ix

J O L I E N

Malio had only left the room a few minutes when there was a soft knock on the door.

My heart quickened for a moment, remembering the day Dakarias-san led me to Soela's torture, but after Rash softly called, "It's me." through the closed room door, I relaxed me visibly.

I hastily rushed to the room door, opened it and greeted him by saying, "I'm so glad to see you." He smiled and pushed past me to charge straight at Blue.

Everyone loved this cat. He was the secret star of the family.

"I hope you're okay with joining me today." While I was glad I didn't have to be alone in the house since the accident, I still felt guilty that someone was always using their precious free time for me had to sacrifice.

"No problem Jolie. I don't have anything better to do today anyway," Rash replied gentlemen like, although I'd heard very different from Malio. According to him, the nurse thing seemed more serious when Rash tried to whitewash us.

"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow, making him groan in annoyance.

He threw a small ball at Blue and waited to kick it back with his paw before replying, "You worry too much. Malio doesn't make us watch out for you. We all do it voluntarily because we like you. Friends do that."

I watched Rash sit cross-legged on the floor and pass the ball back to Blue. The first times he shot him back again and again, at some point he had enough and demonstratively lay down on the small ball.

"Stupid thing," Rash snarled after crawling towards Blue and trying to pinch the ball from under his stomach. However, after the cat hissed a warning at him, he let it go and stood up.

"Let's have a coffee," I suggested. He nodded and walked past me while I called for Blue to lure him out of the room. When it didn't work after several attempts, I went back into the room to pick up the protesting ball of fur.

I carefully put him down in the hallway and locked the room door, which was again a result of my inner paranoia.

I have no idea what I was actually expecting. Likely that someone would hide in my closet to repeat the failed assassination attempt.

It was stupid, after all Malio had assured me that nobody in this house was on Soela's side – but the fear was still there. I couldn't change it no matter how hard I tried.

I hastily followed Rash down the hallway to the staircase that led directly to the foyer.

"Why are you so reluctant to take the elevator?" He looked at me in surprise and replied, "I have a mild form of claustrophobia." "Oh I did not know that. It's never occurred to me that you're uncomfortable in elevators."

"Because I'm working on it," he explained, and when I just looked at him questioningly, he continued, "Malio makes me ride an elevator at least once a week."

"Is he crazy?" I blurted out as I followed him through the foyer. "No, I'm even grateful to him for that. You have to know that when I was a kid I was locked in a freezer if I did anything wrong . And believe me, I did a lot wrong in my father's eyes."

He entered the kitchen and headed straight for the pantry to take out the metal can of coffee beans. He filled a handful into the intrigued mill and then checked the water tank. Apparently there was still enough water in the reservoir, as he took two cups from the cupboard, placed them under the machine, and snapped the two-cup button.

"I'm sorry, Rash." I slumped into the chair and watched as he sauntered over to the fridge and took out the carton of milk, putting it in the center of the table.

"It doesn't have to be, Jolien. Thanks to Malio, I fought that fear. In the beginning it was unimaginable for me to enter an elevator. I was young and scared. Whenever I was alone in a cramped little room with no windows, I would immediately panic. Malio took care of me. He wanted to help me. Which he ultimately did. To this day, I wouldn't be able to step into an elevator without him."

He gave me a faint smile as he set the cup of steaming liquid down in front of me. It was obvious that he still found it difficult to talk about these things in his life, so I appreciated the trust he had in me.

"I really like what Malio did for you," I explained, pouring milk into my coffee. "You know he didn't just do this for me."

I nodded and remembered what Chantal had told me at the cemetery.

He had saved her. I was dying to ask Rash about it. Not because I was jealous, but because I wanted to understand her better.

I have no idea where the need to understand _her_ better came from.

But instead of asking the question that was already forming in my mind, I changed my mind at the last second and said, "Sorry, the milk is empty." I waved the empty carton for clarity, and a smile crossed his face .

"I'll go and get some new ones. Except for the staff, there are no people in the house. I'll be back in a few seconds." I nodded, swallowing down my rising panic.

It was silly, no one here meant me any harm, and yet the thought of being alone in the kitchen for even a few minutes made me panic.

Rash marched out of the kitchen and I watched his head disappear further and further down the basement stairs.

I nervously took a sip of coffee and immediately burned my tongue. "Damn," I curse loudly, fanning cold air into my mouth. I blew on the surface before taking another sip.

This gesture reminded me of meeting Silia. We hadn't exchanged a word since our argument. She didn't even know I was in the hospital. I sighed and decided to text my sister later.

I tapped my fingertips on the tabletop, lost in thought, wondering why it was taking Rash so long to get a liter of milk from the basement pantry.

I shifted nervously in my chair. I had long since forgotten the coffee cup in my hand, almost causing the hot contents to spill over my legs.

Just as I was about to get up to check on Rash, I caught the roots of his hair. The serious expression on his face unsettled me. He didn't have a carton of milk in his hand.

With big strides he rushed to the kitchen door and stopped in the doorway: "Go upstairs and pack your things. Preferably a few for Malio." "What? Why?" I looked at him in disbelief, but by then he had twitched his cell phone and looked away from me.

After a few seconds he spoke into the receiver: "You have to come home immediately." He glanced over his shoulder before continuing. "I have to tell you something."

He shielded the phone with his hand and said to me, "Go upstairs and pack your things." The next few words he directed back into the phone: "Yes, it's important. Just come." He hung up and pointed to the stairs: "Jolien. NOW. GO AFTER. ABOVE."

I winced at the force of the words he yelled at me. I had never seen him like this before. "O-okay. Good."

I hurriedly ran up the white and gold marble stairs and dug the room key out of my pocket.

It slipped clumsily from my fingers and it clattered to the floor. The noise it made seemed ten times as loud to me. I hastily picked him up from the ground. I forced myself to calm down, taking a deep breath so my fingers would finally stop shaking and I could open that damn door.

The familiar click of the unlocked lock made me exhale again.

I quickly slipped through the door and headed straight for the closet to dig out the small travel bag.

I threw in some clothes without really paying attention to what I was actually grabbing. When I was done, I ran to the adjacent bathroom to put the hygiene essentials in the bag as well.

My scrutinizing gaze slid left and right, but even after looking around several times, I couldn't see what else we absolutely needed. Besides, I didn't even know what it was about. Why Rash was suddenly so upset.

I tumbled out of the room and almost tripped over Blue who was paddling leisurely towards the room.

I paused for a moment, unsure of what to do with the little one. I had grown so fond of him that I couldn't possibly leave him behind. But I couldn't take him with me either.

"I'll be back," I promised, wrapping my hands around his furry head. He meowed as if he understood every word, which brought tears to my eyes. With a heavy heart, I jerked myself away from him and ran back to the stairs.

Halfway down I noticed the shadowy outlines of two people who were climbing the basement stairs at that moment. At the same time, the huge, glass double doors swung open. Malio and Ivan entered the foyer and for a moment there was an oppressive silence.

As if the universe knew that it would take a single sound to throw the atmosphere in the foyer into utter chaos.

My heart beat a beat as I noticed Rash, who had been pacing impatiently in front of the kitchen, throwing a panicked look at the men who had now reached the bottom of the stairs. I couldn't see her at first because of the dim light in the foyer.

"He." Rash pointed to the taller of the two while walking toward Malio. "He, he's behind it all."

Malio's gaze wandered over the excited Rash and he started running as well. "Rash, no!" he yelled loudly, his eyes widening in horror.

Mr. Dakarias had stepped past Alex and was aiming his drawn gun at Malio and Rash alternately.

Only seconds passed before the charged tension that hung over the foyer like a dark thundercloud was discharged with a single shot.

The duffel bag I'd been clinging to like a drowning man fell with a crash to the floor, then slid to the top of the stairs.

With all my strength I held on to the banister, a single, painful scream leaving my lungs.

My legs refused to work and I collapsed. I barely noticed the pain that shot through my body as my knees hit the marble.

Crying, I pressed my hands to my mouth, which only partially dampened the uncontrolled screams that now inexorably erupted from me.

I heard his loud bloodcurdling screams. Heard the pain of his loss.

There was blood. so much blood

I closed my eyes, wanted to escape the sight for a moment, but it didn't help - the image was burned into my brain.

I saw Rash, the back of his head a single gaping crimson hole, as he collapsed in Malio's arms.

And I saw Malio's eyes as he watched his best friend's life drain from his eyes.

M A L I O

No Rash, no Rash, no Rash.

My words echoed in my head. Loud and full of panic. Like the steady pounding of my heart.

I even heard the shot over and over again. It was like back then, with Aurelia. Just as brutal and cruel.

I couldn't remember his words anymore... Everything was swept out of my mind. Everything but my own words.

No Rash. Why didn't I save him?

I saw my father point his gun at us.

Why wasn't I faster? Why hadn't I pulled my own gun and shot his out of his hand?

How so? Why?

I had so many questions for Rash. So many things I still wanted to know, but now he couldn't answer any of them for me.

His lifeless body sagged in my arms and I heard Jolien's screams through cotton. I should be there for her, to ease her pain, but I couldn't think straight.

All I could think about was the hole in Rash's skull. To the wound from which warm blood flowed. It flowed everywhere. About his white shirt. About my hands Across the white marble floor.

Only now did I realize that I had screamed too. The fog that had completely numbed my consciousness for the past few minutes lifted, making me painfully aware of my loss.

Tears rolled down my lashes as I closed Rash's wide open eyes. "I'm sorry," I apologized, like it was my bullet that blew out the top of his skull.

The blood was pouring down my arm, spreading out in a huge pool below us, but I didn't care. I didn't care that I was in my best friend's blood.

"I'm so sorry, Rash." Nothing would suffice to describe the pain I felt at his loss. He was more than my best friend. He was like a brother. Part of my family.

He was a lot more family than the hole in the hell hole I grew up in. With the devil himself in power. And now it was he of all people who took my best friend away from me. my own father

The pain inside me turned to pure hatred. A rage that arose in the depths of my soul and fought its way to the surface in blazing flames. Stronger than any forest fire. More destructive than purgatory.

"You!" I jumped up. Rash's head hit the marble and more blood spilled onto the white floor.

"Calm down," my father's impassive voice floated through the foyer, loud enough to drown out Jolien's sobs with ease. But I couldn't be there for her now—not now. And I wasn't sorry about that either "Now she would see what I was really capable of. I didn't give a damn. Only my anger controlled my thoughts, which all revolved around one thing. Revenge.

"Malio. Do not do that. Not so. Not now. Especially not in front of her." Ivan had stepped in front of me and pointed at Jolien. "I don't care. Let her see it." Ivan sighed and put his hands on my shoulders. "You'll regret it." "I don't care, Ivan. Fuck off and if it's that important to you, then take her away yourself."

I took a step back, almost falling over Rash's body, reminding me what I had to do. That I had to shoot the fucking head off that freak father. Exactly as he deserved!

I stepped past Ivan determinedly, jerking my gun as I went, and hitting Alex with the hilt so hard he immediately collapsed.

"Wimp," my dad commented without batting an eyelid as I held the barrel right under his chin.

"Why?" "Why what, son?" His arrogant manner made me even more angry. "Why did you do that?" My father's gaze lingered on me blankly before shrugging and saying, "He knew more than was for his own good."

I unlocked the gun and just seconds later there was a loud crack of a shot.

My father fell to the ground, clutching his upper arm. Another shot hit the marble right next to my face.

"What the hell?" I gave Ivan a questioning look. He had taken cover behind a statue near the entrance. "They're attacking us!" he yelled over the hail of bullets. "The Chinese, they're attacking us!"

My father reached out a bloodied hand, but I roughly slapped it aside. "Krepier here, bloody piece of shit!"

Jolien's horrified scream snapped me back out of my anger in a brutal way. Everything was gone in one fell swoop and the only thing that remained was the fear of losing her as well.

We had been expecting an attack for a long time, but today of all days it caught us completely unexpectedly.

I sprinted to Jolien, head down. With every bullet hole that lined the stairs, the anger fought back.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and shot straight at the wanker who was earnestly trying to walk through the front door.

We were unprepared, but not easy victims. I would rip every single one up if even a bullet got near them.

"Malio!" Jolien had run down the last few meters to me. I caught her arm as she tried to push past me. "What are you doing?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the windows. Ivan gave us cover, but it wouldn't be enough.

"I'll get a gun," she said confidently, wiping the last traces of tears from her face. "No way." I dragged her across the foyer and pushed her into a corner between the wall and a tall white statue. A corner seen from the windows. "Malio, I can shoot!" "Forget it. You go."

My mother and Harry rushed out one of the side doors as if on cue. He also carried a gun and shielded it with his body. "Your father?" she asked softly and I nodded in his direction. He slapped Alex in the face to get him conscious to save his ass.

Because even my father knew when he was about to lose a battle.

She rushed past me, Harry followed her, putting a hypodermic in my hands. We'd discussed this so many times and I'd been right every time. I'd be a rich man now if we'd ever bet money.

I carefully stowed the syringe in my pants pocket before Jolien spotted it.

"Give me a gun, Malio!" she hissed angrily and for a moment I felt proud. She wanted to throw her principles overboard for me and kill another human being. But it wouldn't come to that. Her soul wouldn't cope and I couldn't let her go down with me.

I put the gun away for a moment and cupped her face in my hands.

She was so incredibly beautiful and although her soul had the first dark spots, it only made her more perfect in my eyes. Because even like that she was for me the purest and most innocent creature on this planet. My light in the dark.

"Jolien, I love you. I will always love you, even if I can no longer be by your side. You made me a better person. To a better man and I want you to know that I've never loved anyone more than I do.” She flinched, but I didn't let her escape my grasp. "Malio, what are you doing?" "You were my light in the darkness. My lifeline." "Malio, stop it!" Tears welled up in her eyes, but I couldn't stop now.

"I was hoping we would have more time. A future with kids, a house and all that entails-' 'Why does that sound like a goodbye?' she interrupted harshly. "Because it is." "Malio, don't. Please don't do that." Tears that she could no longer hold back were streaming down her face.

I rubbed my thumb across her cheek and sighed. "I've never been happier in my life than I was with you. You have uncovered sides of me that I had long forgotten." "Stop it. Please stop it." "Say you love me." "Of course I love you, Malio!"

New tears welled up in her green eyes and I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. There were still things I needed to know. I could not afford to be weak now, even if this farewell tore my heart.

"Say you'll never forget me. That you will always remember me, us." My voice trembled, but I didn't allow myself to show even the slightest sign of further weakness.

Even if I just wanted to bury my face in her hair to inhale her soothing scent and mourn the loss of my best friend.

She shook her head and bit her trembling lower lip. "Please don't say goodbye. Malio please." "Say it, please. I need to hear it from you." "I'll always remember you. You're the love of my life, how can I ever forget you? i love you malio I love you with every fiber of my being and for the rest of my life." She whispered and that was all I needed to hear. I placed my lips on hers one last time.

I slowly removed my hands from her face and while one hand wrapped around her back, I pulled the syringe out of my pocket with the other and rammed it right down her throat.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What?" "I can't let you go to hell with me. I'm sorry."

Her body sagged in my arms and I called for Ivan, who threw her over his shoulders like a punching bag and disappeared through the secret passage next to the statue.