Mariana stared at her because it wasn't the same Mona she made friends with. This one had an icy glare that froze her features. Her eyes dangerously narrowed and kept their eye on her like a gun on its target.

It wasn't long till Mariana's fists clenched in anger at her infuriating smirk. It's like her kids kidnapped was a joke to her, and all the distress it caused.

"Give me back my kids!" She demanded and started speed-walking up to her.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple my dear Mariana." She smirked again, making Mariana more heated. "And now I'm going to have to kill you."

What?

Without warning, Mona pounced onto Mariana and they started wrestling with each other. They rolled around on the ground, and Mona pinned her down. She tried trapping her with her legs, but Mariana kicked her off.

"Where are my kids?" Mariana roared and jumped onto her. She grabbed her shirt and started shaking an answer out of her. When that didn't work, she smashed her face onto the floor. It broke her nose and blood leaked out, but Mona wasn't fazed in the slightest. Instead, she just smiled and chuckled.

"No point in telling you since you won't be alive to see them," Mona replied, with a straight face. She suddenly lifted her hand and pierced the knife into her arm. She dragged it down slowly, seeing the flesh rip open and blood spewed out.

Mariana screeched in agony and quickly elbowed her off. Her body tingled and she held her arm, crying and looking over at Mona with windows of pain.

"Why Mona? Why are you doing all this to me?" She shouted, but her sentence broke at the end. She felt a rumbling of anger and pain. She was hurt because this person, who she once considered a friend, was, now was willing to do all this for a person who didn't deserve a speck of loyalty.

"You really want to know?" Mona stumbled. She wiped the blood that crawled to her lips and eyes shone a menacing green.

"You took Xavier away from me! It's your fault he's dead!" Mona screamed and rattled their eardrums. Her fists pounded the air, and her once smooth face crinkled and faded into a crimson ball of rage mixed with grief.

Mariana froze, and her eyes bulged with fear at the sudden anger that ignited before her. Never had she seen someone so full of venom and fury.

Mona sniffed and tried stabbing her but because she was filled with pent-up anger, it distorted her angle. So she made holes onto the floorboard.

"He was my everything. My love, my knight, and my provider," Mona spluttered out. She finally burst out into a stream of tears that have been locked up for the past five years. It made her aims even more pathetic.

"My life was perfect with him," she cried and ripped the knife out. Her blood boiled and threw it again, but Mariana dodged it. "Everything was going well but now its all ruined."

Mariana ran to the door, but Mona grabbed her leg and thrusted it back. She stepped on her legs and sliced them, making her scream of the pressure and the stinging pain.

"Do you know how it feels to cry yourself to sleep every night wondering why. Why the one you love decided to take their own life over one person." Mona's words stung her as her chest tightened thinking about it. She placed her hand over it while clutching the knife.

"Having it replay over and over like a nightmare you can't escape from," she muttered quietly and her eyes shot up with a murderous gaze. Mariana could hear her breath steaming out her flaring nose. Her eyes then shifted to the knife that laid between her fingers.

"But now his death won't go to waste," she muttered with a blood-thirsty grin. Her hand began shaking as she stomped onto her legs. Mariana screeched and tried moving away, but the searing pain in her legs made it harder to move.

Mona stepped onto her legs, digging into her wounds and trapped her down.

"And now to fulfill Xavier's dying wish," she said and held up the knife above her body. Mariana's eyes widened for fear, and she tried getting away.

"No Mona!" Mariana pleaded and but her muscles tensed at the stinging pain in her legs and arm. They weakened and she quickly dropped them, for she couldn't bear the pain.

Mona sniffed back her tears and her heart thumping hard. Her cloudy eyes suddenly cleared with determination, and she had never been so focused before. It's like everything she had worked for was leading up to this moment. She felt Mariana wiggling and was about to go on.

"No!" Mariana's screams died down into thin air. Mona closed her eyes and was about to plunge the knife into her heart. But she opened one eye and saw the fear that shadowed Mariana's face. Those teary brown eyes that showed her kindness, and became a friend when no one else would.

She bit her lip and tried looking away, but it became ingrained in her head. Her hands started shaking in mid-air and they eventually faltered. The knife loosened out of her grip and dropped to the floor.

"I—I can't..." she muttered and got off her legs. Mariana glanced up, still panting of shock at what happened and noticed Mona walking away. She stopped in front of the knife and wiped her watery eyes. A flash of regret emerged on top of the hazy green hue that once blinded her actions.

"You're not gonna kill me?" Mariana muttered, hoping this wasn't going to be the end of her.

"No... no matter how much I want to avenge Xavier, it doesn't feel right hurting you. Especially since you were such a great friend to me," Mona muttered as her eyes narrowed like she was about to cry again.

"But why Mona?" Mariana asked, pleading for an explanation this time. "Why do you love him so much? I actually want to know."

"B—Because he was the only thing I had," Mona mumbled. She sat on the opposite side of the room and tucked in her legs. Her face scrunched towards the center, it was as if she had reverted back to the helpless teenager that Xavier first met.

Mariana blinked at Mona's sudden change of attitude. She didn't realize there was something much deeper than what was on the surface.

Mona sniffed as snot trickled out but she quickly wiped it. Her eyes lowered even more as the tears trembled out. "How would you feel if you had no one else in the world? And then you get someone who takes some interest to you only to have them taken away and being alone again."

Mariana slowly picked herself up. She managed to sit on her knees and tilted her head toward Mona. She grew increasingly curious on her relationship with Xavier and wanted to delve deeper to find the reason behind it. Maybe if she could find a flaw, Mona would tell her where her kids were.

"Before him I only had my father and no one else. Xavier reminded me so much of him who caused me so fall so quickly in love," Mona admitted and awkwardly rubbed her arm. A slight blush shone through her cheeks. "I miss him so much. After his death, I didn't know what to do with myself. It's like my whole world shattered before I could stop it." She wept and shook from the pain inside her aching heart.

Mariana blinked in surprise but stiffened, because her words echoed her own past situation when she was violently ripped away from her mother and never saw her again. But she shook that feeling away and responded, "Wow, I didn't realize how much you actually loved Xavier."

It was so hard to believe someone could love a guy like Xavier because he didn't deserve any love.

"So... what happened to you after he died?"

"Well, I was back to square one and in the same situation I had been before I met him," Mona said as Mariana shuffled closer. "I was only eighteen and completely dependent on him, so I had to figure out how to quickly earn money, while just starting my degree and looking after two babies," Mona ranted out while she cried heavily.

Meanwhile, Mariana just listened with an awkward face at the intense crying. An unnerving shiver ran down her spine at the age mentioned, compared to how Xavier was supposed to be in his early 40s.

"Anyway, it's nothing. I won't expect you to understand something like that." Mona sighed and her head slumped to the side.

Out of everything that Mona said, that line was the one that instigated a surge of anger inside her. She tried having an open ear but that last sentence sparked a need to get defensive due to her own, unfortunate past.

"Mona..." she started out, trying to calm herself from exploding, "I'm sorry that happened to you, and I know I didn't go through the exact same thing as you did. But I know what it feels like to have your whole world shatter before your eyes. So don't say I don't know how that feels!" She finally screamed. It felt like she was telling a kid off.

Mona got spooked as her whole body jumped. She certainly didn't expect that.

"That happened to you?" she asked softly. Her ears perked up as her knees slid down, revealing more of her face.

"Yes..." Mariana replied in a calmer tone. She tried getting up and walked with a limp. "You think I'm responsible for Xavier killing himself when I never told him to commit suicide. But he killed my whole family and took away everything I knew in a single night and—"

"No." Mona rejected the idea and fiercely shook her head.

"Yes."

"Your lying!" she retorted and crossed her arms. "Xavier would never do something like that."

"Really Mona? And why do you think that?" Mariana questioned her with her weakened hand on her hip. She was getting impatient at Mona's stubbornness.

"Tell me, did you ever question why he wanted to kill me?" She said and ended up on her knees due to the wounds. "Did you?"

Mona winced and lowered her gaze.

"I did once," she whispered, but Mariana just barely heard it. "He showed me a picture of you one time while he was explaining his plan. I asked why he wanted you, but he told me not to worry. I kept asking until he threatened to throw me out and that's when I shut up."

"He threatened to throw you out just for that?" Mariana said but it didn't surprise her at all. Xavier was merciless and only cared about himself.

"Yeah. It was actually the first time he made me cry. But he did apologize later on and made it up to me." Mona smiled weakly as she remembered that moment. "He told me he felt hurt I didn't trust him after everything he had done for me. I didn't want him ever thinking that, so I never questioned him again and just forgot about it."

"Mona, it sounds like you've manipulated if I'm being honest." Mariana stared straight at her, seeing through the emotional manipulation behind her words.

"What do you mean?" Mona said while looking up with a frown.

"Well think about it. You just want to know something out of curiosity, yet he makes you feel guilty for asking and even threatens you. Doesn't that sound off?"

"But he also said he would tell me. When I'm older and able to understand." Mona then tapped her chin as if coming to a realization. "Which is similar to what my father once told me, how funny."

She became more relaxed and started rocking her knees. "Besides, it's not like knowing would be any useful to me so I had no right in asking."

"Let me guess, Xavier told you that?" Mariana crossed her arms.

"Yeah he did."

"Hmm, okay..." Mariana muttered, rolling her eyes. She thought of how she was going to make this very obvious brainwashed Mona to see clearly.

"Mona, when did you say you met Xavier?"

"I met him when I was seventeen. Why?"

"Seven—" Mariana covered her mouth as she couldn't believe her ears. Did she seriously just say seventeen? This girl definitely got groomed.

"Mona, have you ever heard of grooming?" she asked, trying to remain calm as she was slowly loosing her patience. while Mona face remained blank.

"Isn't it that thing something to do with animals?"

"Well yeah but I'm talking about when someone builds a connection with another to take advantage of them," Mariana said. Her eyes sharply on Mona. "It usually occurs when they have a huge age gap which comes with a power imbalance. When one is an adult and the other is a child."

Her words cut through as she stared straight into Mona's soul. Mariana saw how her eyes averted to the walls. She played with her fingers and frowned like she was trying to convince herself the similarities weren't there.

Well, I'm glad something is getting through...

"Mona, you said that one else was there for you when you met Xavier, is that right?"

"Yeah." Mona nodded while sulking. "He was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Mariana resisted the urge to roll her eyes and continued: "It sounds like you were really vulnerable at that time. Groomers usually pick those who are very vulnerable which makes it easier for them to built trust as they see what needs they can fulfill in your life."

"But he just wanted to help me out," Mona reasoned.

"I know it seems like that. But the truth is he was only doing that to take advantage of you," Mariana said slowly, "once he knows what you need, it makes you more dependent on him as you said earlier, and this makes it more easy for control and the sexual abuse to happen."

This time, Mona stared up, not saying a word. Her eyes glistened and her pupils became smaller like they were visiting the past. Her mouth hung open but no words came out, like the moments that used to mean so much to her. The ones that gave her life, were now the ones that made her mute.

"I—I..." she stuttered. Her speech was blocked by the knot forming in her throat. Her tears crept onto her as her eyes started becoming watery. She tried keeping a brave face, but it was no use. She couldn't deny it anymore.

"So your saying he never cared..." Mona muttered, the words tasting sour off her tongue, "he just pretended to so he could use me at my lowest?"

"I'm afraid so Mona."

"Wow... okay." she nodded off and fidgeted around uncomfortably. She breathed deeply like she was running out of air and bit her bottom lip to stop the tears from coming.

"So... all that time..." Mona muttered, her words falling apart like her.. "All that time spent... was a lie..." her eyes lowered and her throat had never felt so tight. Her chest burned with flaming pain well as her throat. She found it difficult to speak but her last words choked out tears of betrayal.

"I hate to say this but yes, it was."

That was all Mona needed to hear and she finally cried.

Her tears fell onto the floor as she became a sunken mess. She didn't bother covering her eyes, so Mariana watched her cry loudly.

"He really didn't love me..." Mona sniffed hard and wept.

"Yeah, he didn't unfortunately, but that's Xavier. He's not capable of loving anyone except himself," Mariana said and gave the ground a little kick. She hated thinking of all the things her wretched uncle did.

Mona sighed and stared towards the ground. Her tears drained out her energy and she just sulked in a pool of sadness.

"I just can't believe he would use me like that..." she muttered and concealed her face in shame. "After everything I had done for him."

"Yeah... the only thing I'm curious about was there anything in the beginning that you found weird? Like how a man that's nearly three times your age is attracted to you?"

"Um not really, although I probably should have been." Mona shrugged. "But it was like this with my dad so I just thought it was normal."

"E —Excuse me what?" Mariana stuttered and choked on her saliva. "Y—Your dad? D—Do you mean like step or—?"

"No my actual dad," Mona confirmed, "what we had was as highly sexual as what I had with Xavier—"she suddenly went quiet as she pondered on what she had just said. Her face darkened in the light, and her expression turned sour like the rumble in her stomach.

"D—Does that mean..." Mona covered her mouth as saliva quickly cumulated, "Was that also bad since Xavier wasn't supposed to be with me?" she muttered.

"Um... yeah," Mariana said, quickly nodding as it made her feel disgusted. "That's your father. He's not supposed to do that! It's child abuse and rape! Why would he even" she stopped as the whole thing made her sick to the core.

"Wait so... that's not something dads do with their daughters?" Mona asked, looking down as her mouth was filled and her stomach continued rumbling.

"No Mona! No! No! No! That's definitely not normal. No parent does something like that to their child. It's disgusting, and his paedophilic ass should be castrated."

"Oh." Mona whispered as her eyes formed another set of tears, "he always told me that that was what fathers and daughters do, and I wasn't really around any other family so I couldn't tell what was normal and what's not.." her lips trembled and she began crying.

"I guess he didn't love me either," she said and finally vomited, catching Mariana by surprise. She continued sobbing as she laid in her messy pit but it didn't bother her. She had been completely broken.

"I remember he took my virginity when I was eleven..." Mona muttered and vomited through her sobs. Mariana's eyes widened and almost fainted.

"It was when I got my first period, and he said I had become a woman so I needed to act like one," Mona continued and cried intensely. "I was in so much pain but my dad said to trust him and that he'll never intentionally harm me."

Mariana stared at her with her jaw dropping. She honestly couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Mona sniffed but painfully vomited again, "He was the only parent figure I had in my life so I trusted him. I didn't have my mother as she died when I was born." She leaned on her knees and stared at the wall. "He always said how I looked exactly liked her. Maybe abusing me was his way of getting over the loss..."

Jeez, this is getting more sickering the more I hear it, Mariana thought. She really didn't want it to be true, but it seemed like it was.

Mona huffed and buried her legs behind her legs. "Why would he do that to me, Mariana?" she begged loudly, "I was his little girl, his pride and joy." She cried into her legs.

"I don't really know Mona. Sometimes the ones closest to us, end up being the one that hurts us the most. I learned that the hard way..." Mariana muttered and glared to the floor.

"Because that's what Xavier had done to you, isn't it?" Mona looked up with a waterfall flowing out. Mariana nodded without looking at her.

"I'm sorry he did that to you. I never knew about that." Mona wiped her eyes and calmed down a bit.

"Thanks." Mariana nodded and sighed heavily

Mona got up and then went to unlock the door. She went out and returned, holding Elisa and Axel.

"Here are your kids Mariana, I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused," Mona said.

Mariana looked up and her eyes lit up like the sun seeing her kids.

"My babies! My sweet, precious babies! Come to Mama!" Mariana spread her arms like wings and she crawled to them.

"Mommy!" They ran and jumped into her arms.

"My two babies..." Mariana began sobbing and kissing their cheeks, "I'm so glad you're okay. I promise I will never let anyone take you again." She kissed them and stroked their head as they nuzzled into her embrace.

Mona smiled at the reunion and then turned away. Without looking at her hands, she ripped away the two rings that bonded her to Xavier and threw them to the floor while crying.

"Oh and Mariana," Mona said, turning back.

"What?" Mariana said and held her kids tight to her chest. She still hated Mona for taking them so tightened her hold on them.

"I'm sorry for that last video Electra sent to you. I didn't know she made that as I had to go out quickly for something. But I felt so guilty when she threw your kids to the ground because it reminded me of something that happened to me. And I wouldn't want innocent children being put through that."

"Wait, what do you mean? Are you sure you didn't tell her to do that?" Mariana narrowed her eyes.

"No. I remember one particular night when I used to be a prostitute and a man threw me to the curb after refusing to pay me," Mona said, breaking down slightly," he basically left me to die so it reminded me too much of that."

"Oh damn, that sounds really rough."

"Yeah, I hated that and lost all my dignity by the things I was subjected to. But I had to provide for my kids and that seemed like the quickest way." Mona sighed but shook her head. "Anyway, it's fine. I'm in a better place now."

"I just have one more question Mona," Mariana said. She got up and lifted her kids even though her arm was still weak. "Why did you have to kill Pamela's family? That was just too cruel."

"Who?" Mona snapped her head toward her. "Oh her. I didn't actually kill them. I just had Mike drug them and knock them unconscious to teach her a lesson."

"Wait really? They are not dead?" Mariana said, "but what about all the blood we saw?"

"Fake blood," Mona replied, "don't worry it's not real. They should be fine."

"Oh that's so good!" Mariana exclaimed. She was thrilled to hear that.

She then skipped out the door and met Micah in the kitchen. He hugged and kissed his kids as they met up with the others outside. The FBI arrested Mona and collected her kids as they all got in the car and drove back to Budapest.

A/N: Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the chapter! 😁😁😁 I absolutely loved writing it and hope it was perfect!