ONE MOMENT

Elena's POV:

We were like this for moments, him staring into my eyes with motionless eyes, but then, he pulled away. I was still expectant of an answer. He finally sighed and looked at me again. The room was eerily silent as I waited for him to speak.

"I didn't." He said and I furrowed my brows. "My parents died because they didn't fulfil their promises to the mob and thought they could get away with it. I was ten years old when they handed a gun to me to kill them, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to. But our mansion wasn't hidden from the city, it was quite easy for someone to kill them. The gunshots broke the windows before they hit the targets. I was still holding the gun with me when Damon walked in and saw my parents dead. Then he thought it was me. I couldn't explain anything to him because I had to run. If I didn't, I would have been the next dead person. It didn't matter how young I was. I failed to do the assignment I was given and I was going to be punished for that, with death. I made sure that after I escaped, they weren't able to track my brother. I lured them away from the mansion and made them believe there was nobody else inside so they wouldn't kill Damon. I was continuously chased, even up till today. But I'm not scared like I used to be."

"Is that why you became... anonymous?" I asked surprisingly and he nodded.

"I pretended to hate Damon to protect him. They know I have a brother, but they can't use him against me once they believe we hate each other."

How did I know he was anonymous? Where did I learn that from? Memories flashed in my head. Leo...Jessie. My mind flashed back to the two people we had met outside the mall...they were...wait. I remembered Jessie...my brows furrowed as I tried to remember how I met her and what we used to do but to no avail. She was so familiar and she stared at me like she was in pain. Leo was the guy beside her but I didn't remember what it was that they were to me. But were they the people I learned Derek was anonymous from?

"Do you know who killed your parents?" I asked and he nodded.

"They're more than one. There were masterminds behind it because of how powerful my parents were. Jessie was able to kill the fifth in Damon's club. Matteo Ferrari Valentino. He wasn't a major contributor but he was involved either way, and I couldn't let him live without having a taste of his own medicine." He turned to me. "I have killed a lot of people in my life, even anonymous. A lot of women died because of their deceit. They worked for him, trying to get to me so they could kill me. But I was always a million steps ahead of them and they never knew till it was time for them to die. If I didn't kill that man, then cases like ladies dying mysteriously all over the internet would become way more rampant." He said and I shuddered. He hugged me to himself. "I had to do what I had to do to save the incoming women." He chuckled. "He was using his weakness to target me and that was the stupidest thing he did. Because I knew that once got Augusta to seduce him, he was gone. I was right."

"They knew, that anonymous, were you?"

"I wasn't surprised they did. But they were too slow."

"How did I get to know Antonio?" I asked. "Did I wrong him? Why did he poison me?"

"He didn't know what he was doing." He stated. "He believed the accusations about you but never looked to investigate it." He said and I furrowed my brows... accusations?

"What accusations?" My question made him hesitate like he realized what he just said.

"Never mind that. I hope you recover your memories. Only then will you understand. But now that they're gone. Just focus on the moment." He stated.

"When will I get my memories back?" As much as I wanted my memories back, I still doubted that I was ever going to get them. I sighed and looked at him, but didn't question further.

"Nobody knows yet."

"I'm I ever going to get it back?"

"To be honest. Getting your memories back would be reopening your wounds. They're only covered because your brain chose to erase some things. Once they come back. I wouldn't want to see you hurt over anyone that doesn't even deserve you. I'm glad you don't have your memories anymore. It makes you mine, and mine only." He said, his voice lowering. I sat there, staring into his eyes. They were piercing, as though they were staring into one's soul. Piercing eyes. Blue piercing eyes flashed in my head and I groaned.

'You're such a little slut..my little slut.'

'If you lie to me, I swear you won't like what I'll do to you.'

The lash...the kisses...the sex...

'Antonio...'

'Do you love him?'

'I don't know.'

'Femme fatale...'

My breathing became heavy. Heavy as I clutched my chest.

His eyes were filled with so much emotion. Antonio.

'She cheated on him.'

'I became a mafia so I would be able to protect Gretchen.'

'I can't believe you'd use me as your little pawn!'