Sketches of Memory

"Mommy! Let's ride that thing!" Mauwi said, pointing at a huge Vikings ride visible through the large window of the restaurant where we had decided to dine.

"I know you're excited, Mauwi, but that ride is designed for older kids and adults. It goes very fast and has big drops that might be too intense for you at your age," I explained.

Mauwi looked disappointed for a moment, but then she looked up at me with determination. "But Mommy, Mauwi is not a baby anymore! Mauwi is a big girl now. I'm brave enough."

Her determination touched me deeply, but safety was my top priority.

"Yes, yes, you are a big girl now, Mauwi, and I'm proud of how brave you are. But there are still some things that big kids need to wait for. I promise we'll find lots of other exciting rides that you'll enjoy just as much, but first, finish your food," I said, referring to the burger and ice cream we ordered.

Mauwi's face fell, disappointment evident in her eyes. However, she nodded reluctantly and took a small bite of her burger.

Today is Saturday, and just as I promised Mauwi, I took her to the amusement park to make it up to her since I've been very busy for the past few months due to my part-time jobs, and I will be even busier starting Monday when I begin working for Sullivan.

I still can't believe the huge change in plans, but there's nothing I can do now. Midnight and the others have already decided, and I cannot do anything about it. Now, instead of working for the eldest son, Maximillian Sullivan, I will be working with the second son of Sullivan, Hellion.

It's been six years since the last time I saw him. After that incident, I never saw him again, and I never wanted to see him either. I did my best to be careful throughout these years, hoping to keep our paths from crossing.

Well, all I have to do is stay careful and make the plan successful. To not make any more disappointments for the group and to keep... my secret.

After this mission, Mauwi and I will live peacefully and normally, away from any troubles or danger. Just like what I had planned before the incident.

I want to finish this mission as soon as possible.

I glance at Mauwi, and she's watching the family seated next to our table. The father is telling jokes and making funny faces, and his three kids are laughing along. Mauwi joins in the laughter too.

While I watch the happiness on Mauwi's countenance, a wave of sorrow engulfs me.

Her face is filled with happiness as she witnesses the heartwarming scene between a father and his children.

I know that even though I give her all my love and provide for her needs, it will never be enough. Mauwi longs for a father, even if she doesn't say it out loud, but that's something I cannot give her.

I gently tap Mauwi's hand and look at her with a hopeful smile.

"Can Mommy share a joke with you?"

Her eyes light up with excitement, and I clear my throat, ready to deliver the carefully thought-out joke.

"Do you know what you call a dinosaur that's sleeping?"

"What?" Mauwi asks eagerly.

"It's called a dino-snore!"

As I reveal the punchline, her smile suddenly fades.

Did I say something wrong?

I thought it was funny.

"Please stop telling jokes now," Mauwi says, shaking her head in disappointment.

"What?" I ask, chuckling. "It's not that bad."

"Yes, it is."

Undeterred, I press on, determined to elicit a laugh.

"I have another one for you."

"Mommy..."

"Why was the math book feeling sad?" I asked. Mauwi was just looking at me with a poker face, waiting for the answer.

"Because it had too many problems!"

"Okay, Mommy, that's enough. No more jokes from you."

• 🖤 •

"What did you do this time?" came a deep and furious voice from a man, breaking the silence in the dimly lit room of Hellion. His anger reverberated through the air, filling the once-serene space with tension.

Hellion remained unfazed, never bothering to meet his older brother's angry gaze. It wasn't new to him.

Every time he saw Maximillian, it was always the same--furrowed brows and piercing gazes that could sear one's soul.

Hellion was already used to that.

"That bitch used her pheromones to seduce me. It was disgusting," Hellion replied, his focus still on the sketches he was working on. The area around him was littered with crumpled papers and discarded sketches he had tossed aside.

Maximillian stood close to his younger brother, fixing him with a gaze that conveyed pure annoyance. "So, that's why you almost killed your secretary?"

With each sentence uttered by Maximilian, the intensity of his anger grew, yet Hellion remained indifferent, unmoved by it all.

The intensity of Maximilian's anger seemed to grow with each word he spoke. Hellion, however, remained unmoved, his demeanor unchanging.

"I was just trying to scare her. I didn't know she'd be so cowardly as to flee into a bustling street just to escape," Hellion explained, his words carrying a touch of justification. "And you can't escape the blame either. You didn't make sure she was a beta. I've told you before, omega's pheromones disgust me. If you ever try to bring another omega, intentionally or not, I won't hesitate to kill them."

Hellion held firm in his belief that he wasn't entirely at fault.

Threatening others to achieve his desires was not new to Hellion. He'd lived a life where power and control were his tools.

It had been the woman's own decision to involve herself in an accident that had nearly taken her life.

In Hellion's perspective, she had brought this upon herself. How audacious of her to put a drug that heightened his sexual impulses in his drink and create a scheme to mark him, all for the purpose of securing a wealthy husband.

Ha! Even if that woman tried to mark him, it would be useless... since he was already bitten.

Maximillian sighed heavily, his frustration evident. "When are you going to finally grow up?"

Hellion's jaw tightened, his fingers clenching slightly. "When I find that motherfucker."

The entire room fell into a heavy silence, the tension thickening as those words hung in the air.

Maximilian instantly understood who Hellion was referring to. They hadn't discussed this topic in a while, but it was something that had always lingered between them.

The person they were trying to locate resembled an elusive shadow, slipping through their grasp regardless of their efforts. Even those with potential information remained tight-lipped, unwilling to reveal anything, even if it meant risking their lives.

They both knew that this person was deeply tied to the organization that had attempted to kill Hellion, as evident from the discovery of the earpiece and glasses that were left, which belonged to the said group. The evidence had left no room for doubt.

"Hellion, it's been six years... Can't you just move on?" Maximillian's voice carried a touch of frustration, his eyes searching for a sign of change in his younger brother.

Hellion's grip on his sketches tightened momentarily before he responded. "Oh, so if I try to kill you now, would you just forgive me and move on?" His tone dripped with sarcasm.

A wry thought echoed in Hellion's mind.

'It's easy for you to utter those words when it's not your own life that has been shattered.'

Hellion turned his attention back to his latest sketch. It was the usual art. Just like the others he had discarded, this sketch followed the same pattern.

The body was meticulously detailed, yet its face remained blank.

For years, his art was always like that, even in his paintings. It had become routine for him to sketch that man, an attempt to trigger his memory, yet it proved futile. He could draw him in various poses, settings, and even in nudity, but the face remained... empty.

This only fueled Hellion's frustration, intensifying the anger and bitterness that had grown within him over the years.

"Then... what will you do if you find him?" Maximilian's ask held a mix of curiosity and concern.

"I'll kill him," Hellion responded without hesitation.

"Since that's the only way I could erase his disgusting mark."