You say in love we forgive.

I say in love we regret.

           Either way,

It's our destiny that won the bet.

                     ......
          Few days later

The eerie silence of the night resembled the deadly silence in the basement.

The sound of water drops falling every alternate second, the only thing audible.

A man sat on a seat, a piece of cigarettes in between his lips. As he stared at someone in front of him, who was tied in chains and covered in bandages.

His eyebrows furrowed as he took a last whiff and threw away the cigarette, crushing it below his feet.

A guard steps forward, bowing and he nods at him. Asking him to continue.

"Shall I?"

He asks and James nod. Leaning back on his seat. Ready to get the game playing.

The guards move forward and one of them steps behind the man, removing the blindfold.

Making the man to cringe, as the bulb light blinded him for a second.

"What the fuc-"

He curses struggling to open his eyes. To only have James press his elbows on his thighs and lean closer.

"You are a tough man Ethan."

Ethan curses opening his eyes to look at James. He tries to move his hands to only find them tied on the handrest of a wooden seat and he stills.

Looking at the bounds ,James sighs.

"Sorry for the restraints. It just a convention."

Ethan stills, leaning back his head on the seat. His body hurted like sh**. But atleast he was alive.

"Few broken bones, a concussion, broken ribs and few stitches in your head. "

"Doctor's said your survival was difficult. But here you are."

He says looking at him from top to bottom.

"Alive.Breathing."

There is silence for next few minutes to only have Ethan look up at him. A bandage covering his head and few others wrapped around his torso and thigh.

"Why did you save me?"

He asks to have James smirk. Placing on leg on top of another. He continues.

" I don't know what you think about me but I am not that heartless that I will leave a man dying."

Ethan clenches his fists, looking at him and scoffing.

" You can let the veils drop James."

"I already know well about the heartless man behind these fascades."

James chuckles getting up. Moving behind Ethan and placing his hands on his shoulder.

"You hurt my feelings Ethan. One shouldn't say such harsh words to your savior."

Ethan breathes heavily , saying nothing. As James leans closer. Whispering in Ethan's ear from behind.

"But I got to admit. You got me there."

"I didn't save you for nothing.Everything has a price."

James comes forward and Ethan looks up at him. His eyes burning in rage, seeing the man behind everything.

"Name it"

He seeths, to again make James chuckle.

"What's the hurry? You aren't going anywhere and I am enjoying you father's vulnerability way too much."

"He will kill you if something happens to me James!"

He barely hmms nodding

"I know."

"It's not you or your father I am after Ethan."

"Yaa you are after Vivian. What the hell has the girl even done to you , for you to hurt her so much! You killed our child...you killed Soph! You destroyed all of our lives! What the fuc* do you even want from us!"

James eyes harden. Not happy with the way he talked to him.

"The blood running in her veins is enough of a reason."

"That bastard Edward killed my lover when she had my child in her womb.....he called it an accident."

"And your Vivian's death will be as much of an accident as my child's death was."

"I killed his lover in front of his eyes that night your father found him.....and I would have killed his child as well if that stupid sister of her's hadn't interfered."

Ethan say red. The very thought of someone hurting Vivian , burning an insatiable urge to draw blood of that bast****.

"So it was all planned by you? The night...the charge of murder?"

"Planning is one thing and execution is another."

"If I would have been successful in them, your wife would have been dead long ago..... her body laying somewhere in the depths of the ocean."

"You are a sick man James."

"I know "

He said. Using his gun to rub a place in his forehead.

"I call it my love for my dead wife. You call it my sickness ...I don't care."

"But you know what Ethan. I pity you."

"You are just like me. You had the same fate as me. Getting to know about your child when you lost it."

"Not trusting the girl that meant the world to you, to only regret later."

"Making wrong choices, having your best friend betray you."

"You are just as vulnerable as me. The hate in your eyes for me....the fire of revenge."

"Making you survive, deceiving even death."

"Just open my restraints and I will tell you who you should pity more right now , you bastard."

He says, thrashing. To only have James chuckle again.

"I love your high spirit boy. But calm down."

"We have business to talk."

And that's when James sits back on the seat in front of him. Seeing that the wound on his torso has started bleeding from the thrashing.

Sighing ,he motions one of the guards and they come towards him.

Whispering something in his ear, he sees him going to only come back with a doctor.

The doctor moves forward to help while Ethan resists.

"Stay still boy. If you don't want to bleed to death before we come to the main part."

Cursing Ethan lays his head back as the doctor works on his wound. Making sure it is treated properly.

Once done, the doctor steps back. Bowing at James.

"Done Sir."

James dismisses the doctor with his hands. Staring back at the boy who had beads of sweat running down his forehead.
He looked in too much pain..with blood coming out from his lips , but he was trying to be tough. Not showing it.

"Well so coming to business."
.
.

"I want you to get me the girl."

Ethan looks up at disbelief, a chuckle leaving his lips.

"You are really delusional James."

James step closer, smirking at him. To only hold his chin in his grip and tilt up his face. Making his cold eyes to look at him.

"I am afraid I am not joking kid. You will get me that bitc* and that also willingly."

Ethan spits the blood at his face, breathing heavily.

"In hell I will."

James grip tightens on Ethan's chin. Bit he doesn't flinch, staring back at him with his cold eyes.

Opening his other hand, a guard places a towel in James hands and he cleans the spit on his face.

Sighing.

"I guess you need some motivation."

Turning around, James nods at the guard who leaves to follow his instructions.

While Ethan looks up. Cleaning the blood on corner of his lips with the shoulder of his shirt.

"You say you love her right?"

Ethan doesn't answer again, ignoring his question.

"Well then let's put it to test."

Ethan clenches his fist. To only have James announce, with back leaning on the wall. And arms folded in front of him.

"Bring her."

And that's when the metal doors creak open and heavy footsteps resonate.

Ethan's heavy eyes, struggled to remain open as he stared at the new entrant.
Combat boots coming in his vision as he saw the guards dragging someone inside the room.

The darkness surrounding, making impossible to identify the person. It looked like a frail short person, with body staggering supported by the guards.

"Remember her Ethan?"

James said, while Ethan still struggled to identify the person. Creases appearing on his forehead as he failed to do it.

To only have the guards push the person near his feet. Making the bulb light to illuminate the person.

Long dark hair covered the person's face as the body looked too frail and weak. Her bones showing and the clothes looked too big on the person's frame.
Bruises and marks covering the person's arm.

Ethan almost felt pity seeing the unknown person.

She looked too broken.

The thought of James torturing a women to this extent made his hate for him , aggravate.

The person struggled to get up....her arms too weak...to lift up her body...and a frail cry leaves the person's lip.

As she falls down....her tears wetting the floor as she cries.

The guards did nothing to help her....while James stared with an evil smirk.... enjoying the show.

Ethan on the other hand looked too clueless as to who this person was. Why no one moved forward to help her? Why was she crying?

"What the hell James. What is the meaning of this?"

Ethan says grinding his teeth,while James straightens up. Looking at the weak pathetic girl.

"Ahh this is no fun."

He says stepping forward into the light and crouching down next to the girl level. Her sobs irritating him as he looks up at Ethan.

"You know what they say about a women Ethan?"

He asks with a raised eyebrow, smirking. To only have it disappear the next second.

"A women in bed is a man's greatest temptation."

"A women in his mind, his greatest distraction."
.
.
.
.
"And a women in his heart?"

.
.
Holding the girls thick locks in his hand, he pulls them back. Making the girls face to become visible in the light.

"His greatest weakness."

Ethan stills...as the girl's face becomes visible in the light. His clenched fists loosening and his mind freezing.

Her brown teary eyes stared at him.

And that very second. He got oblivious of everything. Loosing his rationale and senses completely.

"Remember now ?"

James asks smirking, tightening his grip on the girls hair, pulling her scalp. Making more tears to leave her eyes.

But she doesn't cry and looks up at the man sitting in front of her with dead eyes.
Her cracked lips opening and closing.

With no word escaping her lips except for few rugged breaths.

"Haven't you missed your friend Ethan?"

And that's when a word leaves Ethan's lips, that have been engraved in the tombstone of the dead. The name that made him the messed up man that he is now.

The name that has left him as a living corpse all these years, when it was her that died.

The name that he hasn't called in years.....yet always remained in his heart.

The name of the girl that has betrayed him.

And gave him nothing but regrets.
.
.
.

"Soph?"