The Secrets Hidden In The Scars

      While the people in black with rude, non-attractive appearances are getting closer to Edward and Natalia, the girl imagines everything that might happen now. At heart, the man is also afraid of the people that work on his uncle Michael, who decided to do something crueler this time. But he cannot let himself give in, and he hides his fears and doubts so hard under a mask of indifference and confidence in himself and his strength.       “I don’t like all of this…” Natalia whispers in a shaking voice, not moving her dumbfounded eyes off the people, who are one meter away from her.       “I did say I wouldn’t let them harm you,” Edward replies quietly, tightly hugging Natalia and pressing her to himself. “They can do anything they want to me, but I won’t let them come to you.”       “One against five?” Natalia opens her eyes widely. “You went crazy?”       “Since Uncle Michael decided to do a lot crueler things and planned something horrible, I have no choice.”       “Maybe, we better run away before they come?”       Natalia gives a start sharply, taking Edward after her. But believing that they think of running, the man, who is going further than the others, throws loudly:       “Don’t dare to run, scumbag! If you and the blonde-haired gal move off, I swear you will be dead. You will not run away the way your friend and his fiancée did, Lockhart.”       “Oh, no!” Natalia exclaims with horror in her eyes. “What’s gonna happen now?”       “Fear nothing, it’s gonna be okay,” Edward promises softly and confidently. “Just be as close to me as possible. They’ll have to deal with me before they hurt you.”       “God, I wish it ended soon…” Natalia begs with wet eyes. “Please, please…”       A few seconds later, the four rude men in black confidently come to Edward and Natalia. The dark-haired man with dark brown eyes and a short, careful bristle stands ahead and throws a contemptuous gaze at them. While the girl being terribly white from fear looks at those, who are standing in front of her with horror in her eyes and imagines everything that might happen now, the man tries to stay very confident and dares to give no hint of a scare, swearing not to let Michael’s people hurt the crying, shaking blonde, who is tightly pressing to him. As if she knows she will get protection and support from him.       “So, hello, Eddy,” the main one greets in a low, rude voice with an evil sneer and crosses his arms over his chest. “Been so long since we met.”       “Still licking the ass of that old crazy bastard, Michael?” Edward asks rudely. “Huh, Eric? The main kiss-ass of that bastard!”       “Oh, see… We just met, but you already showed your little claws. And you thought of running away from me after seeing me two miles away from you.”       “I can run away from you and your fucking gang just for one reason – not to kill you in anger. I do want to shoot all of you to the fuck, or at least put your face in mud.”       “Yeah… Your uncle has angelic patience if he hasn’t killed you yet. I mean, he hasn’t tried to do it after you spent one of your nine lives. Though, he must do it. If everything depended on me, I would’ve killed you a long time ago and buried your corpse in wood.”       “Ha, you are still waiting for your lord to tell you to kill me!” Edward smirks evilly. “You do adore doing his dirty things. One bastard met another bastard, and they decided to hurt innocent people together.”       “Oh, yay…” Eric smirks ironically, shaking his head. “It seems like you will never forget how to be rude… You have been a non-educated schmuck raised by the street, you will always be the one.”       “Huh, who are you – a prince with blue blood? Or God himself? If you hadn’t met that old crazy fellow in your way, you would’ve hardly gotten money to buy these clothes to look one hundred times better and seem so terrifying.”       “You know, Lockhart, I do highly recommend you aren’t rude to those, who you will be working with at the nearest time. My friends and I can do a lot for you. Even to kill you with no regret and give your corpse to wide animals to eat. They do love fresh meat.”       “Do not even dream, asshole!” Edward throws loudly and rudely. “You can tell your beloved Michael for the hundredth time that he will not make me another kiss-ass of him that would be dancing attendance upon him.”       “Wrong, puppy! Michael is very generous and would do anything for your personal well-being. He would be your only close person, to whom you’d be able to come to ask for a piece of advice. Or talk about something.”       “That bastard will never be my close person! I would rather explode that fucking house he stole from my father along with him and all of his accomplices with the most powerful firecracker. And in this case, I would regret nothing. Because my family would get rid of one nasty rat that has ruined the lives of SO MANY people.”       “Oh, easy, boy!” Eric raises his hands. “Easy! We know you are hiding your cowardice and trying to seem sassy and fearless. But don’t do what might deprive you of life. Don’t you want me to kill you right now, huh?”       “If I have to, I’m ready to die!” Edward says confidently, raising his head. “But not for my sick uncle or you. You two are nasty assholes that make me feel sick!”       “You know, Edward, you also make me terribly irritated. Because you act like a non-educated bastard. But you’ve got a chance to deserve my respect if you stop pretending to be a hero for your family and agree to become one of us. One of those, who is completely loyal to such a wonderful and generous man as your uncle. If you are nice, dutiful, and kind to him, he will answer you back and generously reward you for love and loyalty.”       “Don’t make me laugh, Brown!” Edward smirks contemptuously. “Nice, kind… Ha! That bastard does not know those words! Sadly, a little brain is equal to the amount of money he has earned in his life in an HONEST way. I mean, zero point zero.”       “Do not insult my boss and your uncle. While he closes his eyes to your disgusting behavior, I can easily hit your pretty face and beat it strongly. Just like your friend did when he found out you wanted to become one of the friends of your uncle.”       “You can beat me ‘till half death. But even at the point of a pistol, standing on the edge, I will not give up on my principles. And I will not please the one, who I’m ashamed to call my relative. If that bastard has no shame or conscience, I’m not deprived of these features and will not do what I will regret.”       “Ah, Eddy, Eddy…” Eric shakes his head with a false smile, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think your uncle should stop hoping you will someday turn from a fucking barking puppy to an adult guard dog. Because you have always been a terrible coward but are hiding it so hard, performing some freaking shows and proving how much bravery you have.”       “If I were a coward, I wouldn’t have meddled in this case and would’ve kept myself far from the one, who must’ve been put in a mental hospital. But I’m brave enough to fight for what belongs to me by law. To fight for justice, so Michael gets the punishment he has deserved since childhood.”       “You are wasting time, boy. You will be able to do nothing against such a powerful man as Michael. I think you see he will attack when your mouth is open, and your eyes start running from one side to another.”       “It’s okay, I shall catch that cad and make him pay for everything. And it has to do with you and all the bastards that please that old crazy scumbag.”       “Alight, I’m done with your senseless threats,” Eric cuts off sharply. “I have so much to do, but I waste my strength on one snotty, worthless little freak, who I’d kill with pleasure if your uncle told me to.”       “Ha, what kind of business do you have, important man?” Edward smirks with irony. “Did my sick uncle decide to start an open chase and order you to tell him everything I’d do?”       “Yeah, your uncle really told me to chase. But not you…” Eric moves his sly gaze to Natalia, whom Edward is pressing to himself. “But this beauty, whom you are pressing to yourself so tightly. The chic, for whom your uncle has some plans.”       Edward sharply takes a step away, pressing Natalia to himself much tighter, and sends his contemptuous, icy gaze on Eric.       “Don’t dare to touch her with your dirty hands!” Edward throws rudely. “Or I, asshole, will not be responsible for myself!”       “My gosh!” Eric smiles slyly and puts his hands on his hips. “So, are you now protecting her from me and Michael? I thought you’d sell her soul to a demon for your benefit.”       “I’d sell you and your fucking boss to a demon with pleasure! So, you stop harming innocent people.”       “If you keep pretending to be a pathetic hero and refuse a chance to save yourself, you will go to hell, where demons and fiery hyenas are gonna stand everywhere in your way.”       “Better get out of here before you make me irritated.” Edward looks quickly at those, who are accompanying Eric and are still standing in the same place with indifferent faces. “Come on, come on, take this bunch of sheep and get out!”       “So, Lockhart, are you hoping to become a hero for this gal and save her from me?” Eric smirks contemptuously.       “Don’t dare to touch her with a finger, asshole,” Edward says in a low, icy voice. “Or you will regret it much. I’m not kidding, Eric, you will ask for trouble!”       “Oh, c’mon, puppy! Why do you protect this gal and care about what would happen to her? You broke up a month ago! What’s the point of watching her and protecting the one, with whom you are no longer connected by a love relationship?”       “Better tell me, why is the fuck Uncle Michael chasing her and sending her threats? She doesn’t have to do with what’s happening between my uncle and me! So, Uncle must leave her alone.”       “Oh, no, buddy!” Eric shakes his head with a mysterious smile, stroking his chin, as his sly gaze examines the shaking Natalia from head to foot with interest. “She does have to do with this case! And if it’s so, Michael also believes he should destroy this girl, no matter how beautiful your ex is. As well as her friend. The fiancée of your older bro.”       “I repeat, if your brain poorly works: do not even dare to touch her with a finger. Or you will have to regret being born.”       “Ha, what would you do to me, shabby puppy?” Eric laughs. “Leave a couple of bruises and hit my balls? You can only do this!”       “Make sure your balls aren’t ripped. Alive! It will happen to you if you, my uncle, or one of those assholes dares to come to her.”       “Fighting with those, who are stronger than you and able to knock you out for two seconds, is worthless. For example, your friend didn’t beat Trenton Tobias, who was in prime physical condition. He should’ve scared that psycho a little at the command of your uncle. But he eventually, barely held himself down not to kill him. Because the all-favorite Terrence got him so furious that my friend wanted to bury him where he met him. And I think he could demand moral damage for the broken yawl. But your friend was very lucky. AGAIN. Just a couple of bruises, a few scars, and a little nose bleeding.”       “Tobias is the one to blame. He shouldn’t have provoked my friend by threatening his fiancée and mother. But I’m very sorry that Terrence didn’t beat another corrupt kiss-ass and turn him into a piece of bloody meat.”       “Yeah, your friend fights like a child. Terrible! He has the same psychical condition as Trenton and you. He could’ve easily killed him, but he eventually ended up lying on the ground two minutes later after waving his hands like a hysterical girl.”       “What if Trenton got exhausted earlier but didn’t wanna confess it, and got out allegedly because Uncle didn’t tell him to kill Terrence? What if he didn’t hold on for too long but told all of you that my friend couldn’t fight and gave up first.”       “That psycho can only show off, even if he is actually the same piece of shit as you are. We are all surprised by how he got so famous among stupid little girls. He did nothing to become great… Become an idol that everyone could praise.”       “Trust me, he’s reached much more than my uncle, you, and this whore gang all together,” Edward says confidently. “His successes are explainable, and he’s worked honestly to get what he has now.”       “When that bastard dies, he will be forgotten quickly. Just like nobody will care about the murder of the MacClife family, to which this idiot belongs.”       “Don’t dare to get closer to anyone,” Edward says coldly. “I swear I shall kill all of you if I know one of you hurt my friend, his mother, and his fiancée or this girl. If at least one hair falls from their heads, I shall show no mercy. I will turn into a beast. I shall not seem the one, I will really become the one to take revenge.”       “Oh, oh, I’m so frightened!” Eric rolls his eyes and turns at the four people standing behind him like columns with a laugh. “Hey, guys, I’m gonna pee! One barking little puppy decided to beat me! He wanna show off for his ex and prove that he is not a coward.”       Four friends of Eric laugh at the top of their lungs, and someone even blunts something unclear, laughing at Edward and his attempts to show his bravery.       “By the way, this little puppy, as you say, can bark well and bite painfully,” Edward says confidently. “You know how they say: a little man does great things!”       “It’s not about you, coward!” Eric throws with mockery.       “Wanna check it?”       “Stop showing off! We’ve stopped believing in your alleged bravery. And I really doubt your close people and your ex believe in it.”       “But I’ve never doubted your love for easy money. As well as the fact that you’re the same nasty, shameless and greedy asshole as my old, mentally ill uncle.”       “You’re asking for trouble by talking to me like this.” Eric comes closer to Edward, while Lockhart quickly hides Natalia behind his back and sets his contemptuous gaze on the man, who is a little lower than him. “You messed up with the wrong people, baby. I advise you not to snap at me!”       “Ha, why shouldn’t I snap you?” Edward hums ironically. “Just because you’re the one, who my uncle trusts much more, doesn’t mean my knees must shake, and I must look at you with my mouth open and dance attendance upon you the way you do it for Michael.”       “You will have to if you want to save your dirty skin and become successful with your uncle’s help.”       “Fuck yourself, freak! I would not see you for ages! I am sick of you and that scumbag, Michael! Words can’t describe how much I hate you two!”       “Wait, Edward, wait. When your uncle suggests you do one mission for a large amount of money, you will forget about your hate for him and start respecting our honorable lord. And stop feeling sorry for those you must kill.”       “I’m going to kill nobody!” Edward says a little louder. “Nobody will make me kill anyone in my family! NOBODY! I WILL RATHER KILL OF YOU THAN HURT SOMEONE OF THOSE I DO ACTUALLY LOVE!”       “Don’t scream like a psycho, hysterical girl. Don’t turn to something like your friend that gets nuts for any reason. If you give him a knife or a gun, he will go and easily stab or shoot everyone to the fuck. Because MacClife has very bad mental health.”       “I repeat for the thousandth time, I will never kill those I REALLY love! I’m not a killer and will never be the one!”       “Trust me, buddy, many of us also doubted if risking like that was worth it. But after seeing many dollars, we put our doubts aside and are now living a gorgeous life thanks to the generosity of your uncle. You should only be good and make all his orders.”       “That’s why I sometimes ask myself if Uncle really wants to make me his ally. Or does he want to do it for other goals? Why does he the fuck need allies, who don’t stand him and do wish him to burn in hell? He should find such kiss-asses like you and recruit them! Though, he’s already recruited many people, who tiptoe around him and kiss his legs. And among them, there are men and even young girls, who are so stupid that they’re ready to spend their lives on THAT old senile.”       “Ah, Lockhart, stop being jealous of us…” Eric smiles widely. “It’s not a secret to us that you wouldn’t mind getting everything your family owns. We know how much you want to rob your uncle, your friend, and your friend’s fiancée… You’re jealous of them because they are rich, and you believe none of them must be better than you. They are much luckier than you. For example, your friend: many loyal friends, a good acting career, a freaking sexy fiancée, a house, a bag of money…”       “You think what Uncle wants.”       “It’s the truth, buddy.” Eric, shaking his head, clatters quietly. “But you’ve got no money and your home and have to live on someone’s account. You must be ashamed that you’ve got nothing when you’re already twenty-five.”       “You all say the same. As if you’ve got nothing more to say. I do only hear, I’m a brainless, barking puppy, I am jealous of my rich relatives, I wanna kill and rob them, I live on someone’s account, and I have reached nothing in my life because I don’t have an education and am obsessed with terrible laziness. I am sick of hearing it, honestly!”       “Wanna hear something new? Alright! For example, I’ll notice how unlucky you are in your personal life.” Eric examines Natalia with a sly gaze with an evil sneer, while she keeps hiding behind Edward’s back. “You only dated such a beautiful girl for three months, but then broke up due to her betrayal. This beauty doesn’t need you, ‘cause she has lots of lovers expect you, whom she visits every day.”       “Close your dirty mouth, Brown!” Edward hisses with evil in his eyes.       “I know it’s still hard for you to confess it, and you feel terribly insulted. But it’s time to keep moving on. What’s the point in grieving because of the empty-headed doll, who cheated on you with another man?”       “Ha, are you sure she cheated on me?” Edward hums, looking at Eric with greater evil. “You have proof?”       “Of course, I am. Your uncle does know that you broke up with this girl.”       “That old senile has his finger in a lot of pies! He doesn’t have a wife or children – so, he’s terribly mad when someone around him dates. The case of my parents is very good proof of the fact that he hates love.”       “Fuming, puppy, fuming…” Eric smiles slyly. “We do know why you react to the news that your ex-girlfriend fucked other men like this.”       “Why do you care if I broke up with this girl or not? She doesn’t have to do with our business! So, I want you all to leave her alone!”       “Maybe, she does not, but she is a part of this business, as well. And you will know why very soon.”       “I give a fuck!” Edward cuts off rudely. “Tell that bastard Michael not to even dare to think of harming this girl. Letting her suffer because of that old senile, who went nuts from revenge and greed, would be too much.”       “Oh, Lockhart, let’s stop this worthless talk,” Eric moans tiredly, crossing his arms over his chest. “I have a command not to talk to you about what we all have heard millions of times, but to deal with this cutie.”       “Do not make me enraged, Eric, if something happens to this girl, I swear I will not be responsible for myself,” Edward says rudely, setting his icy gaze on Eric. “You do not know how wild and crazy I can be if an asshole like you gets me furious.”       “Your threats won’t scare me. So, get out of here, and I will take this girl with me and drive her to the right place. Your uncle has great plans for her,” Eric smiles widely and slyly. “Maybe, the guys and I would be lucky, and this cutie will please us. Check out how good this whore at sex is. How well she can suck penises.”       Natalia gets much whiter from horror and can barely stand on her weak legs, not stepping back from Edward, hiding behind his back, sobbing quietly and scarily looking at Eric. The man at the age of about thirty with a good body with a very unpleasant, rude appearance and eyes that are full of wild hate and evil.       “She will not go with you and your pals!” Edward says with evil in his eyes, covering Natalia with himself better and making a gesture to tell her to press as close to him as possible. “I will not let anyone mock the innocent girl.”       “Come on, Lockhart!” Eric simpers, while Natalia takes Edward’s shoulders with shaking hands. “Are you really trying to save this whore that betrayed you?”       “Close your mouth and DO NOT DARE TO CALL HER LIKE THIS!”       “Wow, wow, quiet, baby, quiet.”       “If you say at least one insult to her again, I will break your neck,” Edward threatens. “The fact that I tolerate insults and humiliations of myself is enough. And I give a fuck about what you all call me. But do not dare. Do not dare, asshole, insult this girl. DO NOT DARE!”       “So, did you fall in love with this betrayer so much that you’re ready to forget that she fucked other men and jumped from one bed to another?”       “Oh, how do you know everything, you, walking encyclopedia? And why are you sure about it? Why do you not doubt that this girl did it?”       “Your uncle will tell you everything later, when you become his ally. If you do not, you will die along with your family and never know this secret.”       “Even if I’m his ally and kill people by his order, I will do this only in his unreal dreams.”       “We’ll see, Lockhart.”       “See or not. I shall not give Uncle the pleasure of making me a killer of my own family, which I love with all my heart.”       “Alright, stop telling me about your fucking love. Better shut up and get out of here. But leave this gal here and don’t dare to run away with her. Or the consequences will be very hard for you and this doll.”       “She will leave only with me and nobody else!” Edward replies confidently, raising his head sharply.       “Don’t get cocky, puppy! DO WHAT I THE FUCK SAY!”       “Or what? What would you do to me?”       “Damn, now I understand why your uncle can’t stand you. By talking like this, you’d get any normal person exhausted and mad.” Eric tightly clenches his hands into fists. “GET OUT NOW AND GIVE THIS BLONDE CHICKEN TO ME!”       “You can do something to her only over my dead body,” Edward says with evil in his eyes. “You will have to kill me to get close to this girl. But I swear, I will not be standing like a column and letting you beat me. I will be answering. Very rudely and CRUELLY!”       “Huh, I bet that you’re as worthless in fighting as your psycho friend,” Eric smirks, looking at Edward with contempt in his eyes. “The first one is a crazy, brave guy that can only wave his hands like a hysterical girl. And the second one does the same to hide his cowardice and not to let anyone know he’s actually a coward.”       “Don’t worry, Brown, I have enough strength to stand up for myself and this girl. To protect her, I’m ready to give my everything and kill anyone to dare to touch her, at least with a finger.”       “Do you know that if you get just one punch to your insolent face, you will be lying on the ground unconscious? And your ex will have nobody to protect her.”       “I doubt you have such a good sharp!” Edward simpers contemptuously. “You’d not kick my friend if you attacked him, not Tobias.”       “You are not Superman to have unlimited energy and deal with your enemies on a whim. Early or late, you will die from tiredness, and I will be able to hit you in the face strongly to make the order of your uncle, bring the gal to him, and hide her in a very good place.”       “Don’t worry, asshole, I’ve got enough energy to fight with you and all your pals that will not catch me. I will be dying, but I will not stop fighting and protecting my close and beloved people.”       “You’ll be pretending to be a hero in another world. Or when your uncle tells you to kill the family of your pal and other people that will stand in his way in the future.”       “NEVER!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs. “NOT FOR ANYTHING!”       “Do not test my patience, Lockhart!” Eric throws rudely and irritably. “Either you let the gal go at your wish, and she goes with us. Or we will have to knock you out. And if this chick resists, we will easily knock her out, as well.”       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH!”       “DO NOT MAKE ME ENRAGED, BASTARD!”       Eric sharply comes to Edward, literally making a hole in his forehead with his furious gaze full of hate, and wants to hit him. But Lockhart instantly reacts to it, rudely pushing Michael’s accomplice off himself and giving him a hit right in his yawl, which makes him shake slightly and feel the taste of blood in his mouth, along with Natalia’s shout.       “Do not the fuck dare, scumbag!” Edward hisses, threatening Eric with a finger. “OR YOU WILL BE DEAD! GOT IT?”       “This brainless gal will not run away from us,” Eric says rudely, holding his yawl tightly and setting his icy gaze on Edward. “If she tries to run, it will be worse for her!”       “I WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU!” Natalia screams for the first time.       “My gosh…” Eric opens his mouth and happily claps his hands with a wide smile, looking at Natalia amazingly. “You see who is talking! Natalia! Girl! Really?”       “I will not go anywhere with you! Do not even hope!”       “My gosh, as it turned out, you are not mute. I began to think that someone had cut off your tongue.”       “Someone must cut off yours!” Natalia snaps rudely, clenching her hands into fits and finding the courage to step away from Edward a little, though he tries to stay next to her anyway. “As well as legs and arms!”       “Wow, our blonde can snap and be sassy. So, not only can you shake like a bunny, cry like a hysterical girl and hide behind this puppy’s back. If you have to, you will show your character.”       “I will do!” Natalia says confidently. “I do not have to do with the story of the MacClifes. So, you have no right even to touch me with your dirty hands. And he will not dare to hurt my friends because they’re nobody to him!”       “What are you talking about?” Eric raises his eyebrows. “Are you so sure about it? Are you sure there is no connection between all these people?”       “Shut up, asshole!” Edward throws rudely.       “It’s the truth, buddy. We all know very well that you are not the one, who you are pretending to be. And we know your real identity very well.”       “I said, close your mouth!”       “All those people are going to be surprised that you have a different last name. That the last name Lockhart does not have to do with you.”       “What?” Natalia frowns slightly.       “Yes, yes, girl. Your ex is actually not Edward Lockhart. All this time, he has been pretending to be someone else. Who is connected with the MacClifes somehow.”       “What is he talking about, Edward?” Natalia moves her eyes to Edward. “What does he mean, you’re not Edward Lockhart?”       “Nothing,” Edward throws a little excitedly, starting to breathe a little heavily with a feeling that his heart misses a beat. “Brown doesn’t know what he says.”       “Okay, I will not say a word anymore!” Eric raises his hands. “You will confess everything when it’s time. When Michael grabs you by the ass and reveals your real name to everybody.”       “Don’t open your mouth, then!” Edward snaps.       “Oh, okay, stop talking to the wind! You better get out of here and give the girl to us.”       “I will not go with you!” Natalia says excitedly.       “Nobody asks you about it, cutie. You can snap, fight, bite and scream as much as you want. It will not save you from a talk with my honorable lord, who will decide your fate.”       “He should care about his fate. He doesn’t have to do with mine.”       “It’s been chosen a long time ago, babe. So, to let everything happen as it should, we should get your beloved friends and your ex, who has lately been especially unbearable, out of our way.”       “No, don’t dare to hurt them!” Natalia shouts. “Do not dare!”       “Your shouts will not help you. So, I advise you to go with us and be a good girl at your wish. We have an order – to bring you to one place. And I, as the main helper of Michael, must do it.”       “Never!”       “I repeat, if you are stupid, she will not go ANYWHERE with you!” Edward says rudely, softly pushing Natalia back not to let her get very close to Eric.       “Shut up, puppy, nobody asked your opinion!” Eric throws rudely. “Better get out of our way and let me take this gal with you.”       Eric sharply gives a start to grab Natalia under her arm and drags her to his friends by force, who are patiently waiting for commands. But Edward immediately closes the girl with his body and pushes Michael’s accomplice strongly off.       “I DID SAY, DO NOT DARE TO TOUCH HER!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs. “SHE WILL GO NOWHERE WITH YOU! ESPECIALLY TO THAT OLD CRAZY BASTARD!”       “Get out, scumbag!” Eric throws rudely and slaps Edward in the face as strongly as possible. “DO NOT MAKE ME ENRAGED!”       “YOU DON’T MAKE ME ENRAGED, ASSHOLE!” Edward answers Eric with a strong hit of a fist in the jaw and pushes him sharply off himself, grabbing his hair painfully. “DO NOT DARE TO COME CLOSE TO HER!”       “One more word, scumbag, before I will hit you so that you will forget your name,” Eric says with evil in his eyes, threatening Edward with a finger. “If you don’t want to give the gal to us at your wish, we will have to take measures.”       “Leave us alone, scumbags!” Natalia demands loudly. “You will make me go somewhere with you only over my dead body!”       “Oh, no, I’m not going to kill you. My lord needs you alive, not as a corpse. But if you are resisting so hard, we will have to put you to sleep to drive you to the right place quietly.”       “NO! DO NOT EVEN DREAM!”       “Ah, Natalia…” Eric pronounces with a wide, false smile, looking at Natalia from head to foot. “It’s so funny that you’re taking an example from your ex and pretending to be brave and sassy. We’re well aware that you’re a terrible coward. Any bunny would be much braver than you.”       “If I have to, I can stand for myself.”       “Really?” Eric opens his eyes widely. “Okay, I shall pretend that I believe! But knowing what happened somewhere five months ago and your reaction to that, it’s very hard to believe you’re really so brave and fearing no bad men, who could do something horrible to you if they got mad.”       “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Natalia frowns slightly, while her eyes start running from one to another.       “Come on? Don’t you remember what happened in one of the late evenings? But I do know everything so well and could tell you about it. Your ex would love to know about your adventures, our lady of the night.”       “It tells me nothing! And I don’t actually know who you are! We’ve never met before, and I would not love to know you.”       “M-m-m, so, I got it… But don’t worry, I will first recover your memory, and then we will drive you to our boss, who wants to see you. But I’m begging you, don’t faint when you see something. There is nothing horrible about it.” Eric turns to the company standing behind him and makes a calling gesture. “Hey, red-haired, come here! Fix the brains of this gal! And take off your hood and glasses!”       That man takes a step forward and comes to Eric slowly but confidently. He takes off his hood and dark glasses, looks at Natalia with contempt in his eyes, and smiles at her widely, quite evilly. Then the girl gets much more horrified and is ready to die from fear at the sight of this man, whom she immediately recognizes as Eugene. The one, who almost raped her a few months ago…       She easily recognizes him thanks to his disgusting face, wide green eyes, and the scar on half of his face. Eugene is still scary, disgusting, and dirty. His clothes are by far not new, judging by how they are ripped in some places and shabby, his red hair is still greasy, and his skin is rude and dry and now covered with some red blisters. Natalia gets immediately obsessed with the memories of that fateful day, which deprived her of peace. That event is still alive in her mind, as if it happened yesterday. And it seems that even if five or ten years are gone, the girl will remember the face of her offender.       The blonde gets much whiter from fear, being so overwhelmed that she can barely stand on her feet and can say no word. Now she does not even try to pretend to be a brave girl, who can easily stand up for herself. All Natalia can do is choke with tears and try to stand on her feet. Because of getting sharply obsessed with weakness, she wants to fall to the ground and cry bitterly.       Edward does not understand the reason for Natalia’s fear at first. But some time later, he realizes that he saw Eugene in the photos he was sent. And now the one, who makes the girl shake much stronger by just showing up. Lockhart also starts being afraid of Eugene as much as his uncle Michael. But he does not show it and confidently looks at the offender of his ex-girlfriend. Seeing that Natalia breathing heavily can barely stand on her feet and wants to fall to the ground due to weakness and a sense of light dizziness and a black vision, Edward presses her tightly to himself, trying to calm her down somehow.       “It’s okay, Natalia, it’s okay,” Edward says quietly and softly, caressing Natalia’s head and back, while she is shaking strongly and crying bitterly. “Don’t be afraid, nobody will dare to hurt you.”       “That’s him, Edward…” Natalia makes a sob and moves her tear-stained eyes to Edward. “He wanted to rape me! That’s him! That’s him! I’m sure about it!”       “Yes, yes, I understood that was him. I recognized him, too…”       “I’m horrified… They’ll do something to me. That man is gonna kill me right here if he knows I told everything.”       “He won’t, I promise. If he dares just to touch you again with a finger, I swear he will not stay alive!”       “God, for what? For what? FOR WHAT?”       “Quiet, quiet, sweetie, don’t cry,” Edward says softly and kisses Natalia on the top of her head, putting his hand tenderly on the girl’s cheek and caressing it. “Don’t cry…”       Edward puts Natalia’s head on his shoulder, in which she snuggles her nose, hugging the man very tightly and praying that he does not leave her alone. While it’s unbearably hurtful for him to watch the terribly scared girl, and understands that his mission is getting harder. It will be much harder to protect her from Eric and Eugene.       “Calm down, please…” Edward whispers with pity in his eyes, caressing Natalia’s head and kissing her tenderly on the cheek in the hope of calming the girl down a little. “I won’t let them hurt you. None of those bastards. Especially the one that dared to mock you like that.”       Meanwhile, Eugene looks at Eric with a sly smile, running his rough fingertips over the scar on his face, examining Natalia with his lusty gaze, and understanding that he wants to caress her beautiful feminine body again.       “So, hello, Natalia Rochester!” Eugene says with an evil smirk, crossing his arms over his chest and proudly raising his head. “It’s been so long!”       “So what, blondie, did you recall everything?” Eric simpers, putting his hands on his hips.       “Here’s the asshole,” Edward pronounces in a low, rude voice, setting his icy gaze on Eugene, while his nostrils inflate. “The one, who brought her to that condition…”       “You totally disappeared, babe,” Eugene notices in a rude voice, stopping his lusty gaze on the bottom part of Natalia’s body – her attractive buttocks that are perfectly shown thanks to her skinny jeans. “I thought we’d have more fun, but you left me.”       “You are a fucking scumbag… Because of you, the trouble happened! BECAUSE OF YOU! BECAUSE OF YOU, OUR RELATIONSHIP GOT RUINED!”       “Oh, yeah, I’m one of many lovers of your ex,” Eugene smiles slyly and inclines his head slightly. “Eugene Wainwright. The man, whom this gal pleased. And you must be the barking puppy named Edward Lockhart, whom she dated. The one, who seems to be tough.”       “How much blood you’ve drunk from the poor girl if SHE IS STILL SHAKING!”       “Is she poor? Huh, don’t make me laugh! Everything is fine for her: she fucks men and demands nothing from them. For her, it’s a pleasure to meet a man, who can give a girl incredible sex.”       “YOU MUST BURN IN THE FLAMES OF HELL, JACKASS! FOR ALL YOUR TRICKS!”       “Quiet, Eddy, quiet. I understand you still cannot accept the fact that this whore doesn’t belong to you anymore. But do not take it out on those, who are not guilty of her choosing this type of life.”       “SHE CHOSE NOTHING! CLOSE YOUR DIRTY FUCKING MOUTH! SHUT UP! SEW IT, THE FUCK!”       “My gosh…” Eric laughs evilly, clatters quietly, shaking his head, and crosses his arms over his chest. “Why doesn’t your ex recognize the one, who she cheated on you with? Doesn’t meet him with happy hugs and kisses… He gave her such excellent sex that she was delighted with! Lockhart, you would not surprise her like this, even though many little girls have gotten a crush on your pretty face and been in your bed.”       Eric moves his sly gaze to Natalia, who does not notice it and keeps crying bitterly, snuggling her nose in Edward’s shoulder and tightly hugging him with the inside fear of letting him go and staying without the protection of the man she needs so badly right now.       “Huh, Natalia?” Eric asks. “Tell your ex you prefer real sexy beasts instead of some weak boys, who don’t know where to put the penis, so a gal gets an orgasm.”       “A hint on my skills?” Edward asks rudely.       “It seems like you’re bad at sex if this gal didn’t agree to lie in your bed for the three months you dated. So, she went to other men. She was looking for the one that would please her.”       “You should not the fuck care who’s been in my bed, and if SHE has been in there!”       “I give a fuck. But I can confidently say you are cowardly, insecure, and worthless at sex. I wouldn’t be surprised if nature decided to punish you and make you barren.”       “I’m sorry that you and this bastard have balls and can make parasites like you. Such assholes make hundreds of bastards around the world, raise them and ruin the lives of innocent people.”       “M-m-m, it seems like your ex really confirmed the fact of the betrayal,” Eugene assumes. “Sorry… Eric and I would’ve been laughing at your reaction to the story about how your ex gave me a blowjob and drove me crazy with her incredible skills of caressing.”       “SHUT UP, FREAK!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs.       “Don’t be mad at the truth, Lockhart, don’t blame us for falling in love with the whore that had slept with half of New York.” Eric smiles slyly and comes closer to Eugene, stroking his chin and still looking at Natalia, who is crying on Edward’s shoulder and pressing herself tightly against him. “You scared her so much, buddy! She hasn’t told him what actually happened.”       “I did, dude,” Eugene replies proudly. “This gal is too cowardly. When I screamed at her and slapped her two times, she realized she would not better go against me.”       “Yeah, this hairy gorilla scared her very much,” Edward throws coldly, clenching his hands into hard fists in his mind and still caressing Natalia’s head to calm her down. “Scared her so much that she still can’t calm down.”       “This gal just understands she did a disgusting thing by deciding to fuck me when being in a relationship with one barking, brainless puppy,” Eugene replies confidently.       “Ha, fuck the one, the voice of who constantly sounds in her head?”       “She just liked it so much,” Eugene throws his hands up with an innocent smile. “Maybe, this chick resisted and doubted a little at first. But after getting scared by my joke that I would kill her and bury her corpse in wood or give it to dogs, she gave herself to me.”       “SHE DID NOT GIVE HERSELF TO YOU, SHABBY MONKEY!” Edward screams. “STOP THE FUCK LYING! STOP! ENOUGH!”       “Calm down, Lockhart, you got kind of too nervous,” Eric replies quietly. “Or I will have to inject you with a massive dose of sedative, so you turn into a vegetable.”       “BASTARDS! FUCKING SCUMBAGS! You must sit on an electric chair turned to full volume to pay for the nasty things you have done. Or better get castrated alive! Get your tongue cut off! And arms! And LEGS! CUT OFF EVERYTHING, ASSHOLES!”       “Watch your mouth and stop barking, brainless puppy!” Eric hisses, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “We know you talk much and love snapping, but I don’t advise you to go too far. I can give a fuck about the promise given to your uncle and murder you right here.”       “If you want me to shut up forever, it’s okay! You can kill me right here! BUT UNTIL THAT, I WILL NOT STOP SAYING WHAT I THINK OF AND PROTECTING THOSE I LOVE!”       “So, will you be defending this whore, as well?” Eugene simpers, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing at Natalia. “Don’t you care that she slept with me? Aren’t the photos you got wonderful proof of the fact that this gal betrayed you?”       “After what I had to hear, I will not leave her alone,” Edward says confidently. “I will be doing my best to protect her from Michael’s people. Especially now, when we know that her offender is one of the nasty bastards, who work for my fucking uncle Michael.”       “Well, yeah, I’m really working on your uncle. Very good man, who has helped many of us.”       “Yeah, I said that the gal kind of had to do with this story,” Eric says thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “And I believe now, seeing Eugene, with whom your ex spent an unforgettable night, you understand how your uncle Michael knew everything.”       “Asshole…” Edward hisses, breathing heavily enough and showing his contemptuous gaze. “Jackass… BASTARD! PEOPLE LIKE HIM MUST NOT LIVE IN THIS WORLD! THIS FUCKING FREAK MUST BURN IN HELL! THE SCUMBAG, WHO MUST BE ISOLATED FROM PEOPLE! ESPECIALLY YOUNG GIRLS!”       “Listen, crazy bastard, who are you insulting?” Eugene asks loudly and rudely, clenching his hands into fists tightly, rolling the sleeves of his coat, and looking at Edward with hate. “I WILL THE FUCK BREAK YOUR NECK IF YOU MAKE ME ENRAGED! YOU WILL NOT RUN AWAY FROM ME! YOU WILL DIE LIKE A RAT ON THE STREET!”       “Your threats don’t scare me, sick pervert,” Edward says confidently. “After what I learned about you, you will pay me a high cost. FOR ALMOST RAPING THIS POOR GIRL AND SCARING HER SO MUCH THAT SHE STILL CANNOT COME TO HERSELF!”       “Don’t say bullshit, puppy!” Eric throws gloomily. “This gal did want to fuck him. And you already got the proof. Is it not enough for you? Or do we need to show you everything in real time? Right now?”       “This sick asshole will not dare to come to her and start mocking her and feeling her up. I SWEAR I SHALL CASTRATE THIS DIRTY ANIMAL! HE WILL PAY ME FOR MAKING THE POOR GIRL SUFFER AND HIDE WHAT HAPPENED. WHAT WAS KILLING HER FOR A FEW FUCKING MONTHS AND ALMOST BROUGHT HER TO A GRAVE!”       Then Eric and Eugene start realizing that Edward already knows what Natalia experienced a few months ago. Both of them start clenching their hands into fists tightly, sending their furious, contemptuous gazes to the girl, who is still crying on the shoulder of Lockhart who is literally burning from the evil that is eating him inside.       “So, did this bitch tell everything?” Eugene asks evilly. “This dyed bitch told you everything?”       “Yes, she did!” Edward confirms confidently. “I know everything you did to the poor girl! How you threatened to kill her if she told someone something. I know ABSOLUTELY everything that Natalia experienced after one jackass brought her to the condition when she could’ve easily killed herself.”       “What are you talking about, bastard?” Eric resents. “You went nuts because of a wish to be a hero or your love for this wench?”       “SHUT UP, BROWN! So, you thought I’d keep believing in stories about her lying in bed with a hairy gorilla at her wish?”       “Rochester has sucked me many times and brought me to an orgasm that made my eyes jump out of my head,” Eugene says confidently.       “STOP!” Edward roars. “CLOSE YOUR DIRTY MOUTH, BASTARD! Because of you, I was insulting and humiliating her for nothing! I believed she was really a spoiled whore! But as it turned out, one freak… One sick pervert just slandered her and made everything to show she liked to be with him!”       Eric and Eugene say nothing, but the latter one starts breathing like a furious bull, still clenching his hands into fists, losing his patience and wishing to kill Edward or Natalia right here and now.       “Ah, you, scumbag…” Eugene hisses, being furious. “DYED IDIOT! I DID TELL YOU TO BE SILENT! WHAT WAS THE FUCK UNCLEAR?”       Eugene runs to Natalia immediately with the hope of dragging her by the hair. The girl throws a one-second, tear-stained gaze at him and screams at the top of her lungs, feeling that her body becomes tense from a strong fear. But Edward presses the shaking and crying blonde to himself, but then hides her behind his back. When Wainwright gets very close to him, Lockhart rudely pushes the girl’s offender off himself and hits him in the yawl with a fist as strongly as possible.       “Don’t dare to come to her, asshole!” Edward hisses, threatening Eugene with a finger and breathing too heavily from strong tension and evil. “OR I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE, MOTHERFUCKER!”       “FUCKING PROSTITUTE!” Eugene roars at the top of his lungs, waving his hands like crazy and literally trying to kill Natalia with his furious gaze, which makes her leg much weaker. “IDIOT! WHAT DID YOU THE FUCK TELL EVERYTHING, BITCH! YOU WERE TOLD TO BE SILENT!”       “To bring her to death because of your threats?” Edward resents irritably and grabs Eugene by the collar, shaking him strongly and setting his furious gaze into his wild, bright green eyes. “YOU WANTED IT, SCUMBAG? YEAH?!”       “GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, PUPPY!” Eugene rudely pushes Edward off himself and gives him a very strong slap in the face along with a shout from Natalia hiding behind Lockhart’s back. “AND LET ME REACH THIS BRAINLESS CHICKEN! I SHALL KILL HER!”       “DO NOT DARE TO TOUCH HER WITH A FINGER!”       Edward punches Eugene right in the temple, but that one is not too responsible for such a strong hit that could easily knock a weak person out. The next second, the furious Wainwright pushes Lockhart so strongly that the man falls to the ground like a stone. Then he shortly runs to Natalia, whose hair he grabs with a death grip. The girl starts screaming loudly from fear and pain.       “STUPID WHORE!” Eugene roars at the top of his lungs and gives Natalia a strong hit in the face, after which she screams much louder. “FUCKING BITCH! HATE YOU! I DID WARN YOU THAT I WOULD KILL YOU IF SOMEONE KNEW ABOUT THAT! DID I DO IT, SCUMBAG? WARNED?”       Eugene gives a strong punch to Natalia’s face and hits her in the abdomen with a leg as strongly as possible. The girl shortly doubles over with a loud shout, making loud sobs, and unsuccessfully tries to run away from her offender, who is really determined to kill her right here. But Edward gets up on his feet quickly, runs to Wainwright, and strikes him down with one strong hit in the yawl. After this, he tightly hugs the shaking girl and caresses her head tenderly and cheek, taking her far from Wainwright and Eric, while she presses herself to him as closely as possible and literally lacks air.       “Quiet, quiet, sweetie, don’t be afraid, I’m with you,” Edward says quietly and softly and kisses Natalia on the top of her head. “Don’t cry, it’s okay.”       “Don’t give me to them to eat, I’m begging you,” Natalia begs in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “Please, Edward, don’t let them come to me. I won’t take it.”       “While I’m alive, none of them will dare to harm you. Especially that sick scum.”       Edward would be happy to start a fight to beat Eugene’s face strongly. But meanwhile, he understands that if he moves his eyes off the girl at least for two seconds, these people may use a chance and not let him come to her anymore, and they will eventually, easily take her away where they need. The only way to save her is to try to run away from these people and reach the center of the city. But he does not have the opportunity to do it.       Meanwhile, Eugene gets up on his feet with Eric’s help and tries to come to Natalia, despite Edward’s attempt to close her with himself. And after every unsuccessful attempt to come to her, her offender loses patience more and more.       “I am not going to play childish games with you, Lockhart!” Eugene hisses, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “STEP AWAY FROM THIS GAL AND GIVE HER TO ME!”       “WHILE I AM ALIVE, NONE OF YOU WILL DARE TO COME TO HER!” Edward roars at the top of his lungs.       “Do not make me furious, fucking puppy! OR ERIC AND I WILL TURN YOU INTO A BIG BUNCH OF BLOODY MEAT!”       “I WILL RATHER TURN YOU TO THE ONE! DON’T DARE TO COME TO HER AGAIN – YOU WILL BE DEAD!”       “This gal will come with us anyway, no matter if you want it or not,” Eric says confidently. “And being a hero will not help you save her from us and your uncle.”       “SHE WILL GO NOWHERE WITH YOU! I WILL NOT LET HER GO WITHOUT ME!”       “Stop screaming, Lockhart, you did really annoy everybody with your wild shouts. Getting more similar to your psycho friend.”       “If you, scumbags, make me enraged, I WILL BE MORE PSYCHO THAN MY FRIEND CAN BE WHEN ONE SCUMBAG GETS HIM FURIOUS!”       “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BEFORE I PUNCH YOUR INSOLENT, PRETTY FACE!” Eugene roars at the top of his lungs. “THIS WHORE WILL GO WITH US ANYWAY AND BE DOING WHAT YOUR UNCLE AND WE WILL TELL HER!”       “NEVER!”       “Don’t waste time on this bastard, Eugene,” Eric says loudly, slapping Eugene on the shoulder. “We need only this gal.”       “I KNOW, ERIC!” Eugene bellows rudely. “But how do we reach her and seat her in the car? Lockhart refuses to let her go at his wish!”       “Michael told us to drive her in any way. We can’t go to his home and say we didn’t reach for her because of his fucking nephew, who should’ve died on the day when our friends tried to stab him to death.”       “WHAT CAN I, SCUMBAG, DO?” Eugene roars. “THIS PUPPY REFUSES TO DO OUR COMMAND, AND THIS BITCH IS SCREAMING LIKE A PSYCHO IDIOT AND IS ABOUT TO MAKE ALL OF US DEAF!”       “DO SOMETHING THEN! WHY DID I THE FUCK TAKE YOU WITH ME? WE MUST BRING THIS GAL TO OUR BOSS!”       “YOU WILL ONLY DO IT OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Edward screams, tightly pressing Natalia to himself and putting one hand on the back of her head that he sometimes caresses. “YOU WILL HAVE TO KILL ME! BUT THAT OLD BASTARD WILL NOT BE HAPPY IF YOU GO AGAINST HIM!”       “And are you, puppy, using it and making us enraged?” Eugene roars loudly. “YEAH?”       “I am protecting this girl from such nasty bastards like you, Eric, and those three, who are standing like columns and bark only when they get a command like dogs.”       “Lockhart, stop pretending to be a hero!” Eric says rudely, rolling his eyes with an irritated growl and crossing his arms over his chest. “First, you were showering this gal with mud, but now you decided to become a hero and protect her after you found out that she didn’t cheat on you.”       “I have always protected her! Even when I was insulting and humiliating her for nothing. I couldn’t let her suffer because of the story she DOES NOT have to do with!”       “No, boy, the answer is much easier: your love is still alive in your heart, and that’s why you are protecting this gal so hard and terribly afraid that something might happen to her. Am I not right, huh?”       “None of your business, motherfucker!” Edward throws gloomily.       “Of course, I am right! And your uncle is sure it’s true. If it’s so, it will be much easier for him to manipulate you and make you do what he wants. For this blonde, you are ready for anything.”       “Except being his errand boy and becoming a bastard!”       “Alright, brainless puppy, you did really annoy us!” Eugene throws rudely. “I am warning you the last time: if you don’t give the gal to us and do keep pretending to be a hero, I swear you will be dead.”       “My uncle will not be happy if you kill me. He needs me alive.”       “No matter how much I want to hit you so that your brains and gut get out, it will happen the next time, not now.”       “Ha, how are you going to make me a corpse? By saying it, you should mean that you’re going to kill me. But Uncle banned you from doing it, as you and Eric said.”       “But we can easily knock you out for three or four hours to take the girl with us and do what your uncle would tell us to do to her.”       “Don’t dare to touch me!” Edward hisses. “I can stand up for myself and will not wait for getting beaten to half-death!”       “Ar-r-r-r, FUCK!” Eugene groans crossly, clenching his big hands into fists tightly. “Don’t make me enraged, Lockhart! I can give a fuck about your uncle’s words and defeat you and this gal earlier. And if we tell Michael the right things, he will be grateful to us. So, it will be much easier for him to defeat your psycho friend, his fucking sexy fiancée, and your pathetic mommy.”       “If you don’t close your smelly mouth, I will kill you,” Edward shows a contemptuous grin, barely holding himself down not to forget about Natalia and to start fighting with Eugene. “And this kiss-ass Eric and that bastard Michael, who is terribly hated by ALL THE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY!”       “I am sure everybody thinks YOU are the one, who should’ve never been born,” Eric replies confidently. “Nobody wanted your birth: your father and mother never needed you and did not want you, and your friend hates the day he met you. Who needs you now? Except for your uncle, who would be happy to become everything to you if you stopped showering him with mud and agreed to be his right hand. His eyes, his ears… His everything…”       “I’ve said thousands of times what I think of it and will never change my mind. Not turn to a bastard for the one, who I DO REALLY WISH TO DIE, not give my girlfriend to you.”       “When you finally get off NOT YOUR girlfriend, we will do what we should,” Eugene says rudely and smiles slyly. “And when it’s time to pay, I shall personally kill her. Your uncle already promised me that he would tell me to defeat this bitch PERSONALLY and let me have some fun before she dies. Of course, I will be sorry to kill this dolly, but I will have a chance to have fun with the fiancée of your friend, who does spread sex. She was born to seduce men.”       “That’s why you will not see me let her go,” Edward replies confidently, hugging Natalia tighter, who calms down a little in his arms and does not make such loud sobs but is afraid to say a word. “While you are all here, standing in front of her, I will be doing my best not to let her come to you. And if I have to, I will protect my friend’s fiancée. I will not let you ruin her life, as well.”       “When I reach your friend’s fiancée, she will have nobody to protect her. Your friend will be waiting for her somewhere in heaven. I shall get a chance to caress her gorgeous body and have sex with her, which, as I hope, will become one of the best in my life. That sexy bitch will suck me, no matter if she wants it or not.”       “BASTARD!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs. “SICK ASSHOLE! YOU MUST GET THERAPY! HOW THESE PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN THE WORLD! PEOPLE LIKE YOU MUST NOT LIVE! THEY MUST DIE! FUCKING SCUMBAGS, WHO MAKE GIRLS’ LIVES WORSE!”       “Ar-r-r…” Eric groans crossly, rolling his eyes, comes to Edward closer, and threatens him with a finger. “Listen, you, wannabe hero, stop wasting our time! Leave this gal here and get out of my way! Or we will really kill you with no regret and make your uncle sure that it will be much better. Michael will get a chance to get pleasure when he is killing your relatives and this beauty.”       “DO NOT HOPE! If I get out of here, I will do it only with her! I did not want to let her go with you, but when this monkey, who almost raped Natalia, showed up, I will not especially let her go with you.”       “Ar-r-r, MOTHERFUCKER…” Eugene rolls his eyes, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “Eric!”       Eugene sharply takes Eric aside, taking him under an arm and sharply turning him on himself.       “This bastard does madly annoy me!” Eugene says irritably. “Can I kill him right here and now? Give me something heavy to hit against his fucking head! I CANNOT HEAR HIS DISGUSTING VOICE AND SEE HIS PRETTY FACE! I CAN-NOT!”       “No, no, Eugene, we can’t kill him!” Eric protests, raising his hand with his plate turned on Eugene. “Michael told us not to hurt him yet, no matter how much he irritates us. The only thing we can do is to knock him out to take the girl away quietly.”       “I will hit him so that he will die without waking up. You do know that my hit is very strong. This snotty boy will not defeat me.”       “Of course, he will not. No matter how Lockhart shows off, he will waste very much strength for a fight with us. We are five, but he is one. Nobody will help him. Especially, this girl, who is only crying, shaking, and looking like she is about to do us a favor and faint right here. We wouldn’t have to put her to sleep to drive her away.”       “It’s okay, buddy, when I come to her again and start caressing and kissing her, she will get so scared that it will happen. This gal is terribly cowardly and fears me to death. Natalia will not pretend to be tough with my pretense.”       “Okay. But at first, we should deal with this brainless boy. We can reach the gal only if we get him out of our way.”       “She will not run away from here. So, I’m suggesting we defeat Lockhart and then do it to her. It will be much easier because Rochester will do nothing but scream loudly.”       “You’re right. I will take responsibility for dealing with the boy, and you and the guys will help me in the worst case. And I will help you when you have to catch the gal.”       “Excellent!” Eugene rubs his hands happily with a wide, sly smile. “I will have the pleasure of dealing with this gal. I will have time to have some fun while going to Michael’s home.”       “First, let me knock this idiot out, who is protecting this chick so hard. And then it will be much earlier to do Michael’s order.”       “Yeah, what about…”       While Eugene and Eric are discussing their plan, Edward and Natalia are standing not far from them. The man still tries to calm the girl down and, seeing Michael’s accomplices talking, decides to use a chance and run away from here with the hope of saving himself and her from these horrible people.       “We’ve gotta run away from here,” Edward says quietly but confidently. “It’s the only way to get off them and save you.”       “What?” Natalia gets horrified, sharply steps back from Edward, and looks at him with dumbfounded eyes. “But how do we do it? Those five men will run after us, knock you out first, and then deal with me.”       “Those three have been standing in the same place since they came here.”       “Yeah, but when we get out, they will start running!”       “We have no choice. I mean, I have no. To protect you from these scumbags, we should run away as fast as possible. Anywhere. To end up where there are many people.”       “They will catch us anyway…” Natalia glances aside for a second. “And… Maybe, it’s madness… But… What if it would be better if… I let them drive me where they want. If your uncle is looking for me, he will get it.”       “What?” Edward opens his eyes widely. “You went crazy? Don’t even dare to think about it! You will go nowhere with them! Especially, that freak, who dared to mock you!”       “But, Edward, they will find me anyway. If they don’t catch me now, they’ll do it next time, when you aren’t with me.”       “No, Natalia, get these stupid things out of your head. I will let you go nowhere and won’t let these bastards use a moment and give you stronger pain.”       “Trust me, I’m madly horrified. I am horrified to be with this sick man, who is one of the fellows from Michael’s gang. And I don’t know what would happen to me if you weren’t with me now.”       “If you weren’t here, I swear I’d beat his face and make him pay for what he did to you.”       “No, don’t do that, don’t dare!” Natalia shakes her head sharply, setting her dumbfounded eyes on Edward. “The man may easily bring you to a hospital. One or two hits would be enough for you to lose consciousness.”       “That’s why we must leave this place. At heart, I understand I might not handle it if those five scumbags attacked me. I’d have no enough strength to fight with them alone, and I’d surely lose. But I must not lose consciousness and die anyhow. I must be alive and stand on my feet to save you.”       “Do you want them to chase us as well as they did to our friends?” Natalia asks with horror in her eyes. “Your car won’t be able to drive at such a crazy speed.”       “I know I’m risking it, no matter if we run or not. But I can’t let them do something to you. While I have the strength and a chance, I must do my best to protect you and stay alive. Now I should do everything to get off this gang and drive you home.”       “You’re putting yourself in great danger by unsuccessfully trying to save me from these men.”       “God, Natalia…” Edward pronounces, looking into Natalia’s eyes amazingly and shaking his head. “Don’t you wanna save yourself? Are you ready to let that ugly man mock you again and rape you this time? What if that scumbag injects something into you, and you lose consciousness! He may do anything to you, and you may not know it and not be able to resist.”       “I know, but…” Natalia looks at Edward with pity in her eyes and shakes her head. “But I don’t want them to do something to you. My heart won’t handle it. I won’t be able to watch quietly these scumbags beating you, so you won’t be able to get up.”       “But I don’t want them to do something to you. Trust me, Uncle Michael doesn’t bluff. He can do anything. A kidnapping is just a little part of what that old man can do. But since such motherfuckers like Eric or that hairy gorilla, who are much worse than him, make all of his orders, you must not come to them not. You can do nothing against those people alone.”       “But what are you suggesting? You do say they’ll catch me, no matter if we run or not. We are in a trap! I mean, I’m in a trap!”       “To be kind of safe, we should just reach the popular center of the city. They will not try to kidnap you before the eyes of thousands of people. They'll be afraid that the police will get them arrested if someone calls it, or they go by and see what happens.”       “Go away, Edward, please,” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “You’re powerless in this situation. But I have no choice. Let them drive me anywhere. I’ve got nothing to lose.”       “If I leave, I shall do it only with you!” Edward says confidently.       “Don’t worry. You better do your best to establish your relationship with your family and prove to them that you’re ready to give up on the fight for that fucking inheritance.”       Edward exhales slowly with closed eyes.       “Listen, Natalia, I completely understand I acted disgustingly toward you,” Edward says hesitantly. “But now I want to save you from those, who may ruin your life and do something for you to never be able to become the same. I wanna make amends for what happened. And now I have a wonderful chance to prove that I’m not as horrible and evil as everybody thinks.”       “You should prove nothing to me, ‘cause I started it all. If I’d told you the truth much earlier, nothing would’ve happened.”       “The one, who should pay the cost, is only me. You must stay safe and sound, and I’m ready to pay for my mistakes and end the story that I started. I took this burden, and I have to carry it.”       “No, Edward, please, don’t put yourself in danger,” Natalia begs, sharply shaking her head with wet from tears eyes. “I don’t want anything to happen to you…”       “I’m sorry, Natalia, but I have to do it.” Edward takes Natalia softly by the shoulders. “First of all, I’m doing this for the one, to whom I will never be indifferent. And who I will love, despite nothing.”       “Edward…”       “Save it for later. But now, get ready to run.”       No matter how much Natalia would not like to put Edward in danger, he insists on his wish and does not let her sacrifice herself. The man understands that he might do a crazy thing that would not save the girl from the worst, but he believes he should risk it. To prove that he does care about what might happen to his ex-girlfriend. Whom he still considers his girlfriend at the bottom of his heart, sometimes forgetting that they broke up.       After making sure that Eugene and Eric are still busy with a talk, Edward decides it’s time to run. The man glances at the scare, terribly white Natalia and looks at the three men in black, who are standing not far and have not moved off yet. After this, Lockhart takes the blonde’s hand and starts running as fast as possible. Natalia can barely run after Edward and does not notice that her gold smartphone gets out of an open pocket of the denim jacket, and a wide bracelet slides off her hand because of a weak clasp that unzipped at some moment. The man notices it but does not find the courage to come back because they have no time to do it.       At some moment, Eric distracts himself from a talk with Eugene, glances aside, and sees Edward and Natalia already being quite far, first of all because the man runs well.       “FUCK, SHIT, THEY ARE LEAVING!” Eric roars, pointing at the running Natalia and Edward. “THOSE SCUMBAGS DECIDED TO RUN!”       “It’s okay, those lovebirds will go nowhere,” Eugene says confidently, tightly clenching his hands into fists. “Since that gal refuses to go with us by her wish, we will use cruel methods: knocking that boy out and pushing that gal in the car with no regret.”       “No!” Eric shakes his head sharply. “If we lose them, Michael will not caress our heads or will actually deprive us of the money. Those scumbags should not run as well as Lockhart’s friend and his fiancée did.”       “Those will not run far! Lockhart doesn’t have such a good car to drive in the city fast. His old horse released in the 90s is standing not far from here.”       “But he runs quite fast. He started faster than any professional runner. If only we could catch him.”       “It’s okay, if we have to, we will get them out of the ground.”       “Ar-r-r-r, FUCK, WAINWRIGHT, STOP TALKING AND WASTING TIME!” Eric roars loudly. “MOVE YOUR HOOVES, YOU, RUSTY HORSE!”       Eric sharply turns on the three men, who are still standing in the same places as the columns.       “FOLLOW THEM!” Eric orders loudly. “DON’T DARE TO MISS THEM! WE NEED THAT GAL! GET READY TO FIGHT! AND MAY SOMEONE BRING THE CAR!”       Eric, Eugene, and two of the accomplices sharply give a start and start running after Edward and Natalia, while one of them runs to another side. And everybody is so busy with a wish to catch the girl that nobody notices the bracelet and the phone that felt not far from them when she was running away with her ex-boyfriend.       

***

      While running away from the criminals, Natalia is shaking strongly, her heart is beating like crazy, and her legs barely listen to her. The girl is terribly afraid that those people may do something horrible to her and begs that she stays alive and does not become a victim of their mockery and violence. Somewhere at the bottom of her heart, she completely trusts Edward and makes herself think that he could really become her protector. It’s nice for her that the man is protecting her from those, who want to hurt her.       Edward also got terribly excited after he heard the truth about Natalia, and got horrified after finding out that her offender was one of Michael's accomplices. For him, it became a great shock. But he tries to keep his emotions under control to protect the poor girl, swearing to do his best not to let those horrifying people harm her and not to let her go with them somewhere. The man understands that he must close her with his body and fight with all her offenders. And he is ready. Ready to give his life for the one, who means so much to him. Lockhart listens to his heart, which tells him he must save the girl. He still loves her madly and dreams of getting her back. Has always dreamed.       Natalia and Edward are running in a deserted place for a long time, where there is a straight two-way road. There are no green plants, houses, or other things. Even if there are some trees, they are old and dry and have no little leaves. Gray elevations are seen somewhere far, and a strong, cold wind brings big clouds covering the gray sky. The former lovers are being chased by Eric, Eugene, and two of their friends, who are running as fast as they can, shouting out some threats and insults, and trying to provoke Lockhart who literally closes his ears. But at some moment, Edward and Natalia leave them behind and hide. After exhaling with relief, the young people keep running and later end up in a place where a small house was placed before. At least, it could have been placed because there is a big brick box with two walls of different sizes: the first one is higher, and the second one is lower.       Seeing this construction, they run to the one, feeling great tiredness after a long and fast run. In parallel, Edward looks around, sees there are not Eugene, Eric, and their pals, and exhales with relief, leaning on the wall with a hand, raising his head, and trying to catch a breath. Natalia also tries to start breathing well, leaning on one of the cold brick walls with her back, closing her eyes for a few seconds, and feeling how fast her heart is beating from fear.       “Oh, it seems like we left them behind…” Edward says hesitantly.       “For how long?” Natalia asks. “Someone’s gonna show up from nowhere…”       “There is nobody around yet. We can relax a little…”       “You know…” Natalia slowly glances at Edward. “By the way, I… Also tried to run away from that man, getting some time after hitting him in his crotch… But he found me quickly and… Showed up suddenly when I thought… I got off him.”       “And I wanna say I can’t understand something…” Edward looks at Natalia, still breathing heavily. “Tell me… Why did you the fuck decide to go nobody the hell knows where at a dark time all alone? What were you thinking of? And why did you come here? The place where a car could drive one time per hour in the best case!”       “Honestly, nothing,” Natalia replies quietly, inclining her head and moving her eyes to her boots. “I was so upset because of the fight with Raquelle that I gave a fuck about my safety. I was kind of cursing her, but suffering.”       “But you should’ve known if a girl walked in similar places alone at a late time, the danger would be waiting for her.”       “Ah, Edward…” Natalia sighs tiredly and runs her hand over her face. “I did tell you that I turned off my ability to think. I forgot that Mother and Mother taught me not to do it when I was a kid. Forgot absolutely everything because of the despair.”       “You did a wrong thing. If you’d stayed home, that hairy gorilla wouldn’t have tried to rape you and asked his pals to take those photos.”       “I know,” Natalia glances down. “But it's too late to regret. I already did a stupid thing, which I paid a high cost for.”       “I completely understand you were scared you’d be killed or ashamed of the whole world because that man threatened to publish the photos on the Internet. But fuck, did you really think it would save you? Silence would be better?”       “Yup, I really thought so… And I was terribly worried about my reputation and me… Imagine what all the familiars of my parents would think if they saw that on a site… Or someone would know my home address and make my life hellish. I didn’t want to be known as a slut. Didn’t wanna hear I make a man hard, and someone wants me to suck them.”       “You could tell me everything. We would’ve found a solution together.”       “What you could do…”       “At least, support and help you survive that horrible event! Yes, of course, we were just friends, but I wouldn’t have refused to help you.”       “Sorry…” Natalia pronounces quietly, looking at Edward guiltily. “I’m really very sorry about what happened… And trust me, if I weren’t such a coward, I would’ve said everything, even to an unfamiliar person. Just like I told you about Raquelle and me when we didn’t know each other.”       “Hey, you said you were almost raped a few days ago after our meeting…” Edward notices thoughtfully, stroking his chin and frowning slightly. “When did it happen?”       “Remember the day when we went to the beach? You called me and said you wouldn’t mind going to the beach with me, swimming and lying under the sun, and I agreed!”       “Erm…” Edward thinks for two seconds. “Well, yeah, I remember.”       “So…” Natalia sighs heavily and glances at Edward. “It had happened four days before you suggested we spend time on the beach.”       “Four days?”       “You said I looked kind of scared as if someone raped me,” Natalia recalls, fingering over nervously. “You doubted my trueness and let me know you’d never forgive a lie. I was terribly ashamed to lie, but I couldn’t dare to go against that stinker.”       “Yup, right…” Edward says thoughtfully. “You were really strange… But I wouldn’t have thought you barely experienced a rape attempt and could’ve been ashamed of the whole world.”       “It was madly hard for me to hide the truth, but I tried to do something and load myself in all ways: walking with friends, talking with Mother on the phone, helping Father with something… And, communicating with you helped me forget it. And some time later, that pain was kind of gone… But it let me know about it when you gave the photos and decided that I allegedly betrayed you.”       “And I’m really very sorry…” Edward tears his back off the wall and turns on Natalia, looking at her guiltily. “If I’d known it, I would’ve done my best to make you forget everything. I would've been ready to spend nights and days with you. I should’ve done that from the beginning, but I acted like a stinker.”       “Don’t blame yourself, Edward.” Natalia also tears her back off the wall, turns on Edward, and glances at her hands. “I’m the only one to blame for what happened, and that man used the fact that I was silent.”       “Right…” Edward frowns slightly and thinks for two seconds. “And I’m sure that Uncle Michael did have to do with it.”       “Do you think your uncle found out what happened and decided to frame me?”       “Now I don’t doubt he did frame you and made me believe in a betrayal that didn’t exist. That gorilla is one of Uncle’s accomplices. And if it’s so, I know where that bastard got my home address to send all the photos. Moreover, Uncle hinted that he knew something during one of our talks.”       “I wouldn’t have assumed that man and your uncle were connected,” Natalia shakes her head. “First, I was also surprised by how he got your address and thought you couldn’t know each other and have common familiar people. But not everything has been put in the right place. And I’m starting to understand why Michael made me a part of this story.”       “Anyway, that asshole will pay me for that,” Edward says confidently. “He will pay a high cost for what he did to our relationship. That bastard has gone too far. Though, I’m afraid it’s not the limit. Knowing that he told his people to bring you to him…”       “Your uncle is definitely influencing you psychologically and pressing on you as hard as possible,” Natalia frowns slightly. “I’m sure he’s doing everything for you to stop resisting and agree to become his accomplice.”       “He can do what he wants, but it will never happen!”       “And I think he almost got it if you openly said about your plans to kill your family. His influence is impacting you. That man almost took control of you.”       “Yes, I don’t deny that he broke my mental health, and I’m about to have a nervous breakdown. But I will do my best not to succumb to my emotions and become one of the scumbags, who kiss his legs.”       “But, Edward, if your uncle offers you big money, you’ll forget everything you just said and will be pleasing him. You’ll be attracted to the money Michael can give you if you agree to rob and kill for him.”       “Maybe, I’m really ashamed of my poverty and the fact that I’ve got no job or home at the age of twenty-five. But I will not go too far to stop being afraid to tell everyone I’m allegedly happy with one-sided jobs and life on someone’s account.”       “Is it not a reason to betray your close people? The MacClifes are very rich and live in gorgeous houses, and your father bequeathed the money and the company to you!”       “Natalia, I swear on my father’s grave, I’ve never wanted to be his ally!” Edward excuses himself with pity in his eyes. “Never wanted to get in touch with him and know him.”       “But you did.”       “To restore justice. I wanted to save at least a part of what belonged to Father.”       “And what did it lead to? Innocent people may suffer because of that fucking inheritance. Terrence, Raquelle, Mrs. MacClife… Even my life is in danger!”       “I swear I was trying to do my best to protect you and my family, even if everything seemed worthless. But I’ve never wanted to betray it, and I ain’t gonna do it. Betray the people I love with all my heart.”       “But you almost betrayed them! And you will do it when you kill those, who accepted you so warmly.”       “I will never do that! Never! I'd rather shoot myself and go to another world with my close and favorite people. And how could I be a killer if I’m terribly afraid of any cold gun? When I see a pistol, I immediately run as far as possible. It scares me when it’s just placed on a table. But if someone holds it, I get obsessed with panic. No matter if it’s pointed at me or someone else. I’m just terribly afraid…”       “Of course, I’m sorry for you, but you are the one to blame for making your relationship with your family worse. You made Terrence, Raquelle, and Mrs. MacClife think you needed only their money and would dare to kill them to become rich thanks to their wealth. I’m sure your father would be deeply disappointed if he knew what you did.”       “Natalia, I’ve never wanted to exchange my close people for money and will not do it, even when I’m one step away from death. I don’t need someone’s money and the wealth of my friend, his fiancée, or his mother. You all understood my words wrongly. I didn’t mean their money, I meant the money that belonged to me by law. I just wanted to get my part of the money from the bank account and the stocks of the company. And I can fight for my rights. A law doesn’t forbid it.”       “Do you think that by fighting with your uncle like a cat and a dog and pretending to be sassy for him and his accomplices, you’d get something? No, Edward, you will get nothing! As I said before, this fight is not worth these efforts.”       “I know…” Edward glances at his hands for a second. “And… After what I found out today, I’m doubting more and more that… I’m doing the right thing…”       “Exactly, Lockhart! Finally, you’ve woken up and started to realize it! Understand what cost you paid and will pay at the nearest time! You lost the trust of your close people and became a bastard for them.”       “I think it happened for a reason. It would’ve been unfair if I hadn’t paid for the mistakes I had made all my life.”       “And don’t hope that your family will easily forget the bad things you said to Terrence and Raquelle, and how much you disappointed your own mother.”       “I know…” Edward glances at his hands for a moment. “I know my friend and his fiancée will not forgive me. And it’ll be very hurtful for me if I never get their trust back and know they can’t forgive and love me.”       “After what you did to them, it’ll be very hard for them to make them sure that they understood you wrongly. It’s probably much harder for Terrence to realize that you’re a betrayer, who he trusted entirely. Your behavior lets him know that you were looking for him only for money, for his help with a job, money, and home.”       “No, it’s not true!” Edward protests, shaking his head. “You know well that I dreamed of meeting him.”       “But why did you do such a mean thing to him?” Natalia asks a little coldly. “Why did you remind Terrence of his act, blame Raquelle for pretending and calling her a prostitute, and tell them many terrible things? They did nothing bad to you to deserve it! You insulted and humiliated me for nothing and acted unfairly toward them. We opened our hearts to you, but you… Turned your ass on…”       “It was my stupidest mistake that I’ll never forgive myself for.” Edward inclines his head and looks at Natalia guiltily two seconds later. “I know it looks like I’m excusing… But you and I had such a big fight that… That I couldn’t control myself… I was really excited and went kinda nuts… I didn’t know what I was saying and doing. I didn’t wanna be with you in the same room. You made me irritated, ‘cause I believed you were a liar and betrayer.”       “Listen, Edward…”       “It’s true, Natalia. I don’t wanna say you’re guilty of making my relationship with my family worse, and I ain’t gonna blame you for anything. But… If you hadn’t been next to me on that day, I wouldn’t have gotten enraged. I was mad ‘cause you didn’t wanna tell me the truth.”       “It was a protective reaction. I was just trying to fight a wish to tell you the truth. So, I was attacking, insulting, humiliating, and provoking you… And I believe I… Made you enraged… So enraged that… You were ready to kill me…”       “I didn’t really want it,” Edward replies hesitantly with pity in his eyes and glances down for two seconds. “And I’m madly grateful to Terrence for not letting me slap you. If he hadn’t been next to me, and I’d dared to raise a hand on you, I wouldn’t have forgiven myself.”       “I get…” Natalia sighs quietly and inclines her head. “I’m also very sorry for letting me slap you… I never gave a slap to men, but then I went crazy and lost patience.”       “I’m really ashamed of my behavior. I know I won’t deserve your forgiveness so easily, but I’d like everything to be otherwise. I wanna protect you from those bastards. This is the only thing I can give you now. At least, I think so. But if there’s something else, let me know how I can make amends.”       “No, Edward, I should make amends. I know I’m a stupid and cowardly idiot, who naively thought silence would save me from being killed. I didn’t think that man would be connected with Michael and able to make me a dirty whore.”       “I’m sure everybody is gonna be surprised when they find out that your offender pleases that old man.”       “Of course, they will. I’ll tell them everything that happened. As well as I did it on the day when we were at Terrence and Raquelle’s home.”       “Listen, wasn’t the fact that you came there a part of their plan? Or it happened by chance?”       “Nope, nope, I swear I didn’t know they planned something and heard nothing about the letters. I came to them at my wish… Wanted to talk to Raquelle and Terrence and… Tell them the truth… I couldn’t be silent anymore… Realized I wouldn’t be able to live with that burden… My mood was changing almost every second: I was funny, quiet, sad, or furious… I could be laughing like an idiot at first but then crying like a hysterical girl… I couldn’t take it… I felt so bad that I just wanted to die… I knew I had only two ways: telling everything or saying farewell to everybody and killing myself quietly. And… First, I wanted to tell you everything, but after the fight with you, I gave a fuck about everything and could’ve easily found a way to die.”       “Oh, damn, no…” Edward shakes his head sharply, setting his gaze full of horror on Natalia. “No, I don’t believe you wanted to do that.”       “I did, Edward. I didn’t care about my parents or my friends. I just wanted to stop suffering and let negativity eat me inside. If Raquelle and Terrence hadn’t been next to me, you wouldn’t be talking to me now. You would’ve hardly known what actually ruined our relationship.”       “Gosh, Natalia, don’t say that…” Edward begs with pity in his eyes.       “Somehow, Terrence said Daniel compared Peter and me and noticed that we were kind of the same ‘cause we suffered from what was eating us inside. But while Pete couldn’t take it ‘cause he let nobody get closer to him, I managed to find the courage to tell everything.”       “You’re scaring me…”       “It was madly hurtful for me to pretend that everything was okay.” Natalia sighs heavily and runs her hand through her disheveled hair. “But after our breakup, it was super hard. Hard to cover it with aggression not to tell the truth. I was madly hurt to hear insults because of my cowardice. But… Fear of that stinker paralyzed me… I could say your friend and my friend did a real miracle when they helped me recall how to breathe again. To make everything clear…”       “Poor girl…” Edward takes Natalia in his tender but strong hug, which she accepts with pleasure, and caresses her head softly. “It's impossible to believe that you survived that horror.”       “Now, do you understand why I acted like that?” Natalia asks hesitantly, running her shaking hands over Edward’s back and pressing herself close to him. “My nerves were broken, and I couldn’t control myself.”       “I do. Because almost the same happened to me.” Edward steps back from Natalia, says nothing for two seconds, and glances at his shoes. “I wanted to tell you about the inheritance at my wish. One day before, I talked to Uncle, and he clearly let me know that Terrence could wish to make me explain something. So, I realized hiding the truth was senseless and went to his home, being ready to answer any questions of my friend and his fiancée.”       Edward swallows up nervously and starts slightly pulling a sleeve of his coat.       “And it happened that I was telling about the inheritance with your pretense…” Edward adds thoughtfully. “While we were silent, it was easy to hold me down, but when Terrence and Raquelle left, it was impossible. I was getting more excited after every word and not watching my mouth. And your slap and your attempts to beat me became the last drop of my patience.”       “I think Raquelle knew it and begged Terrence to stay with us for a reason.”       “She’s got very good intuition. If that girl feels something, it almost always comes true. She knew your appearance would lead to horrible consequences and was right.”       “Have you really never hated your friend, my friend, or his mother?”       “Never!” Edward shakes his head sharply. “I love my close people and am ready to sacrifice myself to protect them!”       “And don’t you have the wish to rob and kill them?”       “Not for anything! I’m ready for anything to beg Mrs. MacClife, Raquelle and Terrence for forgiveness and let them know that they may expect no threat from me. I’m not a robber or killer and have never been connected with Uncle and his accomplices!”       “The best thing you can do now is to reject the inheritance and report your uncle to the police. Yes, maybe, that man won’t calm down, but that’s how you can let your family know that money doesn’t matter to you.”       “You’re right…” Edward pronounces confidently. “This wish may ruin my relationship with my close people. And I’ll rather accept the fact that the years of unsuccessful attempts to get close to them were senseless than be a headstrong donkey and sacrifice the love and trust of my close people for the money that I’ll hardly get.”       “Don’t wait for everybody to forgive and believe you shortly. But your refusal will make them think about it. And if you go to the police and betray that stinker, it will be good for you.”       “It’s gonna be much harder. Somehow, I tried to go to the police and talk to one officer, but he pretended that there was nothing bad with the fact that Uncle wanted to kill us. And Michael always tells me the police are in his hands, and he’s able to pay, so nobody cares about my words.”       “Oh, no, he couldn’t bribe the entire police of the city,” Natalia shakes her head. “There must be at least one officer that would help us. Raquelle has a familiar policeman! He helped her stop Simon! If we talked to him, he wouldn’t refuse to help. Moreover, that man has always been in love with Cameron, but she calls him just a friend. Though, I’m sure we could count on him.”       “I can’t prove anything. It’s gonna be very hard to make someone sure that Uncle is threatening us, trying to kill, and has stolen almost everything from my father.”       “But what about your uncle’s letters? Terrence and Raquelle could give them to the police as proof of Michael’s fault! And I can get a copy of all the messages he sent me! And…” Natalia glances at her hands for a second. “If we know that my offender is working on your uncle, I can put him in prison. I still have the photos at my home and can give them as proof of trying to rape and slander.”       “Really?” Edward opens his eyes widely. “You haven’t gotten rid of the photos?”       “Nope. Somehow, I hid the envelope with the photos far, so my parents didn’t see them, and I haven’t taken it since that. If we convinced your friend and my friend to unite and go to the police together, we would get proof for your uncle to go to prison. Moreover, you can prove your attack attempt by showing the scars on your back. We aren’t powerless, Edward! We can save ourselves from Michael and his gang! We should only explain it and confidently claim our wish to go against him, despite any threats and bans.”       “You’re absolutely right, yeah…” Edward cracks a smile. “But how do I convince Terrence, Raquelle, and Mrs. MacClife to do it? How do I persuade them to help me? They literally wanna betray me to the police and blame me for what I didn’t do!”       “Everything’s in your hands! If you say the right things, behave worthily, and agree to help in everything, it will be easier for you to make them sure to help.”       “I know…”       “And tell them who you actually are,” Natalia insists. “Tell them that you’re not Edward Lockhart.”       “Erm, what?” Edward opens his eyes widely.       “Did that man tell us the truth? Are you not the one, who you’re pretending to be?”       “Listen, Natalia…”       “Tell me the truth, Edward! If it’s your name, of course. I’m not sure about it now.”       “It’s all too complicated… It’s… It’s gonna hard for me… To explain it.”       “So, is that true? Are you related with the MacClifes somehow?”       “I could say so…” Edward exhales sharply.       “To be honest, there are too many coincidences in all the cases we know about. Too many suspicious moments that make us suspect something.”       “I can explain everything. But now it’s not the best moment.”       “Call me your real name.”       “Please…”       “Who are you? What do you need from Terrence and his family? What do you have to do with them?”       “Oh, okay…” Edward exhales sharply. “Eric told you the truth. I’m not Edward Lockhart. My real name is…”       Edward does not finish his thought because someone shows up from nowhere and pushes him so strongly that he loses balance and falls to the ground along with Natalia’s loud shout, who realizes that those people have found them. But the man gets up on his feet quickly and has to start a hand-in-hand fight with Eric, who tries to reach the blonde, who starts hiding behind her ex-boyfriend’s back, closing her mouth with her hands with horror in her eyes.       “So, kid, thought you got rid of us?” Eric smirks contemptuously. “NO, SCUMBAG!”       Eric gives Edward a very strong hit in the yawl and meets failure because the man dodges sharply. Brown gets the same one from him and has to protect himself from Lockhart’s attempts to hit him on everything, especially vulnerable areas.       “Don’t dare touch her with YOUR DIRTY HANDS!” Edward throws rudely and loudly, giving Eric painful hits on the face, arms, legs, stomach, and chest. “SHE WILL GO NOWHERE WITH YOU AND YOUR FUCKING GANG!”       Edward strongly pushes Eric off himself so that the man steps two meters away and falls to the ground like a stone. Natalia, getting white again and shaking from fear, still keeps hiding behind his back and scarily looking at Eugene, who takes one of the small bricks from the ground and throws it in the air several times.       “Step away from that gal, puppy!” Eugene orders rudely, moving his gaze full of evil to Edward. “OR I WILL HIT THIS BRICK AGAINST YOUR FUCKING HEAD!”       “You, scumbag, will not dare to touch her even with a finger!” Edward says rudely, hiding Natalia behind his back better, while she presses herself to him very tightly and holds him by the shoulders. “OR YOU WILL BE DEAD, MOTHERFUCKER!”       “You will have to leave her alone. You two have no place to run! We will catch you anywhere and DRIVE THIS BRAINLESS CHICKEN TO YOUR UNCLE!”       “DO NOT DARE TO INSULT HER, BASTARD!”       Edward sharply takes a small rock from the ground and strongly throws it at Eugene, getting right into his eye. Wainwright sharply closes it with his hand and winces in strong pain, letting the brick fall and doubling over with a quiet squeak. Meanwhile, Eric gets up and attacks Lockhart with fists again, starting to beat him much more cruelly on everything. The man answers him back not less cruelly and spares no legs or hands to hit his opponent as painfully as possible. It’s happening along with loud shouts from Natalia, who gets horror in her eyes while watching her ex-boyfriend successfully fight back Michael’s accomplices.       “We’re giving you the last chance to give this gal to us at your wish,” Eric says rudely, grabbing Edward by the hair and starting to pull him rudely. “If you do it, we will do nothing to you, and your skin will be safe. And if you keep showing off, you will have to pay much for that.”       “Don’t even hope, Brown!” Edward throws loudly, confidently, and strongly hits Eric in the temple and yawl with a fist, breathing a little heavily. “I will not give this girl to you at my wish! And she will not dare to go somewhere with you!”       “Nobody will ask her!” Eric gives a few strong hits to Edward’s legs and arms. “We’ll just push her into the car and take her away. And if she is screaming like a hysterical girl and trying to run, we will quickly knock her out.”       “I repeat…” Edward hisses through his teeth. “Don’t dare to touch her with a finger! OR I WILL SEND YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD!”       Edward gives Eric a couple of more hits on the temples and jaw and strongly hits him in the crotch. The man winces strongly and doubles over from pain, but he finds the strength to take it and answer his opponent with the same cruel hits on all parts of the body. However, Lockhart also patiently takes it and often tells himself that he must not give up and let Michael’s accomplice defeat him.       “Stop showing off for your ex,” Eric throws rudely, starting to fight with Edward hand in hand. “Very soon, you will regret fighting for her with those, who will become your partners. When you kill your family and go crazy over the big amounts that my honorable lord will pay to you.”       “You can choke yourself with the money, bastard!” Edward throws rudely. “I DO NOT NEED THEM! AND I WILL NOT BETRAY MY CLOSE PEOPLE!”       Roaring loudly, Edward hits Eric on the crotch with a leg as strongly as possible, and the opponent steps two meters away from him with a burning pain in his abdomen. Breathing heavily, Lockhart looks around and confidently starts fighting back Eugene, beating him much crueler than Michael’s main accomplice. While Natalia is pressing herself tightly to the cold brick wall with horror in her eyes, watching what’s happening, shaking strongly, crying quietly, and praying that everything ends well.       “I will demand a double cost from you, asshole!” Edward says in a low, rude voice, catching a good moment to use a stranglehold on Eugene and squeezing his throat with pleasure. “For daring to do that to MY GIRLFRIEND! Now I have a chance to revenge on the bastard, who RUINED HER LIFE!”       “Ha, this bitch doesn’t know what I prepared for her,” Eugene replies with a heavy breath and a sly smile. “She will be screaming loudly after I do WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE THE LAST TIME! IF THAT FUCKING POLICE HAD NOT MESSED UP EVERYTHING! I SHALL SPREAD HER LEGS AND GET MY PENIS DEEPLY INTO HER! SHE WILL SUCK ME ENOUGH!”       “I WISH SOMEONE CUT YOUR FUCKING PENIS!” Edward easily strikes Eugene down, grabs his hair strongly, and presses his face to the dirty ground, placing a foot on his back. “I swear, if you touch this girl at least with a finger, I shall, bastard, make you eat this ground. GOT IT? YOU WILL BE EATING THE SHIT THAT IS LYING HERE! IF I HAVE TO, I CAN EASILY LYNCH YOU AND BEAT YOU SO THAT YOU WILL KEEP YOURSELF A FEW THE FUCK MILES FAR FROM ME AND HER!”       “We will see who will be eating ground!” Eric says rudely, confidently coming to Edward and literally killing him with his furious gaze.       Eric hits a fist against Edward’s temple very strongly and in his abdomen. That’s why the man shouts out loudly and doubles over. Using this, Michael’s accomplice easily strikes him down, raises himself above him, and starts beating his face with his hands, while that one, getting over the pain, tries to fight back and push his opponent off himself. Eugene quickly gets up on his feet and, not shaking off the dirt, moves closer to Natalia with a wide, lusty smile. She starts shaking much stronger and walking in circles, setting her scared, widely open eyes on her offender, who scares her with only his horrifying appearance.       “So what, dolly, it’s your time to pay!” Eugene smirks evilly, while his lusty gaze is sliding over the shaking body of the terribly white Natalia. “Come on, come here! You will come with us to one wonderful place. Which you will leave as a corpse!”       “No…” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice with tears in her eyes. “No… NO! NO! DON’T DO IT!”       Eugene grabs Natalia sharply by the waist and presses her to himself, while she starts screaming much louder, feeling her heart starts beating fast, and her body is shaking from the tension.       “LET ME GO, NO, NO!” Natalia roars at the top of her lungs, trying to get out of Eugene’s grip desperately. “DON’T! NO! NO-O-O-O-O!”       “Suggesting you shut up and go to that car at your wish,” Eugene says rudely, pointing at the car that just came here. “And then be silent during the way and not to think of running away.”       “LET ME GO! I WILL GO NOWHERE WITH YOU! LET ME GO!”       “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Eugene gives Natalia such a strong slap in the face that she loses balance and falls to the ground with loud sobs and shouts. “YOU WILL GO WITH US ANYWAY, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO KNOCK YOU OUT! GOT IT, BITCH?”       Eugene gives Natalia a few more very strong slaps in the face, after which she shouts loudly, not trying to protect herself because she is paralyzed by fear. Edward sees it well and gets more and more horrified by the fact that he can do nothing to save the girl from that monster, who is beating her before his eyes. No matter how hard he tries to get out of the grip of Eric, who is holding him tightly and not letting him get up, he can do nothing.       “LEAVE HER ALONE, ASSHOLE!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs, trying to fight back Eric with his hands. “NOW!”       “Stop screaming like a hysterical girl!” Eric throws with evil in his eyes and strongly slaps Edward in the face. “We give a fuck about your wishes! We will take her away, no matter how hard you resist it.”       “YOU WILL PAY ME! PAY FOR EVERY SINGLE TEAR OF HER! EVERY SECOND THAT SHE IS SHAKING AND AFRAID!”       “Calm down, Lockhart!” Eric grabs Edward rudely by the collar and sets his icy gaze on the man breathing heavily. “The destiny of this gal will be chosen by your uncle, not us. I mean, it’s been chosen. We should only decide when this dolly has to die and watch her mommy and daddy grieve for their beloved daughter.”       “I WILL NOT LET HER SUFFER AGAIN! THAT RED GORILLA ALMOST BROUGHT HER TO A GRAVE!”       “Don’t test my patience, shabby puppy!” Eric hisses, hits Edward in the stomach with a fist, and tightly squeezes his throat with both hands. “You lost, Lockhart, take it. You can do nothing to save the gal. Her fate is chosen!”       “ONLY AFTER YOU KILL ME!”       Edward hits Eric raising above him right in his stomach with a deafening shout, easily strikes him down, gets up quickly, overcoming a mild weakness and pain in his body, and beats his opponent with stronger aggression with legs and hands.       Meanwhile, a miracle helps Natalia get out of Eugene’s big arms and run away from him. The girl tries not to let her emotions get obsessed with her and tries to save herself somehow, going backward while her offender is confidently going on her, and throwing rocks, which she takes from the ground, and parts of broken bricks at him. In parallel, the blonde looks around and gets horrified by realizing that she has no place to run because the three friends of Wainwright and Brown stood on all sides and are definitely ready to catch her if she tries to leave.       “You will go nowhere!” Eugene says confidently, going on to Natalia with a wide, sly smile. “We told our friends to surround this place.”       “Why do you want to do it?” Natalia screams with tears. “What did I do? I don’t have to do with this story!”       “We are just doing our boss’ command. He will defeat you and your friends. And this puppy if he does not change his mind.”       “It will never happen! He will not become one of the same bastards as you! And early or late, every one of you will pay for everything you’re doing.”       “Ha, if you think you can go to the police, you are wrong,” Eugene hums with a wide, sly smile. “You and your friends will be turned around and told you are saying bullshit. My boss has got contacts in the police, and you will prove nothing.”       “We can do!” Natalia yells. “We will unite, put you in prison, and make you pay for all your tricks. I am sure there is at least one policeman, who would agree to make you pay to the full extent of the law.”       “Oh, trust me, babe, when you have money, you own the whole world.”       “It’s stolen! Stolen! Has never belonged to that old man!”       “You are speaking too much, cutie,” Eugene smirks evilly. “It’s time to punish you a little.”       Eugene starts getting closer to Natalia again, while she is running away from him, looking at him scarily with a heavy breath. However, he quickly grabs her by the waist with both arms and makes her scream loudly, resisting hard and giving her offender as many painful hits as possible.       “And now you will immediately get into the car and go with us,” Eugene says rudely. “WITHOUT MINDING! IN THE CAR!”       “NO, I WILL GO NOWHERE!” Natalia screams at the top of her lungs, resisting like a wide cat. “LET ME GO! NOW!”       To Natalia’s happiness, Edward runs to her and Eugene some time later and shames a fist against the man’s yawl and nose as strongly as possible. It temporarily deprives Wainwright of orientation and makes him let go of the terribly scared girl, who steps aside and starts screaming after every hit that her ex-boyfriend gives. He does beat the opponent very cruelly, depriving him of an opportunity to breathe with a strong hit in his solar plexus, hitting him in the groin with a leg, striking him down with the same leg, and finally hitting it against the small of his back. Eugene doubles over from a hellish pain in his body and gets terribly furious because he cannot answer Lockhart back and has to take painful hits with hands and legs on the whole body. And Edward definitely gets much pleasure from revenging Wainwright for what he did to the one he loves, and for who he is ready to cut anyone’s throat.       “So, do you the fuck like?” Edward asks rudely, grabbing Eugene by his thin, greasy hair, and hits his opponent in the yawl with a fist as strongly as possible. “LIKE IT, JACKASS? DO YOU THINK SHE LIKED WHEN YOU WERE FEELING HER UP WITH YOUR DIRTY HANDS AND LEFT HER ALMOST NAKED? THIS IS FOR WHAT SHE HAS EXPERIENCED FOR FIVE MONTHS! GET IT, SCUMBAG! GET!”       Breathing like a furious bull and feeling his body is very tense, Edward beats Eugene on everything with his legs with no regret and literally gets pleasure from watching the man screaming after every single hit and feeling helpless.       “I WISH YOU TO BURN IN THE HELLISH HELL, BASTARD!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs and hits his leg against Eugene’s nose, from which a thin flow of blood shows up. “A prison would be a TOO SOFT punishment for you! Your place is in A GRAVE! NOWHERE ELSE!”       “Your close people want you to be there,” Eugene smirks evilly, getting over the hellish pain. “IN A GRAVE!”       “If you touch this girl at least with a finger, I swear you will be there. I will have A GREAT PLEASURE to kill you and save her from a threat to meet you somewhere and GET REALLY RAPED BY YOU.”       “I will surely finish what I did not end the last time. When your uncle gives her to me to kill. I shall cruelly fuck this whore! Before death! This sex will be the last one in her life!”       “CLOSE YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, MOTHERFUCKER!” Edward screams, grabs Eugene by the hair, and hits his head against the ground two or three times, setting his widely open eyes full of hate on him. “SHUT UP ONCE AND FOREVER, POISONED SNAKE! DIE, SCUMBAG! DIE!”       Edward keeps beating Eugene much crueler, sparing no strength, hands, or anything else to kick this man and take it out on him. Meanwhile, Natalia screams loudly after every hit and shout and prays that the man does not spend his energy earlier and stop being able to protect her.       “Hold on, Edward, I’m begging you…” Natalia begs quietly with tears in her eyes, closing her mouth with her hands and setting her gaze full of horror on Edward. “Hold on… I can’t stay without your protection… No… A-A-A-A-A!”       Natalia screams at the top of her lungs because Eric instantly runs to Edward, smashes a fist against his temple, and uses a stranglehold on him. He squeezes his throat so strongly that Lockhart cannot literally breathe and, leaving Eugene alone, tries to get out of Brown’s tight grip.       “Advising you to stop pretending to be a hero, Lockhart,” Eric says rudely. “It will be easy for me to repeat that the gal will come with us anyway: at her wish or against.”       “I will not let you hurt her!” Edward shouts, breathing too heavily from the excitement and slight tiredness. “Take this bastard and your gang with you and get out of here. SO, I DO NOT THE FUCK SEE YOU NEXT TO THIS GIRL!”       “You lost, puppy, confess it! Give up on your wish and give the gal to us!”       “NEVER!”       Edward strongly punches Eric on his ankle and his solar plexus with an elbow, sharply turns around, and gives him hits on the temples with his left and right hands by one. Brown answers back with the same hits and tries to strike him down rudely, but Lockhart resists it so hard and easily avoids a bigger part of the hits by dodging, running, squatting, and jumping. It seems like he is doing everything very easily, but it all takes some energy out of him. However, thanks to the crazy adrenaline in his blood, the man does not feel this tiredness and runs or jumps from one side to another as fast as possible.       “WAINWRIGHT, FUCKING ASSHOLE, STOP LYING!” Eric roars at the top of his lungs, avoiding the hits that Edward gives him and trying to hit him strongly. “Don’t you see what this puppy is doing? COME ON, HELP ME!”       “I AM COMING, DON’T ROAR LIKE THE FRIEND OF THIS KID!” Eugene snaps rudely, finding the strength to forget any pain and get up. “Ar-r-r… Scumbag… Almost broke all of my teeth!”       “I can do it!” Edward throws loudly. “BEAT YOU SO STRONGLY THAT YOU WILL LOSE NOT ONLY YOUR TEETH, BUT ALSO YOUR FUCKING PENIS! NOT TO GET IT IN ALL HOLES!”       Edward starts beating Eugene strongly again. But this time, he also has to fight with Eric, who painfully grabs his hair, sharply drags him away from his friend, turns him on himself, and tries to smash a fist against his face. But Lockhart instantly avoids the hit, smashes his fist against his nose, and gets his fingers painfully into his eyes, making him lose attention for some time.       Eugene roaring loudly gives him a hit with a fist right on his head, running to him from behind, and hits his leg against his back. Edward immediately falls to the ground, and sharply pushes his opponent off himself with one hit of his leg when the man wants to raise himself above him and gets up quickly. He gets only two seconds to have a rest, and then Eugene and Eric attack him with fists together. Now he has to fight back the two men, who give him successful or unsuccessful hits and get the same ones back.       “We are not going to play these childish games with you!” Eugene throws rudely, taking a small rock from the ground, throwing it at Edward, and getting into his arm. “It will not work with us!”       “It will not work WITH ME!” Edward snaps, threatening Eric and Eugene with a finger and showing his contemptuous grin. “I’m not used to giving up and will fight until the last breath!”       “Your fight is worthless, brainless kid. You’d better play cars and don't meddle in the business of adult men. Instead of playing a savior and proving to everybody that you weren’t so worthless and cowardly.”       “I am protecting this girl from your dirty hands. And I will not calm down until you get out of here.”       “Keep dreaming, bastard!”       “STOP TALKING!” Eric roars. “WE HAVE WASTED SO MUCH TIME!”       Eric gives Edward a couple of strong slaps, also giving Eugene a sigh that he would do it on his own. Well, Wainwright shortly runs to Natalia being terribly white and shaking strongly while standing aside like a mouse and watching what’s happening with widely open eyes full of horror. The girl starts screaming loudly again and running from her offender, taking rocks from the ground and throwing them at him, but seeing that it’s worthless because he is chasing her with a sly smile. Edward tries to get out of the strong grip of Eric, who is holding him and not letting him get closer to the girl, who screams every time Wainwright gets very close to her and almost grabs her with his big hands.       “STEP AWAY FROM HER, BASTARD!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs, spending his energy to get out of Eric’s tight grip. “If you touch her, at least with a finger, I swear you will be dead!”       “You can do nothing, Lockhart!” Eugene smirks with evil in his eyes. “Of course, my friends and I highly appreciated how hard you protected this cutie. And I am sure your uncle will not leave it without attention. But it’s time to admit you’ve lost! You knew you wouldn’t deal with the two, but you asked for trouble.”       “THIS GAME IS NOT OVER, CORRUPT JACKASS!” Edward screams with evil in his eyes. “I AM READY TO KILL ALL OF YOU TO THE FUCK TO SAVE HER AND MY FAMILY FROM WHAT THAT OLD BASTARD PLANNED!”       “And you would go to prison for years!”       “I GIVE A FUCK! I WOULD KNOW ANY SCUMBAG WOULD NOT DARE TO HURT MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY FAMILY! YOU KILLED MY FATHER, BUT I WILL NOT LET YOU KILL ANYONE ELSE!”       “You’d have no strength and courage!” Eric laughs contemptuously. “You cannot find the courage to kill your friend, but now you have decided to attack all of us! Don’t make me laugh, boy! Stop pretending to be a hero and proving your importance. You are a worthless puppy that will be good only for meat! Rotten meat that nobody would eat!”       “Don’t even hope I will commit the murder of my friend or someone else from my family,” Edward says confidently, not giving up on his attempts to get out of Eric’s grip but starting to get a little tired and breathing much heavier.       “When your uncle offers you big money and a wonderful life until the end of your life, you will forget about pity forever.”       “NEVER AND NOT FOR ANYTHING!”       “Alright, I am done! I’m getting sick of your deafening shouts!” Eric glances sharply at Eugene. “Eugene, stop running and having fun! Grab the gal and drag her to the car!”       Being excited by unsuccessful attempts to catch her, Eugene finds a good moment, sharply running to Natalia and tightly grabbing her with his big arms. She starts screaming and trying to break free, but his grip is too strong, and her arms are motionless and tightly pressed to her body.       “NO, LET ME GO!” Natalia screams at the top of her lungs, trying to hit Eugene with her leg on any part of his body, hitting which is like a hit on a concrete wall or wood board. “NO! STOP! LEMME GO! EDWARD! EDWARD, HELP ME, I’M BEGGING! PLEASE!”       “Let me go now, bastard!” Edward demands rudely, feeling everything is literally burning inside him and trying to get out of the strong grip of Eric, whom he beats on everything. “LET ME THE FUCK GO, I SAID!”       “Admire your ex and say goodbye to her,” Eric says in a low voice, grabbing Edward by the hair and making him look at Natalia. “Because I don’t know if Michael wants to let you see her before he gives her to Eugene. Who she must please enough before her death.”       “LET ME GO, I SAID! LET ME GO – OR YOU WILL BE DEAD! NOW!”       “Finally, I will have a chance to play with you again, baby,” Eugene smiles widely, evilly, holding Natalia very tightly with one arm and letting his hands confidently slide over the curves of her waist, thighs, and buttocks, which he squeezes tightly and slaps strongly. “Oh, yeah, babe…”       “LET ME GO!” Natalia screams loudly. “DON’T TOUCH ME!”       “How much I wanna fuck you…” Eugene reaches the neck of the crying Natalia, leaves a couple of kisses on it, and runs his rough tongue over her tender skin on it. “Aw, Natalia… You’re just sexy…”       “LET ME GO, STOP, NO!” Natalia begs in a deafeningly loud, hoarse voice, stepping back from Eugene, feeling she is feeling sick because of his terribly disgusting kisses. “I DON’T WANT IT!”       “Just looking at you is enough for my penis to be ready to get into you.”       “NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!” Natalia starts moaning when Eugene closes her mouth with his big hand. “M-M-M… M-M-M…”       “ASSHOLE, LET HER GO NOW!” Edward roars at the top of his lungs, getting literally red from the anger, while Eugene insolently feels Natalia up and kisses her right before his eyes. “DON’T DARE TO TOUCH, LICK, AND KISS HER! DO NOT DARE!”       “So, Lockhart, are you jealous?” Eric smiles slyly. “Don’t you like that your ex is kissed and caressed before your eyes?”       “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TOUCH HER WITH YOUR DIRTY HANDS!”       “Better shut up and look at WHAT you lost!” Eric grabs Edward painfully by the hair and forces him to watch Eugene covering Natalia’s neck confidently with dry kisses and running his tongue over it. “WATCH, SCUMBAG! And bite your elbows! Because you will never fuck this bitch.”       “May the lightning hit you, asshole! I WISH YOUR PENIS GOT ROT OFF!” Edward unsuccessfully tries to get out of Eric’s grip and hits his leg against the man’s ankle as strongly as possible. “LET ME GO, BROWN! I WILL BEAT THE FACE OF THIS GORILLA! LET ME GO, I SAY!”       “Ah, Lockhart, what kind of candy you lost,” Eugene says with enjoyment, getting a hand underneath Natalia’s shirt, starting caressing her belly and feeling the familiar piercing of her belly button, confidently feeling up her breasts with a second hand and turning her nipples so rudely that she feels pain. “It’s okay she is a whore… But such a gorgeous body, I can close my eyes to that.”       “CLOSE YOUR DIRTY MOUTH, MOTHERFUCKER! I SWEAR, WHEN I BREAK FREE, I SHALL KILL YOU WITH ONE OF THOSE BRICKS! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO FEEL UP THIS GIRL SO INSOLENTLY!”       “She has not belonged to you for ages – so, minding is worthless.”       “Stop, please!” Natalia screams at the top of her lungs with tears, when Eugene lets his hand down to her crotch and squeezes it rudely. “Let me go, I’m begging!”       “Fuck, you’re still as good as you were five months ago,” Eugene notices in a low voice and runs his lips over Natalia's neck, while one hand of him rudely squeezes her breasts.       “Please, stop it! I don’t want it! I DON’T!”       “I give a fuck! You will be doing everything I want!”       “NO!” Natalia screams hysterically. “EDWARD, PLEASE, HELP ME! HELP, I’M BEGGING YOU!”       “Alright, I should get your mouth busy! You’re annoyed me with your shouts.”       “M-M-M-M!” Natalia starts moaning with widely open eyes and beating Eugene on everything, while his tongue confidently caresses her mouth. “M-M-M-M!”       “Alright, jackass, you made me furious,” Edward hisses through his teeth, setting his furious gaze on Eugene, tightly clenching his hands into fists and feeling his body literally shaking from the tension. “I WILL REACH YOU IN ANY WAY!”       After two more unsuccessful attempts, Edward gets out of Eric’s grip with a loud roar. He immediately runs to Eugene and smashes a fist against his solar plexus as strongly as possible. Then he uses a moment while Wainwright cannot breathe, giving him a bunch of painful hits in all parts of his body. After making sure that his opponent winces strongly from pain and is lying on the ground, doubling over and trying to catch a breath, Lockhart hugs tightly the shaking Natalia, who is choking from tears, and caresses her head and back tenderly, while she holds him in a tight grip, as if she does not want to let him go.       “It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay,” Edward whispers softly, kisses Natalia on the temple, and caresses her cheek tenderly. “Don’t cry…”       “It’s insane!” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice, snuggling his face against Edward’s shoulder. “A nightmare!”       “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll get off them.”       “I can’t take it! Can’t…”       Edward sharply has to step away from Natalia because Eric runs to him with a brick in his hands and tries to hit him on the head with a loud shout. Lockhart reacts just in time, grabs the hand with the potential murder weapon, and barely strikes it out of it. After this, he has to fight hand in hand with Brown for some time, pushing him further and further from the terribly horrified girl, who does want all of this to be her nightmare, not reality.       At some moment, Eric gives Edward a very strong slap in the face, grabs him by the hair, and pushes him to one of the half-ruined brick walls, against which the man hits his back. By this moment, a little red flow shows up in the corners of his mouth and under his nose, his old clothes are ripped in some places, his hair is terribly disheveled, and some parts of his body got barely noticeable bruises that will surely get brighter. He is also losing energy, and it’s getting harder to fight and save his ex-girlfriend.       Eric understands it and feels very confident, deciding to get Edward much more exhausted and not letting him take a break for a second. He hopes to get a chance to do something for his biggest enemy not to be able to get up and to prevent him from doing the command given to him. At some moment, Michael’s accomplice looks at one of the brick walls with a sly smile on his face. Using a moment when Edward distracts a little and tries to catch a breath, feeling too exhausted, Brown sharply grabs him by the collar, brings him closer to the wall by force, and strongly pushes him into it with the hope that he will hit his head. But it does not happen, and Lockhart avoids it. However, Eric rudely grabs him by the hair and hits his opponent against the wall with himself along with Natalia’s defeating shout. Edward immediately feels a strong headache, but finds the strength to give Michael’s accomplice a hit in the yawl, which is much weaker than before.       Then the wild Brown answers him with a strong hit against his temple. And then, when Lockhart steps aside, he rudely grabs him by the collar and pushes him to the wall much stronger so that the black-haired man hits the back of his head against the brick wall very strongly and turns so that he also hits his forehead and nose, which starts bleeding. Edward winces strongly from the searing pain in the back of his head and feels he is suddenly getting worse. He gets obsessed with a strong weakness, feels mild nausea in his throat, his vision is getting less clear, and it’s getting hard for him to stand on his weak legs. The man getting sharply white leans on the wall covered with tracks of his blood on his back. At first, he puts his hand on his forehead, slightly pressing on which Edward also feels a strong pain, and then grabs his head with the two hands, feeling he is losing the ground and not noticing Eric watching him with evil in his eyes, tightly clenching his hands into fists and waiting for his opponent to start fighting again.       But now Lockhart is not able to keep fighting due to his terrible weakness and dizziness after the strong hit of his head against the brick wall. And a few moments later, his legs get much weaker, and Edward slides down the wall sharply, falls to the ground like a stone, and stops moving then. Everything happens before the eyes of the terribly scared Natalia. She starts panicking after the man falls, seems like, unconscious right before her eyes. The girl falls into despair and gets horrified by realizing that she has nobody to protect her.       “NO!” Natalia stresses her lungs with horror in her eyes. “EDWARD!”       While Edward was fighting with Eric, Eugene already got up and grabbed Natalia, starting to hold her and using a chance to caress her body. But after Lockhart collapsed on the ground, a miracle helps the girl get out of Wainwright’s tight grip and run to her ex-boyfriend. She instantly falls on her knees beside him, grabs the man’s terribly white face with shaking hands, raises it slightly, and starts caressing it or slapping him slightly on his cheek.       “No, no, Edward, say something…” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes, making quiet sobs and clapping Edward on the cheek with one hand, while her second one is holding his head. “Please, wake up… Please, please…”       But no matter how bitterly Natalia cries, no matter how tenderly she caresses Edward’s face, he does not react and keeps lying motionlessly on the ground, looking terribly white and covered with blood and bruises.       “Wake up, Edward, please,” Natalia begs in a high, shaking voice with pity in her eyes, pressing Edward’s head closer to her chest, caressing it tenderly, and rubbing her cheek against the top of his head. “Don’t leave me… I need your protection so badly. Please, Edward, help me. Don’t give me to those people. For God's sake, sweetie, don’t leave me…”       At this moment, Natalia hears Edward making a very quiet moan and winces slightly from the terrible pain in his head, putting his hand on his forehead. She looks at him and puts her hand on his cheek with a quiet sob, holding him suspended. The man, feeling terrible weakness and strong dizziness, opens his eyes slowly, and can barely see the blonde due to his blur vision and hears all of her sobs and begs like through the deaf wall.       “N-n-nat-talia…” Edward pronounces very quietly. “Is that you?”       “Edward…” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly, fixing Edward’s hair slightly. “Edward, please, don’t leave me. I need your help. Your protection… Please, get up… Don’t lose consciousness, I’m begging you…”       “I’m sorry… I… I can’t…”       “No, no, don’t say it, please!” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheek and head tenderly with a shaking hand. “I need you like air. If you don’t get up, those people will take me away. Please, don’t let them do this.”       “I want, but I can’t… I’m so sorry…” Edward shakes his head and, feeling strong dizziness, closes his eyes, out of which a couple of tears get and roll down his cheeks. “I can’t protect you… As I promised… Sorry…”       “Please, Edward, you can’t do this to me!” Natalia begs desperately, pressing Edward’s head to her chest again, kisses the top of his head tenderly with her shaking lips, and looks right into his eyes, with which he sees everything very blurry. “Neither now, nor never! I can’t lose you! I can’t!”       “I’m very sorry…” Edward makes a very quiet moan, wincing strongly from a hellish headache and feeling dizziness and weakness in his body. “I can’t… Keep… My promise…”       “No, please, sweetie, don’t leave me…” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheek tenderly with a strongly shaking hand and wipes carefully the blood under his nose and tears under his eyes. “Stay with me! For Christ…”       “Sorry…” Edward barely pronounces very quietly, breathing heavily and sometimes closing his eyes. “I feel bad… Very bad…”       Edward gets obsessed with such a strong weakness that he cannot even raise a hand. Nevertheless, he barely gets over it to put his white, cold hand on Natalia’s cheek, tenderly caress it and wipe tears off the face of the crying and shaking girl.       “Forgive me…” Edward pronounces much quieter. “For not being able to save you… And… For not saving our relationship…”       “Don’t leave me, Edward…” Natalia begs in a shaking voice, paying no attention to the tears that are rolling over her wet cheeks and a strong wind that blows her hair getting into her mouth or eyes at times. “I love you… Love you very much… Please… Hold on… Hold on for me…”       “Me too…” Edward starts to breathe much heavier, understanding he is about to lose consciousness due to terrible weakness, dizziness, and a slight sickness. “Love… I always have…”       Two seconds later, the eyes of Edward, who makes a quiet, torturing moan, close slowly. His terribly white and cold body becomes soft in the arms of Natalia, who holds him suspended.       “Edward…” Natalia pronounces with tears in her widely open eyes and shakes her head sharply. “No, Edward, no! Edward, wake up, please… Stay with me! No… Please! I’m begging you!”       But Edward has lost consciousness and does not react to the words of Natalia, who falls into greater despair and refuses to believe that she stayed all alone. No matter how hard the girl tries to cry for him and claps him on the cheeks, it does not help the man wake up.       “Answer me, sweetie, please!” Natalia begs loudly, caressing or clapping Edward tenderly on the cheek. “Please, Edward, don’t do such a cruel thing to me! I need you… I’ve always done…”       Natalia presses the unconscious Edward closer to herself and hugs him tightly with both arms, caresses his head, kisses the top of his head, and touches his forehead with her forehead, breathing too heavily and still choking with tears.       “I love you…” Natalia confesses desperately and puts her nose in the curve of Edward’s neck, feeling his smell, which has always made her feel a sense of calm and protection. “Have never stopped loving you… Please, Edward… I need you so badly… I can’t live without you… Can’t…”       Forgetting about all her offenses, Natalia does not hide her real feelings, speaking about them totally openly. And she does not hide a wish to show love for Edward: caressing, hugging, pressing him to herself, and even kissing. Just like now, when she, putting her hand on his cheek, leaves a couple of tender kisses on his white but very soft lips.       “Love…” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice. “Despite nothing… You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life… The best…”       Sniffing quietly, Natalia places Edward’s head carefully on her laps, caresses his face tenderly with her shaking hands, and runs her fingers through his disheveled hair, which is dirtied in the ground but still as soft as silk and standing out against the horribly white skin of his face.       “Please, don’t die…” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes, starting to believe Edward is dead, and kisses him tenderly on the forehead. “I won’t take it… My love…”       While Natalia is praying to the Gods that Edward stays alive, Eric and Eugene being a little exhausted and strongly beaten are standing aside and watching what’s happening with a fear that the hit might be fatal for Michael’s nephew.       “Hear, Brown, didn’t you hit his head against the wall too strongly?” Eugene shows anxiety. “Michael’s gonna cut off our heads if that boy dies! He didn’t ask us to kill that puppy, he needs only the gal!”       “Don’t be a coward, Wainwright,” Eric throws gloomily, crossing his arms over his chest. “If Eddy dies, I will try to make Michael sure that it will be better. The kid prevents him from killing all the MacClifes. But if he does, the boss will have fewer problems.”       “I dunno… Michael did want to turn that puppy against his friend and make him kill that guy. You’d deprive him of pleasure if your hit became fatal.”       “Everything’s gonna be okay with this piece of shit! Lockhart has got lots of lives and a strong head. It’s the unsinkable shit!”       “And this shit can beat very strongly,” Eugene notices, massaging his arm that strongly hurts after all the hits from Edward. “My arms and legs hurt after his hits… And my balls…”       “I agree with you, ‘cause I also barely walk.” Eric exhales sharply and smiles slyly. “But we got that bastard out of the way and can quietly take the gal. Nobody will stop us, and she will have no strength to beat us the way her ex did.”       “And what do we do to this puppy? We’ve gotta find out if that scumbag is alive!”       “Take the gal away, and I’ll try to feel his pulse.”       “Take the gal away…” Eugene frowns slightly and glances at Natalia crying over the soft, white body of the unconscious Edward, caressing his face covered with blood getting out of his nose and corners of his mouth and kissing tenderly his lips that get a blue shade. “It’s gonna be hard… She’s stuck to him like gum on a table. We can take her away only with the body of that puppy.”       “You can do this!” Eric claps Eugene on the shoulder. “And I believe we have nothing but to knock her out for some time to quietly drive her to our boss’ home.”       “Erm… Don’t dare to hit her head against the wall,” Eugene gets horrified. “While that retarded puppy’s head is as strong as a gut, the gal may pass away shortly. And Michael will have nothing to blackmail this bastard and her friends with. And I won’t be able to have fun when the boss gives her to me and lets me do anything to her to her inevitable death.”       “No, no, we must not do it to her. I have something more effective.” Eric takes a small bottle and a clean handkerchief out of the pocket of his coat. “If it’s not enough, I also have a massive dose of a strong sedative that Catherine gave me. One little injection before she is a vegetable for a few hours. Maybe, you’ll even be able to have fun with her, while she doesn’t know what happens.”       “Excellent!” Eugene rubs his hands happily with a sly smile. “You’re awesome, Brown!”       While Eugene and Eric are discussing their plans, Natalia is still next to the unconscious, cold and white Edward, whose face is covered with blood that is still getting out of his mouth, and the corners of his mouth much stronger. She still believes her ex-boyfriend died after such a strong hit to the head. Only some time later, the girl thinks of checking the pulse on the man’s wrist and neck. And Natalia manages to feel a very weak pulse that is better to feel on his neck.       “Gosh…” Natalia whispers with tears in her eyes. “There’s a pulse… He’s still alive! I can feel his heart beating! God, thank You! Thank You so much… I don’t want him to die. Don’t wanna lose the one I love.”       Natalia caresses Edward’s face and head carefully with her hands covered with his blood, kisses him tenderly on the forehead and the lips, raises her head to the sky, and looks at it with her wet, red eyes, taking the man’s hand and caressing his wrist with her fingertips.       “Please, I wish Edward was okay!” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes and sniffs quietly. “I wish someone went by here and helped him wake up. I wish Michael’s accomplices left and let me drive Edward home or to a hospital. God, I’m begging You, help me! I don’t wanna lose this man! Now or never! He means too much to me, and I madly love him, despite nothing. I have no right to lose him forever! I don’t! I must save him from death!”       Some time later, while Natalia is praying for salvation and asking the Gods to save Edward’s life and send someone to help him or give her a chance to save him by herself, Eugene confidently comes to her. Her offender creeps to her from behind, rudely grabs her under her arms, and starts dragging her away from the unconscious Edward, whose head limply falls on the ground after Wainwright takes his ex-girlfriend away from him.       “NO, NO, LEAVE ME!” Natalia screams at the top of her lungs, resisting Eugene as hard as she can and being horrified by the thought that she has to fight with Michael's accomplices alone. “NO! I SHALL STAY WITH HIM! LET ME GO! I WILL GO NOWHERE! WILL NOT LEAVE EDWARD ALONE! NO-O-O-O-O!”       But since Eugene has much more strength, and she seems as easy as a piece of fuzz to him, he quickly gets Natalia up and drags her away from the helpless Edward, to whom Eric comes to check his pulse, squatting down and trying to feel pushes on his neck.       “NO, GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF ME!” Natalia keeps screaming and resisting. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO, I SAY!”       “Stop screaming, hysterical girl,” Eugene throws rudely, tightly grabbing Natalia by her forearms. “Your protector is dead, he cannot help you anyhow. Nobody can help you. You lost as well as that brainless asshole did.”       “HE DID NOT DIE!” Natalia screams with tears. “DID NOT DIE! HE’S GOT A PULSE! HE IS ALIVE!”       “The puppy is dead, calm down now! He will no longer wave his wings!”       “NO, EDWARD IS ALIVE, ALIVE! DO NOT LIE TO ME!”       “The gal is telling the truth!” Eric says confidently, getting up and turning on Eugene. “This retarded puppy is really alive, but his pulse is very weak, and he is as cold as a corpse.”       “He will hardly hold on for too long if nobody helps him,” Eugene assumes confidently. “One or one and a half hours before he dies. The hit was too serious – Lockhart will hardly survive.”       “We will see if he has lives.”       “So what, let’s leave him here to die? Since he didn’t die when he got stabbed with a knife, now nobody will help him. People don’t usually come to this place.”       “You know we don’t need it.”       “Stop being a coward, Brown! If this bastard survives, the only thing that is threatening him is brain damage and memory loss. He will stay home or in a hospital for a few days and will feel like reborn and ready to pretend to be a superman again.”       “Yeah, you’re right… Let him lie here.” Eric throws his contemptuous gaze on the unconscious Edward, then grabs him by the collar very rudely and raises him slightly. “You asked for trouble, Lockhart. We did warn you that you would regret going against us. So, you have lost, and we, as we promised, will drive the gal to your uncle. Let’s see what you are ready for to save her. If you survive, of course!”       Eric bends to Edward’s face.       “And soon, everyone will know that your real name is Edward MacClife. The time when Michael will tell everyone the truth about you will come soon. Even if you, bastard, DIE!”       Eric roaring loudly smashes his fist against Edward’s temples, nose, and yawl, and his leg right against his solar plexus several times. And then he sharply pushes Lockhart in the back, and his soft body turns sharply to the side. Michael’s accomplice literally kills the terribly white guy, who was born with white skin but now looks just horrifying, with his furious gaze, and then exhales sharply and waves a hand.       “Alright, let’s go!” Eric throws coldly.       “I will not leave him alone!” Natalia says with despair. “He will not stay here alone, WILL NOT DO!”       “Accept the loss of your ex and hopelessness, girl.” Eric rudely grabs Natalia by the chin and sets his contemptuous look into her wet, scared eyes. “In two hours, this asshole will die without waking up. This time, nobody will help him, as it happened when he was stabbed with a knife.”       “BASTARDS! CURSE YOU! ALONG WITH YOUR FUCKING BOSS!”       “Well, as this puppy is defeated, nothing will prevent us from doing what Michael said,” Eugene says confidently and smiles evilly. “And we will have some time to have fun with you. End what we did not end the last time.”       “Don’t dare to touch me with a finger! I swear I will be fighting cruelly and biting painfully!”       “Nobody will even ask you!” Eugene confidently lets his hand slide over Natalia’s face, neck, belly, crotch, thighs, and buttocks, rudely squeezes her breasts, and makes a quiet moan. “Aw, baby, you are still as wonderful as you were the last time. I do want to give a fuck about any commands, undress you and fuck you right here and now.”       “HEY, GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF ME!” Natalia screams, trying to get out of Eugene’s strong grip and move his big hands off herself.       “Oh, babe…” Eugene runs his lips over the curve of Natalia’s neck and leaves a couple of kisses on it, making her feel a strong disgust.       “STOP! I AM SICK OF YOUR TOUCHES! NO!”       “Ah, I’d have the pleasure to take off my pants and get my penis into your mouth.” Eugene rudely squeezes Natalia’s breasts with a quiet moan. “Or your mouth…”       “BASTARDS! DOGS! SCUMBAGS! I WISH YOU DIED! I HATE YOU! HATE! ASSHOLES! FREAKS! SCUMBAGS!”       “Stop the fuck SCREAMING!” Eric screams at the top of his lungs and gives Natalia a strong slap in the face, after which she makes a loud shout because of the pain and then does it again when he slaps her again.       “LET ME GO! STOP!”       “CALM DOWN, BITCH!” Eric strongly beats Natalia in the face several times, while she screams loudly from pain.       “You will pay for everything! PAY! MY FRIENDS WILL DO THEIR BEST TO PUT YOU IN PRISON! THEY WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU TO KILL ALL OF THEM! WILL NOT DO!”       “Ar-r-r, you are starting to make me more irritated by your deafening shout, brainless idiot,” Eugene says rudely and squeezes Natalia’s throat tightly. “STOP SCREAMING NOW!”       “NEVER!” Natalia screams much louder.       “YOU WILL GO WITH US, AND IT’S OUT OF THE DISCUSSION!”       “IF I HAVE TO PROTECT MYSELF ON MY OWN, I AM READY TO DO IT!”       Natalia hits her leg against Eugene’s ankle as strongly as possible and sharply gives a start while he screams out from the pain. But Eric immediately catches her and presses her to himself tightly with both arms, not paying attention to her deafening shouts or the fact that she resists like a wide cat.       “NO!” Natalia tears her vocal cords. “LET ME GO, DOGS! LET ME GO! SCUMBAGS… YOU…”       Eugene first slaps Natalia in the face as strongly as possible and then, rudely grabbing her by the waist and pressing her to himself, closes her mouth with his big hand. That’s why she only moans loudly and unsuccessfully tries to get out of his grip. The girl tries to give hits with her legs and hands, but it does not help her.       “Take the bottle, I’m holding her!” Eugene orders, tightly closing the mouth of Natalia with his hand, while she moans quietly with widely open eyes. “FAST, SCUMBAG! BEFORE THIS CHICKEN RUNS AWAY!”       Eric turns around for two seconds and takes the handkerchief and the little bottle, while Eugene starts holding Natalia screaming loudly much tighter, while she realizes more and more that there is no hope for salvation. The man quickly adds some liquid to it, hides the bottle in his pocket, turns around, and confidently comes to the too excited girl. When Wainwright moves his hand off her mouth, she does not say anything because Eric sharply puts the handkerchief to her face.       “No…” Natalia shakes her head sharply and starts resisting much harder. “No, no, no… NO! M-M-M-M…”       Understanding that what is happening might end badly for her, Natalia uses every single moment to save herself and tries to take her breath away, at least for a while not to breathe in the smell of the unknown liquid that may do anything to her.       “Quiet, cutie, quiet…” Eric says confidently, pressing the handkerchief tightly to Natalia’s nose. “Breathe in this smell, breathe in… You will fall asleep for some time, but when you wake up, you will be in the house of our boss, who is impatiently waiting for you.”       “You will stay there for some time, but some time later, Michael will call his nephew and tell him what to do to see you the last time,” Eugene smiles evilly, caressing the head of Natalia, who is loudly moaning, with one hand and letting another hand get underneath her shirt and start caressing the tender skin on her flat belly. “He will believe he can set you free, but it’s not actually true. You will hug and probably kiss, and then Michael will call me and tell me to kill you. But before your death, he allowed me to play with you a little. And I will fuck you with great pleasure first as cruelly as possible and then kill you. MAKE YOU PAY FOR YOUR LONG TONGUE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO BE SILENT.”       “I’m sorry that such a young, beautiful girl will die…” Eric lets his free hand slowly slide over Natalia’s thigh with a sly smile, while she is literally shaking in convulsions and breathing heavily. “Not every day, you can meet such a charming lady, who is wanted to be fucked over and over… But sadly, it’s life. Sometimes we have to pay not only for our mistakes, but also for others’ mistakes. And sometimes we have to die, even if you are guilty of nothing.”       “Don’t cry, babe,” Eugene carefully wipes tears off under Natalia’s eyes, caresses her cheek, and runs his fingertips over the curve of her neck. “Death is going to be quick, you will have no time to feel pain. And don’t worry, I shall not kill you before the eyes of your ex if he does not die now. Or the poor boy is gonna get a heart attack when watching me strangle you or shoot at your heart. And I don’t want him to beat me much stronger. That puppy’s hand is strong, he can’t be called a weak boy.”       “Okay, okay, Natalia, relax,” Eric says softly and slowly, moving a couple of strands of her hair off Natalia’s face while she keeps moaning and bending backward, being deprived of a chance to break free and stop breathing in the smell of this liquid that makes her feel slight dizziness and weakness. “Stop resisting, you will run away nowhere from us. Two more minutes before you fall into darkness.”       “M-m-m…” Natalia shakes her head, looking at Eric and Eugene with pity.       “Good, cutie, good…” Eugene smiles widely, leaves a couple of short kisses on Natalia’s neck, and glances at her face, seeing how she looks at him with her scared, widely open eyes, rolling them later and closing them slightly. “Damn, you have such beautiful eyes… As blue as the clear sky…       Eugene covers Natalia’s face with dry kisses, starting to notice that she starts resisting much less because of the influence of the smell of the liquid that makes her feel strong weakness, dizziness, and a wish to close her eyes, seeing her offenders blurry and hearing their words worse. However, while her body starts relaxing more and more, the girl still keeps moaning painfully, but she does it much quieter than she did two minutes ago. And she can feel a strong disgust because Wainwright kisses and caresses any part of her body.       “Sh-h-h…” Eugene whispers in Natalia’s ear, getting his hand underneath the girl’s shirt, caressing her belly, playing with the jewelry in her belly button, getting up to her breasts that he squeezes tightly and biting her earlobe slightly, while she moans quietly with her eyes rolled. “Sh-h-h… Relax, baby, sleep… Sleep… Breathe deeper… Deeper… Good girl…”       “We said you had no place to go,” Eric smiles widely, running his hand over Natalia’s naked belly, while Eugene rudely massages her nipples underneath her shirt. “Sh-h-h… Good girl… Keep breathing in this smell… Good…”       One or one and a half minutes later, the smell of the unknown liquid impacts Natalia’s brain and deprives her of a will and a wish to resist, and her moans are getting quieter and more painful. Noticing the girl’s legs starts getting weak, Eugene lets her body down to the ground and holds it suspended, while Eric squats and keeps pressing the handkerchief tightly to her face.       “Sh-h-h…” Eugene pronounces with a smug smile, caressing Natalia’s head, while she, looking at her offender and Eric with not a very clear vision, makes painful moans and blinks her eyes slowly. “Sh-h-h… It’s okay, dolly, it’s okay…”       “Good girl…” Eric says softly, running his hand slowly over Natalia’s naked belly, while she is trying to resist so hard but losing control of her weak body more and more. “Okay… Good… Good…”       “M-m-m…” Natalia makes a quiet moan, shaking her head and not almost moving any part of her weak body. “M-m-m-m…”       “Okay, babe, stop resisting…” Eugene tightly squeezes Natalia’s breasts and stimulates her nipples with a thumb. “Close your eyes… Close…”       “M-m-m…” Natalia rolls her eyes and closes them for two seconds. “M-m-m…”       “Breathe deeper… Don’t hold your breath…” Eugene runs his hand over Natalia’s naked belly, slightly claps on it, and shakes it. “Sleep a little. And we’ll take you somewhere.”       “M-m-m…” Natalia makes a quiet moan, closing her eyes slowly and breathing deeply enough. “M-m-m…”       “C’mon, Natalia, sleep…” Eric says quietly, caressing the inside of Natalia’s thigh with a smug smile, while she is looking at him and Eugene with her half-closed eyes that she sometimes rolls. “Good girl… Good…”       Eric and Eugene need a few more seconds to see Natalia stops resisting and breaking free. Her body is getting softer, she hears sounds like through a deaf wall, her vision becomes blurry, her dizziness is getting stronger, and her breath becomes slower. The blonde’s eyes roll and then start slowly closing, while her mind is turning off little by little, and the girl making a quiet moan falls into infinite darkness, stopping realizing what’s happening now.       The last thing she barely memorizes is one big hand of Eugene on her cheek and another hand on her naked belly, but it later gets underneath her jeans and underwear. He puts his thick fingers in her vagina and feels her clitoris, which Wainwright starts to stimulate actively.       “Sh-h-h…” Eugene pronounces with a sly smile and examines Natalia’s vagina much more confidently. “Sh-h-h…”       “M-m-m…” Natalia makes a very quiet moan, closing her eyes for a moment and then opening and rolling them up.       “Good girl… Good girl…”       “Sweet dreams, dolly,” Eric wishes with a wide smile, as he tightly presses the handkerchief to the face of Natalia, who sees him badly and thinks his voice is strongly deaf. “Good night…”       A few seconds later, Natalia’s eyes slowly roll and close, and she falls into the darkness with a painful moan. But to make sure that the girl has really been put to sleep, Eric keeps the handkerchief tightly pressed to the nose of the blonde, whose soft body is held by Eugene, who is still stimulating her clitoris. And then he moves it off very slowly and looks at the face of the girl that has no emotions for two seconds. Brown slightly claps the girl on the cheek, checks the pulse on her neck, and glances at Wainwright, who nods with a sly smile on his face.       “It’s okay,” Eric calms down. “She is unconscious.”       “Nice work, buddy!” Eugene praises confidently.       “Yeah, she said she’d go nowhere,” Eric smiles smugly and caresses the head of the unconscious Natalia, while Eugene holds her soft white body suspended. “She was tearing her vocal cords and screaming like a hysterical girl for nothing.”       “Oh, yeah, if she had kept screaming for a few more minutes, my eardrums would have been blown out.” Eugene runs his thick fingers over Natalia’s cheek and raises her eyelid slightly to see her pupillary response and admire the magnificent blue color. “And now this baby became so cute… Helpless and peaceful…”       “So, buddy, can’t you wait to have fun with her?” Eric chuckles.       “I cannot! Resisting such a sexy beauty is very hard…” Eugene runs his hand slowly over the curve of Natalia’s neck, her belly, and her crotch. “I’d be happy to use the moment while she’s having a magic sleep.”       “I’d fuck her if we didn’t have to drive her to Michael’s home.” Eric runs his thumb over Natalia’s lips. “Ah, she’s got such sweet and soft lips! It would be great if they caressed my body…”       “I’ve been dreaming about it for five months…” Eugene squeezes Natalia’s breasts tightly, admiring how beautiful, big and tough they are. “Fuck, her boobs are the best of those I have caressed in my life. Feel up. I promise you’re gonna be overwhelmed!”       “Her whole body is gorgeous,” Eric squeezes Natalia’s breast slightly. “Her boobs are really awesome!”       “You haven’t seen her naked!” Eugene exclaims, runs his hand over Natalia’s belly, and plays with a piercing in her belly button. “You’d get hard for her!”       “I’m already hard…” Eric runs his hand slowly over Natalia’s thighs and the full length of her legs and reaches for her crotch, which he caresses tenderly with a wide smile. “Although I hate the puppy Edward to death, I must confess that he has incredible taste in girls.”       “But this cutie no longer belongs to him,” Eugene smirks evilly and runs his hand over the front of Natalia’s neck, barely feeling her slow heartbeat. “This cutie that drives me crazy…”       “We’re not the ones to blame for him being a naive, stupid puppy.” Eric runs his hand slowly over Natalia’s belly. “It’s his problem.”       “Yeah…” Eugene pronounces in a low voice, leaves a few kisses on Natalia’s face, and runs his dry, rough lips slowly over the curve and the front of her neck, feeling a sweet flower smell of her skin that does not let him give up on a wish to cover this area with kisses. “Fuck, this hellcat does drive me crazy… She smells just incredibly…”       “This chick is really so sweet while she is silent.” Eric caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly and wipes carefully the rest of her tears under her eyes tightly closed, paying attention to the bright contour of her light pink lips without a lip gloss or lipstick on them and long fluffy eyelashes that definitely have good waterproof mascara on them, and noticing that her brown eyeshadows went down, and little sparkles shine on her cheekbones. “When she was screaming, scratching, and resisting like a wide cat, it was very hard to notice her beauty. Nature, I wanna notice. It’s hers, no plastic…”       “Agree, but she will be more beautiful when she is nude.” Eugene caresses Natalia’s cheek, runs his thumb over it, and raises her eyelids, admiring her dead blue eyes. “One thought about it gets me excited…”       “Me too…”       “Yay, babe…” Eugene slightly opens Natalia’s mouth, leaves a short kiss on the lady’s lips, and gets her involved in a more continuous one, during which he moans and starts moaning quietly and actively working his tongue in her mouth. “M-m-m… M-m-m… Oh, yeah… M-m-m…”       Eugene puts his hand on Natalia’s naked belly, tenderly caresses it, runs it over the tough feminine thighs, and caresses the inside of her thighs closer to her crotch. Then he gets it into her underwear and feels her vagina, in which he gets a couple of fingers, running his lips over all parts of her neck, leaving a few short kisses on it, her collarbones, and between her breasts and one more continuous kiss on her lips.       “Soon, you will be mine, babe…” Eugene says confidently, runs his fingertips over a curve of Natalia’s neck, and puts two fingers on it to feel her weak heartbeat. “The puppy will no longer save you… This time, I shall fuck you. You must work your wonderful mouth and your gorgeous fingers.”       Still holding her body suspended, Eugene takes Natalia’s hand and covers it with kisses, paying attention to her long, elongated nails covered with glossy, tender crème nail polish.       “Beautiful…” Eugene pronounces with enjoyment while the fingertips of his hand tenderly caress the front of Natalia’s neck, while the fingers of his second hand run through her disheveled loose hair, and leaves a few kisses on her face and lips. “Just sexy…”       Eugene runs his hand over Natalia’s belly, wraps his finger around her belly button, and raises both of the girl’s eyes up with the fingers of his second hand.       “Yea-a-ah, babe…” Eugene smiles widely, confidently looking into Natalia’s eyes pointed into the distance. “You’re so irresistible… Irresistible…”       “Yeah, dude…” Eric laughs evilly. “It seems like you haven’t had sex for ages and are literally ready to tear this gal.”       “I’d fuck her right now!” Eugene leaves a short kiss on Natalia’s lips and caresses her crotch with his fingertips. “Undress this hellcat and let my penis get into her gorgeous butt.”       “I think you’re too obsessed with sex, dude.”       “Hear, Brown, what if we piss that Michael off? Let’s have some fun?”       “What?”       “You just look at this sexy chick!” Eugene runs his hand slowly over Natalia’s naked belly, noticing how soft the skin of it is. “We’d tell him we didn’t find her, or she ran away from us. Though, we hide this dolly where nobody would find her.”       “Of course, sounds very good…” Eric runs his hand over Natalia’s lap and touches her crotch with his fingers. “I wouldn’t mind fucking a cutie with such a perfect body.”       “What would ya hold yourself down?” Eugene squeezes Natalia’s breasts, stimulates her nipples with a thumb, barely touches the jewelry on her belly button, and puts his hand on her abdomen. “Let’s call the men and have an unforgettable time. I’d tie this beauty up, and she’d run nowhere. If I had to, I could give her a magical infection, and we’d be able to untie her, take off her clothes, knickers, and bra, and do anything to her.”       “Oh, Wainwright, what a pervert you are,” Eric laughs and throws a sly gaze at Natalia. “Well, you know, I like your suggestion. I can’t resist such a hellcat.”       “So what?” Eugene smiles widely and slyly, caressing Natalia’s white face with his hands, while her head rests on his laps. “Use a moment?”       “Stop tempting me!”       “I know one incredible place where nobody would find this baby.” Eugene runs his thumb over Natalia’s lips and opens her mouth much more. “Either the little puppy Lockhart and her mommy and daddy would have to work hard to find her, or they would never know her current location.”       “Of course, that’s wonderful, but we have to save it for later. Michael is waiting for us and this blonde. We can’t betray him.”       “C’mon, don’t be a coward, ass-lickers! The puppy was right when he said you were pleasing Michael too hard.”       “Because he pays me fucking money!”       “I give a fuck about money! Between dollars and this dolly, I’d prefer her. An opportunity to get my penis in her mouth and enjoy her working her tongue skillfully.”       “I don’t wanna lose my head because of you!”       “Fuck, just tell Michael that Rochester ran away!” Eugene gets a hand underneath Natalia's jeans and feels her clitoris, which he caresses with his fingers. “We’d have some fun and bring her to Michael for two days. And when he gives the gal to us, we’ll drive her to the same place.”       “Listen, you, lover of sex and young cuties!” Eric throws rudely. “Stop telling me bullshit! We must immediately drive this gal to Michael! While you’re feeling her up and starting to undress and getting underneath her knickers, she will wake up, and we will have to run after her and hear her screaming for half an hour. And if Lockhart wakes up and sees us here, he will start pretending to be a hero again.”       “Even if she wakes up, she will not realize what happened quickly,” Eugene replies, stimulating Natalia’s clitoris intensively. “It will be easier for us to put her to sleep or inject her with a sedative.”       “What about the bastard?”       “Don’t worry about the boy – when he wakes up, we will be at Michael’s house. If he wakes up, of course.”       “Nevertheless.” Eric puts the handkerchief on Natalia’s face for a few seconds, but then quickly gets up on his feet and shakes the dirt off himself. “Alright, let’s get out of here! Get your ass up, grab the gal and go to the car. You will feel her up on the way. This thing doesn’t work for too long. If we don’t get her into the car and get out of here, I doubt we will actually leave this place at the nearest time.”       “Okay, you won…” Eugene smiles widely, caresses Natalia’s head, raises her eyelids to admire the beauty of her eyes, closes them, shakes the dirt off her, and pulls her shirt down. “I shall have enough time to caress her body before we come to Michael…”       “Get up, fucking pervert.”       Eric quickly goes somewhere and tells the three of his friends to get into the cars. By the way, Brown rushes to leave from fear that Natalia may wake up earlier and accidentally loses the handkerchief, with which he put the girl to sleep with. Eugene gets up, not caring about the pain in his body after the fight with Edward and all the bruises that began to show up on his arms, easily places the unconscious Natalia above his shoulder, squeezes her tight buttocks, and slaps on them when he says:       “Ah, you’re so sexy, blondie. I can’t wait to undress you and find out everything you can do. You’re gonna be mine soon. Soon…”       “WAINWRIGHT, FUCK!” Eric roars at the top of his lungs. “GET MOVE! YOU WANT HER TO WAKE UP EARLIER?”       “Ar-r-r, I am coming, stop screaming! I’m done with the shouts of this girl and that puppy.”       Exhaling sharply, Eugene comes quickly to Eric, who is standing near the car, which one of their friends brought here. After coming to the car, Brown opens the back door, and Wainwright places the unconscious blonde in the backseat. Then both of them sit on the two sides of her to watch her and not to let her run.       “Alright, jock, let’s leave!” Eric addresses the driver. “To Michael’s house!”       “The gal is with you?” the man asks, sitting in the passenger's seat and putting on the safety belt.       “Yes, it’s fine. Drive her to the boss before she wakes up and starts hysteria. Of course, we will inject her, but you may become deaf from her wide shouts while sitting in the car.”       “Won’t you take the boy?” the driver asks in a rude voice.       “No, leave him here. If he dies, nobody will care. And if he does not, he will get ready to become the right hand of his uncle.”       “Okay, as you wish.”       The driver quickly starts a motor and presses on the gas, and the car gives a start. Another similar car follows them with only one person, who would not get into the other because they took Natalia with them.       Eugene puts the head of the unconscious Natalia on his shoulder with a wide smile, embraces the girl, and caresses her head, while his free hand raises her shirt, squeezes her breasts, caresses her belly, and then opens up almost all the buttons, admiring the gorgeous feminine half-naked body and paying attention to her black bra that perfectly supports their sharp.       “Aw, what a beauty…” Eugene pronounces with enjoyment, running his cracked fingertips over the front of Natalia’s throat, staying in the hole in her throat a little longer, caressing her gorgeous collarbones, tightly massaging her breasts, and stimulating her nipples with his thumb. “So sorry that Michael will ban me from getting closer to you… But our lord will do it when it’s your time to die.”       “Yeah, I’m sorry that I wasn’t with you on the day when you met her,” Eric says thoughtfully, leaning on the door with his elbow, while the car is driving at a high speed on an empty road. “I would’ve watched what she was doing.”       “I think you saw and heard everything when I was hugging and kissing her before the eyes of that puppy.” Eugene runs his hand over Natalia’s legs, slides to the inside of her thighs, and confidently squeezes them.       “Sure…” Eric glances at his arms covered with bruises after the cruel fight with Edward. “Saw everything…”       “M-m-m…” Eugene gets Natalia involved in a continuous kiss on the lips, during which he actively works his tongue in her mouth and moans quietly. “M-m-m… Oh, yeah, babe… Yeah… How much I love kissing you… M-m-m…”       “Oh, Wainwright, Wainwright…” Eric sighs quietly, shaking his head.       “Oh, bitch… Oh, baby…” Eugene gets his hand underneath Natalia’s underwear and stimulates her clitoris confidently, while his dry lips cover the female neck with kisses. “M-m-m… Ah, my bitch… Yes, Natalia, yeah…”       Eugene cannot leave Natalia alone and stop kissing and caressing every part of her. Now, while she does not react to what’s happening, he is doing everything he wants to her confidently. And Eric does not refuse a wish to caress some part of the girl’s body at times, but he holds himself down from kissing. While his friend kisses everything that his eyes stop on and confidently examines her vagina with his fingers. Now Edward will not stop them from having some fun, and Natalia does not resist the violate actions they are taking against her wish.       

***

      Meanwhile, Anna and Daniel decided to go somewhere to spend time together. Due to the difficulties that the man had in the past few weeks, he did not have enough time to spend with his sweetheart. But she completely understands everything and does not make her boyfriend spend all his time with her.       “Yes, Natalia didn’t die when she said she didn’t cheat on Edward,” Daniel says confidently, slowly walking in a small walk along with Anna hand in hand. “Terrence confirmed it, saying that his friend got some proof that was fake.”       “Proof?” Anna opens her eyes widely. “What kind of proof? They were supposed to be serious if Edward easily believed in Natalia’s betrayal.”       “I dunno, Terrence said nothing about it. But early or late, your friend will tell us everything. Or Terrence and Raquelle will do it. I’m sure they know something about it, but I don’t wanna say.”       “At least now we know that my friend was always loyal to the one, who did such a cruel thing to her.”       “Oh, yeah, Lockhart, has done much… Everything is true: Edward is ready to kill his close people for money and gonna become the same stinker as his uncle, who has done lots of dirty things.”       “And is everything about Natalia and Edward’s fight, in which Raquelle and Terrence got involved, true?”       “Yup, when Terrence and Raquelle went away for two minutes and left Edward and Natalia alone, those had such a strong fight that their shouts were heard on the second floor.” Daniel glances at a person that runs by him, literally like lightning. “Mutual claims, charges for the lie… And then Terrence and Raquelle got involved in a fight, about who Edward said very bad things. Natalia gave him a slap, and he showered her with much more dirt on her and could’ve easily strangled her if his friend and your friend hadn’t meddled and stopped him.”       “My gosh…” Anna shakes her head.       “So, they started to fight with each other. First. Edward excused himself for his terrible words. But then he showered them with mud. Eventually, Terrence had such a big fight with Edward that they beat each other strongly. That’s why MacClife has got bruises on his body.”       “Oh, gosh, how awful…” Anna sighs heavily. “When will those people get peace? The letters with threats, the attacks, the chase, and more things…”       “I dunno, sweetie… I’m actually surprised they haven’t gone crazy after all those events. Though, who knows… Terrence hardly takes it quietly. He’s definitely worried because of the betrayal of his friend, to who he was really attracted. But that guy gave him a hit in the back with a knife…”       “I can’t believe it… How could Edward do that? What did Terrence, Raquelle, and Natalia do if he did such a mean thing to them? Or did he have a goal to kill and rob them from the beginning?”       “It’s okay, if he dares to touch them with a finger, he will immediately go to prison along with his uncle,” Daniel replies confidently. “Terrence promised he would put Edward in prison if he dared to attack him, Raquelle, or their mother. And I think it’s right. Because that man is a bastard, he must spend his life in a cell.”       “You know, Daniel, if I didn’t know Edward did such a disgusting thing to Natalia and called her a whore, I would hardly believe the story of a wish to rob.”       “What? Are you serious?”       “Edward was excited when saying it. And Terrence and Raquelle could blame him for wishing to rob them in anger.”       “Gosh, Anna, I can’t believe you’re excusing that stinker!” Daniel gets horrified. “He must’ve thought before saying something.”       “No, I don’t excuse him, and I also believe he’s a stinker. But just because he hurt my best friend.”       “A good guy wouldn’t have left a girl so easily, believing some fake proof of her betrayal,” Daniel replies a little coldly. “That guy should’ve asked her to explain it and then talked about a breakup. But Lockhart began to call the poor Natalia a whore and made her pretend that everything was fine.”       “I know. I completely agree with it. But there’s something that makes me confused about the story of the money.”       “Don’t defend him, Anna. Raquelle and Terrence wouldn’t slander someone for nothing.”       “I don’t defend him! You did say Edward wanted to fight for what belonged to him by law. Terrence said so?”       “Yeah, he meant all the riches of his friend and his fiancée. Lockhart is just terribly jealous. So, that’s why he wanna betray them.”       “What if he meant only the inheritance? If it were true, we would actually have no reason to blame Edward for trying to rob his family.”       “Knowing what kind of gaze he had when being at Terrence’s home and my home, it says about much. Edward is ashamed of being a pathetic homeless beggar, but doesn’t wanna work hard to change something. He thought his friend would give him money, provide him with an apartment, or find him a job. But he met a failure! Why couldn’t it be a reason to kill and rob?”       “Yeah…” Anna pronounces hesitantly. “But looking at Edward’s innocent face, I wouldn’t say he’s similar to a killer or a robber…”       “You don’t know people, my sunshine. You know what this pretty innocent face may hide! Edward used it very well and knew we wouldn’t think anything bad of him because he looked so innocent, shy, and insecure. Though, he’s actually a nasty man.”       “I know… But… It’s still hard to believe it…” Anna sighs heavily. “I thought Natalia finally met a decent man and would stop worrying about being single. But she was betrayed so cruelly.”       “I actually doubt that Edward ever loved Natalia. Terrence was right when he said his friend could use your friend to get closer to the MacClifes and get what he wanted.”       “Do you think her suspicions about Edward playing with her weren’t groundless? She was worried he would stop speaking to her after meeting Terrence!”       “Most likely. Natalia could’ve avoided that if she’d listened to her intuition. But sadly, she fell in love with him so much that she was ready for anything. She didn’t notice he was a scumbag…”       “You’re right…” Anna glances down for a second. “And she doesn’t deny that she still madly loves him. It’s gonna be very hard for him to kill this love for him to be open to a new relationship.”       “I’ve told you I don’t have anything against Edward ‘cause he’s done nothing bad personally to me. But the disgusting thing that he did to Natalia, Raquelle, Terrence, and even his own mother are beyond the limit. And I lost my respect for him.”       “Do you think he doesn’t have and has never had anything good?”       “If he had something good, Lockhart would go to Terrence and Raquelle’s home and ask for forgiveness for his actions and start doing just something instead of working his tongue. First, he must reject the inheritance and agree to report his uncle to the police. It would let us know that money doesn’t mean so much to him. At least I’d think better.”       “What if he is afraid?”       “It’s his problem. If he was really sorry, he would not go to Terrence and Raquelle’s home. He would creep on his knees and start begging them for forgiveness. And no fear would stop him. Nobody is to blame for Edward being such a terribly insecure coward. He’s pleased with everything so far and isn’t gonna change anything. Well, okay! We don’t need him!”       “Oh, I don’t know…” Anna shrugs and glances down. “Who knows what that guy actually has on his mind.”       “Trust me, you’ll find nothing good in there,” Daniel replies confidently. “And if the MacClifes and your friend decided to keep themselves far from him, they must keep doing it.”       “It seems like it will happen…” Anna sighs tiredly.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Anna glances at one side, and Daniel looks at another.       “Okay, let’s leave Lockhart alone,” Anna suggests quietly. “Better tell me what’s happening to Peter, and what about your work at the studio.”       “Well, as for Peter, nothing has changed yet,” Daniel replies with sadness in his eyes. “I called the hospital, but was told they couldn’t make me happy.”       “Really?” Anna looks at Daniel with horror in her eyes. “Didn’t even a blood transfusion help him?”       “Yup. Rose’s friend gave blood, but nothing changed. The doctor said the organism accepted it, but it didn’t kind of help the blond. The indicators of the machines, which he is put on, are unstable.”       “My gosh… Aren’t we allowed to visit him?”       “Sadly. But the doctor showed us his room and said we could just watch him through the window. If we want, of course.”       “But you’ve seen him from far?”       “I have. I recently went to the hospital and stood in front of his room for some time.” Daniel swallows up nervously. “And Rose looked just horrible… For a second, I thought he was dead… I was scared, honestly.”       “Poor guy… I do want him to get well.”       “We all want it, princess. But, sadly, nothing depends on us. We have only to wait and count on the professionalism of the doctors and Peter himself, who has to fight with it, as well.”       “Hey, you said your manager is aware of what happened.”       “Yes, he is. Terrence and I wanted to tell him the truth, but George learned everything earlier, and we had to explain it.”       “And how did George react?”       “Erm…” Daniel falls into silence for two seconds. “You know, after Terrence and I told him what happened to Pete, he began to treat us much better.”       “Did he finally stop insulting you and believing you allegedly did nothing?”       “Guessed! That man realized that he insulted and humiliated us for nothing. He even let us call him by his name. And he began to call us by our names. We three used to be Mr. MacClife, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Perkins for him.”       “I wonder what kind of miracle happened and made him change his mind about you?” Anna chuckles kindly.       “He said he believed we wanted to get fame by doing nothing. But you know that we’ve never waited for miracles. We worked very hard to get as much as we’d reached before the band started to break up. Terrence and I told George all the truth, and that man understood everything well.”       “Yeah, finally, Smith stopped believing you wanted to do nothing.”       “Now George asks Terrence and me to keep him aware of what’s happening to Peter and tell him about any little changes. Well, MacClife and I promised him to come to the studio often.”       “Well, Terrence and you were stuck in there for a few days and decided to take a break today.”       “You’re right, and I must confess we worked well. At least we renewed regular rehearsals and get vocal lessons and guitar lessons. Still, no matter how incredibly we play and sing, we have something to learn.”       “There’s no limit to perfection,” Anna smiles shyly. “Of course, you’re my very talented man, who perfectly plays guitar and has an incredible voice. But I’m sure you’re gonna be better after working with professional people.”       “It’s all hard enough, but for my dream, I’m ready to work hard and do my best to reach for just something.”       “You can do anything, sweetheart,” Anna says confidently and kisses Daniel softly and cutely on the cheek. “You’ll surely play guitar like a professional, sing wonderfully, and write excellent lyrics for songs.”       “The guys from the studio also help us write songs. And George may sometimes suggest or change something. He isn’t a professional songwriter, but sometimes his ideas are very good.”       “Probably, do you really lack Peter, who has always written incredible songs?”       “Yeah, we really lack Rose. Not only as a songwriter but also as a drummer… Although he is replaced by session musicians, Terrence and I don’t feel like ourselves. Yes, we play and sing well, but… There is no drive and an ocean of emotions. It’s like everyday work.”       “I get it…” Anna glances down for a second.       “Nobody can replace Pete. I’m making sure about it more and more after every rehearsal. Only the blond can give the band the energy and drive we’re missing so badly.”       “Gosh, is his condition so hard that even a blood transfusion didn’t help?” Anna asks with sadness in her eyes.       “He’s still unconscious and hasn’t woken up even for a minute.” Daniel shakes his head with sadness in his eyes. “And Lewis, Peter’s doctor, deprives us of any hope, literally letting us know that we should organize a funeral ceremony soon.”       “But do you believe the doctor is wrong?”       “I do yet. But it’s getting harder.”       “There always must be hope, even in the hardest situations. If you really want and believe, everything may come true. Even what seems unreal. Peter didn’t get worse after a blood transfusion. Nothing has just changed in his condition. I think we should hope everything gets better later.”       “Ah, Anna…” Daniel smiles slightly, moving his eyes to Anna, who is holding him under an arm and tightly pressing herself to him, and kisses her cutely on the cheek. “Say, have you always been so optimistic? Or did I just start to notice it?”       “Actually, I’m not always so optimistic,” Anna laughs shyly and glances down for a moment. “There are situations when I think everything’s hopeless and worthless.”       “It’s quite fine. It’s impossible to always be the walking positive and worry about nothing. Anyone has reasons to worry about something, even if they don’t talk about it.”       “Nevertheless…” Anna, taking Daniel’s hand, takes him aside to let people walk in the park, stops, and turns on him. “I’m trying not to lose optimism. I don’t wanna be a gloomy woman, who’s always unhappy with something, and from whom you must keep yourself far.”       “No, beauty, calling you like this is impossible,” Daniel replies softly, caressing Anna’s cheek. “When I have a bad mood, I should just look at you to make my life better and funnier. You spread the positive and light up everything you go by.”       “I’m trying, honey. I think you’d hardly speak to people, who can’t find something good, even in the worst things, and are always unhappy with something.”       “Yeah, I don’t deny it. I dislike annoying people, who can’t have fun or be optimistic and don’t react to any type of joke.”       “And who want you to be the same.”       “Exactly! But aren’t you this type?” Daniel tenderly caresses Anna’s face with both hands. “Right, my love?”       “Right!” Anna smiles truly. “I also like people with a good sense of humor, or at least those, who can take some innocent jokes and make a person smile. Sadly, I wasn’t surrounded by these people when I was a kid. But now I’ve got people, with whom I can laugh at anything, have some fun and play the fool with. But you know, I do love this thing.”       “Probably, that’s why I feel so good with you,” Daniel smiles much wider. “With the one, who knows how to make me smile and laugh.”       “Actually, you not only do have a good sense of humor,” Anna notices, smiling at Daniel back. “As it turned out, you can be a real romantic and quite a passionate creature.”       “Yup, I’m really a passionate man, who loves spicy emotions. And I believe I can be a little sentimental and tender.”       “That’s what I like about you.” Anna puts her hands on Daniel’s shoulders, but then puts her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes with a tender smile. “The fact that you can be different and know when you better be tender or when to add some spice.”       “You do know it well, sweetheart,” Daniel replies softly, putting his arms around Anna’s waist, taking her in his tender hug and caressing her back, and kisses the girl cutely on the top of her head. “For you, I can be anyone.”       “Be my sweetheart.” Anna steps back softly from Daniel and looks into his eyes, putting her hands on his forearms, while he is still hugging her by the waist. “A caring, beloved man, who I wouldn’t wish to exchange with anyone else. And with whom I could sometimes play a little.”       “I’d play with you if we were home. I’d have the pleasure of having fun and trying to relax in the nice company of my charming girlfriend.”       “I promise you won’t get off me when we’re back home,” Anna smiles slyly, grabbing Daniel’s face tenderly, bringing it very close to her face so that their foreheads contact, and looking into his eyes after a light flutter of her long, slightly curled eyelashes. “I haven’t done it to you for ages… Ages…”       “M-m-m, I’m looking forward…” Daniel pronounces in a much lower, velvety voice with a wide smile, breathing much heavier and feeling a slight dizziness caused by the sweet smell of the perfume that Anna is spreading. “But it’s gonna be hard to hold down. The smell of your perfume drives me crazy…”       “Why do you do it? There would be nothing bad if we let ourselves one kiss. A little, innocent one.”       “You’re right…” Daniel takes Anna by the shoulders softly and caresses them tenderly, later caressing her head and wrapping a few strands of her hair brushed in a puffy ponytail around his finger. “Why not? I do really love kissing…”       Daniel and Anna, being very close to each other and feeling a heavy breath from each other and a strong heartbeat, slightly rub the points of their noses against one another with closed eyes and slightly lean on each other’s foreheads. A light wind is slightly blowing their hair and clothes, but the lovers do not care about it and do look into each other’s eyes with tender smiles.       Some time later, Daniel grabs Anna’s face tenderly and keeps examining the girl’s face with his eyes, while her hands are placed on the brunet’s shoulders but then end up on his chest. Paying no attention to some people that have gone by them in such a short time, the man slowly touches the tip of her nose with his lips and then runs them over all parts of her face. It makes the red-haired beauty feel a slight shake on her whole body and a little dizzy, makes a very quiet, sensitive sigh, and smiles widely. And feeling his tender hands on her cheeks gives her a madly nice warmth and a sense of safety.       At some moment, Anna and Daniel slowly shorten a small distance, slightly touch the top and bottom lips of each other with their lips and get their second half involved in a tender, little shy kiss. They do not aim to get obsessed with a crazy passion quickly and fall into it. They are enjoying this process that is going on slowly and trying to feel this ocean of unreal emotions deeper to get great pleasure. Daniel treats Anna very tenderly, but even in this case, he shows his incredible skill at kissing and showing his love and respect, caressing her head and her face.       Anna answers the man back with pleasure and stays very tender and sensitive, letting herself caress her boyfriend’s face and hair as well as his back or just keep her hands on the tough masculine chest. These minutes of love give them a madly nice shake on the whole body and a light easiness in the head, because of which they believe it’s hard to stand on their feet. In between kisses, they can hear and feel how heavy their breath is, and their smiles, which are getting wider, more tender, and truer, make their hearts tremble and beat faster. Despite doing nothing bad and not going too far, there are two or three people that go by and, not definitely being happy with showing feelings in public, blunt something to those that go with them. However, the lovers do not care about it and keep standing aside and giving each other a tender kiss.       But some time later, Daniel and Anna stop it and just take each other in a hug tightly but tenderly. The man puts an arm around the girl’s slim waist and does something to her hair with the fingers of his free hand. And she runs her hands over his back and puts her head on the brunet’s shoulder with a wide smile. When they step away, the red-haired beauty touches his nose with the tip of her nose and then runs it over his cheek, making her sweetheart smile slightly and close his eyes from pleasure. The man tenderly runs his fingertips over his girlfriend’s cheek, plays with her hanging strand of hair and small hanging earrings, and laughs shyly when she puts her hands in the back pockets of his jeans.       “I wonder, how many bad gazes did people throw after seeing what we were doing here?” Anna wonders.       “Do you really care about it?” Daniel wonders. “If they want, they can watch and talk as much as they want. Nobody will ban me from showing feelings for my beloved girlfriend in the public.”       “So brave?”       “Many lovers go on the street, flirt, and kiss. Besides, you and I don’t let ourselves do anything shocking.”       “I’ve always known you’re a little insolent and shameless.”       “C’mon, beauty, relax.” Daniel steps back from Anna and puts his hand on her cheek that he caresses tenderly. “One little kiss won’t make you a shameless violator of order.”       “Ha, did you think I’d let you go much further right before the eyes of everyone?” Anna chuckles kindly and claps Daniel on his forearm playfully. “No, Perkins, be good and wait for us to go home!”       “I say nothing!” Daniel puts an arm around Anna’s neck and presses the girl to himself, taking her on the straight path, on which they were walking before. “You may not be ashamed of me, princess, I can behave worthily in sociality.”       “I’ve never dared to be ashamed. Vice versa, I’m proud to have such a wonderful man.”       “M-m-m, your words are like a nice melody for ears…” Daniel rolls his eyes with a slight smile.       Anna shakes her head with a wide smile and presses herself to Daniel, next to whom she feels quiet and happy, putting her arm around his waist and putting a free hand on his chest. They walk silently for a few seconds, not paying attention to the cold weather and warming each other up with hugs and the warmth that every one of them shares with their beloved person.       “Hey, when did you meet Natalia the last time?” Daniel asks. “I don’t remember that she invited you somewhere, and you don’t go anywhere with her…”       “Oh, I met her when she went to our home,” Anna replies thoughtfully. “And we recently sent a couple of messages on WhatsApp… Just asked how we were doing, and that’s all…”       “That’s how…”       “But why?” Anna frowns slightly. “Why are you asking?”       “Well… Terrence just said Raquelle and he hadn’t also met her for ages. Though, your friend also sent some messages to Rochester on WhatsApp.”       “Well, everything is clear about Raquelle ‘cause she has much work and shoots for magazines and commercials. And we should have no questions about Terrence. When would they meet Natalia if both are always busy?”       “I dunno… I just don’t want her to withdraw into herself again.”       “I don’t think Natalia would do it again. She does completely understand that it might lead to a sad aftermath. Rochester fell into such strong hysteria that she literally wanted to kill herself.”       “Ugh, don’t say it!” Daniel shakes. “What Peter did is enough! But if Natalia wishes to swallow tablets or open her veins, it will be too much.”       “Did Terrence say nothing about her when you were at the studio?”       “Only that the last time when Raquelle and he met her happened on the day when Edward showed his real face.”       “Yeah… Weird…” Anna falls into silence for a few seconds, stroking her chin and swallowing up nervously. “You know, I kinda got a bad presentiment…”       “Presentiment?” Daniel frowns slightly, moving his eyes to Anna. “But why?”       “I dunno, but I don’t like that she’s spoken to nobody for a few days. And… I’m getting obsessed with the thought that something happened to her…”       “Afraid that she might withdraw into herself again and begin to kill herself slowly?”       “I can say nothing, Daniel, but I don’t feel quiet,” Anna replies a little excitedly. “I… I’m worried about Natalia…”       “At least, you can always go to her home. Try to visit her tomorrow. Talk a little, drink something, go somewhere… Natalia is alone now, and her parents will be back nobody knows when.”       “You’re right… I shall probably do it… Tomorrow. I’ll also try to talk to Raquelle and ask her if she wants to visit Natalia with me.”       “So, I will suggest Terrence go somewhere. I should help him distract himself from what’s happening. Otherwise, he may go insane.”       “Both of them should be distracted…” Anna replies thoughtfully. “They’re now too nervous because of what’s happening.”       “Sadly, it’s true,” Daniel nods.       “Oh, okay…” Anna sighs tiredly. “Let’s go home, my truth-teller. I got hungry…”       “With you, I’d go anywhere, even to the end of the world. Anything for my beloved baby.”       “Would you even give me a relaxing massage?” Anna smiles mysteriously.       “Not only that, my sunshine,” Daniel kisses Anna cutely on the cheek. “Just let me know what you want, and I’ll make any wish of you come true.”       “Aw, sweetheart…”       Anna, putting her hand on one cheek of Daniel, kisses another tenderly and hugs him with a second arm on the way. The man tightly presses her to himself and gives her a slight smile, not stopping to look at his sweetheart with eyes full of gloss. The lovers slowly keep walking in a small park on wide asphalt paths, on which many old and young people and children and teenagers go. They entirely enjoy the together pastime, during which they can let themselves relax and forget about their problems, at least for a while.       

***

      Meanwhile, Edward has not woken up and is still lying on the dirty ground. His white face is all in the blood that was getting out of his nose and the corners of his mouth in a little flow for a long time. Now, it dried up, leaving thin red tracks and spots. Bright blue bruises showed up on the open parts of his arms and face after many hits by Michael’s accomplices. Since Edward lost consciousness, it's not been very much time. A slight wind is blowing black strands of his disheveled hair and clothes covered with mud. Now it’s very quiet in the desert place where the man is. Nothing says that a cruel fight took place here.       But at some moment, Lockhart barely moves his fingertips, while his closed eyes slightly move. He makes a very quiet, painful moan and winces strongly from terrible pain and strong weakness. Edward starts moving his body little by little, but he cannot do too sharp movements. So, he slightly opens his eyes and looks into the distance, as he lies on a side and sees the world blurry. He suffers from a strong headache and hellish pain in his body, which starts hurting much stronger after any little movement.       After lying in this position for some time, Edward barely reaches his face, puts his hand on his nose, and looks at it, seeing his own blood on his fingers. When he slightly presses on the forehead and rubs the back of his head, which is literally burning from pain, he strongly winces in unbearable pain after the hit that could have deprived him of life. A little later, the man runs his hand slightly over the hurt bridge of his nose and then sees much more blood on it. Despite a terrible weakness, the pain in the head and the body, a strong dizziness, and slight nausea, Edward makes him sit up slowly with quiet moans, leans on the brick wall, near which he is lying, with his back and notices tracks of his own blood on it. After looking around with blurry vision, the man notices that there is a small pool of blood near him, and gets much more shocked when he looks at his arms and sees bright recent bruises. And Edward cannot remember what led to the hole in his memory that he got.       “Oh…” Edward moans quietly, massaging his temples energetically with the hope of getting rid of a headache. “Fuck… What the hell happened to me? How did I end up here? Why can’t I the fuck remember anything? How did lots of blood end up here?”       Edward runs his hand slowly over his face and puts it on his forehead.       “Ar-r-r, I’ve got a hole…” Edward pronounces quietly, while his slightly squinted eyes are running from one side to another. “Did I hit my head and pass out? Oh… And how do I remember what happened?”       Edward closes his eyes for two seconds.       “Well, at least I remember my name and something like that… That’s good… Ah, my head is tearing… Fuck…”       Due to the strong headache, it’s very hard for Edward to focus and try to remember what led to the loss of consciousness and a hole in his memory. Nevertheless, the man gets obsessed with the feeling that something horrible happened.       “Oh, okay…” Edward exhales sharply and grabs his hair with his hands, bending his legs at his knees. “I’ll try to remember today… I was stuck in my room ‘till lunch, and then decided to walk or drive somewhere in the city. I went to a café to buy something to eat or drink… But I saw Raquelle. I asked her for a talk, we talked about my uncle, the inheritance, and my relationship with my family… Then she left, and I decided that I had nothing to do some time later. I was driving in the city for a long time until I saw… Natalia… Raquelle advised me to talk to her, and I decided to use a chance. That girl eventually told me she was always raped, and then we decided to go to her home. But we didn’t do it, because…”       Edward, opening his eyes widely, shakes as if he gets hit by the lighting, raises his head, and starts recalling everything he forgot due to the hit on the head.       “Oh, fuck!” Edward pronounces. “That company wanted to take her away somewhere! Those scumbags work for Uncle Michael! At some moment, Natalia and I ran away, but they later found us and…”       Edward’s eyes start running from one side to another, and he starts shaking stronger and stronger.       “Shiver me, the man, who almost raped Natalia, was there,” Edward recalls, starting to breathe much heavier from a strong excitement. “She recognized that bastard! And me too! That was him! That asshole dared to feel her up right before my eyes and made the poor girl shake and scream from fear. And I couldn’t always protect Natalia from that scumbag and Eric. And I… I couldn’t… That jackass Brown hit the back of my head against this wall as strongly as possible, and I quickly passed out… Then… Then I’ve got a hole… I can’t remember what happened next…”       Edward, breathing heavily and starting to see everything clearer by this moment, looks around quickly and realizes that he is alone in this deserted place. No tracks of Natalia, Eric, or Eugene. They were kind of swallowed by the ground. Though, it seems that they were here a few moments ago: the girl was screaming in horror and begging her former boyfriend for help, and Michael’s accomplices were doing their best to do the order of their boss.       “Holy shit…” Edward gets horrified, shaking his head and closing his mouth with a hand. “No, no, it can’t be true… Those scumbags didn’t kidnap her. No, no… It can’t be true! It can’t be!”       It’s getting harder for Edward to breathe, and something presses on his chest and does not let him breathe, forcing him to barely catch some air.       “Quiet, Edward, quiet…” Edward tries to calm himself down, grabbing his throat with a hand and trying to catch a breath. “Don’t panic, it’s okay… Those assholes weren’t here… They didn’t kidnap Natalia… Her offender wasn’t from Uncle’s gang… No, no… It’s okay… She’s alive and healthy, sitting at home… Ar-r-r-r… Fuck, who am I lying to? It’s the truth! TRUTH!”       Edward tightly grabs his hair and pulls it painfully.       “Holy shit…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice, setting his dumbfounded gaze into the distance. “No… No, not her… Not Natalia… No… No… No… NO!”       Screaming out the last words, Edward sharply hits his fist against the ground and leans on it with his hands, as he is standing on his knees with his head inclined.       “Not that…” Edward pronounces much quieter. “Fuck! How could I screw it up? How? Why didn’t I protect her? Why did I dare to let those bastards drive her away? WHY? WHY DIDN’T THEY DRIVE ME AWAY?”       Sitting on his legs bent under himself and getting more nervous, Edward closes his face with his hands and painfully grabs his hair two seconds later.       “It’s my fault…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice. “She got in the hands of those scumbags because of me… I couldn’t keep my promise to protect her. Why? WHY? I mustn’t have let them do anything to Natalia, but I met failure. If I hadn’t hit my head and passed out, nothing would’ve happened to her.”       Edward swallows up nervously, slowly moving his eyes into the distance, feeling that his eyes get wet enough and stopping to pay attention to his terrible headache.       “Holy shit…” Edward swears. “I did act like an asshole when insulting and humiliating her for nothing, and now they took her away ‘cause I couldn’t protect that girl. How do I look into Natalia’s eyes after what happened? Now, she will never forgive me… I’m an idiot… Just a fucking idiot that messed up everything…”       Edward leans on the brick wall with his back, bends his legs at his knees, and snuggles his nose in them, running his fingers through his disheveled hair partly covered with blood and painfully pulling it. He swears at himself for a few seconds, curses himself for letting it happen, and literally hears the inside voice blaming him for everything about this story and letting him know all of his acts were not good, as he thought, but bad for the innocent people. It makes him much more insecure, and he dreams that the ground swallows him up.       “No, no, I can’t…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “I can’t… Can’t leave her in trouble… I must do my best to save her. Natalia doesn’t have to do with this story and must not suffer.”       Exhaling slowly, Edward brings his hands folded together to the bridge of his nose, which hurts slightly and looks kind of blue, and strokes down his hair sharply.       “Yeah, Lockhart, it’s time to put your cowardice and insecurity in your ass and go to do just something to get better for everybody,” Edward says quietly. “Those bastards are right: stop pretending to be a hero. You must be the one. I mean, I must take the first steps. I can’t let everything happen as it wants. If those scumbags do something to Natalia, I’ll never forgive myself. I must do my best to save that girl. I won’t leave her, I swear! Even if she never forgives me, I must let her live her life.”       Edward sits on the ground for a few seconds, feeling a strong weakness and a terrible headache, but feeling a little better and being able to do just something. Then he gets up slowly with quiet moans, puts his hand on his forehead for a second, and shakes his head, slightly shaking on his weak legs and feeling a little dizzy. Then the man carefully looks around, thinking he would find something that would point to the girl’s kidnapping. A few seconds later, he finds the gray handkerchief that Eric lost after he put Natalia to sleep and left this place along with Eugene. Edward, frowning slightly and squinting, looks at something that is barely seen from far better. Then the man comes closer and takes it, feeling his legs are still weak and can barely hold his weight, but not caring about it and making himself forget about any discomfort.       “Hey, what is that?” Edward frowns slightly, looking carefully at the handkerchief covered with the dirty mud he shakes off. “As I remember, it wasn’t here when Natalia and I ran here. Did Eric lose this handkerchief? Or that bastard? What’s his name… Eugene? It was his name…”       Edward examines the find for a few seconds, then brings the handkerchief to his nose and sniffs it. But he immediately turns his face aside because this thing is soaked in a solution with a strong, acrid smell.       “Oh, ugh…” Edward winces strongly. “It’s so acrid… Though, it’s something familiar… But what?”       Edward thinks for a few seconds and breathes in the unknown solution that later makes him feel stronger dizziness, nausea, and dryness in his mouth.       “Wait, couldn’t it be chloroform? We were told about it in chemistry lessons. But one of the guys even made it by themselves, and then many people decided to breathe it in. A person breathes it in for a few seconds before feeling dizziness, weakness, and nausea, and then they lose consciousness for a while. But they keep being under its influence if they continue to breathe in this smell. It may be morally dangerous when there is too much of it, and smelling it for a long time causes heart and brain issues… I believe the smell of this solution is very similar to the chloroform we smelled…”       Edward stops thinking for a few seconds and glances aside.       “If I’m right, those men could use it to get Natalia into the car, using the fact that she was unconscious. Most likely, it happened… This handkerchief soaked in chloroform would’ve hardly lay here for no reason… Either Eric or Eugene lost it…”       Edward breathes in the smell of the solution that the handkerchief is soaked in. Later, it starts impacting his terrible condition. The man feels a stronger dizziness, strong nausea in his throat, and dryness in his mouth. He does even feel his legs getting weak and almost falls to the ground, but manages to keep his balance.       “Oh, oh, fuck, I feel bad…” Edward moans quietly and shakes his head sharply, putting his hand on his forehead. “No, I’d better stop smelling this shit. Or I might pass out again.”       Edward needs a few more seconds to come to himself and find the strength to keep standing on his legs more or less better and think somehow to find a way to rescue Natalia.       “Okay, I’ll try to call her mobile number…”       Edward quickly takes his mobile phone from his pocket and types Natalia’s number with his shaking hands, praying that she answers. But at first, he hears only monotonous beeps, and then the robot tells him, “The number is not available, please, call later!” The man tries to call again, but gets the same result. He forgot that the girl lost her phone and gold bracelet when the two were running away from Michael’s accomplice together. After two more attempts to reach her, Edward exhales sharply, turns off his phone, and puts it in the pocket of his coat.       “Fuck, what do I do?” Edward asks himself, nervously walking in circles not far from the half-ruined brick construction. “What do I do? I’ve gotta do something! I must not sit and do anything! If I do nothing, Natalia may suffer or actually die. But I can’t let it happen. I must save her, but I don’t know how! And I can’t do it by myself. I need someone’s help! Someone’s support… Someone’s advice… I need a fucking motivation! But who do I come to after I fought with everybody and became their enemy?”       Edward exhales sharply, putting his hand on his forehead. But a few seconds later, he just starts slowly going straight, not forgetting to put the handkerchief soaked in chloroform. On the way, the man keeps thinking hard about what to do, where to run, and who to ask for help and support. And at some moment, Lockhart recalls his latest talk with Michael, during which the man threatened to do something to Natalia:       “She has rich parents… I think they could easily find money to save their beloved daughter if I started to blackmail them and demand money. […] I could organize the kidnapping of your ex-girlfriend, hold her somewhere from where she would not run away for some time, call her parents and demand a multimillion-dollar ransom. Take all the money, tell them that they are deceived like fools, and give them an order to kill their lovely girl before their eyes. […] When it’s her time to die, my people will kill your ex very quickly. She will not even have time to feel pain and say goodbye to those, who are going to watch her die.”       “Ar-r-r, fucking Michael…” Edward groans crossly, tightly clenching his hands into fists. “I swear, jackass, if you dare to touch Natalia at least with a finger or let your bastards mock her, I shall skin you alive. I give a fuck about what will happen to me. And I will not regret defeating the bastard, who killed my Father and is now about to do it to the girl, whom I madly love. You and your fucking pals must burn in hell and rot in the ground for all of your tricks. Especially you and that freak Wainwright, who was the reason I believed in her betrayal and acted like an asshole.”       Edward smirks ironically and crosses his arms over his chest.       “Now I understand why you said all of that,” Edward says in a low voice. “Why you hinted that everything could not be what it seemed. I'm sorry that I didn’t think of it much earlier. I could’ve easily found that hairy gorilla and beat him strongly. But it’s okay, I’ll take revenge on that scum. And you, too, Uncle. Wait, asshole. If Natalia suffers somehow because of you and your ugly pals or especially dies, you’ll have to pay a high cost. I will not just kill you. I will first be torturing you the way you would wish to torture the poor girl and all of us. And then, when you have no strength, I will kill you with pleasure. It was the last drop! Since you , scumbag, decided to press stronger, don’t wait for me to be good. If you want war – you will get it!”       Edward has fallen so deeply into his thoughts that he does not notice that he comes to his old car parked on the side of the road in the deserted place where a stronger wind is blowing. The man looks around and notices it’s getting dark outside, and the sky is still covered with gray clouds, through which even a little shoot of the sun cannot show up. However, he does not care about time or what surrounds him. He does not care about the terrible headache, a strong weakness, blood, with which his face and arms are covered, or dirt in some places on his hair and clothes.       “One of Natalia’s friends should know it,” Edward thinks, leaning on the door of the driver, inclining his head, and crossing his arms over his chest. “I must tell them Rochester has been kidnapped. I know only Anna and Raquelle. So, I must talk to them… I think I should talk to Cameron first.”       Edward shakes his head sharply and puts his hand on his forehead.       “She pushed me to the talk with Natalia, knowing about the problem but saying nothing on purpose,” Edward adds. “She didn’t hide that she knew all the truth… I believe I must let her know what happened to her friend and tell her who Natalia’s offender is. Even if Raquelle can’t help me, she should know it. Now she’s the only one I could reach much easier. Terrence and his mother are too mad to listen to me quietly. At least, MacClife would prefer beating me if he sees me two meters away from him.”       Edward sighs tiredly and starts massaging his neck.       “No matter how afraid I am, I must go to their home and talk to Raquelle. I hope she’s at home. If I run into Terrence, he will kick me out and won’t be listening. Maybe, Raquelle would calm him down if she believed me and wanted to listen… But the question is whether I can go there… Terrence promised to tell security not to let me in and even call the police. What if he really kept the promise, and I’ve been added to the blacklist?”       After thinking for two seconds, Edward decides to risk it and go to Terrence and Raquelle’s home, despite a strong fear of going to the place that he left with a scandal the last time.       “Alright!” Edward throws sharply. “Stop guessing and thinking! I will go to Terrence and Raquelle’s home right now and tell them everything! I won’t dare if Terrence wants to kick me out of the home. And if I’m not allowed to go there, I’ll call Raquelle on her mobile number and ask her to come to me or meet somewhere. She said if there is someone, who was important to me, I should’ve done something for them. And I will do it…”       Edward raises his head, feeling his own thoughts give him some confidence, but do not give him hope that everything will end well.       “I shall prove that my family leans very much to me, and everybody’s wrong when calling me an egoist that loves only money,” Edward says confidently and sets his gaze into the distance. From now on, I’ll be fighting for Natalia’s salvation, not the inheritance. For her life. Maybe, I couldn’t save her from those assholes, but it won’t happen this time. Even if I have to kill that pathetic gang and their sick boss and go to prison for twenty years, it will happen. Now it’s time to change everything for the best and stop being a coward. It’s time to be a hero, not to pretend to be the one.”       Edward takes the keys from the pocket of his coat, unlocks his car, gets into it, starts the motor, and easily goes on the road. Of course, he is a little nervous because the security may not let him go, and Terrence will not be happy about his visit. But the man understands that if he wants to change something for the best, he will have to fight with his fears, doubts, and wish to show weakness and cowardice.       

***

      It takes about twenty or thirty minutes to go to the home of Terrence and Raquelle. Edward is driving to the neighborhood where expensive villages owned by provided people are placed. To his surprise and great relief, the security lets him go without problems and asks him nothing, and he quietly goes to the parking lot, in which there are already some foreign cars. After leaving his old car that stands out against modern cars in a free place, the man switches off the motor, getting the key out of the switcher, and spends a few seconds overcoming the excitement and a wish to stop knocking at the steering wheel with the fingers of his shaking hands, which are covered with dry tracks of blood.       But some time later, Edward silently tells himself to stop being afraid, exhales sharply, quickly leaves the car, locks it, puts the keys in his pocket, and confidently goes to the hall door. By this moment, his headache had gotten a little weaker, but it still bothers him and lets him know about it at times. However, Lockhart literally slaps himself in the face when he wants to start moaning about feeling bad. And when he comes to the door, he finds the courage to ring on the doorbell for a few seconds, being worried about who is going to open the door: Raquelle, Terrence, or someone of the servants.       But then Edward exhales sharply with closed eyes, rings the doorbell two times, and patiently waits for someone to open the door, shaking strongly, shifting his weight from one leg to another, looking around and hearing a distant cawing of a raven not far from here. And a few seconds later, the door finally opens. The man, to his happiness, sees Raquelle, who gets a little surprised by his visit and, judging her little scared gaze, even gets a little scared.       “Edward?!” Raquelle pronounces amazingly. “Gosh… What are you doing here?”       “Hello again…” Edward replies quietly, inclining his head guiltily, and looks at Raquelle hesitantly. “Have a minute? I wanna talk to you about something.”       “Erm… Yes, sure… But…” Raquelle looks closely at Edward’s face covered with blood, and rounds her eyes. “Oh, gosh, what’s wrong with your face? Why are you all in blood?”       “It’s a long story, but I promise I’ll explain everything,” Edward replies excitedly. “Please, Raquelle, give me a few minutes. I need to talk to you right now and probably ask you for help.”       “But what happened? Why are you so excited?”       “It’s about your friend.”       “My friend? Natalia?”       “Yup…” Edward nods. “She’s in trouble and needs our help. I don’t lie to you, I swear.”       “Gosh…” Raquelle thinks for two seconds and exhales sharply, deciding to let Edward come in. “Okay, come in. I’ll listen to you and work on your wounds.”       Raquelle steps back from the doorstep and allows Edward to come into the house. He does it a little scarily but does not find the courage to go to the living room and sets his gaze into the distance. And when the girl quickly closes the door and comes to the man, she asks him to follow her:       “Let’s go to the living room.”       “I promise I’ll tell you everything and then leave.”       “My gosh, Edward, what happened?” Raquelle asks excitedly. “And why do you say the problem is about Natalia? What kind of trouble did she get in? What do you think so?”       “I will tell you everything that happened,” Edward promises in a shaking voice. “I swear I came here not to fight and sort out a relationship. I just wanna tell you something you should know.”       “Okay, okay, I shall listen to you. But, please, calm down and stop being so tense.”       “There is a reason for that!”       At this moment, Raquelle and Edward come to the living room, where there is no Terrence or the servants. But Violetta goes by and wonders truly by seeing the unwelcomed guest, who was kicked out of here with a scandal but leaves quickly not to get attention.       “Quiet, quiet, Edward, calm down,” Raquelle says quietly and softly. “Want me to give you water?”       “No, no, thanks,” Edward replies excitedly, breathing a little heavily.       “Then tell me what happened if you’re so scared and white and got covered in blood and dirt.” Raquelle looks at Edward with a dumbfounded gaze and shakes her head. “Gosh, what did you get into?”       “Natalia got in trouble!” Edward jabs excitedly, sharply turning on Raquelle. “She’s in great danger! If we don’t help her, she might seriously suffer or actually die! We must do something to save her! We must not let that innocent girl suffer because of one bastard.”       “What?” Raquelle gets horrified, opening her eyes full of horror wider, and sets them on Edward. “Trouble? But what happened to her? She’s fine?”       “Maybe, she’s fine yet. But she might be dead very soon.”       “Wait, wait, Edward, I understand nothing,” Raquelle says quietly. “Let’s sit down and talk about everything in order. What happened? Where? How? When? Why?”       “Oh…” Edward exhales sharply, putting his hand on his forehead. “You see, the problem is…”       But Edward does not speak his mind because a loud, resentful voice of Terrence, who is standing on one of the wide stairs in the living room, holding by the railing with a hand and looking at Edward contemptuously, suddenly rings:       “What are you doing here, bastard? I did ban you from getting closer to my house and especially cross the doorstep!”       Raquelle and Edward immediately move their eyes to Terrence, who gets furious when he sees Lockhart standing next to his fiancée.       “Quiet, Terrence, I’m not going to fight with anyone,” Edward tries to keep calm.       “How did you, asshole, dare to come here after what you did? And how did the fucking security let you go? Are they brainless? Do they not understand what they are told?”       “They told me nothing, and I passed quickly.”       “Do not make me enraged, little stinker,” Terrence hisses through his teeth. “Either you get out of here on your legs, or you will be CARRIED AWAY WITH YOUR FEET FIRST! CHOOSE, BASTARD!”       “Terrence, calm down, please,” Raquelle says quietly. “Don’t yell like this.”       “Raquelle, why did you the fuck let this bastard into our house?” Terrence asks irritably and starts to confidently go downstairs to the living room. “And dare to talk to him! This jackass has done so much, but you quietly let him in and pretend that nothing the fuck happened.”       “I know, but I want to listen to him! I’m sure he’ll tell us something important!”       “Was what he did here the last time not enough for you? How that psycho almost destroyed the living room and showed his real rotted side!”       “I get it, but can you just listen to him?”       “Never!” Terrence comes to Raquelle and Edward and sharply points at the hall door, looking at Lockhart with evil and hate in his eyes and breathing like a furious bull. “Leave this house at your wish, Edward! Get out of here while I give you a chance! Or I shall grab you by the collar and kick you out! And make you forget the way to here. FOREVER!”       “I really want to say something,” Edward replies quietly, staying absolutely quiet and not going to succumb to the provocations of his friend. “And I think you and Raquelle should know it.”       “I don’t care about what you are going to make us believe in this time. If you do not get out of MY territory, I swear, asshole, you will pay a high cost for that.”       “Can you let me say just something? Or are you going to keep threatening to kick me out of your home?”       “I am not kidding, Edward, it would be easy for me to beat your insolent face and bring you to a hospital or to another world with no regret. Or at least put you in prison. I swear, if you don’t get out, I shall call the police and report your threats toward me and my close people.”       “Do what you want, but I will tell you what I must say.”       “Want me to make you regret your fucking birth?” Terrence asks irritably, clenching his hands into hard fists. “Wish your parents never planned your birth!”       “I am regretting. Regretting not doing the things I should’ve done a long time ago.”       “Just don’t tell your stupid tales. We will not believe them.”       “What I want to tell is not a stupid tale, but a dangerous thing.”       “Do not make me enraged, pathetic puppy,” Terrence hisses with evil in his eyes, not hiding his aggression, feeling his body getting tense, wishing to kick Edward out of home, and having no pity when seeing blood tracks of his friend’s face and his bruises. “And do not complain about your unhappy life! If you come to complain that you got beaten, you can get out of here. I do give a fuck about it and would be very happy if someone beat you TO DEATH!”       “Terrence!” Raquelle gets horrified loudly, understanding that if she does not meddle, Terrence will attack Edward, who looks quite excited, with fists.       “Step away from him, Raquelle. Or better go to your room and don’t leave it until this scumbag gets out of here.”       “He came to me, and I want to listen to him!”       “I said, go to your room! Letting this bastard do something to you would be too much!”       “Terrence, calm the fuck down and let him speak!” Raquelle yells crossly.       “Ha, what could he tell us?” Terrence resents irritably, waving his hands. “NOTHING, THE FUCK! But the fact that this scumbag wants to kill us and get our wealth!”       “It’s not true!” Edward protests loudly. “You all understood my words wrongly! I meant only my wish to fight for the inheritance!”       “Stop pretending to be an innocent lamb. Otherwise, I will smash my fist against your face. SO IT IS BEATEN BLACK AND BLUE!”       “Stop, Terrence!” Raquelle yells. “Let the man speak!”       “Do not make me enraged!” Terrence sharply moves Raquelle’s hand off his shoulder, when she tries to touch him. “This scumbag dared to go to our home after he betrayed us, but you stay so quiet! Maybe, you the fuck offer him tea with cake and cookies? Or give the order to cook a delicious dinner for him?”       “Stop acting like a sick, hysterical man! You are starting to make me terribly irritated by your hysterics that you start for nothing!”       “For nothing?” Terrence simpers. “FOR THE FUCK NOTHING! How do you dare to say it? This jackass came here to kill and rob us, but you are letting him come into the house so easily and PROTECTING him? IT IS JUST AN EXCUSE TO GET INTO HERE AND KILL US BY THE COMMAND OF HIS SICK UNCLE!”       “I am not going to kill anyone!” Edward exclaims a little louder. “Calm the fuck down! But if you aren’t interested, you can leave. I want to talk only to Raquelle and tell her what she must know.”       “No!” Terrence hums, rolling his eyes. “Do not hope to stay with my fiancée! If you touch her with a finger, you, scumbag, will have to have a deal with me! If you want to kill her, kill me first!”       “Do you hear what I say? I am going to kill nobody: you, Raquelle, or anyone else! It’s your sick fantasy! You thought up something like this and believe I came here to kill and rob you.”       “Why else? To make your wishes come true and get closer to your goal!”       “My wishes are almost the same as yours, your mother, your fiancée, and Natalia.”       “We want to kill NOBODY. YOU are the only one to be able to do it!” Terrence sharply points his finger at Edward. “And you already must be put to prison for that!”       “Ready to slander me? I have never said I want to kill and rob my family.”       “STOP THE FUCK PRETENDING TO BE AN ANGEL!” Terrence points at the hall door with a finger. “I’m repeating, in case you are too stupid, get out of my home and forget the way to here. But if you do not leave at your wish, I will call the police and report you, charging you for trying to kill and rob me. I swear, Edward, I will do my best to put you in prison for twenty years!”       “He will leave and forget if you want it,” Raquelle says quietly. “But let him first tell what he wants.”       “I am not going to listen to this bastard!” Terrence throws rudely, pointing at Edward. “He must get out of my territory!”       “But I’m not going to let you treat him so disgustingly!”       “Ha, did you decide to become his protector?” Terrence crosses his arms over his chest. “Don’t you care about what he did the last time? How this sick psycho felt free to swear. Got the fuck sick of being kind and innocent and decides to show his disgusting character.”       “I do want to know what he wants to say!” Raquelle says loudly and rudely.       “Oh, what does this betrayal want to tell or do? Well, I know what! To destroy us! He decided to make what he wanted to come true – to kill us and steal everything we have earned from OUR HARD work!”       “You can search me if you want,” Edward suggests confidently, throwing his hands aside. “If I wanted to kill someone, I had something with me: a pistol, a knife, or a rope.”       “Get out of here before I call the police!” Terrence demands rudely. “You, scumbag, will pay for your tricks. You will go to prison alongside your sick uncle. I won’t leave it unnoticed! I swear on my mother!”       “Terrence, calm down right now!” Raquelle demands loudly and harshly. “Stop acting like a sick, hysterical girl and screaming at the whole house to be heard by the servants and our neighbors.”       “I did not understand, whose fucking side you are on: mine or his? This betrayer, who you quietly let in here and are protecting so hard after what he did to us!”       “Can you let him say just a WORD?” Raquelle throws rudely. “Instead of threatening to kick him out of here or calling the police!”       “I do not wish to listen to this bastard! I’m not interested in hearing his fucking complaints about someone to beat the face of this asshole. I am sorry that he didn’t hit his head against a wall to ACTUALLY die! Nobody will be sorry if this scumbag dies like a nasty rat!”       “CLOSE YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!” Raquelle shouts at the top of her lungs. “If you don’t calm down, I will call an ambulance, so you get an injection of a fucking sedative! You’re acting like you are about to take a gun and kill Edward.”       “If I have to, I will kill him. I will not let this scumbag kill us and stay unpunished! If he believes I’d give up easily and let him shoot me, he can put his hopes in his ass.”       “Calm the fuck down now!” Edward gets much wilder. “I was not going and am not going to kill anyone! I just came to tell you something, but I ran into your hysterical shouts.”       “If you do not get out of here, I will be happy to say goodbye to you with another shakeup. I will beat your fucking pretty face so strongly that no plastic surgery will help you fix it.”       “Do what you want!” Edward says loudly. “But I will tell you and Raquelle that Natalia is in great danger and has been the fuck kidnapped about two hours ago!”       Edward starts breathing heavily from the excitement, and Terrence and Raquelle move their surprised gazes on Lockhart       “What?” Terrence and Raquelle pronounce at the same time.       “Natalia has been kidnapped?” Raquelle opens her eyes widely.       “She’s in great danger,” Edward replies excitedly. “If we don’t help her, she might die!”       “What are you talking about, asshole?” Terrence asks irritably, getting more enraged after this piece of news.       “It is true! Natalia has been kidnapped!”       “Natalia was at my home today, and I talked to her! And she was ABSOLUTELY fine! So, do not hope to deceive us, son of a bitch!”       “It’s not nonsense!” Edward protests. “Natalia has been kidnapped by the people, who are connected with Uncle Michael. That bastard told them to drive her to him to kill when the time comes.”       “Wait, but how do you know it?” Raquelle wonders. “How do you know the people of your uncle drove Natalia away? You saw it?”       “I met them in one place, and they told your friend to go with them.”       “My gosh…” Raquelle shakes her head, closing her mouth with her hands with horror in her eyes. “It can’t be true… I can’t believe it…”       “Uncle threatened to organize her kidnapping, and today he made it come true. He told his pals to get her into a car and bring her to him, despite her wish.”       “Stop telling tales, fucking puppy!” Terrence throws rudely. “Stop trying to wash our brains and bring us into the trap! Do you think we will believe this bullshit? Natalia is fine, and she is home!”       “Yeah?” Edward wonders. “Try to call her mobile number! We will see if she answers you or Raquelle!”       “Get out of here at your wish before I get furious, Edward. Find some other naive idiots, who will believe your tales. Which you’d tell just to seem an innocent angel and hide your terrible cowardice and great insecurity. Nobody needs your fucking heroism! No matter how hard you try, nobody will say, ‘thank you’ for your tricks!”       “Nobody will also say, ‘thank you’ for your strong aggression. A couple of more tricks before you become a dangerous for everyone psycho, who must be kept far from people.”       “You do speak too much here, fucking asshole!” Terrence clenches his hands into fists tightly. “You are in MY territory! And I have a right to KICK any unwelcomed guests out of here. And beat someone special, who DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HEAR.”       “I knew talking to you was worthless,” Edward says quietly. “That’s why I came to talk to Raquelle. She will understand me and not act the way you do.”       “Don’t dare to get closer to my fiancée!” Terrence sharply takes Raquelle’s hand, pulls her on himself, and closes her with himself, while she is standing behind his back. “You will come and talk to her only over my dead body! But if I have to, I will personally find a security that will not let such bastards like you, your uncle, and all your pals that work for you come to her.”       “Can you calm down, at least for a while?” Raquelle asks irritably. “Or will you keep proving to everybody that you’re a mentally unstable psycho? Stop, MacClife, I’m done with your hysterics!”       “While this man is in my house and trying to play the fool with us, I will not calm down. And if he does not leave MY home, I will beat his face. MUCH STRONGER THAN THE LAST TIME, WHEN HE PROBABLY GOT NOTHING!”       “No matter if you want it or not, I shall listen to this man and find out everything about the kidnapping of my best friend.” Raquelle sharply turns upon Terrence and comes closer to Edward confidently. “Edward, can you tell me what happened? How did it happen that Michael’s people kidnapped Natalia?”       “Sure, I’ll tell you everything,” Edward promises quietly, staying very tense. “I came here for that.”       “Okay. First, sit down and try to calm down. You look too tense.”       While Terrence nervously walks in circles in the living room and gets literally red from the anger that gets obsessed with him, Raquelle, putting her hand on Edward’s shoulder softly, takes him to the sofa and sits on it along with him.       “Speak, Edward,” Raquelle says softly, getting much tenser. “I want to know everything that happened to my friend.”       “I will tell you everything I heard and saw, and then you’ll decide what to do,” Edward replies a little hesitantly, nervously fingering over.       “Okay, speak, I’m listening.”       “So…” Edward swallows up nervously, looking at Raquelle with diffidence. “It happened after the talk between you and me at the café, when you advised me to talk to Natalia and find out her secret. You made me think about it and made me sure to learn more about the photos.”        “Hey, wait, Raquelle…” Terrence gets furious and, sharply stopping and opening his mouth widely, sets his surprised gaze at Raquelle. “So, did you already dare to talk with him?”       “Yes, I talked to him!” Raquelle confirms confidently.       “Fuck…” Terrence sharply claps himself on the forehead. “How could you do it? You should’ve immediately run away from him or told the staff to hold him and call the police! You should not have even looked at him!”       “I came to her and started a talk,” Edward replies quietly. “And that’s very good you weren’t there. Because you would’ve gotten a bad reputation. A newspaper would’ve published an article about your hysterics.”       “If I had been with her, I would’ve given a fuck about limits,” Terrence says rudely. “The life and safety of my people are MORE important to me than my reputation.”       “Hope you’ll get off it again?”       “When I tell everybody about the one, who I will never call my friend, we will see who they will believe. I doubt there would be at least someone, who would call you an innocent angel slandered by the famous actor.”       “Yeah, see…” Edward blunts under his breath. “See what’s gonna happen when everybody knows I HAVE NEVER said anything about a wish to rob and kill my family, and you are not able to prove my fault for what’s happening.”       “Bastard…” Terrence throws rudely, crossing his arms over his chest. “Your mother should’ve gotten an abortion… My life would’ve been much better.”       Raquelle throws a gloomy gaze at Terrence, rolls her eyes, and then looks at Edward and says softly:       “Don’t pay attention to him. If we have, we’ll talk in another place.”       “It’s okay, don’t worry,” Edward replies quietly.       “Continue, please. What happened after I left the café?”       “Well… Some time later, I also left, drove into the city, and then saw Natalia, who was walking on the path near the carriageway, on which a car could drive one time per hour in the best case.”       “Oh, yeah, a wonderful place to kill that girl,” Terrence says loudly. “You probably killed Rochester and came here to kill me and my fiancée.”       “I thought it was a good chance to make her sure to tell me the truth,” Edward continues to speak. “So, I stopped my car, caught Natalia, and said I wanted to hear the truth. “I won’t tell you everything, but I eventually got what I wanted: Natalia said she was almost raped by one asshole five months ago.”       “OH, HOLY SHIT!” Terrence resents loudly, raising his hands up. “It seems like Edward Lockhart woke up and began to realize he was a jackass! It’s surprising he believed her and didn’t call the poor girl a whore, scumbag, and liar.”       But Raquelle and Edward do not pay attention to the irritated Terrence, just throwing a confused gaze at him.       “I barely persuaded her to tell me the truth and explain what those words meant,” Edward says. “And I finally realized what you meant when openly hinting that there was another meaning to the photos. Now I know the photos are fake, and your friend never cheated on me.”       “So, do you know the truth now?” Raquelle asks.       “Yup, I know.” Edward glances down for a second. “I realized you knew something at the café, but said nothing to let Natalia tell me everything.”       “Yeah, I knew it, as well as Terrence,” Raquelle confirms quietly, folding her hands in front of her. “From the day when we learned about Michael. And I was really silent on purpose. First, it wasn’t my business. And second, I wanted Natalia to tell you everything. And I wanted you to realize everything and hear it from my friend.”       “I got it. And now I know everything and really regret doing such stupid things and behaving disgustingly toward your friend.”       “Fuck, what a liar…” Terrence blunts, nervously walking into the living room. “A liar… An asshole… And this girl does believe him… God, wake my fiancée up and light up her mind that is under the influence of this scumbag!”       “Yeah, but what does it have to do with the kidnapping of Natalia?” Raquelle wonders.       “It does, Raquelle,” Edward says confidently. “Here’s what happened. In short, Natalia and I decided to go to her home and talk about this situation. And… We went to my car. But we didn’t leave, ‘cause what led to the kidnapping of your friend happened.”       “Oh, gosh…” Raquelle pronounces, looking at Edward with horror in her eyes. “What happened?”       “Five men, who worked for Uncle Michael, came to us. I quickly recognized the main one, who was loyal to that old man much more than the others. We tried to leave before they came, but that man sharply pulled us down. Then he said that Uncle told him to find Natalia, catch her, and drive her somewhere.”       “And you?”       “Of course, I refused to let him do it and protected her as hard as I could. And then that man started a talk with Natalia, let her know that he knew about the rape attempt, and called someone… Who…” Edward swallows up nervously and glances at Raquelle, shaking his head. “It was the one, who almost raped Natalia.”       “What?” Raquelle opens her eyes widely. “That man?”       “Yup.”       “Gosh, it happens that he is also from the gang of your uncle?”       “He confirmed it.”       “Oh, no…” Raquelle shakes her head, looking at Edward with a scare in her eyes. “Did you recognize that man?”       “Natalia recognized him. She immediately began to shake from fear after barely seeing that man. And you know, there was a reason to be afraid. That man was terribly ugly and looked like a homeless one: his clothes were older and dirtier than mine, he had blisters on his body, a big scar on his face, wild eyes, dirty hair… And he’s as tough as a bull… His hand could easily close the whole face of your friend.”       “Did he try to rape her again?”       “At least, he tried to kill. That man got enraged when he realized I knew the story of the violence. He threatened to kill her and spread her nude photos on the Internet if she opened her mouth. And… That hairy gorilla almost strangled her there. But thank God, I was next to her and closed Natalia with myself.”       “You said your uncle planned to organize her kidnapping.”       “During our latest talk, Uncle said he wanted to kidnap Natalia and even said something about her parents’ money. He could kind of demand a multimillion-dollar ransom.”       “He needs the money of Natalia’s parents?”       “He said he wanted to get the money and kill their daughter anyway.”       “Oh, my gosh…” Raquelle shakes her head, closing her mouth with a hand with horror in her eyes.       “When the main sycophant of my uncle and the violator of your friend distracted, Natalia and I decided to try to run away, but she was so desperate that she wanted to go with them and persuaded me to leave. We left them behind and even talked about the situation of the inheritance, the story of the photos, and everything that had lately happened. But those men found us some time later, and… The worst things happened…”       Edward falls into silence for two seconds and squeezes the bridge of his nose with a very quiet sigh, leaning on his laps with his legs. Terrence, still walking near him and Raquelle with his arms crossed over his chest, does not miss a chance to be rude and let his friend know that he does not wish to see him at his house.       “My gosh!” Terrence exclaims loudly. “You got your insolent face beaten! You got your ass kicked! As you deserved!”       Raquelle and Edward do not pay attention to Terrence, but the girl, who exhales slowly with closed eyes, loses her patience more and more.       “I had to fight with the two and push Natalia’s offender off her when he got closer to her,” Edward says excitedly, nervously rubbing his hands. “The fight was cruel. I spent all my strength trying to protect your friend from those stinkers. Especially, from that sick one, whose guts I wanted to get out so badly. That scumbag dared to feel her up, lick her and kiss her right before my eyes. While the second one was holding me and making me watch the scene that made me enraged.”       “Did you have no place to run away from them again?” Raquelle wonders.       “Three pals of them closed all the ways. If we’d tried to leave, they would’ve caught us. They got us into a trap, which we couldn’t get out of. And as I was fighting too cruelly with no pity, I almost lost my strength to fight with two tough men. I held on thanks to my anger and adrenaline… Though, it didn’t save me and your friend…”       Edward falls into silence, closing his face with a hand with a quiet moan.       “The main one told Natalia’s offender to deal with her, while he was beating me. He beat me ‘till he pushed me to the brick wall at some moment, and I hit my head. I could take it at first, but when he did it for the second time, I hit the back of my head very strongly. Everything sharply got blurry and black, and I passed out literally two or three seconds later. And… I don’t remember what happened then… But when I woke up, there were no Natalia and Uncle Michael’s pals.”       “Probably, it was the moment when those men took Natalia away,” Raquelle assumes, nervously rubbing her hands. “When you were unconscious and couldn’t save the girl.”       “I believe they had to knock her out, as well. Natalia was trying to save herself from those men, despite a great fear. She knew she should’ve protected herself somehow… And as she was loudly screaming, resisting, biting, and trying to beat, those people would've hardly driven her to Uncle quietly. So, they had to do something.”       “Hit her head against a wall?” Raquelle gets horrified.       “Nope, I don’t think so.” Edward puts his hand in one of the pockets of his coat and takes the gray handkerchief that he gives Raquelle. “Look, I found this handkerchief not far from the place where I was lying unconscious. It wasn’t there when Natalia and I ran, I remember that for sure.”       “Handkerchief?” Raquelle frowns slightly and takes the handkerchief from Edward to look at this better. “But how could a handkerchief help them?”       “It was soaked in a solution. I think the main accomplice of Uncle or the offender of your friend let it fall accidentally or on purpose.”       “Soaked?”       When Raquelle wants to try to smell this handkerchief for interest, Edward sharply stops her, slightly taking her wrists with widely open eyes:       “No, no, don’t dare to smell it! It’s very dangerous! Maybe, you feel nothing at first, but the more you breathe it in, the worse you feel. Two minutes are enough to feel strong dizziness, nausea, weakness, and dryness in the mouth. And if you smell this shit for three more minutes, you will lose consciousness.”       “I think, it’s chloroform. Somehow, it was used as anesthesia but later was rejected because it might lead to brain, heart, and kidney issues after a long influence. You may actually die if you breathe it in for too long.”       “You’ve smelled it before?”       “I did. We were told about that in chemistry lessons, and one of the guys made it, and we began to smell it. As I say, at first, you feel nothing but a strong smell, but then you feel terrible nausea.”       “So, was it the thing those men used to put Natalia to sleep and quietly drive her away?”       “I think they had time to do it. Chloroform doesn’t work for too long: even if she had lost consciousness, she would’ve probably woken up in the car somewhere in the middle of the way. Those men would’ve had to put a handkerchief to her nose again and forced her to breathe in that shit for five more minutes. Though, she had no place to run. She wouldn’t have opened the car and jumped out of it when it was driving at a high speed.”       “My gosh…” Raquelle shakes her head, gives Edward the handkerchief, and squeezes the bridge of her nose. “It seems the truth… If she’s somewhere near your uncle, a great danger is threatening her.”       “I’m terribly afraid of it,” Edward confesses with anxiety. “That bastard can really kill her, but I can’t let it happen. I know I must do something to save her, but I don’t know what. Though, if Natalia dies because of that asshole, I will never forgive myself for that.”       “I can’t believe…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice. “My gosh…”       While Raquelle closes her mouth with a hand and runs it over her face with a slight shake of her body, Terrence still keeps fretting and fuming. He is still sure Edward is lying, and he might take a gun and kill him and his fiancée at any time.       “Oh, yeah, you thought up a good story, Edward, well done!” Terrence throws rudely. “But you didn’t make me sure that it was all the truth!”       “Believe or not, but I told all the truth,” Edward says coldly.       “Do you think if you waved this fucking handkerchief and said it was soaked in something, we would believe your tales about Natalia’s kidnapping? No, brainless puppy, don’t even dream!”       “If you want, take it and breathe it in for five minutes. You will see everything! Pass out and stay unconscious for nobody the fuck knows how long!”       “And will you kill my fiancée while I’m unconscious? FUCKING GOOD!”       “Put your excessive aggression in your ass and at least TRY to believe in this story! Natalia is in danger! She’s been kidnapped by Uncle Michael’s people! That girl might die at any time if that asshole gave the order to kill her!”       “Why don’t you kill her by yourself?” Terrence hums. “She was a dirty whore that ruined your life! So, you could defeat her!”       “Even if I defeat someone, I will defeat only Uncle Michael and his fucking gang. Including, that sick bastard, who did SUCH horrible things to the poor girl!”       “Ah, she’s poor for you now!” Terrence rolls his eyes. “First, you showered her with mud, but when you found out the truth, you became good! UGH! IT’S DISGUSTING TO HEAR IT! TO NAUSEA!”       “Don’t listen then,” Edward says quietly. “The fact that Raquelle believed me and knows Natalia is in danger is enough for me. But I don’t actually count on you.”       “You can wait for me to betray you, scumbag, to the police and do my best to put you in prison for twenty years.”       “Okay, do it. But prove that I want to kill you and Raquelle. If all of you say I have a grudge against you, it will mean nothing. You will need the proof, but you don’t have them and will never do. Because I’m guilty of nothing and have never wanted to kill and rob.”       “Oh, come on! What you did the last time was enough for us!”       “It will not prove that I have something against my family. And on that day, I NEVER said I wanted to kill and rob. NEVER! The talk was only about my father's money. I wasn’t gonna reject them. And you all understood it wrongly and began to tell everybody I was an insolent bastard, who was terribly jealous of his rich relatives and allegedly planned to get the wealth from the beginning.”       “You did confess everything! Don’t try to deny what we know! FROM YOU!”       “Trying to make me sure that I’m a nasty jackass, who’s made many mistakes?” Edward slightly raises his hands in front of him. “So, you’re trying hard for nothing: I do know that. Know that I’ve made lots of mistakes because of my psyches.”       “Oh, do you confess it now?”       “I do.”       “My gosh!” Terrence says loudly, rolling his eyes and raising his hands in front of him. “The betrayer Lockhart recognizes his mistakes! What fucking happiness!”       “You also tell me that I organized Natalia’s kidnapping and came here to make it look like Uncle Michael did that.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised! Even after being revealed, you keep pretending to be a hero, who will never do anything good. You will do a good thing for everybody only if you are lying half-dead in a hospital or actually die. Nobody will suffer because of losing the bastard, who became the reason this nightmare started.”       At heart, it’s madly unpleasant for Edward to hear these words. His sad eyes, which he moves down, and his insecurity speak about it. However, he keeps insisting on what he wants and holds on not to succumb to Terrence’s provocations and not to show the worst side of him.       “Oh…” Edward exhales sharply. “Listen, Terrence, I’m not going to quarrel and fight with you and excuse my behavior. I recognize that I really did a terrible thing to you, your mother, and Raquelle. But what you made yourself think is a lie. You thought my refusal of the money and the wish to fight for them ‘till the end too literally. Wrongly. It’s all not the truth! I don’t need and won’t need someone’s money: yours, Raquelle’s, Mrs. MacClife’s, and especially Natalia’s.”       “And why should we believe it?” Terrence asks coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Where is a guarantee that you are really so sweet and fluffy and love your family?”       “If you all want to go to the police and report Uncle, I will be ready to help you and tell them everything I know. Betray that stinker, despite all of his threats and words about us being helpless and not being able to do anything for our salvation.”       “Want to do your best not to go to prison for all the tricks that you are planning to do?” Terrence smirks contemptuously.       “I did nothing to go to prison and spend the rest of my life in there. Yes, I recognize all my mistakes, but they are not so hard to be in jail.”       “Ha, do you think our problems rained thick upon us not because of you? Which I deserved, in your opinion? For the things I did in the past! And for which you still keep judging me, even if everybody forgot it A LONG TIME AGO!”       “I was too heated because of the fight with Natalia and her slap! It was hard to control what I was saying and doing!”       “Ah, is Natalia the one to blame for everything, huh? For bringing you to clear water and opening the eyes of me and Raquelle to show us what an asshole you are!”       “She was mad and said those things because of that.” Edward glances aside for a second. “But I understand her. She had reasons to be mad and turn everybody against me.”       “Stop pretending to be an innocent lamb,” Terrence throws coldly. “I swear, if the story of Natalia’s kidnapping is true, and you have to do with it, you will have to spend the rest of your worthless life in prison.”       “How do you dare to blame me for that?” Edward resents, pointing at himself. “Did you decide to take it out on me and blame me for all possible sins? Blame me for allegedly organizing the kidnapping of that girl!”       “Knowing you almost wanted to strangle her the last time, I will not be surprised if she suffers because of you.”       “I was mad. Hurt and humiliated. It was disgusting for me to be next to the one, who I thought was a betrayer and a whore.”       “Stop finding some excuses, Edward,” Terrence says coldly, literally making a hole in Edward’s forehead with his cold, contemptuous gaze. “It will not help you.”       “I do know you will not understand,” Edward replies quietly. “And you will not believe what happened.”       “I do not wish to understand you!” Terrence snaps and sharply points at the side where the hall door is. “And actually, get out of my house! You told your tales, you can get out! Stop wasting our time!”       “I think you are the only one to be a psycho and wave your hands like a sick, hysterical girl. Unlike you, I’m absolutely quiet and not going to fight and argue with something.”       “But I will have the pleasure of beating you again and making you forget a way to MY house! GET OUT OF HERE, BASTARD! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”       “Enough, Terrence!” Edward yells, gets up sharply from the sofa, turns on Terrence, and comes closer to him, barely holding himself down not to wash the brain of MacClife. “Stop! You literally want me to get enraged again and attack you with fists.”       “I do want to slap you in your insolent face!” Terrence slaps Edward in the face strongly and looks at him with evil in his eyes, clenching his hands into fists with a heavy breath. “SCUMBAG! DO NOT DARE TO GO ON MY TERRITORY! NEVER!”       “And what?” Edward simpers quietly, holding the cheek that got Terrence’s slap. “Got better? After you hit me!”       I will get MUCH BETTER if you get out of here once and forever. AND NEVER COME INTO OUR LIVES AGAIN! NEITHER MINE, NOR THE LIVES OF MY MOTHER, FIANCÉE, AND FRIENDS!”       “If you want to provoke me into a conflict or a fight, you will not do it,” Edward says a little coldly. “I came here not to provoke fights and scandals. Not to sort out a relationship with you, but to keep Raquelle aware. Natalia’s close friend has a right to know what happened.”       “She is my close friend, too!” Terrence replies coldly. “But you are nobody to her! And I want to notice that you are banned from coming to her! Raquelle and I told you to keep yourself far from Natalia. But it seems like you, asshole, did not the fuck get it.”       “Ha! Who will ban me? Not you, Terrence! She is not your sister! You don’t have to beat the faces of her admirers and play an evil brother!”       “Because of you, we nearly lost that girl! Because of you, scumbag! Because of how disgustingly you behaved toward her! You brought the poor girl to a wish to literally kill herself! And after all of that, you dare to talk to her and pretend to be a hero, trying to save her!”       “I know that I did a mean thing to her.” Edward glances aside. “And I take the blame for what happened. Then and now.”       “Oh, holy shit! And what’s next? Will you immediately become a sweet and kind boy and start beating the faces of all of her offenders? Start running to everybody and begging for help?”       “Thought of yourself?” Edward smirks without emotions, looking at Terrence. “You did beg Raquelle’s auntie and grandpa to help you and did your best to prove that you were actually a good boy!”       “None of your business, Edward!” Terrence replies rudely.       “Don’t you see we are similar to some extent?” Edward crosses his arms over his chest. “I mean, our cases are similar. We both were made to believe in a betrayal that didn’t exist. And while in my case, the proof could be the photos, you believed it because your relationship was about to end. But after we knew the truth, we started to regret and do something to make amends and become good.”       “Ha, I doubt you are regretting!” Terrence hums. “You never loved Natalia truly much and just worked your tongue when talking about your alleged admiration. If you really loved her, you would not have left her so easily and attacked her with blames for cheating and being a prostitute.”       “You doubt my feelings for her?”       “I do not doubt your love for money or yourself. For the money, you are ready to do anything. Especially reject your family, which, by the way, accepted you with open arms. Nobody turned around when you told us who you were. Everybody treated you well. But you, jackass, gave a fuck about everybody and rejected your family.”       “I have never rejected my family and will not do it! And I’m not going to kill or rob anyone!”       “Oh, come on! But why don’t you want to prove it? For example, reject the inheritance and your plans of getting our wealth!”       “I will do it!” Edward says confidently, raising his head slightly. “That jackass can choke! If he wants to get it, it’s alright! He must only set Natalia free and leave all of us alone.”       “Really, so easily?” Terrence wonders, crossing his arms over his chest.       “Yes, so easily! If that bastard gave me a piece of paper for the refusal, I would sign it without examining it!”       “You will be saying it until Michael starts blackmailing you and makes you kill your family. Or when you think it’s time to become a killer and robber.”       “I’m not an accomplice of Uncle and will never be!” Edward says a little louder.       “Alright, I’m done with listening to you!” Terrence points at the side of the hall door, but then rudely grabs Edward by the collar and drags him to the exit by force. “Get out of here, kid! And never come back here! I said, scumbag, GET OUT!”       “Calm the fuck DOWN!” Edward sharply gets out of Terrence’s grip and turns on him. “I did say I was understood wrongly!”       “Don’t dare to talk, bastard!” Terrence gives Edward a strong slap in the face and threatens him with a finger, breathing heavily. “GET THE FUCK OUT! OR YOU WILL END UP ON A HOSPITAL BED AND DIE!”       Terrence gives Edward two more slaps in the face, then painfully grabs him by the hair with both hands and rudely pushes him so that the guy falls on the floor, right on the elbows that start hurting. However, Lockhart, gets up quickly and winces from a strong pain in the back after a strong hit that he gets from MacClife. Then he gets a few more hits with a fist on his face and arms and doubles over with a quiet shout after getting a hit in the solar plexus. No matter how much Edward wants to stand up for himself, he tells himself he has no right to succumb to the provocations of Terrence. Who gets obsessed with true evil and does not hold down a wish to strongly beat this man, who cannot breathe after the hit in his stomach, winces strongly, and sometimes makes quiet shouts.       All this time, Raquelle was sitting on the sofa with the bridge of her nose squeezed and trying to move to another place to think about how to help Natalia. But the furious Terrence’s loud shouts and Edward’s attempts to protect himself and explain his behavior make the girl lose any patience. And when her fiancé starts beating his friend on everything with no pity, the girl cannot take it anymore. She sharply gets up from the sofa and shouts loudly:       “Terrence, STOP! STOP, I SAID!”       But her shouts do not make Terrence stop beating Edward, who is not reacting to it and is taking painful hits with the face winced in pain. And then Raquelle decides to risk and stop what might lead to a catastrophe, coming to her fiancé and pulling him away from his friend by force.       “Calm down, Terrence, stop beating him!” Raquelle demands loudly, grabbing tightly the arm of Terrence, who is breathing heavily.       “GET OUT, ASSHOLE!” Terrence screams at the top of his lungs, pointing at the hall door. “GET OUT, I SAID!”       “I shall not answer your provocations, you cannot even try,” Edward says quietly, breathing a little heavily and coming more or less to himself after a strong hit in the stomach that he tightly holds. “Don’t hope.”       “Let me go, Raquelle!” Terrence demands coldly, getting his arm out of Raquelle’s strong grip. “Let me go, I said! You hear what I say! LET ME THE FUCK GO!”       “STOP IT, YOU TWO!” Raquelle screams at the top of her lungs.       To calm Terrence down a little, Raquelle gives him a very strong slap in the face that has the effect of sudden. The strong slap makes him feel like he was splashed by cold water. Grabbing his burning cheek, he amazingly stares at the girl breathing a little heavily, clenching her hands into fists tightly and looking at him with a cold gaze. Nevertheless, Raquelle’s shout and slap do make Terrence and Edward stop fighting and pay attention to her.       “What did you the fuck do here?” Raquelle resents loudly, looking at Terrence and Edward by one. “Decided to fight again and destroy everything to the fuck? I’m done with what happened the last time! And this time, I shall meddle in your fights! Do what you want to me, but I will not let you kill each other!”       Raquelle glances at Terrence, who looks confused, as he looks at the angry girl.       “I mean, I shall not let someone kill the person in anger and beat him much more!” Raquelle exclaims loudly. “He was definitely beaten by those stinkers, who took my friend nobody knows where! And if it’s true, we will have to unite to find a way to rescue Natalia!”       Raquelle falls into silence for two seconds.       “Now I’m addressing you, Terrence, because you are the only one to act like a hysterical girl and attacked Edward first,” Raquelle says confidently. “Who has given you NO reason to attack him with fists!”       “Holy shit!” Terrence resents and points at Edward. “Are you defending him after what he told us, how meanly he behaved, and what he is going to do to us at the nearest time?”       “No, I am not. But for Natalia’s salvation, I’m ready to forget all the conflicts. For my friend, I will do anything. To know the poor girl would not have to experience more horrible things than what she experienced when that scumbag was feeling her up and licking her whole body.”       “And you believed this insolent lie?”       “It’s NOT a lie, MacClife, wake the fuck up! My friend is in trouble! She might die because of Michael!”       “Maybe, not a lie. But if it’s true, this bastard organized the kidnapping of Rochester and gave her to the hands of his uncle and his pals.”       “That’s what YOU want to think!” Raquelle exclaims loudly. “You are so blinded by anger that you see nothing but bad things!”       “God, give her brains, so she realizes that someone has her wrapped around a finger,” Terrence groans irritably, rolling his eyes. “And make her stop defending this betrayer, who got on the territory of my house after passing by the security!”       “Did you forget that you didn’t come to the security and tell them not to let Edward come here? On the day of the reveal, you threatened to add him to the blacklist and told the security to call the police if they saw him not far from themselves. But it’s been a few days, and you have not warmed them!”       “So, I will go and warn them today! Kick this bastard out of the home, bring him to the security, tell them to memorize this insolent pretty face and not to let him end up on my territory. And you will not stop me!”       Terrence only gives Edward a strong slap in the face, after which his face starts burning much more, before Raquelle grabs both hands of him, doing her best to get him cool and not to start another fight with the man, who is standing white and dumbfounded and shaking from fear and tension.       “ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!” Raquelle shouts. “You can make any quiet person enraged. You did start to make me irritated by your hysterical attacks and inability to keep yourself under control.”       “Damn, I can’t believe you stood by the side of this scumbag and became his protector,” Terrence resents loudly. “It’s like he’s your fiancé, not me!”       “I’m starting to regret agreeing to marry you!”       “That’s how! Maybe, you say you forgave this bastard for all his insults and humiliations and are ready to love him with all your heart?”       “I’m ready to give him a chance to prove that he deserves it.”       “I am not allowing you!”       “I’m not going to ask your permission. I can decide who to forgive and who to get mad at.”       “You’ve lately been just unbearable! I can barely take your hysterics.”       “You know, MacClife, I’m done with your hysterics, as well.”       “Nobody holds you! Take your stuff and get out of here, if you’re unhappy with something!”       “You can do what you want, but I will take measures and find a way to save Natalia. Either we do it all together, or Edward and I will try to save Natalia without you, or none of us will help each other. Edward would be seeking ways to save my friend by himself, I would be finding her on my own, and you could keep being a psycho and beat the face of anyone to stand in your way.”       Raquelle turns around sharply and goes to the stairs to go up to the second floor. Edward and Terrence stay in the living room. While the first one is not surprised and looks at what surrounds him, and the second one is standing a little discouraged and looks at the stairs for some time.       “So, what did you get by screaming like a hysterical girl?” Edward asks without emotions, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at Terrence. “And attacked me with fists…”       “Forgot to tell you!” Terrence snaps, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “So, I’m fighting with Raquelle because of you! Because she believes your fucking tales like a stupid idiot.”       “I think you’re the only one to provoke fights. Of course, I could succumb to your provocations and beat you, but I will not do it. Because I have no wish to fight with you and have bruises and a hellish pain in my body for one week. Moreover, I haven’t come to myself after the previous fight.”       “Right, because you know that you will regret being born in the world if you touch me with a finger.”       “I don’t need to touch His Highness…” Edward hums quietly and glances aside for a second. “The most important thing is that Raquelle was here and heard what happened to Natalia.”       “You told? Yeah! Now, do me a favor and get out of my home! Get out of my fucking sight. Leave this place before I make you disabled and bring you to a hospital.”       “I will do. But only if Raquelle asks me about it. Though, she said she’d be ready to help me with Natalia’s salvation. I doubt that Cameron will listen to you because this girl would do anything for her friend.”       “Ha!” Terrence hums and crosses his arms over his chest. “Do you think I’d let Raquelle be with the man, who might kill her at any time? I’m not going to lose my fiancée because of you! But if Raquelle dies, you will have to pay a high cost. I swear, Edward, I shall personally kill you. So, you, bastard, burn in hell for all your sins!”       “Listen, did you really get stuck?” Edward knocks on his temple with a finger. “I have never wanted and will never wish to do anything bad to you, Raquelle, Natalia, or my own mother.”       “I am warning you, Edward Lockhart,” Terrence says rudely in a low voice, staring at Edward contemptuously and starting to threaten him with a finger. “If you do something to Raquelle, Natalia, and especially my mother, I swear you will regret it. You’ll become my number one enemy, whom I will hate and despise all my life. And if I can’t kill you, I will have the pleasure of betraying you to the police.”       “I am repeating for the thousandth time, Terrence MacClife… I have never been an accomplice of Uncle and will not kill anyone of my close people or rob someone. Whatever that old bastard Michael offers, I shall not give up and shall show him a middle finger again.”       “Don’t try to pretend to be good, Edward! You had us wrapped around a finger for almost six months. And you would've kept doing it if Raquelle and I hadn’t decided to reveal your plans, and Natalia hadn’t helped us bring you to clear water. And I’m personally, madly grateful to her for saving us from such a nasty bastard. The poisoned cobra that was hiding among us and covering so well.”       “Actually, on that day, I came here to tell you everything about Uncle Michael and his tricks.”       “Oh, fuck, what news!” Terrence throws crossly. “You did just realize you were pinned to the wall! There was no point in delaying it because your pal revealed you, confidently saying you had to do with this case.”       “He is not my pal! It’s one of the bastards that work for Uncle! I would strangle myself if I had friends like them.”       “But I want to strangle myself because my family and I were betrayed so cruelly. You were silent about Uncle, and you either agreed with him or went against him because of jealousy and a wish to get everything I had earned.”       “I did not agree with that bastard!” Edward says irritably. “I’m not going to kill you and the fuck kill! I don’t need it! D-O N-O-T N-E-E-D I-T!”       “It’s half of your sins. Let’s not forget what Natalia experienced because of you, how you showered her with dirt, and what a nasty slut you wanted to make her. You did want to make her suffer and take revenge for allegedly cheating on you. So much that you did really stupid things. For example, you made her tell everyone that everything was fine with your couple. It looked fucking stupid! Only an absolutely brainless moron could come up with this idea!”       “Alright, let me try to get something into your head again and make it clear. As for my silence… I was silent because I was afraid to tell. And I refused to believe Uncle would really reach you, Raquelle, your mother, and Natalia. I thought Uncle bluffed and needed only Father. But I was wrong. And I wanted to tell you everything much earlier. I just wanted to choose a better moment.”       “Ar-r-r, you’re telling me your stupid tales again…” Terrence growls quietly, rolling his eyes.       “As for my relationship… Yes, I really asked Natalia to pretend for you. But I did it not to kick her ass and make her suffer much more. There were other reasons. Stupid, I’m gonna say, but I won’t call them because it doesn’t make sense.”       “I don’t care about it. I don’t actually want to hear you trying to excuse yourself. And make me sure that you didn’t play a good guy for a few months. At first, you washed Natalia’s brains, but then you persuaded her to help you get into our circle and began to wash our brains.”       “My treatment toward you has always been totally true. I’ve never pretended that I loved someone but hated them deep inside and wanted to kill, rob, take revenge, and do anything to destroy them.”       “I don’t know what about the others, but you have never treated me well. You were just pretending to be a loyal friend, who kind of cared about me, wanted to know what was happening to me, and tried to support me.”       “I’m gonna tell you more, Terrence…” Edward replies confidently, bravely looking at Terrence. “Despite nothing, you remain my close person. No matter how many slaps you give me… No matter how hard you beat me with your legs and hands… At heart, I keep treating you much better than you think. Even if you decide to kill me or put me in prison for nothing, I will not forget that you are my friend. The friend, who well always mean a lot to me.”       There is something in Edward’s words that makes Terrence thinks a little and stop being as furious as a bull. A sixth sense tells him that what he hears sounds true, and that the words are said with all the heart. However, the man does not show it and keeps being cold and cruel, even if he stops showing such strong aggression. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which MacClife looks gloomily at his friend, who fingers over nervously, looking a little timid and insecure.       “And how can you prove this love?” Terrence asks coldly. “Working your tongue will not help you. What can you do or give to make someone think this love is real, at least for a second?”       “What you would like to get from me,” Edward replies hesitantly. “Anyway, I’m ready to do everything for Uncle and his pals to go to prison for many years. I want that bastard Michael to pay for what he did to Father…”       Terrence, throwing a gloomy gaze aside, exhales sharply before he says quietly but coldly with his arms crossed over his chest:       “Let’s imagine I believe you. But after all of your disgusting actions, you will have to spend a lot of time proving that you’re sorry. After you insulted Natalia for nothing. After you humiliated me and Raquelle. After you fought with Mother. After you betrayed all of us. You will not get off it!”       “So, I shall be proving,” Edward replies quietly. “One week, one month, or one year – it doesn’t matter. I will do my best to make amends.”       “Want to be good for everybody again after you did such a nasty thing and betrayed those, who accepted you?”       “I’ve made only one mistake – I insulted and humiliated those, who didn’t deserve it. Natalia became a victim because I was mad at her and believed in her betrayal. But the fact that I began to insult you and Raquelle is the aftermath of my fight with her. When she made me really furious and stop watching my actions and words.”       “It sounds like an excuse.”       “I’m not trying to prove anything. You asked, I answered. You gave the facts, I explained the reasons.”       “I would like all of it to be true.”       “Now I’m telling only the truth. I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t want to fix everything somehow.”       “Oh, yeah…” Terrence throws gloomily, rolling his eyes.       “And let’s be honest: you aren’t better than me. You acted in almost the same way and lost control of yourself due to aggression. I reproach you for nothing, and will not remember what happened. Maybe, I don’t approve of your behavior, but I would never tell everyone you’re a jackass that must be isolated from people.”       “But in your opinion, it should happen.”       “What was said then was said in anger, because of the loss of control of me.”       “It’s not an excuse.”       “Think what you want. But let’s not also forget that your father did the same somehow, and your mother confirmed it.”       “But he and I didn’t make the people, who didn’t have to do with our business, guilty. I never got someone involved in my conflict with Raquelle and insulted people. But because of your hatred for Natalia, you made everybody guilty. As if we’re guilty that your relationship was ruined. You should’ve thought better before going to her home, insulting and blaming her for cheating. And insulting the innocent people, as if they messed up everything.”       “I know,” Edward glances at his hands. “My blame, I know it.”       “But you’re probably right to some extent,” Terrence replies thoughtfully, turns upon Edward, and steps slowly two or three steps back from him. “About me not being better than you and Father. Sadly, I can’t deny it.”       “I’ve especially never thought I’m better than someone else, and I know I have lots of weaknesses.”       “Glad you recognize it.” Terrence turns slowly on Edward. “But try to understand me and what I felt. As if it was a pleasure for me to hear everything you said about me and my close people the last time. What should I have thought when you were shamelessly shouting that I was a bastard, who did a disgusting thing to his fiancée and suffered from mental issues? That I deserved the problems I got.”       “I completely understand you,” Edward replies quietly, a little hesitantly. “Understand your feelings… And I understand your aggression towards me. So, I’m not going to attack and answer your insults and attempts to hit me. It’s all fair.”       “Trying to pity me?” Terrence squints slightly.       “Not at all,” Edward inclines his head guiltily and looks at the floor or his shoes with sad eyes. “I’m really very sorry… I’m ashamed of saying so many terrible things… I didn’t want it and have never had such a bad opinion about you and Raquelle. Yes, I really hated Natalia and thought she was a whore that slept with all men. But now, knowing the truth and meeting that asshole, who almost raped her, I understand Natalia didn’t also deserve what she tolerated from me.”       “Don’t think your words would help you solve everything quickly. Even if someone barely believes your bullshit, it doesn’t mean you'll be forgiven.”       “I know.”       “Other people can do what they want, but I’m not personally going to forget all the insults and the way you betrayed me.”       “I insulted you, but I’ve never betrayed you. I’ve done nothing to put you in danger.”       “What about a wish to kill and rob?”       “Uncle does want me to do it. Michael wants me to kill you and presses on me psychologically to make me sure that it would be the best decision.”       “Your uncle wants you to kill me?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “I’m sure he kidnapped Natalia to blackmail me,” Edward replies quietly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Uncle knows that I can do everything for him to leave her alone, and he decided to do it. He’d set her free if I… Killed MacClife…”       “So, didn’t you lie about Natalia’s kidnapping?”       “No, didn’t lie and did tell Raquelle everything I had known before I passed out.”       “And are you really ready for everything for your uncle to leave her alone?”       “Everything but murder. That old bastard can do what he wants, but I will not kill you not for anything in the world.”       “Even if he offers you a lot of money or gives you a part of the inheritance that belongs to you at his wish?”       “He can choke. Now, I don’t need a cent from what might lead to the catastrophe,” Edward exhales slowly and glances at Terrence hesitantly. “And do you really think I look like someone to be able to kill?”       “I stopped trusting what’s outside. A pretty face doesn’t mean everything is good inside, and you’re really so sweet, shy, and puffy. In your case, everything might be rotted inside. And now I am not sure if you are really the one, who you are pretending. That you are not hiding your real identity.”       “If everything inside me was rotted, I’d reject my close people and start to work for that old sick bastard, kill and rob those, who he disliked. I’d give a fuck about my family, friends, and girlfriend… Who might die because of the one, who I will never forgive if it happens.”       “So, what do you want from Raquelle and me?”       “Help. Now I really help in rescuing Natalia. I know we might not probably be able to do something. But…” Edward swallows up, tightly locking the fingers of his hands. “But maybe, it would be easier for me… I don’t ask you to comfort me like a child. I just need to know I could quietly ask you for help and advice at any time.”       “Huh, nobody’s gonna stay by your ass and wipe off your saliva.”       “I know you won’t agree. But I can hardly do this by myself. It would be fair for me to do it all on my own and pay for the consequences of what happened. But I understand it’s gonna be hard for me. Hard to stay strong and not to wish to piss everything off because of fear and doubts and let Uncle defeat Natalia. I can’t let it happen. For her, I must do everything to save her. Now, I have no right to let it happen. I didn’t save her from those bastards, who took her away. But I will not give her to those scumbags for the second time. Especially the one, who almost raped her.”       Terrence says nothing and just gloomily looks at Edward, who hesitantly looks at him with a begging gaze, as if he is silently dreaming that his friend agrees to help him in Natalia’s salvation, or at least give him some support and let him know that he would help him if it was time.       “Please, Terrence, help me,” Edward begs with pity in his eyes. “I’ve always been and will be by the side of my close people. I’ll be happy to go to the police and betray that old man to the police, telling them everything I know. If we want to end this bullshit, we must be together and unite our effort. And then things will happen as they want… Time will show. But now I want to get those, who could help me save Natalia and all of us. I can’t do this all alone…”       Despite a strong offense and all the words he had to hear, Terrence gets a little softer towards Edward and now starts to feel that there is much more trueness in Lockhart’s words than a lie. It does let him get over himself and agree to help this guy. However, it does not mean he is ready to forget everything and forgive his friend. This agreement probably means that Terrence is just doing his duty and remembers that Edward is not a stranger to him.       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, after which Terrence exhales slowly, slightly rubbing his forehead, and breaks it with his arms crossed over his chest:       “Alright, Edward. I agree to help. For Natalia, I’m ready to forget about the offenses and unite with you.”       “Thanks…” Edward nods with a slight smile. “Thanks a lot…”       “But remember one thing: just because I’m ready to help you doesn’t mean all your words and actions will be forgotten. No hugs, no good words, and no other signs of love. We talk only about the business and put any kind of tenderness to our asses.”       “As you wish.”       “And yeah: telling absolutely everything Michael plans is for your best. As well as revealing all your secrets. But if we know you lied to us again, did agree with that stinker and his plans, and had to do with Natalia’s kidnapping, I will immediately go to the police and blame you for all of that. No begs and excuses will help you. You, bastard, will pay for everything alongside those assholes. Don’t forget that I’ve got many familiar people and can do much more than you imagine. So, your life and the safety of your skin depend on me. One little thing – and you, scumbag, will go to prison and die there like a rotted rat.”       Edward says nothing and just swallows up nervously, hesitantly at Terrence, who looks gloomy and cold outside.       “I hope you got it well?” Terrence asks coldly. “Or do I explain it again if your brains work poorly?”       “Don’t worry, I understood you well,” Edward replies quietly. “Thank you, at least for that.”       “I hope.”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds. Then Raquelle shows up in the living room, going downstairs quickly and definitely going somewhere because she is wearing a brown biker jacket and holding a small purse in her hands.       “Natalia’s phone is not available,” Raquelle jabs excitedly. “I tried to call her mobile and home numbers several times, but she didn’t answer. I’m going to go to her home and find out what happened. I’ve got a very bad presentiment.”       “No, no, it’s worthless!” Terrence protests. “Going there doesn’t make sense!”       “You think I’m gonna listen to you?” Raquelle throws coldly, going down to the living room, coming to the sofa, putting her purse on it, and starting to search it. “Stay home and keep being a psycho, but I will be doing just something for my friend.”       “Do you think I’m refusing to help?”       “I don’t know what’s on your mind. Though, I don’t care about it. Everything’s decided: I’m going to go to Natalia’s home and try to talk to her neighbors if she isn’t there. Maybe, they could tell me something.”       “Natalia isn’t home,” Edward says quietly. “She’s somewhere near Uncle and his accomplices.”       “Maybe, you and I go to her home together and talk to her neighbors? Maybe, they saw someone or something suspicious. What if Michael’s accomplices also know her home address and were there for a certain goal.”       “Well, okay!” Terrence exhales slowly. “Since you want to go there, I will go, too.”       “Stay home! Otherwise, you will drive me crazy with your hysterics or kill Edward somewhere on the way.”       “I will not hurt him, I promise. Okay – I’ll agree to unite to rescue Natalia.”       “Agree?” Raquelle frowns slightly and looks at Terrence with suspicion. “And what bite you after I left? Did God light up your empty head and give you some brains and patience?”       “Think it’s true!” Terrence throws gloomily. “I said, I agreed – that’s all!”       “It seems like there are miracles in the world if you've become so good and promise to hold yourself down.”       “There are things, for which we could get over ourselves, at least for a while.”       “My gosh!” Raquelle exclaims, leaving her purse alone and putting her hands on her hips. “That’s how you spoke! Bravo, MacClife, bravo!”       “Oh…” Terrence growls tiredly, rolling his eyes with his arms crossed over his chest. “Stop showing off! You better think about what to do.”       “I already said what. If Natalia doesn’t answer any of the numbers, I wanna make sure that she’s not at home and then think what to do.”       While Terrence and Raquelle are talking, Edward suddenly recalls the moment when Natalia and he were running away from Michael’s gang. He recalls how he threw his gaze down for a moment and noticed something gold, similar to a phone, got out of the pocket of her denim jacket. The man also saw that the girl had a gold bracelet on her hand when they were talking about the rape attempt. However, when they ran away, she did not have that jewelry… Edward remembers about the bracelet because it got stuck on his coat when they hugged each other for the first time, but they let it go so quickly that nobody paid attention to that.       “Oh, shit…” Edward blunts under his nose. “The phone and the bracelet… They must be there!”       “Erm…” Raquelle frowns slightly and comes closer to Edward. “Excuse me, what did you say? Any problems?”       “No, but I recalled something,” Edward replies thoughtfully and glances at Raquelle, starting to stroke his chin and frowning slightly. “When Natalia and I were talking about the rape, she had a gold bracelet on her hand that accidentally got stuck on my coat. But I quickly let it go, and we didn’t pay attention to that. But when we decided to run away, that bracelet slipped off her hand, and her phone got out of the pocket of her denim jacket… A gold smartphone…”       “Are you sure it was her smartphone?”       “Yes. I remember that. She wore a denim jacket with an open pocket, which her phone got out of. Maybe, I would’ve stopped to take them, but we had no time because those men were about to run after us.”       “So, Natalia’s number isn’t available because she lost her phone?” Terrence frowns slightly, keeping his arms crossed over his chest.       “We can probably find the phone and the bracelet yet,” Edward shrugs. “I know where she lost them.”       “Do you remember where you and Natalia were when talking about the rape and where you got a hit on your head?” Raquelle specifies.       “Yes, sure, I can show you that place,” Edward nods confidently. “It’s a deserted one. I don’t think someone would find Natalia’s phone and take it away. So, there’s a chance that it’s there.”       “I think we should go there and try to find Natalia’s stuff. We could also try to examine that place. What if we could find something interesting.”       “We could do that, of course, but I examined it after I woke up.”       “Did you find nothing else?” Terrence asks.       “Yup. Only my own blood on the brick wall and the handkerchief soaked in chloroform. And I just recalled about the phone and the bracelet.”       “Maybe, one of those men lost something else?”       “Nope. Of course, I could miss something because I poorly thought due to weakness and a headache. But my blood and the handkerchief were the first things I noticed shortly.”       “Edward, say, please, where that place is,” Raquelle says confidently, being determined to find something that could help her start her own investigation and ask Darwin for help. “I wanna go there and find Natalia’s stuff and something else that could be the proof of her kidnapping or just belong to the accomplices of your uncle.”       “It’s a deserted place. As I said, there is usually nobody there, and cars rarely drive there – one or two per hour.”       “My gosh…” Terrence frowns slightly and thinks for two seconds. “Rochester ended up nobody the heck knows where… Again…”       “I was also surprised and asked her why she went there after a walk in a similar place led to the catastrophe. Driving in that place, I didn’t think I’d see her.”       “But where is actually that place?” Raquelle asks.       “You should go straight to the third traffic light on the crossroad from the café where you and I talked. Turn on the left and then go straight until the end – about ten minutes. But if you go there from this house, the way will take somewhere half an hour. At least, I spent this time going here.”       “Great. I can assume where to go. I want to check that place immediately.”       “No, Raquelle, you will not go there alone!” Terrence protests. “If you go there, you will do it only with me! If those bastards gave you some bullshit to breathe in to kick you out and drove nobody knows where, it would be too much.”       “If they hit you against the wall as strongly as possible, so you hit your head and pass out, it would be too much.”       “You will not go there alone! Especially, at the place that is VERY good for committing murders, attacks, and kidnappings.”       “Okay, let’s go there all together and check it? Edward will show us a way!”       “Sure, I will,” Edward replies quietly as he shrugs. “No problem.”       “Great!” Raquelle moves her little gloomy gaze on Terrence and Edward, starting to show something with her index finger. “But I’m warning you two: if you start screaming and want to kill each other on the way again, I will turn around and leave. I will be looking for ways to help Natalia without your help.”       “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him.” Terrence puts his hands on his hips.       “I’m not going to fight and quarrel, especially,” Edward raises his hands.       “We’ll see,” Raquelle throws quietly.       “Then let’s go right now. Before it’s too dark.”       “Hey, where!” Terrence exclaims. “Are you going to walk outside with this makeup on your face? Before we leave, it would be great to treat the wounds and wipe off the blood.”       “Erm…” Edward runs his fingers over his nose and feels the dry blood. “Oh… Wow… I forgot I had blood on my face all this time.”       “Alright, let me quickly treat the wounds and check if there are serious damages after the hit on the head.”       “Yeah, and you better go to a doctor for the examination,” Raquelle advises. “What if you’ve got brain damage, but walk in the whole city instead of lying on the bed and taking drugs.”       “I’m all fine, don’t worry,” Edward replies quietly.       “But how do you actually feel?”       “Much better, now,” Edward replies quietly and touches the back of his head and his forehead, pressing on which he can feel pain. “My head hurts… As well as my forehead and nose… I hit them strongly.”       “Don’t you feel nausea? See clearly? Orientate well? No holes in the memory?”       “No, it’s okay, no nausea or loss of orientation. I felt bad only when I woke up. But then I got better and recalled what happened slowly.”       “Anyway, you better go to the hospital and check your head.”       “Thanks, but I really feel much better now. And when I go home, I’ll sleep earlier. Sleep enough, and I will be okay tomorrow.”       “Oh, okay, as you wish,” Raquelle shrugs.       “Better go to the kitchen and take the first aid kit and something from the headache,” Terrence says and glances at Edward, more specifically, the bruises on his arms. “Something to wipe the dry blood off the face and a little bit of ice. To put it on the bruises and the head…”       “Listen and obey, Mr. MacClife.”       Raquelle goes to the kitchen with a quiet sign, while Terrence and Edward stay alone and watch her until she hides. Then MacClife sits on the sofa, while his friend glances aside and thinks about something with sadness in his eyes.       “Hey, come here, I’ll check your wounds and hits,” Terrence says quietly.       “Don’t need, I’m fine,” Edward replies tiredly.       “Stop arguing and sits down here!” Terrence yells harshly. “We will not go anywhere until I’m sure you’re fine.”       Edward says nothing, sighs tiredly, and slowly comes to the sofa, on which he sits hesitantly. Terrence starts examining the wounds and bruises. Although the man stays quiet and a little cold, it’s possible to see he does care about this guy and shows some pity and sympathy.       “Holy shit, you hit it strongly,” Terrence says thoughtfully and feels up a little bump on Edward’s forehead that is not quite seen because of the blood, with which his face is covered. “The bump on the forehead… The blue bridge of the nose…”       Terrence falls into silence for two seconds, not showing that he is actually worried about the appearance of Edward, who tightly locks his fingers and just looks into the distance without emotions.       “I must notice that you’re a lucky guy because everything could’ve been much worse,” Terrence notices.       “I’m not lucky, Uncle Mikey is just praying about my health too hard,” Edward hums quietly. “He wanna see me alive until he decides to kill me. And he still hopes he’d make me another kiss-ass that would be running after him like a tail.”       “That man is determined, as I understand.”       “Too determined. He wants only to get what should allegedly belong to him.”       “I got it.”       “Hey, didn’t he send you and Raquelle any letters with threats or tell someone to commit an attack?”       “Luckily, no. These days were quiet enough.”       “As I thought, calm before the storm. Uncle hid on purpose to show up suddenly and organize Natalia’s kidnapping.”       “Damn, I did warn her to be careful and not to walk at those places. She knew the situation, but went somewhere where those men easily made Michael’s order.”       “Yeah, that scumbag didn’t bluff when threatening to organize her kidnapping. And I’m afraid it might lead to terrible consequences. That asshole might give a command to kill Natalia. Just like he did it to my father.”       “Do you really think your father is dead?”       “Uncle said that!”       “He should’ve proven it somehow!”       “At least, he says it very confidently. Uncle talks about Father in the past time and doesn’t forget to remind me that his brother is dead.”       “Was he a witness to the murder?”       “He says someone told him about his death. At least, he said that at first. But then Uncle let me know that his people got rid of the corpse.”       “Is there someone who is able to confirm it?”       “Maybe, only his pals. Uncle said, ‘If you don’t believe me, ask my people, who would confirm everything.’”       “Do you believe in his death?”       “I dunno… But that old man sounds true. He doesn’t look like he’s lying. Uncle does know my father is dead, and his people got rid of his corpse.”       “Okay…”       Terrence thinks about whether he should tell Edward what Rebecca told him somehow, but he decides to be silent and not to start this talk.       “Turn your back on me, I’ll see what’s on the back of your head,” Terrence says quietly.       Edward silently does what Terrence wants and waits for the man to see what there is on the back of his head, on which his friend notices tracks of blood and can feel quite a tough bump, even through the thin hair.       “The bump is much tougher…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully.       “Ugh, and it’s much more painful,” Edward winces slightly. “Don’t press on, it hurts much…”       “Now Raquelle will bring some ice, and you will put it on the head and these bruises.”       “The important thing is to swallow up a tablet. Otherwise, I’ll go crazy from this headache.”       Terrence says nothing and silently checks if Edward has some serious traumas for a few seconds, but finds nothing serious yet.       “Hey, what did you tell Mother that she got terribly mad at you?” Terrence asks.       “Nothing special…” Edward shrugs. “I just told her the story of the inheritance.”       “Let her know you cared only about your family’s money?”       “I’ve never said it! I told only about a wish to get my part of the inheritance, but Mrs. MacClife also understood it wrongly and believed I was allegedly gonna kill and rob my family.” Edward glances down. “And before, we had a talk about Natalia.”       “I know, she told me everything.”       “Why are you asking, then?” Edward frowns slightly and glances at Terrence.       “I wanted to listen to your version.”       “Did Mrs. MacClife tell you that she got mad at me?” Edward asks hesitantly.       “Ha, she did! She can’t believe the one, who she got so attracted to, could become so horrible.”       “I see…” Edward exhales slowly, moving his eyes down and biting his lip slightly. “We really had a fight a few days ago. She was talking to me cruelly, but she was absolutely right.”       “Did you think Mother would caress your head after learning about your business?”       “The case is not only about it. I just got terribly hurt that Mrs. MacClife acted like she never loved me and always held you as an example. I always knew that my father didn’t love me and got used to that. But I didn’t expect the woman, who I got attracted to like a mother, would despise me, as well.”       “You’re giving her a reason to call you horrible.”       “I know.” Edward leans back in the sofa. “But sometimes I think Mother wouldn’t have cared if I’d shown up or not. And I’m sure Father gave a fuck when I left home. He was happy to get off me. My parents never loved me. They didn’t need me as well as Grandpa and Grandma didn’t need Uncle Michael. He always says my birth was never planned. Unlike yours. You’ve always been their wanted child. Father and Mother gave a fuck about me. They didn’t wanna get an abortion and leave me in an orphan house. So, they bite the bullet when looking at me.”       “Are you really sure about it?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “What’s happening makes me believe it. And Uncle adds fuel to the fire and does his best for me to feel freaking shitty.”       “Excuse me, Edward, but you’re a brainless moron!” Terrence throws gloomily. “You’re guilty of everything. To make people proud of you and call you their beloved person, you should do just something. But what did you do? Nothing! Nobody will thank you for the show of Michael, in which you play a hero that wanna save everybody but actually looks stupid.”       “But I can’t stop it now. To defeat that scumbag, I must go ‘till the end. But now I will be doing this differently.” Edward glances at his hands for two seconds. “Going to the police could give me a little hope. If this attempt is unsuccessful, I will be going to all stations until someone opens the case against that sick asshole.”       “I’d like to believe you.”       “You decide. Anyway, now, when danger is threatening Natalia, my plans changed. I must stop being afraid of that bastard and his gang.”       “I believe the hit on the head washed your brains somehow,” Terrence chuckles without emotions.       “Not the hit, but Natalia’s story about the rape attempt and a meeting with her offender. It became a slap that woke me up.”       “I’m sorry that it happened too late.”       “Better late than never. But now you can have no doubt – everything will be otherwise.”       Terrence says nothing and just exhales quietly. A few seconds later, Raquelle returns to the living room, holding a first aid kit, a small plate with a glass of water, and a little packet of ice wrapped in a rag. After coming to the man, she gives him everything and gives the glass of water and the pack of tablets to Edward. While MacClife sorts out the medicine and finds what he needs, and Lockhart swallows up the tablet and drinks it with water, the girl sits on the sofa next to them.       “Hey, Edward, how did you persuade Natalia to tell you what happened?” Raquelle asks. “Did she agree to do it so easily?”       “Well, nope, not quite easily…” Edward replies thoughtfully, drinking water to get rid of the dryness in his throat. “I had to insist… And… Get some hits on my head… But I eventually heard the truth.”       “So, did you decide to talk to her after our talk in the café?”       “Yup, but I thought it would hardly be quiet. At some moment, I got nuts and decided to leave. But when Natalia suddenly shouted something like, ‘I’ll never understand what a girl feels when she gets almost raped,’ I got kind of frozen and couldn’t move. As if someone splashed a bucket of cold water over my head.”       “And then you began to persuade her to explain it all?”       “Exactly! At first, she tried to pretend that she didn’t say it. But she eventually agreed to reveal the truth and told the story from start to end.”       “Knowing how terribly you treated her, I’m surprised you believed in her words so easily,” Terrence hums quietly, sorting out the medicines placed on the coffee table.       “Seeing how much she was shaking, and how scared she was, I must’ve believed her.” Edward drinks the rest of the water, puts the empty glass on the table, takes the ice wrapped in the rag, and puts it on his forehead, wincing slightly. “And when Natalia immediately recognized the man, who mocked her after he showed up in front of her, she started to panic and couldn’t stay quiet. And how loudly she was screaming when he was grabbing her and trying to feel up and lick her again.”       “But I don’t understand why you didn’t pay attention to her behavior when you got into her apartment,” Raquelle wonders. “You saw she had hysteria and could say nothing.”       “You think I was able to think? I could think of nothing but the fact that your friend betrayed me! The photos were taken so that it seemed she liked all of that.”       “I think if one wants to break up with another and really feels nothing for him or her, they would be quiet. Natalia didn’t wanna break up with you and did really love you.”       “Yes, I recognize I wasn’t right,” Edward replies quietly, moving his eyes to his hand, squeezing the ice wrapped in the rag tighter. “And her confession was what would’ve helped me get my head cold.”       “I think you made sure that you made a great mistake.”       “I did! And after learning the truth, I wanted the ground to swallow me up. Because I was terribly ashamed of making myself such a brainless moron.”       “Actually, we expected this effect. We didn’t doubt you’d immediately change.”       “If I’d known the truth much earlier, I would've understood her and given my help and support.”       While Raquelle glances down, Edward shakes slightly and winces because Terrence treats an open wound on his forehead with something that provokes a strong burning.       “Ugh!” Edward winces. “Can you do it tenderly? It hurts!”       “Oh, Edward, you’re like a little child, honestly,” Terrence shakes his head, holding a piece of cotton covered with blood. “Stay quiet if you decided to check a brick wall with your head.”       “Very funny!” Edward hums quietly and starts to hold the cold compress on the bruises on his arms, the blue bridge of his nose, and even his stomach, which still hurts after Terrence smashed his fist against it. “As if I hit my head against the wall…”       “So, was Natalia’s offender among the people, who worked for your uncle?” Raquelle frowns slightly.       “As you heard, yes.”       “Do you know those men well?” Terrence asks, getting through a little bunch that is placed on the coffee table.       “Not everybody, but I know many of them. For example, I’ve known Eric Brown, the main kiss-ass of Uncle, literally since I met that old bastard Michael for the first time. He is literally ready to dance attendance upon Uncle and make any of his wishes come true. And I even know the one, who attacked you and told you about me.”       “Who attacked me?”       “Yes, Trenton Tobias. Another nasty man, who has been in Uncle’s gang for ages. That deadbeat has a wonderful psychical education and can knock out anyone with one hit.”       “Was he among those, who drove Natalia away?”       “Nope, he wasn’t there. Eric was.”       “And the man, who mocked Natalia? You know who that is?”       “No, no, I saw that stinker for the first time. And I wouldn’t have rather done. Even homeless people look better than that hairy, dirty gorilla. He kinda introduced himself… I believe his name is Eugene… Eugene Wainwright… Yes, right! Eugene! Eric called him so!”       “But wait,” Raquelle frowns slightly. “But if Eugene was among those, who worked for your uncle…”       “Uncle framed Natalia and made me believe in her betrayal?” Edward puts the cold compress on the back of his head, where he has the biggest and most painful bump. “I don’t doubt it! And I’m gonna say more: that bastard knew everything, but kept my belief in Natalia’s betrayal for a long time. Only during our latest talk, he openly hinted that the photos couldn’t be true.”       “And you didn’t tell him about it?”       “A couple of words.”       “Wait, but how could your uncle realize that Natalia was connected with you?” Terrence wonders. “Even if Wainwright – or what’s his name – had told him he almost tried to rape her, one of them hardly knew she was your girlfriend.”       “I don’t know, but I’m sure that my uncle has to do with my breakup with Natalia,” Edward says confidently. “Here’s the answer to the question about how Wainwright got the correct address to send an envelope with the photos.”       “Hey, did he really want to make Natalia’s parents pay a ransom for the life and freedom of their daughter?” Raquelle asks.       “Yes. Uncle called me somewhere three days ago and told me to go to him. Well, he told me he got an idea to get much more money by making Natalia’s parents pay a ransom but deceive them and kill that girl anyway.”       “But her parents know nothing about what happened and are now in a different country. They’re gonna get a terrible surprise when they’re back in New York and find out that Natalia is in trouble.”       “I’d like to do something not to get them involved in this case. What if that old, sick bastard comes up with a wish to kill them, as well. Maybe, he wouldn’t feed up with it and would love to seek new victims. Rich victims.”       “I think Uncle would love to call them and say Natalia is with him and require money,” Terrence notices, cutting off a little piece of aid kit bandage from a ball with scissors.       “But how would he get their numbers?” Raquelle throws her hands up.       “Something tells me he has them,” Edward replies thoughtfully. “Since he sent messages with threats to Natalia, I can suspect that Michael could easily get their numbers, as well.”       “But how?”       “Listen, let’s first go to the place where everything happened and then start to think about what to do. Uncle won’t be holding Natalia near him forever. Early or late, he will show up with his claims.”       “Oh, MacClife, finish treating the wounds faster,” Raquelle says tiredly, running her hand over her hair. “And go… It’s getting dark soon, and we might see nothing.”       “Yes, yes, I almost finished it.”       Terrence finishes treating Edward’s wounds, putting aside a few pieces of cotton with bright red tracks and medicines. While his friend barely touches his face, which has no tracks of blood, and feels up a little piece of bandage put on the area on his forehead.       “That’s all!” Terrence exclaims, cleaning his hands with a wet antibacterial wipe he takes from a pack that is placed along with medicines in the first aid kit. “Done! The wounds are treated, and the bloody makeup has been removed from your face!”       “I see…” Edward pronounces thoughtfully, touching every part of his face, on some areas of which pieces of the bandage are put on.       “Oh, and last…” Terrence takes a little flashlight out of the first aid kit, turns it on, and glances at Edward. “Look at me.”       With these words, Terrence spots both eyes of Edward to see a pupillary response.       “A pupillary response is fine, so there is no brain damage,” Terrence concludes, turns off the flashlight, and puts it in the first aid kit. “You will live, don’t worry! Two days of rest and a few tablets for a headache before you feel like reborn.”       “Thanks for the comfort that doesn’t make me feel better,” Edward replies gloomily, chuckling without emotions, and sharply strokes down his disheveled hair.       “Oh, is it done?” Raquelle moans tiredly, gets up from the sofa slowly, takes her purse, and steps aside. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”       “Since the examination is over, I’m ready.”       “Yeah, let’s go…” Terrence says confidently, gets up from the sofa, and goes to the stairs. “Go outside, but I will take a warm coat.”       “I will be waiting for you in the parking lot,” Edward says and gets up from the sofa slowly. “My car is there.”       Edward opens the hall door and leaves the house. Terrence and Raquelle shrug slightly and go on different sides: the girl goes outside, and the man quickly goes upstairs. Then MacClife leaves the house and comes to his fiancée, who is standing near the exit and waiting for him with her arms crossed over her chest. Then they silently go to the car of Lockhart. When they are in the parking lot, the three get into it: Edward sits in the driver’s seat, Terrence – in the passenger’s one, and Raquelle – in the backseat. A few seconds later, the car leaves the parking lot backward and goes on the road, on which they should end up on the highway and come to where what Natalia and Edward will hardly forget at the nearest time happened.