CHAPTER 51: DARLING.

She didn’t know what to say or how to even react to this just unimaginable situation... that the same man that shot him, the same man she was hating herself for, the same man who was on a killing spree just walked into her hospital room with a fucking bouquet of tulips in his hand and a gift pack... but moreover with that same fucking smile on his face just like back in the warehouse.

Yeah, this motherfucker just showed up... like somebody who cares for her... what the fuck.

"Olivia, how are you, darling?" Joseph asked as he stepped toward her bed, something she still couldn’t believe was actually happening. The only thing that felt real was the heart monitor, beeping like fuck. "I brought you some chocolate." He said as he pulled it out from the bag and put it on her lap, which she was just staring at him. "Are you feeling unwell? Should I call for the doctor?"

She didn’t answer. Not because she couldn’t, but because what the fuck was she supposed to say?

Her heart was racing, because of the pure adrenaline fueled panic, confusion, maybe even rage, she didn’t even know anymore.

Joseph Cassian. Standing right there. In her hospital room. With chocolates and fucking tulips like they were old lovers reuniting after a breakup and not... this. Not whatever the hell this was.

"H-how did you get in there...?" She finally asked as she sat up, trying to control herself and emotion, knowing very well that he came for something... that he had his own plans and she was part of it.

First, Joseph said nothing. No, he was calm, like he just came from a friend and opened up the chocolate box calmly, not in a rush, eating one of it, and just in the chair next to her bed.

"I just walked in." He answered as his teeth cracked on the peanuts in the chocolate. "To be truthful, I thought there would be heavy guards or something. You know, protecting an agent who killed Vincente, in my opinion, is very important." He crossed his legs and leaned back. "But there was not even a single guard... and the doctor just let me in after I said I am your brother."

"I didn’t kill anyone." Now her voice had a bit of a serious note, or more like cautious, as she truly realized it was an opportunity for her, even though she was still panicking.

An opportunity to get a grip on Joseph, to get to know what his next step is or what he wants to do with his fucked up life... though it was hard... her emotions were all mixed together as she was just staring at him. Those eyes didn’t change a bit in these two days. He still had those empty eyes that just screamed how much trauma he was fighting with... or more like the trauma that he accepted and embraced in himself.

A true demon... that’s what was sitting beside her. A demon who had killed many had just walked into her room with the utmost calm, no sweat on his face, not even the slightest fear of being caught.

"True, you didn’t." Joseph said as he leaned forward again, grabbing another chocolate. "How does it feel to be framed for something you didn’t do?" He asked while eating the chocolate. "I mean, it’s better than what my situation was. You can use it to get a promotion, rise through the ranks, and—

He stopped talking. It was sudden, he just stared at the ground and closed his eyes, which even confused Pablo, who was standing beside him. He didn’t say a word, just leaned back with his eyes still closed and swallowed hard. But it was clear, something wasn’t right with him.

"I just realized two things, or more like I remembered." He said. "One is that I hate marzipan... and second, I am allergic to peanuts."

Silence once again as he said it.

"Allergic?" Pablo asked as he started to panic a bit.

"Yeah." He looked up to him, then back to Olivia. "Though I need to eat a whole lot to die." He chuckled as he shook his head. "My tongue tingles a bit, and this ass marzipan tastes just terrible... yeah, how funny is this, Olivia?" He asked, but something changed, she could feel it, she could see Joseph’s face changing again in a second as he stared at her."I forgot that I’m allergic. I forgot that I hate marzipan more than anything. But you know, people usually remember what they hate, what they’re allergic to, they try to avoid those things as much as possible. But this time, I just... forgot. I forgot to remember the two things I hate the most." He leaned forward now. "What I mean is... I know how you feel, darling."

"Don’t call me darling and don’t try to fucking sympathize with me." She said as her teeth were together, and from fear and panic, anger started to take over. The type of anger that you don’t give a shit anymore.

"Sympathize with you?" Joseph chuckled. "Darling... you don’t know what suffering is, what pain is. You don’t know the feeling of darkness that you can’t crawl out of." His voice now serious but still with a hint of calmness, like he wanted to teach something to her. "You know, darling, I hated my parents. Though this feeling that I went through is nothing like losing your parents. Just think about it. Do you love your parents, darling?"

She knew he was fucking with her, trying to lead her into a trap, trying to make her angry just to see what she looked like in that state... but she needed answers.

"Yes, I love them."

Nothing. Just those empty eyes of his, staring deep into her soul, like he was judging her. It was strange... a frozen moment between them.

"Then now just imagine them dying." As he said it, her pupils suddenly widened, stunned, because it didn’t sound like a threat. It sounded like something inevitable.