice! Sylviana threatened my family, she said if I don't obey, they'll die like Oliv!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. Roni whimpered, trembling in Lila's forced embrace, his eyes pleading with Vanessa.
Vanessa paused, her eyes narrowing. She could kill Lila now, like the other servants she'd dispatched with poison and wasps, but her grudge against Sylviana made her reconsider. 'I won't kill you, Lila. You'll be useful in teaching Sylviana a lesson from within,' she thought, her mind racing. "Lower the gun, Lila. You know I can make your life worse than death. But if you obey me now, I won't harm you or your family."
Lila stared at Vanessa, her eyes filled with fear and confusion. "W-what do you mean?" her voice quivered as the gun sank lower.
Vanessa smirked cynically, her voice a whisper like the night wind. "Help me teach Sylviana a lesson. You know her secrets, don't you? Tomorrow, I'm going to my mother-in-law's house. Tell Sylviana I'm coming alone, with no plans. Make her feel at ease, and I'll protect you from her wrath. If you do this, I'll safeguard you and your family. But if you betray me, I'll let Sylviana know you leaked her plans and you know what her punishment will be."
Lila sobbed harder, the pistol slipping from her hands to the floor, her body collapsing in defeat. "Okay… I… I'll obey, Madam. Please don't kill me," she murmured, tears flowing freely. Roni broke free from her grasp, not running to Vanessa but hiding behind the vanity, his eyes wide with terror as he looked at her, as if she were the monster he feared. Vanessa's heart ached seeing her son choose to hide rather than seek her comfort. 'Roni… why are you afraid of me? Is it because I've hurt you before?' she thought, the memory of past incidents with Roni and Raven stirring guilt, though she cared little for him now.
Vanessa exhaled deeply, picked up the fallen pistol, and fixed her gaze on Lila. "Go now, Lila. And remember, I'm watching you. Report to Sylviana as I instructed, and you'll be safe."
Lila nodded frantically, rising unsteadily and fleeing the room, her footsteps echoing on the marble floor. Vanessa watched Roni, still hidden, her heart cold but her steps gentle as she approached. "Roni, come out," she said softly, but he retreated further, his small eyes filled with dread. Vanessa stopped, a tightness in her chest, she cared little for Roni, yet seeing his fear reminded her of her failures as a mother.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded from the corridor. The door swung open again, and Raven stood there, his tall frame filling the threshold. His suit was slightly rumpled, his usually neat hair disheveled, the expensive scent of his cologne drifting into the room, a stark contrast to the lingering smell of fear. His sharp eyes scanned the scene, landing on Roni hiding and Vanessa holding the pistol, his expression shifting from confusion to anger and concern.
"What's this?" his voice was deep and firm, yet carried a faint tenderness that weakened Vanessa. The sound of his name hit her like a blow, her greatest weakness, bringing a mist to her eyes again, though she quickly masked it. 'Raven… you always show up at the wrong time, but I miss you so much,' she thought, her heart torn between love and suspicion.
Roni spotted Raven and bolted from his hiding spot, ducking behind his father and clinging to Raven's leg, his small hands gripping the suit pants. "Papa, Mama's scary," he mumbled softly, his eyes still wet but avoiding Vanessa. The sight cut deeper into Vanessa's heart, her son choosing Raven over her, fueling her rage toward Sylviana the one who'd made Roni fear her. 'Roni… I don't care for you, but why must you be so afraid?' she thought, her anger toward Sylviana intensifying.
Raven lifted Roni, holding him close, and met Vanessa's gaze with questioning eyes. "Roni, you're safe now. Go to your room; let Papa talk to Mama," he said gently. Roni nodded and scurried off, his small steps echoing, not glancing back at Vanessa. She watched him go, her heart cold, stepping closer. "Roni, wait—" she began, but he didn't turn, leaving her to halt, a tightness in her chest, she cared little for him, yet his fear reminded her of her shortcomings as a mother.
Raven sighed heavily, turning to Vanessa. "Vanessa, what happened? Roni said you scared him?" he asked, his voice laced with worry but tinged with suspicion that stung her.
"Lila… she threatened Roni with a gun. I saved him, but Roni… he's afraid of me now," Vanessa replied, her tone steady despite the tightness in her chest. She approached Raven, meeting his questioning gaze, and inner conflict surged. His eyes always reminded her of past sins,hurting him with sharp words or angry scratches. 'Those eyes… they always remind me how terrible I've been as a wife. I hurt you so long ago,' she thought, her chest tightening with guilt, tears threatening to fall but held back. She glanced at his hand, noticing the long scar, a mark she'd inflicted in her past life's blind rage, driven mad by Sylviana's poison. 'That scar… it's my doing. I was a terrible wife, Raven. I hurt you,' she mused inwardly, her hands trembling as longing and guilt drove her to embrace him tightly, burying her face in his chest. His cologne brought tears to her eyes, but she suppressed them, closing her heart to him now,love lingered, but suspicion dominated.
Raven flinched but returned the embrace, his hand gently rubbing her back, brushing over the wide burn scar and making her shiver. "Vanessa, I'm here now. What really happened? What did Lila say?" he asked, his voice full of concern, though his eyes,those eyes, still echoed her past sins. They'd witnessed her madness in her previous life, filled with disappointment when Sylviana deemed her unworthy. 'I was a terrible wife, Raven. That scar on your hand is my fault, from my blind rage,' she thought, her chest constricting with guilt and longing as tears fell more heavily.
Vanessa pulled away, her eyes misty but quickly regaining their cold edge. "Lila… she said Sylviana ordered her and the other servants to poison me. She wanted to kill Roni, but I forced her to obey with a threat. Now, she'll help me from within," she said, her voice firm, though her eyes avoided Raven's, fearing the accusation she might see. She kept silent about teaching Sylviana a lesson,Raven mustn't know that plan.
Raven stepped back, his face "Sylviana? My mother? That's impossible. She… she only worries about you," he stammered, his hand unconsciously rubbing his neck as if hiding his fear.
Vanessa smirked cynically, her eyes narrowing. "Worried? Or afraid I'll take you from her? Tomorrow, I'm going to the city," she said calmly, her voice carrying the promise of a storm.
Raven jolted, his face a mix of confusion and shock. "Why? So suddenly?" he asked, his voice rising as he grasped her arm.
"Hm, why indeed… maybe because I miss my mother-in-law," Vanessa replied, her cynical smile widening, her eyes reading Raven's expression like an open book. 'What's making you so shocked? Could it be true that my confinement in the forest was Sylviana's order to you?' she thought, her suspicion flaring.
"Uh, isn't this too sudden… my mother… she doesn't want to meet anyone right now, she's planning a vacation," Raven stammered, his hands trembling, desperate to stop Vanessa's plan but unsure how.
Vanessa fell silent, studying Raven as she gently touched his cheek, her fingers tracing his warm skin. "Tell me… what makes you obey Sylviana?" she asked seriously, her voice soft yet piercing, searching his restless eyes for answers.
Raven flinched, stepping back and catching her hand on his cheek. "W-what do you mean?" he asked sharply, though his confused expression betrayed him. Vanessa caught a flicker of fear in his eyes, as if a secret teetered on the edge of spilling.
Vanessa chuckled lightly, her voice carrying a subtle threat. "Hm, anyway, I'm going tomorrow, whether you join me or not is up to you. And you… you can't stop or forbid me like before." At a loss for words, Raven suddenly blurted out…
"If you go back… she won't stay calm, Vanessa, please reconsider. Anyone could become her target," he said, a hint of panic in his rising voice as he gripped her arm tightly, unwilling to let go. "She could hurt you, or even me if you push this. She… she could take everything from me, like she did before."
Vanessa turned to face him sharply, her eyes like blades ready to cut. "One thing I need to ask, Raven why are you so afraid?" she replied with intensity, her chest rumbling with growing suspicion.
Raven froze, his mouth opening but no words coming out, his eyes wide with unhidden fear. Vanessa held his gaze for a moment, then walked away, leaving Raven alone in the study. Her steps were firm on the marble floor, the sound of her heels echoing like the beat of a heart laden with secrets.
Vanessa returned to her room, the door closing softly, though her heart still roiled. She stood and opened the window, the cool night breeze brushing her face, carrying the scent of wildflowers from the garden. The burn scar on her back felt cold now, but the trauma of her past still burned within. 'Sylviana… you severed my family ties,' she thought, her hand clenching the curtain until it tore. Her longing for Raven grew stronger, yearning for his touch, his gentle voice, the nights they shared before Sylviana's betrayal shattered it all.
She recalled that night from her past life: Raven holding her tightly, whispering, "I'll love you forever," only to leave the next day due to Sylviana's whispers. 'I can't erase these feelings, Raven. You're my weakness,' she thought, tears falling harder. She imagined him there now, wrapping her in his arms, breathing deeply against his chest, feeling his heartbeat that once calmed her. But doubt crept in, could Raven be part of Sylviana's scheme?
In the study, Raven sat alone, rubbing his face, his mind in turmoil. 'Vanessa… do you know the secret my mother hides? I can't tell you, or everything will fall apart,' he thought, his hands trembling with fear. He stared at the door Vanessa had left through, missing his wife's cold yet fiery presence.
Morning arrived, sunlight seeping through the window, but Vanessa's heart remained shadowed with vengeance. She stood on the balcony, her eyes burning with resolve. 'Tomorrow, I'll begin my revenge,' she thought. But what was Raven hiding? Would Lila obey? The secrets loomed like Sylviana's lingering shadow in her memory.
Vanessa called for Diana, her loyal servant, who appeared with a pale face. "Madam, Lila has left. What's the next step?" Diana asked, her hand clutching a bracelet, her eyes full of empathy.
"Help me prepare for the trip to the city. And watch Raven,I suspect he knows more," Vanessa replied, her voice firm, though her heart churned with inner conflict. 'Raven… I love you, but if you're part of this, I'll have to destroy you too,' she thought, tears nearly spilling again.
Diana nodded and left the room. Vanessa sat back, staring into the mirror, her face cold but her eyes stormy. 'Sylviana… you'll feel what I felt,' she thought, tears falling but quickly wiped away.