Chapter 6 – Entangled in a Turbulent Life

As Adela walked into her wing, she looked around the room. It was more airy than usual. She frowned and her gaze slowly settled on the high windows throw which a cold breeze soared through.

"Ethan," Adela said, knowing he was behind her.

"Yes?" he said in a lazy voice.

"Who opened the windows? I thought I said it very clearly that no one shall do so without my permission."

Ethan moved beside her and stopped chewing on his gum. A slight frown spread across his face and he quickly hid it.

"I'll take care of it," he said, looking at his I-pad and typing.

"Mhm," Adela said, walking to her davenport and pressing a toggle.

The drawer pushed open and she pulled out a picture. It was herself with Eurus and her father on her graduation. She smiled at it and ran a finger through the page.

"Ethan," she said, her smile dropping.

"Hmm?"

"What is this?" Adela said, pointing at the back of the picture which was splattered with red. Blood. Human blood. In the midst of the splash, there was writing. It was bold and clear.

Ethan came closer to take a look.

"Oh," he said.

"Oh?" she inquired.

"Oh. I'll call Sebastian," he said, nodding.

"OH!" Adela said angrily.

"Oh," he said, putting down his I-pad.

"I don't want Sebastian to be here so-"

"Sebastian reporting."

Adela glanced at the door, where Sebastian now stood with a handgun in his hands.

She gave Ethan a death stare who simply shrugged.

"You don't need to come in like this all the time," Adela said. "Imagine I call for you and you bring your entire team with you and barge in like this and get to know that I only wanted my tea to be hot enough."

Sebastian ignored her and came over to her.

"Oi, this is mine!" Adela said, taking the picture back from Sebastian.

"Miss, I need to take a look."

"If you do, you'll get a punch in the face, and I an hour-long lecture."

Sebastian knew what she was referring to. Magnus.

"Don't you dare," Adela warned him.

"Miss, this is my duty. I need to know what this is."

"Show it to him," a familiar voice uttered.

Speak of the devil.

"No," Adela said.

"Give it," Magnus said again, growing impatient.

"Just give it sis," Edmund mumbled.

Adela rolled her eyes and handed the note to Sebastian.

"It is a location and time," Sebastian announced.

"No shit, Sherlock," Adela said, falling back to her chair and stretching.

Sebastian looked at her, unamused. Magnus took the note from his hand and put it into his pocket.

"Hey!" Adela exclaimed, "That's mine!"

"Shut up, Ad."

Adela's eyes darted to Edmund who was frowning as his lawyer spoke into his ears. He slowly nodded and walked into the room.

"I got one too," he said, showing his note that his lawyer gave him.

Magnus frowned and starred at the note for the longest time.

"Whose picture is it behind the note?" Adela asked laughingly.

Edmund rolled his eyes.

"Come on, who is it? Whoever wrote it, had written it on the picture we hold most dear. Which means we were also being spied on," Adela said.

"It's just Eurus and dad," Edmund said, flipping his picture.

"Pity, you're missing my gorgeous face in it," Adela said shaking her head.

"Ad, this is serious," Magnus muttered angrily.

"Let me tell you something, Ed-" Adela started but was cut off by a call. It was Magnus's phone. You automatically know to shut up.

He picked up the call and Adela assumed it was his lawyer.

"I know, Jeff. No need," Magnus said, putting the phone down.

"Wait," Adela smiled, "Let me guess. You got it too?"

Magnus sighed and nodded.

"Okay then! What are we waiting for? Let's have fun!" Adela replied happily.

Magnus stared at her and she shut up.

"I can go," Edmund said, moving forward.

Magnus looked at him and shook his head.

"This is too dangerous," he said under his breath.

"You think it could possibly be related to Margaret?" Adela demanded.

Magnus shrug his shoulders. "Only one way to find out."

"So...we all are supposed to go?" Adela inquired.

"Yes, apparently. But we can't. I'll deal with it."

Just then, Adela's, Magnus's and Edmund's phone rang.

"Every. One. Of. Your. Cursed. Family." Adela read out loud. "Who is this?"

An image was attached underneath the message. It was Samantha. Kidnapped.

"We need to go," Adela whispered, taking her coat.

"No," Edmund said, "Let Magnus or me do it."

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU," Adela yelled. "IT'S A LIFE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

Magnus read her face with his stone-cold blue eyes which were dancing with anger. Edmund looked at her and then away.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Edmund spoke in the silence.

As they hopped into the SUV, Adela's head throbbed.

"If-" Edmund started.

"If nothing," Adela said sternly.

"Take a chill pill, sis," Edmund laughed, loosening the tension in the room. He handed Adela a bar of chocolate. Adela could feel Magnus's razor-sharp glare at both of them. Of course, his #nochocolate and #diabetes chanting was about to start. Strangely, he did not yap a word.

Adela accepted the chocolate and nibbled on it. Edmund looked at her with amusement.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing," he said, continuing to look at Adela.

Adela realized it was the chocolate he was looking at.

"How long has it been since you last ate chocolate?" Adela rolled her eyes.

"A week," he said, disappointedly. "I managed to sneak this one though."

Adela broke the bar into two and handed him one. She took a quick glimpse at Magnus, who was staring outside the window, every muscle in his face taut.

As the SUV came to a halt, Magnus got off the car first. Adela and Edmund followed close by.

"Behave," he said and started walking.

"What's that?" Edmund asked mockingly.

"No idea," Adela returned.

As they walked past the guards on the entrance of the gloomy building, they were stopped.

"Montego. Magnus Montego," Magnus said.

The guards stared at him then moved aside. The three of them walked in and the inside was nothing like the outside.

People moved around wearing black from head to toe. Glass elevators with the luxurious furniture made the place look like a sci-fi lab. She took a 360 turn and was amazed by the modern technology used in the place.

"Why can't our home be like this?" Edmund whispered.

"I told Magnus so many-" Adela began.

"Shut it," Magnus hissed.

Both of them fell silent as a man came out of the hustle. He made his way towards them and Adela's sight fell on Magnus's hand which turned into a fist and the other hand which moved to his hand gun.

"Good morning!" The man said enthusiastically, his face hidden by a bandana. Only his eyes were visible, which were of different color each. One was a dull blue while the other was a glistening green.

"This way please," he said, holding out his hand and moving, as if sure we'd follow.

"Who are you and what is this place?" Magnus inquired.

The man remained silent and Magnus sighed and nodded.

They walked across halls and rooms where people practiced shooting and fighting.

"I see," Edmund smiled.

"Look at his stance! He would shoot South if he is said to shoot North with that," Adela laughed, looking at a group of people bullying a kid trying to shoot.

Edmund chuckled as he stared at the kid with amusement.

The man took them to a private elevator. He punched his card and stepped in. Magnus stood rooted to his spot for a second or two then followed. As they passed floor after floor, the elevator finally stopped.

"Here," the man said loudly, "You will meet our master."

The room they had stepped into was a large hall with floor-to-ceiling windows that filled the room with natural light. In front of them was a wide staircase that led to gigantic doors made of iron and embellished with jewels.

The man waited for a moment, as if deep in thought of what to do next, then started walking. He climbed the staircase and waited at the doors.

"What's your name?" Magnus asked loudly as his voice echoed in the almost empty hall.

"Damian," the man said, which surprised Adela as she wasn't expecting an answer back.

Magnus slowly straightened his coat jacket and cleared his throat as he moved up the stairs.

Adela and Edmund followed, as usual.

"Please," Damian said. "I will leave you hear. You shall proceed."

He then looked at a camera with eye recognition and the doors flew open. The sight ahead made Adela gasp in horror.

The room was dimly lit with a singular chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. It cast a warm yellow shadow on the black marble floor. Skulls lined the walls in shelves with at least four bodies hanging from the ceiling. The walls were of scarlet-brown color which made the scenery even more eerie.

A man sat lazily on a throne-like chair. He was also covered in entirely black attire with only his eyes visible. As Adela looked closer, her eyes widened. It was the man Sam talked about. One of his eyes was bruised and black, as if he lost it. The second one was blood-shot red.

"Lovely meeting you, Cerberus," Magnus hissed.

The man sitting on the throne stopped and slowly grinned. He sat up straight and his eyes made Adela nauseous.

How did Magnus know him?

"Magnus," Adela demanded, "How do you know this-"

"Enough," Cerberus whispered.

He slowly got up and his long robe-like attire flowed behind him. He descended the stairs and pushed Magnus roughly out of the way. Edmund gritted his teeth and glared at him. He slowly made his way to Adela and laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" Adela narrowed her eyes.

"You've changed...a lot," he said.

"Cerberus, was it? How do you know me? Do I know you?" Adela inquired.

"Me?" Cerberus exclaimed, "Hmm I see you have forgotten, Ad."

Only three people in the world called her by her nickname. Well four, if you count Sam. Eurus, Magnus and...her dad.

It can't be, she told herself. He's dead.

"Who are you?" Adela questioned angrily.

"Think."

"Enough," Magnus said, "Say hi to dad, Ad."

At that moment, the ground beneath Adela's feet seemed to have disappeared. She clung to Edmund's arm for support and breathed heavily.

"Who?" she whispered.

The man slowly removed his bandana and revealed his face. His jet-black hair fell down his shoulder. Adela gasped. He was just like Edmund. He advanced towards Adela but Magnus pulled out his hand gun and placed it on his head.

"Don't," Magnus whispered.

Cerberus laughed. It was horrifying.

"You are Edward. Who is Cerberus then?" Adela said, her voice shaking with rage now.

"Cerberus was a new identity I needed to create this beautiful place," Edward said in a rough voice. "It was why I needed to fake my death, dear daughter."

"Why? Where were you all these years?"

"Oh, don't you get it? I thought you were better. You've disappointed me."

Adela had always won in the games he used to give all the children. How could he say that.

"You left your entire fortune to me, why?"

"Edmund," he said, his eyes darting towards him. "Ahh, you remind me of myself! Why don't you give it a go?"

Edmund clenched his fists.

"You left. I knew it. They never brought your body to the funeral. It was suspicious. I knew you left. Everything was so pre-planned and fake. You left the entire fortune to Ad because you wanted to keep it safe, while you made this," Magnus interrupted. "And now, you want it back."

Edward clapped his hands together. He applauded as Magnus glared at him.

"Well done, my son! I knew you had my brains!"

Magnus snarled at him.

Adela moved in a flash and the next second, Edward laid on the floor, whimpering in pain.

"You won't get it back," Adela said, looking at her father's blood-shot eyes.

"You know how I got...this?" he said, pointing to his bruised eyes.

"I don't want to know."

"The police caught me twice," he said, ignoring Adela. "Tried escaping once, it didn't work. Shot me once. In the eye. The second time, they caught me. And then punched me. I managed to get out of jail after two years and that," he said, pointing at one of the bodies hanging from the ceiling, "Is him."

Adela was disgusted. How could this lunatic and psychopath be her father?

"You're mad."

"Worser, but yes."

"So, this place is illegal," Adela said, looking around.

"Worser, but yes."

Adela narrowed her eyes at him.

"Where's Samantha Brown?" Edmund asked.

"No worries about her," Edward yawned. "Give me the money."

"Where's Samantha Brown?" Edmund repeated.

"If you all don't hand me over the fortune, I may have to sadly kill my own kin."

"You?" Magnus scowled. "Sure."

"I have placed five men around the room. Each with a sniper. Try with that thing," he said, looking at Magnus's handgun, "And you all will die."

Magnus slowly lowered his gun and looked around.

"Now," Edward said, throwing his bandana aside, "What is your decision?"

There was a swift movement and Edward laid on the floor, dead.

The last thing Adela knew was being pushed by a man with chestnut hair and warm brown eyes.

Cerberus...maybe...die already? Stop playing hide and seek. Ain't no way she giving those billions to him. 😌🥱

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(Chapter 7 --->)