*Mia's P.O.V*

No one will stop me.

"Mia, stop!"

Except Charlie.

"Mia!" he yells again. My grandmother and my aunt turn to him. Even Pamela is shocked.

I have never seen Charlie look so horrified. His arms stay behind him - no movement - like a screaming statue.

I let Pamela go, so she topples to the ground. With eyes glued to his, I stagger till we are face to face. He blinks.

"Mia -" He pulls me into a hug. I feel something hard between us, but his scent isn't letting me think. I lean in, letting him drag me out of the mansion.

It proves difficult to convince him that the blood on me is Pamela's. He rushes me to the hospital, where, surprisingly,  a large cut is found on my elbow. I wince, refusing to cry. I brought this upon myself. Doesn't Charlie realise this? Why is he not berating me for being violent?

My gaze tries to decipher his mind while he answers his phone. Mine rings louder suddenly—the officer.

I dodge Charlie at all costs, catching the officer's stare from a mile away.  He honks, and I get in his ride, saying, "I don't think this is a good place to meet -"

"Pamela killed your cousin's parents too."

My jaw drops. "There's proof of this?!"

"Yes, but it's all in the reserve. When Joe was a cop, she had this secret storage room for all evidence related in a way to her family. That includes evidence against their friends and foes. I won't be surprised if they use them to blackmail their way to the top. As she is no longer a cop, she has an insider to do all that. I tracked that person and saw -" The officer exhibits some photos. "This 'reserve' is in Zelenograd. It requires some key to pass security."

"Key, as in physical key?"

"Yes. It's probably back with Joe by now. Do you want me to steal it?"

Obviously! However, that will be too dangerous for him. "I'll see if I can find it first. Like I said, Joe may have good intentions, but I cant wait while that bitch murders all of us. That's why I have to act."

"Mm. Don't worry; I wont tell her."

To that, I slip out of his car, muttering that he should still keep me updated on whatever he finds again.

*

As I retreat to the hospital, Charlie's absence welcomes me. I frown, realising he's gone for more than a call. It doesn't help that he didn't leave any messages, albeit a blue file with my family business's logo on it. I frown. Open it. Then, my eyes bulge.

"Mia?" Charlie jumpscares me. I squeak, turning with the file open brazenly.

That's when it dawns on me that the hard thing between us as we left the mansion was this file. He stole it from where Pamela sat in my grandmother's study.

Charlie admits this. "Desi told me you left in a rush, and I figured you'd be there. I just happened to notice this file on one of the chairs the moment I entered."

"Charlie, what if they noticed?!" I slap his arm. Yelping a little, he rolls his eyes. "Can you give it to Mrs Henley?"

"Just me? Aren't you coming back with us?"

"No, I have to go home. My sister says she misses me."

"Aww." I pout.

*

*

Hence, we pack. I gather Desi's belongings into a small suitcase, which I know she'll hate me for. That girl is back fiercer than ever.

She has been through so much, though. Gotta cut her some slack.

I'm so invested in arranging her things to her preference that I almost forget Mrs Lamentin. Almost. Once the clock above me strikes two, alarm signals surge in my head. I rush, putting on a baseball cap and a trenchcoat.

Her venue of choice is an open cafe. I wind up here early enough to have a snack. My eyes and mouth work fats, munching and looking till they spit Mrs Lamentin crossing the street. Someone in a face mask does same, raising suspicion.

Who is that? Is he following her?

When she turns around, and the person holds up a newspaper, I know better than to watch on. The person keeps the paper up until I grab his collar and shove him into the nearest alley.

I take off his face mask only to gasp, "Charlie?!"

"Wow, you are fast." He breathes. I check if Mrs Lamentin followed us, but no, she is seated in the cafe. She didn't recognise me running past her.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I could ask the same thing," says Charlie. Cursing under my breath, I release his collar in time to glimpse his phone. In a blink, we are hand-wrestling for it.

"What are you - Mia, give me my phone!"

It's a struggle to read the screen with his arms squeezing me, but I strain, "Jackson? Arggh- he said you should follow Mrs Lamentin?!"

There's a pause.  Charlie gives up, releasing me.

"So, I am right," I pant. "Why?"

"I don't know yet. Mia, give me my phone, please."

Shaking my head, I scroll down their messages - a list of targets such as Mr and Mrs Lamentin, the officer, Mr Palviokinsky, and my grandfather.

"What are you supposed to do, Charlie?"

"Befriend them," he sighs. "For now."

Ur? Ok?

"I'm friends with Mrs Lamentin and the officer already, so focus on my grandfather. I don't trust you going near Pamela, let alone the man who raised her." I return his phone.

Charlie grimaces. "Doesn't mean your grandfather can be any better."

*

Back in the cafe, I apologise for my  lateness. Mrs Lamentin says it's not an issue in a tone different from our previous encounters.

"Mia?" Mrs Lamentin utters, "You are Mia Summers."

Bobbing, my eyes revert to hers. "What do you know about my father?"

A fond expression captures her face.

A pause.

A weird pause.

My mind wanders in an unchartered territory for a second. They better not have fucked.

"Your father... mm, we -" She inhales deeply. "We were friends from college."

Crap. They fucked. Dad, the man you were...

"He was on a scholarship, and I was from a wealthy family... My family owned a pharmaceutical company, so I got him a job there."

"The pharmaceutical company that fucking ruined many youth with those fucking pills -"

Her affirmation is as sharp as my scowl. "It's not us that made those pills. We went bankrupt, so Dad sold the company to a German investor who started producing that shit. We had the option to sell it to your family, too. Many offers were made, but we stupidly went for the dude offering us the most money. Anyway, your father still worked there despite the new owner. Later, I heard he was the whistleblower who got deported."

I grimace. She exhales. "When we got in contact again, your dad was a mess. Your mom just died, and... it was your grandfather who killed her."

My breath halts. Life evaporates into a painful throatache. I clinge to the table, croaking, "My-mother died giving birth to me."

"No. There was a 'robbery' incident, though, really, Mr. Yeltsin orchestrated it. Valda took a bullet close to her chest." Her shoulders sink. "So your dad sought money from me to keep her and the baby alive. Fortunately, I sent it in time for your premature care."

That makes no sense ... I need to go. I stagger out of the cafe, come back and utter, "So he paid you that huge sum all those years later back for that?!"

"Well, yes." Mrs Lamentin responds. I still can't believe it.

"Does anyone else know?"

Her reply is negative.

"Tha-thank you." I grab my stuff and walk out for worse this time. My feet hurt from the sudden speed encapsulating my lungs. I can't believe it. I hit my chest. It's not running - it's fucking dying. I'll collapse.

I'm collapsing on someone.

*

When my eyes flutter open, Charlie is there. He tucks my hair behind my ears softly.

"Hey." He smiles.

This is not the time for hey-s. I pull Charlie unto me, drowning a sob on his chest.  Stiffened, he takes three deep breaths to cuddle me. I sigh. Though that's not how my dad would console me, his awkward 'dear, how do I make things better?' aura is palpable.

Oh, Dad. To have thought you kept all these horrible people from me... that horrible monster! He's not my grandfather. I won't let him be my grandfather. I'll make him pay.

But right now, I can't fathom a revenge plan. I can't fathom anything.

I sigh on Charlie. "T-tell me something."

"What?"

"Anything nice."

"Oh -" Charlie scratches his head. "Ok. Urm." Resting his chin on his wrist, he pouts in thought before starting, "Oo! How about poems? Fredrick -"

"Yours, then."

Charlie cringes. "Oh, no, Mia!"

So I turn around.

"Well," he hesitates. "This is called 'burned face'. Urm.

I feel smaller than the instruction paper

Which tells me I will be new

Please say something else

I'll feed off your curses even

I'll cut my legs

They won't grow back

I'll make a doll of my scowl

So you'll know to talk

Speak to  ash

Speak to me

But don't burn my face."

"Charlie, what the hell?"

"Language." He tenses. "And, sorry. It's terrible, isn't it?"

I laugh. "I don't get it."

"How about I just say ... stop crying, and let me cry for you. I don't want you to get a headache." He pats my forehead.

"Mm. OK." I snuggle closer to him.

As it gets late, Charlie falls asleep. I sneak over to Joe's place, itching to verify her knowledge or lack thereof, of my mother's death.

What a shame it is to approach her home and ball my eyes out. Joe comforts me, too, even letting me sleep over. Only do I stay to nick the key from her handbag. With the key and an instruction to give Charlie whatever he finds, I meet the officer for a final time.

Then, I collect Desi and leave for the US.

If I ever come back, I'm destroying that old man. For all those years, I blamed myself for Mum's death. All those years, I struggled to comprehend who she was. All those years, Dad had to cry over the loss of his lover.

All those years and more, old man.