Episode 93
T//W Graphic Violence
Viewer Discretion is advised//
************************************
"Why now?"
He grinned back up till the corners of his ears.
"You waited 18 years... So why now?"
The man repeated himself, not that the other could really reply to his question.
He'd been gagged with a bar strap that he'd been biting over for a while through this torment...constrained to a chair with his wrists strapped to the arms of this metal chair and similarly his ankles strapped to the legs of the chair.
A sudden pull made his whole body jolt with tremors as he bit down hard onto the bar gag that constrained his mouth. All he could do was make painful grunting noises through this pain, he couldn't even scream out...nor did he want to... atleast not infront of this man...
"You're tough I'll give you that" Ivan Strauss smirked shaking the pliers in his hands before him. He let the jaws of the pliers loose letting the bloody thing caged within those jagged jaws drop to the ground
"Ah...that was the last nail... I didn't even realize... "
Ivan Strauss mumbled in a sulking shrug
" I want to save the next hand for tomorrow though... "
He didn't look much satisfied at all... Infact, he felt that the time for his enjoyment had moved too quickly and that he couldn't even savor it properly enough.
Nicolas Hughes was a tough man.
Even through this excruciating pain of his nails being pulled out by pliers.... He kept glaring at Ivan Strauss...as if those constraints weren't there binding him... he'd probably skin that man alive...
Even so...his physical body had a limit...his body shivered nonetheless, it was out of his control anyways...
Why won't his body listen to him?
He kept scolding himself inside for not being able to control this fear that his body portrayed without his permission.....
"Hey don't you think it's kinda funny..how things ended up in a circle of fate?" Ivan Strauss grinned a bit, he grasped over a handful of Nicolas's hair and pulled his face up making him cringe.
"It started from Joshua Hughes and now it'll end on Joshua Hughes"
Ivan mumbled casually though at the same time when he turned his head to look at Nicolas, a fearsome gaze made a shiver run down his spine and his grin only grew wider and his face flushed up in excitement.
"Don't tell me...!!!!"
"THIS IS HILARIOUS!!!" Ivan Strauss broke into immense laughter. He'd let go of Nicolas's hair and simply held his stomach to carry on laughing frantically.
It was the gaze...
The gaze that Nicolas had in his eyes...
That very gaze, he knew well......
"No matter how much I torture you physically...it wouldn't quench my thirst until you express your suffering with the loudest of your screams..."
Ivan Strauss mumbled wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes after laughing frantically.
Nicolas was pretty much confused at this sudden change of demeanor but at this point he'd worked for Ivan Strauss long enough to get used to his tantrums.
Ivan Strauss was a clever man, he could easily read the mood within a room, it would be surprising if he wasn't able to catch onto the weaknesses of other people especially if they looked that obvious....
"I'm gonna torture you, in a way that you won't be able to hold back your voice anymore...till you beg me to kill you haha!!!"
Ivan Strauss went on chuckling to which Nicolas gave him a unimpressed look as if hinting that whatever torture he'd bring upon him would be a futile effort because even if he'd died through this....it didn't matter....not that he'd wanted to die without his revenge...but he wasn't particularly afraid of it...
"You're probably thinking whatever I do to you wouldn't make a difference even if you were to die... aren't you?" Ivan Strauss whispered to which Nicolas got attentive.
Ivan Strauss had a hunch...
"You're right...agony for you wouldn't be just getting tortured physically..."
Ivan Strauss went around Nicolas and grabbed his neck from the back.
"But I can't say the same for him"
Ivan Strauss anticipated a certain reaction.....
Nicholas's eyes widened hearing him whisper that close to his ears.
"I'm gonna do exactly what happened 18 years ago..."
Nicolas pretty much started shaking in wrath. Even when his nails were being plucked out one after the other he hadn't struggled that much to get out of that chair. He looked like a wild animal trying to free himself just so he could let his blood lust loose and completely tear the man before him to shreds.
Ivan Strauss was sure now.....
"I'm gonna lure in Josh Hughes, I'm gonna have fun with him while I make you watch- and by the end I'm gonna bash your skull open infront of him just like your beloved sister-"
It was as if Ivan's words sent electric currents through Nicolas's body, he started shaking moving and throwing his body back and forth. His mouth had foamed up like that of a mad dog.
Ivan Strauss had grasped onto a weakness...
Nicolas had finally screamed through his gag frantically trying to break through just so he could jump this man before him and rip him open with those clawless fingers after biting through his skin and pull out his heart with his teeth.
Ivan Strauss's expression was really elated watching him, it was as if currents of pleasure ran through his whole body watching Nicolas being tormented to the point of a mental breakdown.
Though he'd stepped back a little just to have a complete view of this miserable scenario. He held his mouth in awe and admiration watching Nicolas lose all his reason struggling and rumbling like a mad man.
"If you really wanted revenge then you shouldn't have made the same mistake as your sister"
Ivan Strauss whispered with a highly elated look of pleasure on his face.
He looked beyond delighted.
Watching the same thing repeat over again was so fascinating for him he couldn't stop himself from unconsciously grinning.
"Nicolas Strahovski you shouldn't have fallen for Joshua Hughes!"
-----------------------------------------------------------
She wouldn't come...
"Father...hungry"
"You're hungry?"
Father lifted his head.. ah, was he perhaps asleep? Did I wake him up? He's rubbing his eyes.
"Why don't you go take a nap and call Aoi instead?" I asked him.
" Ah don't worry about it, I'll get you something to eat" He replied.
That was not what I meant...
Where is Aoi...? I want to ask that badly... Why isn't she coming to see me...?
It's been two days...
"Father... Can you call Dad?" I asked and he paused to look at me.
"Are you sure?" He asked, well considering Dad didn't exactly know about my situation..
" On second thought... Don't.." I said, dad might get stressed.. I bet he already has alot on his hands at the moment.
Aoi...are you afraid again...?
Please come see me....
"I'll get food then.." Father turned around but almost knocked himself in the door.
"What are you doing!!?" I asked him sitting up after hearing a sudden bang as he used the door as his support before he'd fall.
"It's okay... I'm okay... it's just I feel really tired..." Father spoke holding himself up
" Father"
That was it...
" What is it?" He asked tightly grasping on the door as if he'd fall if he'd let go.
"Tell me the truth" I frowned at him. He lowered his eyes..
I've had my doubts....so just say it....
He became silent for a little then gave me a look giving out a sigh.....
"Your pheromones...are sickening..."
He replied after a while, probably judging by my face that I'd already figured it out....
" Why'd you stay so long to end up feeling like this???! Go out quickly!!"
For some reason, I already guessed it.. considering all the doctors that had visited me so far were either omegas or betas..
"I'll get a nurse to bring you something to eat.." He spoke barely getting out.
I can't tell...I can't feel these pheromones at all...
I bet if dad or Alex were here right now they wouldn't feel a thing either...
In the first place.. what a strange alpha child... instead of omegas... your pheromones affect alphas in an abnormal way...
I hugged up my knees....ah this bump is getting in the way now...
I feel... lonely.....
Aoi....
Please... come see me.....
-----------------------------------------------------------
"I DON'T WANT TO!!"
Ian slapped away the whole tray of food in the maid's hand and sent it flying across the room.
She was startled and stepped back.
"Young master...you haven't eaten in two days..at this rate" She spoke in a worried yet fearful tone.
" LET ME OUT!! JUST LET ME OUT!!" Ian kept screaming and pulling violently at the chain on his ankle which was widened enough only for him to reach from the bed to the bathroom...All his belongings and connections from the outside world had been completely cut off..
Moreover... Nicolas... right infront of his eyes...
He didn't know if that man was even alive or not.....
He had to get out....
"What's with all the ruckus?" Ivan Strauss's voice triggered Ian and he started tugging at the chains really violently.
As soon as Ivan Strauss entered the room, Ian went white in the face and somewhat frozen.
"Nicolas.... Nicolas..." Ian started whispering with a trembling voice.
" Ah...him! Haha" Ivan Strauss smiled and searched his coat's pockets for something.
He lifted his fist in the air after fetching it and then let it loose...
Pieces of human nails fell to the ground to Ian's horror.
Ian rushed off the bed and puked the moment he entered the bathroom.
"You're so weak Ian haha, if it was Raina she would've attacked me instead of throwing up like a wimp haha" Ivan Strauss spoke bashfully.
" Nicolas... he's..." Ian was losing his mind now, he couldn't take it anymore.
He looked at the nearest wall and immediately launched himself to it starting to hit his own head against the wall to which Ivan Strauss immediately grabbed at him and pulled him back.
"SOMEONE! COME IN!!!" Ivan Strauss yelled and a maid came in running to see Ivan Strauss restraining Ian, Ian's head was bleeding.
"GET A FIRST AID KIT!"
He yelled and the horrified maid ran out immediately.
" Oye stop being dramatic! What the hell are you hurting yourself for!!" Ivan Strauss had completely locked Ian in his grip while Ian kept throwing arms and legs until the weakness from not eating hit him and the boy passed out from over exhaustion.
Ivan Strauss picked him up in his arms and placed him on the bed tending to the wound as soon as the maid brought the first aid kit.
She was looking at Ian really pitifully but she lacked courage to say anything as she knew she'd probably get killed silently for it.
"Why did he pass out??!!" Ivan Strauss glared at her " I left you as his caretaker and-!!!"
"I'm so sorry!!!! Younger master hasn't eaten anything for last two days!!! He would throw everything away!!" She answered in a pleading manner.
" This stubborn boy!!!" Ivan Strauss gritted his teeth.
"Bring me a tub and a rag, he hasn't showered,he stinks and clean the damn room!!"
He said and she complied after some hesitation.
She watched him clean Ian's body while she was cleaning the room...he did it ever so delicately ....
Ian had gotten really pale in the last few days, his body too had become weaker, he'd been an athletic person with a good built and now he just looked like a sack of bones...
She stared at them intently... everyone in this house knew that this father and son had an unnatural relationship...
Yet...No one dared speak against it, no one saved this boy even when they could hear his pleas from across the halls to the maid sectors...
In the first place, the staff of Strauss mansion had served in generations, therefore no one dared betray as betrayal meant death.
She too was a daughter of one of the servants there...she had watched Ian Strauss grow...
Never once had she been envious of him being born a rich alpha...infact she was thankful that she'd been born a poor beta...
This was not the first time that she'd seen this pitiful scenario....but right now, it was beyond pitiful.....
Ivan Strauss ....This man...she thought was pure evil... he'd been raised evil...there really was no turning back for someone like him...
"Even if you betray me..I won't make a second mistake...I definitely won't let go of you this time...Raina...you belong to me!"
The man whispered to himself while holding the boy's hands. She saw his expression and got weirded out.
He had a crazy look to his eyes.
She was petrified....
She'd gulped down hard
This boy...he needed to get out of here
Even if it cost her life.....
-----------------------------------------------------------
"You'll get caught"
The voice made Josh so defensive he turned with a sudden bolt and rested his blade against the neck of the speaker.
"You..." He recognized her and probably she knew him too... maybe not too clearly but she atleast had a look on her face that said that she knew what this guy was upto.
"Kirihara...Mari"
"The Strauss mansion is packed with all sorts of bodyguards..." Mari told him.
He clicked his tongue.
His contact with both Nicolas and Ian had been completely cut off for two days now...
All he knew was that the last thing they did was return to Strauss mansion.
"I bet you, if you ask from the door they'll tell you neither is home and send you off" Mari told him as he lowered his blade, she seemed unfazed by it anyhow.
" Why are you here Kirihara Mari?" Josh asked with a patient look on his face.
"Probably the same reason as you" She replied.
"Let's go"
" Let's go? " Josh was confused.
" You don't suppose we can barge in alone do you?" Mari gave him a look
" Why are you acting familiar with me?" Josh asked
" Because right now we both need the same thing..an enemy of an enemy is an acquaintance you see" She replied.
Josh took a breather considering his options.
Indeed if he lurched in without proper preparation he'll probably endanger all their plans.. moreover he knew nothing about the situation inside either...
Would it be right to trust this girl though?
He considered all his options...
He did need help but that meant compromising their secret...what if Ian and Nicolas were actually okay and he'd ended up telling this girl something she shouldn't know....?
But if they really were alright they wouldn't disappear like this....
For now, he decided onto following this girl considering the bond she'd shared with Ian...he didn't have to share anything with her...
He decided to do it just for the sake of getting to Nicolas and Ian...
He ended up sitting in her car which was parked nearby
"What are you going to do?" He asked her.
"I'm gonna sue the Strauss estate"
" Huh????!!!!"
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Are you really alright?"
"Yeah.."
" Like for sure?"
Zhuang's question made Akio crack a nerve
" Are you trying to make me angry?"
"Uh no I just thought maybe you'll atleast you know.. panic a bit since it's Natsuro..." Zhuang rubbed the back of his head
" Akio san is... worried..." Kei came over from the back and put a mug of coffee infront of Zhuang.
"Don't just expose me" Akio raised a brow at Kei who smiled a bit holding the tray to his chest.
" Well actually I'm really worried..all sorts of negative thoughts are running in my head and I kinda want to bury Aoi" Akio covered his face with both hands.
" Knew it" Zhuang said
" Eh...why Aoi??" Kei asked in a little panic
"Isn't she basically the reason Natsu has to go through this, how dare she sleep with my son!" Akio clenched his fists.
" Says you with a fourth child on the way" Zhuang whispered with suppressed lips.
" What'd you say? Want me to end your life?" Akio spoke with a twitching brow.
" Akio san...are you going to see...him?" Kei asked.
"Yes, I really want to but.. You'll be alone again... like Zhuang said his pheromonal situation is unsuitable for alphas..." Akio was worried.
" I think it'll be better if Kei visits Alex...you see he's been pretty stressed these days, he keeps saying he wants some time alone and pushing me away but he might just... you guys know each other longer than me.. maybe he'll open up more to you..." Zhuang said to Keitarou.
" Alex...is... closer to Aoi... but okay.." Kei nodded.
"Aoi is... I think she has alot on her plate already... " Zhuang lowered his head.
" Alex is... really strong... don't worry.." Kei tried to cheer Zhuang up.
" He's too strong, he doesn't know when to lean on others... This is why I fear.. he'll break down real hard.." Zhuang replied
" Ah I understand.. people like that are quite troublesome"
Akio replied to which Kei looked at Akio being a bit hesitant but it felt like he had some snide comment to make which he avoided by evading eyes from Akio.
Zhuang also looked at Akio in a dumbfounded manner.
'You are exactly a guy like that!'
Both Kei and Zhuang had the same thought at that time
" Huh? why did you both look at me like that?" Akio asked being a bit annoyed.
" Zhuang san...you sure... have a type..."
"Same to you"
"What are you both talking about?!"
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Aoi?"
Alex was a bit surprised seeing Aoi as he opened the door. She legit knocked frozen nuggets in his face.
"Heat them"
"Huh?" Alex took the shopper from her, she invited herself in.
"Sister Aoi!" Adrian came excitedly and Aoi picked him up.
"We're gonna eat nuggets" She told the little kid who excitedly raised his hands up and did a cheerful yay.
"Did you just come here to eat? Man you're really useless without Natsuro around" Alex whined, he went to the kitchen nevertheless.
Aoi sat on the couch with little Adrian in her lap, she watched him get into the kitchen.
"Adi chan..how is daddy doing?" She whispered.
"Daddy's not okay, daddy hides in bathroom alone long, Aoi sister...I can't see daddy be pain..." Little Adrian spoke with a gloomy expression.
" I see..." Aoi replied and gently stroked his hair " Leave it to sister Aoi, tell me how was your first day in nursery school?"
" It was rait!!" He meant great " My teacher is pretty alot!"
" Oh, you mean she's really pretty? Prettier than me?" Aoi asked smiling a bit at him.
" Of course not!!! Sister Aoi is big of all pretty!!" Adrian replied expanding his hands demonstrating the word prettiest.
Aoi ended up giggling a bit at his little effort.
"Then did you make any new friends?" Aoi asked to which little Adrian shook his head in a little disappointment.
" But I have Leah and Sia chan so it okay!" Adrian was always positive when it came to things like that.
"You'll make more friends once they get to know you... you're a really great little fellow, I'd be your best friend if I was a few years younger" Aoi spoke jokingly.
" But are you not daddy's best friend?" Adrian asked naively.
" Of course, you can have more than one best friend too, look you have two Leah and Sia chan" Aoi made him realize.
" You are right!!" Little Adrian realized.
"What are you both talking about?" Alex brought the bowls in a little tray with ketchup.
" Nuggets!!!" Little Adrian was so excited so Alex gave him his bear bowl first and let him sit before the television with the condition that he wouldn't get near to the screen.
Alex sat at the back couch infront of Aoi himself after putting the tray on the table.
"Come here" She patted next to her and Alex got up sitting next to her, she put her arm around him letting him rest his head on her shoulder. He comfortably rested himself there getting all sad out of sudden.
"He's alive.. Aoi, my dad's alive..."
Alex started by himself, she hadn't spoken a single word.
It was as if the moment she'd gotten him in her grip he ended up spilling what he'd contained inside.
"They told me he was dead.. I even used to visit his grave next to mom... "
" He would've been dead... " Aoi replied to which Alex looked up at him as if she knew something.
"Clara Hughes had an attendant since childhood, he was the one who forged the death of Joshua Hughes, he gave Joshua his own identity and sent him abroad to Clara's brother....."
" Mom had a brother???" Alex asked since this was the first time he'd heard about it. He was too young at the time this all had happened...
"He's the one who probably tended to Joshua Hughes all these years.." Aoi told him gently squeezing his shoulder to keep him from moving away as if that would probably break the little moment of opening up for them.
"Do we know him...?" Alex asked about this so called brother.
" I'm not sure right now... but I do have a hunch" Aoi replied to which Alex looked at her in a questioning manner
" The lawyer of Strauss estate.. Nicolas
Strahovski"
Alex's eyes widened a bit in surprise. He was taking his time to swallow all the new things he'd just learned.
"Then... why'd...they never..." Alex gritted his teeth a bit, he was about to move away but Aoi kept her grip tight not letting his escape.
"Why'd they never come to see me...?"
Alex ended up completing it, Aoi made him.
"Nicolas Strahovski only came here 5-6 years back... it's not sudden that they're creating all these holes, he must have taken his time completing his studies abroad before coming here.. I don't know how he became the lawyer of Strauss estate but I believe he's been fishing information for years now but he lacked resources for proper exposure, he couldn't make the same mistake as his sister and trust the wrong person" Aoi told him.
" It's Ian isn't it...Ian is the reason he waited, he wanted to use Ian Strauss against his father" Alex realized.
"I think so too..." Aoi replied " but Joshua Hughes...I don't exactly know why he waited all these years..."
Alex became gloomy again.
" That day...." Alex tightly clenched his own fists " Dad...saved me..."
"Do you remember the accident??!" Aoi's eyes widened.
Alex had trauma based amnesia since forever, he really couldn't recall anything about the accident, in fact he couldn't even remember the faces of his parents or siblings even after seeing their pictures.
But now....
"Yeah..." He nodded "it's all vague....but I do remember most of it now..." He turned to Aoi hugging her tightly.
" I remembered something I shouldn't have...Back then I probably wouldn't have understood... "
" I'm here" She rubbed his back up.
"I remember being in alot of pain.. getting dragged along the road.. I remember the burning smell of his skin and the trail of his blood that got left behind as he crawled his way forth... I remember his breathing, his screams...."
Alex's breath got elevated yet again as if he was reliving it all.
His body temperature dropped and his cheeks became a bit pale.....He was out of breath again....
Aoi held his face by the jaws and kissed him on the lips to his shock but he relaxed due to it too.
She parted and wiped his lips with her wrist
"I'm flattered but damn I'm taken, you'll find someone better" Alex replied.
" Wah did I just get rejected?" Aoi asked dramatically to which Alex smiled a bit.
"You were never an option" He'd calmed down now.
"You keep having panic attacks, I think it's better to get psychological consultation"
She told him, even now he was about to have a third panic attack within his week. She'd suddenly surprised and distracted him with that kiss and he was able regain his composure by focusing on a single point.
"Okay" he always did listen to her "but next just make me count to ten like a normal person"
He spoke jokingly recommending a proper way to calm a panic attack rather than going for something so unconventional.
" Just don't have one next time" She shrugged and he smiled, well considering this woman, she'd probably find doing something like this easier than using normal ways.
"Aoi..." He relaxed back into her arms " please do something..."
She gently played with his hair
"I'll do whatever you want so cheer up" She told him.
"Whatever, you say?" He asked hopefully looking up at her.
" Yeah" She nodded.
" Then promise me that you'll take Ivan Strauss down!!"
He spoke with alot of hatred in his eyes to which Aoi responded by holding his hand and kissing it.
"I promise....Ivan Strauss will have the worst possible ending...."
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Can you see yourself out?"
"Ah don't worry about it"
Zhuang said since Akio was dealing with the girls since they were awake and all moody now. Leah woke up due to a nightmare and ended up waking Sia by crying loudly so now both of them were crying.
Kei had to use the restroom in emergency so there was no other way but for Akio to try and calm them both on their own.
"You sure you don't need help?" Zhuang asked.
"No they'll get further moody, don't worry about it..." Akio had each girl in each arm with their little faces resting on his shoulders as they cried.
Zhuang took his leave anyways even being a little skeptic that Akio might need help...he ended up taking to the door but heard two voices nearing in.
"Where is this?" The first voice was unfamiliar.
"Somewhere we can get professional advice" The second voice he recognized so he opened the door and there she was Kirihara Mari standing before him.
"Ah Zhuang san" She ended up saying as soon as he opened the door.
Hearing that name Joshua Hughes was frozen..it could have been a coincidence...that name...but the next thing he saw made his blood boil up...
The tattoo on Zhuang's neck which was also branded upon his own neck.
Naoyuki Zhuang, the only son of the Master of the Naoyuki clan.
What were the odds of getting to ever meet this man again???
He recognized him right away and the faster he did, the faster he punched him out of nowhere to which both Mari and Zhuang were taken by surprise.
Hearing the ruckus by the doorway Akio rushed even while still holding the girls.
"Akio step back!" Zhuang yelled as Akio came out to the door way.
He didn't know who this stranger was and why'd he suddenly punched him but he stopped Akio from coming thinking it was unsafe.
This was the second great shock for Joshua Hughes.
Those natural blonde hair, those grey eyes... he'd recognize them anywhere even without seeing the tattoo on his neck....
The girls became louder to which Joshua Hughes broke out of his trance induced by immense shock.
His attention went to the little blonde girls..one of them had his grey eyes the other had hazel green eyes....
"Who are you???!" Akio asked the man who stood there looking shocked and traumatized.
Zhuang was still standing infront of Akio holding out his arm to keep this stranger away from Akio.
Meanwhile Joshua Hughes was living another big nightmare of his life.
"Naoyuki Zhuang and Hiromitsu Akio..." Josh mumbled in disbelief
"You know our names?" Zhuang was still defensive but curious.
Hearing the affirmation Josh stepped backwards
"No way....is..this a joke?"
He mumbled to himself and suddenly dashed off.
"Oye wait!" Zhuang yelled but the man had ran off.
"Who was that?" Akio asked Mari who replied casually.
"Joshua Hughes"
Hearing that name both Akio and Zhuang's eyes widened.
Kei came out quickly from all the ruckus too.
Zhuang dashed past Mari without giving it a second thought.
As for Akio, he handed the girls over to Kei and without a word he made a dash right after Zhuang.
"What's going... on?" Kei was dumbfounded as both of them suddenly rushed out of the door like that leaving only him and Mari there.
"Well who knows" Mari shrugged vaguely.
"Mari...." Kei raised his twitching brow.
"Give me something to eat" She said right away.
" Just... take it from the fridge... like always..." Kei said being really worried about the other two and the girls crying wasn't helping him either.
"Hey" Mari had noticed, she got his attention taking one of them from him.
"What is.. it?" Kei was still thinking about it.
" Don't worry about it, besides...." She said.
" Besides... ?"
"I have a feeling it'll be alright"