~ BACK TO THE PRESENT ~ NEXT DAY ~ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019. ~ MORNING ~

~ STILL IN THE PALACE ~ KITCHEN ~

They all wake up and have breakfast. Mortals eat toast with butter and jam. Angels, not needing food, drink only coffee and not because they need it. Just for the company.

Artemis: So what? You're never going to eat again?

Jace: No, my darling. It's not that. As you can see, we can eat if we want to.

Spyros: Yes, but you don't need to eat to live, do you?

Jace: That's right!

Jason: Mama Mary, I don't think that's why you don't cook for us anymore?

Cecilia: Mercy, Jason!

Jason: What? I'm addicted to mama's cooking.

Mary: Don't be afraid, baby. I'm never going to stop.

Jason: Thank you!

Stefan: Dad, you said we don't need food and water to survive.

Jace: Yes.

Stefan: Does that apply to Sebastian too?

Jace: No. He and Lois need something to survive.

Cecilia: What do they need?

But to see what Sebastian and Lois need to survive, we have to go next door. Let's go ...

~ NEXT HOUSE ~ WOLF's LAIR ~ BEDROOM ~

The couple is sleeping- Yes. They need sleep, unlike the angels who never sleep- when suddenly the door opens and little Elena comes in, rubbing her eyes. The girl approaches the bed and taps Sebastian on the shoulder.

Elena: Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!

Sebastian immediately opens his eyes.

Sebastian: What's wrong, baby? What happened to you?

Elena: I'm thirsty, Daddy. I drank water, but it didn't help. I'm still thirsty. My throat is burning. Do something, Daddy!

Sebastian gets up, takes his daughter in his arms and brushes her hair out of her eyes.

Sebastian: Don't worry about it, baby. Daddy will make the thirst go away. Let's go downstairs to the kitchen.

The two go into the kitchen and Sebastian, after putting the girl on the table as she does every morning, takes something from the refrigerator and puts it in the microwave. When the heating time is over and the microwave whistles, Sebastian pours the red liquid into Elena's favorite cup and gives it to her.

Sebastian: Here you go, Puppy. Bottoms up.

The girl takes the cup, holds it to her nose and sniffs it a few times.

Elena: Oh, Daddy! It smells great!

Sebastian: I know, baby. Come on, drink it all.

Elena: Does that mean no more milk?

Sebastian laughs.

Sebastian: Yes, baby. No more milk.

Elena: Yippee!

The girl drinks the warm blood in one gulp and as the burning sensation in her throat disappears, just like her father said, her face takes on an expression of absolute satisfaction.

Sebastian: Did you like it, Puppy?

Elena: Too much, Daddy.

Sebastian: The thirst is gone, isn't it?

Elena: Yes, Daddy. My throat doesn't burn anymore.

Sebastian: Good! How about some bacon now?

Elena: Sure, but don't fry it too long. I like it better raw.

Sebastian: Sure you do.

Sebastian gets up, laughing, to get the bacon, having previously emptied a cup of hot blood. Now you're going to ask me how exactly the blood got into Sebastian's fridge. Well ... Sebastian took care of it last night. He asked the person closest to him for a small donation until he could arrange for the family's regular supply. Yes, you got it right. The blood is from Jared, who was happy to help Sebastian. Because yes ... Sebastian may be a powerful supernatural Guardian Warrior now, but he'll never stop being his best friend.

But not to be misunderstood. Sebastian and his family's need for blood has nothing to do with what we all know about vampires. They don't have the urge, the need to hunt and kill humans. They just need a small amount of human blood every day to survive and maintain their powers. They also need meat. Raw meat, but not human meat. Actually, that's not much difference from their previous life as mortals. All of them, Sebastian, Lois, and the children, have always eaten their meat blood-red and never well-done, so there's no difference.

~ * ~

~ A LITTLE ΤΙΜΕ LATER ~ BACK TO THE PALACE ~ LIVING ROOM ~

The whole pack is gathered in Jace's living room, just before Paul's expected arrival, and as you can see, everyone is a bit excited. Especially Stefan, who's playing with the heavenly fire between his fingers to kill time.

Artemis sits down next to him and strokes her belly. Jace polishes his sword with Alexander's help, while Mary clowns around with Matt, playing with their wings. Sebastian teaches Damon and Nicolae some combat tactics, while Lois teaches Elena how to use the Adamas whip. Cecilia, Lucida, and Eva practice with their wings while Jason, Johnny and Matty stare and drool over them. Everyone else, the mortals of the pack, sits together, gazing raptly at the wonderful supernatural members of their family.

When Sebastian's cell phone rings, everyone pauses and fixes their eyes on the device. Sebastian glances at the large wall clock above the fireplace.

Sebastian: So, pack ... This is it! It's showtime!

He picks up the phone, on which is none other than Negro.

Sebastian: Tell me, Negro ... Did you get them? ... Well done! Perfect job, guys! ... Yes. Take them to the Lair and we'll come. ... No, not Artemis. The interrogation of the bitch will be done by my She-Wolf, Mary, and Lucy. ... Okay. See you later!

He hangs up the phone and looks at Stefan, who runs his hand through his hair.

Sebastian: We did it, Tiger. We got them both. Everything happened just like it did in Elena's vision.

Stefan: Perfect! Let's put some brains in this asshole's empty head.

Lucida: And make that bitch's sloppy ass a little tighter.

Lois: That's why I like this girl!

As the "investigators" get ready to leave, Simon, who is a little cooler than them, has to make a comment.

Simon: Eeeh ... Excuse me, Wolf ... Guardian ... Sebastian ... Damn! I don't even know what to call you anymore.

Sebastian: Whatever you want, Dragon. It doesn't matter. I'll always be your protégé.

Tears come to Simon's eyes, but he wipes them away and continues with what he was going to say.

Simon: What do you intend to do with the boys of the gang? Are you going to reveal your new nature to them?

Sebastian: Not in front of everyone. I'm only going to tell the higher-ups. Negro, Tiny, Juan, Franco and Edy. They need to know and they're loyal enough to keep our secret.

Simon: Yes. I think so too. Good call.

Just before they leave, Artemis pulls Lucida aside and whispers something to her.

Artemis: Lucy, I beg you! Make that bitch not think of hurting my Stefan again.

Lucida: Don't worry, Tati. That bitch will regret the time and the moment she thought of hurting my brother. Trust me!

Artemis: Thank you, Lucy.

Sebastian, Jace, Stefan, Spyros, Mary, Lois, and Lucy left and the others sat down on the sofas to wait for the developments. Artemis was pressed into her grandmother's arms, who touches her swollen belly.

Grandma Artemis: You know ... I still can't believe that in a few months I'm going to be a great-grandmother. I'm going to have a great-grandchild. Unbelievable! I wish your grandfather was here, too. He'd love this baby.

Artemis: Yes, I know he would. It's a shame. A real pity.

At that moment, the celestial beings that left behind, Matt, Cecilia, Eva, Damon, and Elena look behind the two women's backs, where a translucent vision in the form of a man who looks a lot like Spyros, Artemis' father, stands over them, smiling happily.

Matt: He sees you, Tati. He sees you and he's happy.

The ghost looks a little surprised at Matt, who winks at him.

Artemis: How do you know?

Matt: I just know, girl. Trust me!

Grandma Artemis: He's here, isn't he?

Cecilia: Yes.

Grandma Artemis: Where?

Eva: Behind you.

Grandma Artemis gets up with tears in her eyes and goes behind the couch. Without knowing it, she stands in front of her husband, who raises his hand and strokes her cheek to wipe away her tears. She takes a deep breath as she feels his gentle touch, just like when he was alive.

Grandma Artemis: My Stelios ...

Stelios' ghost tries to speak, but he can't. Ghosts have no voice, except ...

Eva leans over to Matt.

Eva: You are Theliel, the angel of love. Can't you do something for them?

Matt: Maybe I can. Let's see!

Matt stands up and walks towards the couple. He stands behind the ghost of Stelios and closes his eyes. He folds his hands as if he were praying, and right after that he blows in the direction of the man who comes alive.

Grandma Artemis, and not only she, covers her mouth with her hands to drown out her scream.

Grandma Artemis: My Stelios ... I can't believe it!

Stelios Avgerinos: My sweet wife ...

Matt: You better hurry up. This won't last long.

Stelios hugs his wife, who's crying incessantly after five years. He presses a soft kiss on her lips and says a few more words before disappearing again.

Stelios Avgerinos: I love you, Artemis, and I'll always love you.

Grandma Artemis: Take me with you, Stelios. My life is empty without you.

Stelios Avgerinos: No. Not yet. You still have a lot to do here. When the time comes, I'll be the one to pick you up.

Grandma Artemis: Do you promise that?

Stelios Avgerinos: Yes.

Grandma Artemis: I love you.

With a nod full of love for his wife, Stelios caresses his granddaughter's belly with his hand, nods gratefully to Matt as well, and immediately disappears. Grandma Artemis' sobs grow louder as she takes Matt's hands and kisses them gratefully.

Grandma Artemis: Thank you! What you did gave me life. Thank you!

Matt: That was nothing. Forgive me for not being able to keep him longer.

Grandma Artemis: No. And that was still enough. I thank you, Theliel.

Matt: No. Don't call me that. Call me Matt. That's my name.

Matt's last sentence makes Alexander cry. He wipes his eyes inconspicuously, trying to hide his emotion from the others.

But while Grandma Artemis sits next to her granddaughter again, touching her cheek that Stelios caressed earlier, we go to the Lair to see what exactly is going on with the interrogations ...

~ LAIR ~ BASEMENT ~ ROOM ONE ~ INTERROGATION OF PAUL ~

In one of the two rooms in the basement of the club, specially set up for the interrogations, sits Paul, bound, and gagged to a chair and blind because of the black hood that Negro has placed on his head.

Next to the chair Paul is sitting on, there's a bench with various tools on it. But when I say tools, I don't mean tools. It would be more correct to say ... Interrogation tools. Scalpels, pliers, hammers and more. There are no windows and the dark gray painted walls are soundproofed so voices and screams can't be heard in the rest of the building. I forgot to tell you that there's a large piece of nylon on the floor under the interrogation chair ... You know ... for the blood (!!!).

As for Paul ... He's quite tall, about six feet, and slim. His hair is light brown and reaches his ears. His eyes are blue and his cheekbones are quite prominent. If he wasn't so crazy and creepy, you could even call him charming. As he's tied to the chair, he struggles in vain to free himself, growling and cursing like a longshoreman.

Sebastian, Jace, Stefan and Spyros stand in front of him and talk to Negro, who's the only one allowed in the basement besides Tiny, who's currently in the next room with the girls, and who's about to tell them what exactly happened at the airport.

Negro: To tell you the truth, boss, the whole operation was very simple. They didn't even manage to scream.

Sebastian: Did they fight back?

Negro: He, not at all. The girl kind of did.

Jace: And how did you calm her down? Did you hit her?

Negro: Eeeeh ... Yes. A little bit. A slap in the face.

Stefan: Well done. Well done!

Sebastian: Whatever! Let's get this over with.

Jace: Don't you think we should show Negro first?

Negro: Show me what?

Sebastian: Look, Negro ... We've changed. I mean ... We're not who you knew anymore.

Negro: What's going on here, boss? Tell me. You know you can tell me anything.

Sebastian: All right! Come on, boys ... Get changed!

Then Jace and Stefan spread their wings, while Sebastian lets out his fangs and his tail. Negro looks at them stunned but impressed at the same time.

Negro: Holy mother! Boss ... You are a real wolf! And you ... You are real angels! Son of a bitch! That's ... That's fucking awesome!

Jace: You think so?

Negro: I don't just think. I know it!

Sebastian: Thank you, Negro.

Stefan: Of course, we don't have to tell you to keep this between us, do we?

Negro: You didn't have to say that at all.

Sebastian: Only you and the other four higher-ups will know. Nobody else.

Negro: Yes, boss. Fuck! That's amazing!

Stefan: Doctor knows too.

Sebastian: Yeah. I forgot about him.

Negro: Now that you mention him. What the fuck is he doing in the other room? He locks himself in there for hours and builds something.

Stefan: He's preparing the room for the birth of my son, Negro.

Negro: The ... What? What the hell, boss?

Jace: Not hell, Negro. Heaven!

Negro: What?

Sebastian: Artemis is pregnant, Negro, and the baby is a Nephilim. The fruit of the union of an angel and a mortal woman. He's already strong and his birth ... How can I say this? His birth is somewhat dangerous for all of us. It has to take place in a totally controlled environment.

Negro: Okay, but ... Isn't that a little bit early?

Stefan: No. He'll be born in about three months. A Nephilim's pregnancy lasts half as long as a human's. When you see my Artemis ... Her belly is already huge.

Negro: I don't even know what to say! Congratulations, Stefan! Α nice to welcome the new member of our pack.

Stefan: Thanks, man.

Sebastian: Good! If we're done with that, what do you say we continue with the interrogation?

Jace: Yeah. Hide your feathers, son.

The two angels, father, and son, hide their wings while Sebastian does the same with his tail and fangs. Then the three men, along with Spyros and Negro, walk toward the bound Paul. Negro abruptly removes his hood so that he has to blink because of the sharp light falling into his eyes. Then he narrows his eyes and looks hatefully at the men in front of him ... his kidnappers!

Paul: You motherfuckers! Let me go! What the hell do you want from me?

Negro's punch landing in his face tears his lower lip and makes him spit blood on the floor.

Negro: Watch your mouth, you piece of shit! With the next insult that comes out of your mouth, you're going to lose all your teeth. Do we understand each other?

Instead of saying words, Paul growls.

Negro: I'll take that as a yes. Good. Now let's just get on with it. Boss ...?

Sebastian takes two steps and stands directly in front of Paul, who has to raise his head to see him.

Sebastian: Now, Mr. Paul Anagnostopoulos ... Before we start, tell me if you know who we are and why we invited you here.

Paul: You invited me, huh? Bullshit! You kidnapped me! You brought me here without my will.

Sebastian: That's irrelevant! Now answer what I asked you.

Paul: Yes. I know who you are. I recognized him.

Paul points his eyes at Stefan.

Stefan: Really, huh? Good for you!

Paul: Of course, I recognized you. How could I not? You are the one who dared touch my girlfriend. I saw you at the interview.

Stefan chuckles.

Stefan: Your girlfriend? You mean Artemis?

Paul: Yes, of course. Who else would it be?

Stefan: Okay. Well ... To get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. Get this idea out of your head and forget about Artemis. She's mine. She was never yours. All of this, your relationship with her, exists only in your mind. Accept that, because if you don't, I warn you ... You won't leave this room alive.

This time it's Paul who chuckles.

Paul: Yeah. Right. You're going to kill me. Now I'm scared. Look at me shaking with fear.

Stefan: You don't believe me, do you?

Paul: No.

Stefan: All right!

Stefan calmly walks towards the bench and, after thinking for a while, picks up a big enough hammer and wants to go back to Paul, but Jace gets in his way.

Jace: No. Not you. Let me take care of this. Give me that.

Before Stefan can object, Jace grabs the hammer, goes back to Paul and kneels in front of him.

Jace: Well... Let's see. What do you want me to start with? With the fingers or the toes?

Spyros: And what about the knees?

Jace: Not yet. I'll save the knees for later.

Spyros: Okay. You know better.

Jace raises the hammer and goes to hit Paul's toes, but he starts screaming.

Paul: Hey! Hey! What are you going to do?

Jace: I'm going to break your toes. The pain will help you clear your head and realize how wrong it was to make this trip.

Paul: No! No! Please don't! Don't do it!

Jace: Give me one good reason.

Paul: What do you want from me?

Jace: To forget Artemis once and for all and flee back to your homeland.

Paul: No! Not that. Do what you want with me. Break all my fingers. Break my knees. You can even kill me, but I won't forget Artemis. She belongs to me. She's mine. We're meant to be together.

At these words, Stefan pinches the tip of his nose and tries to calm his anger, but he doesn't succeed very well because Paul says the wrong words right after.

Paul: Do you understand me? She's mine. Only death can separate us. She's going to die. If I can't have her, no one else will. I'll kill her and then I'll kill myself. I'll kill her!

At that moment, the switch in Stefan's head flips and he loses control. The heavenly fire that already burns in his violet eyes, making them look golden like his father's, can no longer be contained within his body, and pours with force over his arms and his golden wings spreading behind his back. At that moment, Stefan is ... scary!

Paul looks at him, aghast, while Jace and Sebastian run to him and try to stop him. Can they? I don't think so! Stefan is a bit ... unstoppable!

Jace: Stefan, NO! Stop it!

Sebastian: Stefan, calm down! Don't make me use my powers against you!

Stefan: Leave me alone! Get out of my way! This bastard threatened my mate. He has to die! I'll burn him alive!

Jace: Stefan, please!

Sebastian: Let me try with him. Please, Stefan. And... If I can't do it, then ... we'll let you finish him off.

Stefan turns around and looks Sebastian straight in the eye.

Stefan: Wolf promise?

Sebastian: Wolf promise!

Stefan: Very good! Do your thing!

With several deep breaths and his father massaging his neck, Stefan retreats, hiding his wings and taking the heavenly fire back into his body.

Jace: Way to go, Tiger. Calm down, my son! Everything will be as it should be. Guardian will take care of everything.

Stefan: I'm sorry, Dad. I couldn't help myself. When I heard him say ...

Jace: Shh! It's okay. You're totally in the right.

Stefan: Yeah, but I gave away our secret. What if he ...

Jace: Don't worry about it. If he gets out of here alive, Guardian will make sure he doesn't remember a thing.

As father and son talk quietly, Sebastian approaches the terrified Paul, who begins to scream.

Paul: No! No! Don't come any closer! You're monsters! Scary freaks! Stay away from me!

Sebastian chuckles.

Sebastian: Oh, you bloody bastard! You ain't seen nothing yet!

A cry of horror and despair escapes Paul's mouth as Sebastian takes his true form, releasing the daggers on his fingers in addition to his tail and fangs.

Sebastian: These daggers are made of adamas, an unbreakable divine material, and can tear your skin like paper. Do you want me to try?

Paul: No! No! No!

Sebastian: Okay, but in order for you to stay in one piece, I need you to tell me everything that bitch you met at the airport told you.

Paul: Who? That crazy chick who was waiting for me in the arrivals hall? Is that who you're talking about?

Sebastian: Yeah. Aphrodite Morrison. How did she find out about you?

Paul: I don't know. She didn't tell me anything about it. She just told me about ...

Sebastian: About what? What did she talk to you about? What did he ask you to do?

Paul: To help her avenge her ex.

Sebastian: Gaining what? What did she give you in return?

Paul: Artemis. She told me that Artemis would come back to me when he was out of the way. She told me that he was holding her by force and that if I helped her, I'd actually save the woman I love.

Sebastian: I see. And what did you say to her? Did you go for the deal?

Paul: How could I say no? If there was one chance in a million that this was all true, I had to save Artemis.

Sebastian: Did she tell you how she was going to get Stefan out of the way?

Paul: No. She didn't have time for that. When she tried to tell me, your men sacked us.

Sebastian: You're telling me the truth, aren't you?

Paul: Yes. I've no reason to lie to you anymore. I've got it all figured out. I don't have any hope left with Artemis. Actually, I never had any.

Sebastian: I'm sorry.

Paul: Yeah. I am too.

Sebastian: So, what now? Are you going to go back?

Paul: What else can I do? I'm going to go back to where I belong.

Paul's last sentence was a bit dubious and unfortunately, neither Sebastian nor anyone else understood the true meaning and so, no one could prevent what happened next.

While talking to Sebastian, Paul manages to free his hands from the ropes without being noticed. As Sebastian walks away from him, he jumps up, runs to the bench, and grabs a large knife, which he puts to his throat.

The first to see exactly what Paul is doing is Stefan, who screams, trying to stop him.

Stefan: NO! DON'T DO IT!

They run at him, but Paul is determined and ... much faster. Before any of them can approach him, he stabs the knife into the side of his throat with a decisive and lightning-fast movement.

Blood sprays in all directions and Paul stumbles backwards, leaning against the wall and sliding on the floor. Everyone runs up beside him. Sebastian takes off his shirt and wraps it around the knife stabbed in Paul's throat in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

Sebastian: Call Doctor, Negro. Quick!

Negro runs like lightning up the stairs, while Paul, breathing with difficulty, turns to Stefan, who's kneeling beside him.

Paul: Take care of her! Don't let anyone hurt her. She looks strong, but she's not. She's as fragile as porcelain. I don't know exactly what you are, but you're strong and at least she'll be safe with you. Oh! If you knew how much I envy you. I'd give anything to be you, if only for an hour. I wish I could hold her in my arms at least once.

Stefan: Please, stop talking. Try to stay alive.

Paul: No. I have to go. I lost her and I've no reason to live anymore.

Stefan: Don't say that.

Paul: That's the truth. Whatever! Promise me you'll take care of her. Then I'll leave and I'll never bother you again. All I want is your promise.

Stefan: I promise.

Paul: Thank you. Tell her that I really loved her and wish her a wonderful life.

Stefan: I will.

At that moment, Negro returns to the room with Doctor, but unfortunately, it's too late. Paul is already gone. His empty eyes stare into the void, unable to see anything anymore, while the blood from the wound he inflicted on himself stops flowing as soon as his heart stops beating.

Sebastian pulls his hands and Doctor kneels beside the dead man and puts his fingers on the other side of his throat to check, for very formal reasons, his pulse, which of course has been silent forever. He looks at his watch.

Doctor: Time of death ... 2:49 PM.

As Doctor closes Paul's eyes, Sebastian turns to Negro.

Sebastian: Negro, please tell Edy to bring us something to drink. We all need it after all this. Fuck! How did I not see this coming? I should ...

Negro: Without wanting to seem mean, maybe it's better that way, boss. He was a mentally disturbed person. His future was already ominous. He saved himself from such unnecessary suffering. We can say that ... he was somehow redeemed.

Sebastian: I don't know, Negro. He was so young. Maybe we could ...

Negro: No, boss. There was nothing we could do. If you think about it a little better, you'll see I'm right. Now let me go get the drinks.

Sebastian: Yeah. You can go.

As Negro leaves the room and Sebastian looks at Doctor tending to Paul's body, Jace puts his arm over Stefan's shoulders, who hasn't taken his eyes off the dead man.

Jace: How are you, son?

Stefan: I've no fucking idea. I don't know what to feel. I'm trying to grieve his death, but ... I can't. What the hell am I, Dad? Am I that bad?

Jace: No. No, son. You're not bad. It's completely understandable that you wouldn't feel sorry for the person who tried to hurt the woman you love.

Stefan: How did you feel when Lisa died?

Jace: Relief. Vindication. I wasn't happy, of course, because the way she died was pretty harsh, but I didn't feel sorry for a minute.

Stefan: Do you think he really loved Artemis?

Jace: I don't think so, Tiger. As Negro said, he was a mentally disturbed person. He couldn't feel love. And no other feelings either. His mind was sick.

Stefan: I would do it, you know.

Jace: What?

Stefan: I would burn him alive if you didn't stop me.

Jace: I know you would. I'd do the same thing if I were you.

Stefan: What should I say to Artemis?

Jace: Everything, just like it happened. She needs to know, son.

At that moment Negro returns with Edy, who doesn't even flinch at the sight of the dead young man on the floor and serves the bystanders with the tray in his hand. Whiskey Johnny Blue for Sebastian, bourbon for Jace and Spyros, and tequila for Stefan.

All the men belt down their drinks and then Negro asks the one-million-dollar question.

Negro: So, what now, boss? What are we going to do with him?

Sebastian: I've no idea at the moment. I have to think.

Stefan: We need to find out if he has family in Greece.

Negro: Kyle told me that he doesn't have anyone. His parents died when he was little and he had no brothers or cousins.

Stefan: If that's the case, we have to do what we have to do. We should cremate him and let Artemis decide what to do with his ashes.

Sebastian: Yes. That's the right decision. That's what we're going to do. Do you want to take it from here, Negro?

Negro: Of course, boss. Rest assured. Everything's gonna be made right.

Sebastian: Good!

Jace: Since we're done here, we should go next door to see how the girls are doing.

What do you think, my Beautiful Readers? Do you want to go next door to see the girls? I know you want to. So, let's go ...

~ LAIR ~ STILL IN THE BASEMENT ~ ROOM TWO ~ APHRODITE's INTERROGATION ~

Room two is just like the first, with the only difference being that Aphrodite is sitting in the iron chair with her hands tied behind her back, gagged, and a hood on her head. The women, Mary, Lois, and Lucida, stand a little further away and talk to Tiny about the interrogation method they'll use.

Lucida: Well ... I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm going to use force. That's what I'm telling you and I'm not taking no for an answer.

Lois: We wouldn't say no to you, Lucy. Keep doing exactly what you're thinking.

Lucida: What about you, Mama Mary? Do you feel the same way?

Mary: Yes, of course. You go ahead and do what you want. You're more than free to.

Tiny: Excuse me, my Lady, but will the boss agree?

Lois: I hope he's okay with it ... for his own good!

Tiny: Okay.

Lucida: Perfect! So, let's get going!

Mary, Lois, and Tiny stay behind while Lucida rolls up the sleeves of her purple silk shirt and approaches Aphrodite, who struggles to free herself from her bonds and growls incessantly.

Lucida pulls the hood off her head and takes the handkerchief from her mouth. Aphrodite blinks a few times and licks her dry lips. As her sight returns and her eyes adjust to the new conditions, she stares at Lucy, who looks at her with an arrogant look on her irritated face.

Aphrodite: You! I should have known! You, the mafia family! How dare you do such a thing? I'll make you pay for this! When I leave here ...

At this moment, Lucida bends down a little, grabs Aphrodite by the hair and forces her to shut up.

Lucida: Let me tell you something, you fucking bitch. You're not leaving this room alive unless you tell me everything I want to know. I'm warning you! No one is going to save you this time. If you make it hard for me, I'll make you suffer. So, from now on, I ask and you answer. Do we understand each other?

Aphrodite's answer comes in the form of a growl.

Lucida: I'll take that as a yes. Good! Let's get started!

Lucida lets go of Aphrodite's hair and begins to walk around the chair. When she arrives just behind the prisoner's back, she puts her hands on her shoulders and asks the first question.

Lucida: What are you planning to do with Stefan?

Aphrodite: What? Nothing. I'm not planning anything.

Lucida: A! A! A! No lies, bitch.

Aphrodite: I'm not lying.

Lucida: In that case, what were you doing at the airport?

Aphrodite: I wanted to greet a friend.

Lucida: A friend, huh? Do you mean Paul?

Aphrodite: Yes. Him.

Lucida: How do you know him?

Aphrodite: This is none of your damn business at all.

Lucida: I see! You're not being cooperative. Okay, but don't forget that you asked for it!

Aphrodite: What ... What does that mean?

Lucida: That means ... This is going to hurt!

Aphrodite: NO!

Lucida: I'm sorry, bitch. You had your chance and you lost it.

Lucida leans down, grabs one of Aphrodite's hands tied behind her back, and in a move Artemis taught her, breaks her index finger in two places. The sound of the breaking bone makes the three women shudder with pleasure, and Tiny grimaces as he thinks of Sebastian's reaction. Aphrodite cries out in pain.

Aphrodite: You crazy bitch! You broke my finger!

Lucida: And I'll break the rest of yours too if you don't answer my questions honestly. I'm all ears! What the hell are you trying to do to my brother? Tell me, you fucking bitch, why they won't take you out of my hands alive!

The intense pain in her broken finger brings tears to Aphrodite's eyes and her breath comes out sharp and heavy from her lungs. She raises her head and looks pleadingly at the other two women.

Aphrodite: Please! I beg you! Stop her! Help me!

Mary and Lois chuckle in sync, while Tiny rolls his eyes.

Mary: Really, bitch? Did you think for one fucking second that I'd lift a finger to help you when you were planning on hurting my son? You're so pathetic!

Lois: If you want your suffering to end, tell us! Tell us what we want to know and you'll return home.

Aphrodite: I've nothing to say to you.

Lucida looks at Mary and Lois, who nod in agreement. She goes to the bench with the same tools that were on the bench in the other room and gets a small portable flamethrower, which she lights with a lighter that was also on the bench.

Since there are no windows in the room, the flame of the flamethrower looks orange-purple under the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. Lucida looks at this flame and runs her fingers through it a few times before kneeling down in front of Aphrodite, who breaks out in a cold sweat at the sight of this dangerous weapon in Lucida's hands and her limbs begin to shake uncontrollably. Her voice comes out of her mouth only with difficulty.

Aphrodite: What ... What are you going to do with that? No! No!

Without saying a word, Lucida unties the lace of the mountaineering trunk on Aphrodite's left foot and takes off the shoe. She also takes off the sock so that the sole of her foot is completely exposed. She looks up at Aphrodite with hatred.

Lucida: Are you going to talk?

Aphrodite: No! I've nothing to say!

Lucida: Then you'll scream!

Aphrodite: NO! NO! NO!

But no voice, no scream, no pleading can stop Lucida from slipping the flamethrower down the side of Aphrodite's foot, forming an entire line of burnt flesh from her toes to the back of her heel. Aphrodite's desperate screams echo in the room but stay inside because of the perfect soundproofing.

She's short of breath and on the verge of losing consciousness. Lois retrieves a water bottle from the bench and approaches Aphrodite. She opens the lid and pours a large amount of water on the face of the almost fainting Aphrodite.

Lois: You better not faint now. We're not done with you yet. Get a hold of yourself.

Aphrodite opens her red eyes with difficulty and looks at Lois.

Aphrodite: Please! I can't take it anymore! Stop torturing me!

Lois: Are you going to talk?

Aphrodite: Yes! Yes! I'll tell you everything!

Lucida extinguishes the flame and puts the flamethrower back on the bench.

Lucida: Well, bitch ... We're all ears. Spit it all out!

Aphrodite takes a few quick, sharp breaths as she tries to ease the pain in her broken finger and burning foot. Seconds before she opens her mouth to reveal everything she's been hiding, the door opens and the men enter the room.

When Sebastian sees the state Aphrodite is in, he snarls at Lois and she smiles playfully at him, irritating him even more.

Sebastian: Well ... Before I start biting, tell me what the fuck happened here.

Lois: Take it easy, Wolf. It was kind of nothing. It's just that the lady here wasn't very cooperative and we helped her change her mind.

Sebastian: OK. We'll talk about your definition of help later.

Lois: Anytime.

Jace walks over to Mary and looks at her in amazement. She shrugs indifferently.

Jace: Was all that necessary?

Mary: Yes.

Jace: If you say so.

Spyros looks around somewhat disinterested, not knowing Aphrodite or what exactly she did to the family. Negro approaches Tiny and the two men exchange a worried look when they see their boss's eyes light up. They know what this means. He's angry!

Tiny: The other one?

Negro shakes his head.

Tiny: Who did it?

Negro: Alone. He stabbed a knife to his throat.

Tiny: The body?

Negro: Juan took it over. Cremation. What happened here?

Tiny: Lucida happened.

Negro: Say no more.

And as for Stefan ... He smiles as he sees the woman he hates suffering. He goes to Lucida and hugs her waist. She leans her head on his shoulder and smiles too.

Stefan: Was that you, Little Thing?

Lucida: Yes.

Stefan: I fucking love you!

Lucida: I fucking love you too, Pretty Boy.

Sebastian walks up to Lois, who's standing in front of Aphrodite.

Sebastian: At least your help worked out?

Lois: Of course. The bitch is ready to talk.

Sebastian: Let's see then.

Everyone looks at Aphrodite, who begins to reveal her plan.

Aphrodite: After you took my son from me, my mother filed for divorce and my father threw me out of the house. Once again, I was on the street, broken. I stayed with a friend for a while and then found someone who took me into his home. Everything was going well until the day I saw the interview. Stefan's interview. I wasn't planning on getting revenge, I swear, but when I heard he was planning on marrying that bitch ...

Aphrodite's words are interrupted by Mary's powerful slap, which literally makes her spit blood.

Mary: One more bad word for my new daughter and I'll peel you before I slice you. Do you understand me, whore?

Aphrodite: Yes. Yes. I'm sorry!

Mary: Now go on.

Stefan forms the words "Thank you" with his lips and Mary blows him a kiss. Aphrodite continues with her little speech.

Aphrodite: As I told you, I freaked out when I heard about the upcoming wedding. I don't know why. Maybe I was jealous, maybe ... I honestly don't know. I just know that I decided to do my best to call off this wedding.

Sebastian: Even murder?

Aphrodite: Yes, even that.

Lois: So that was your plan? To kill Artemis?

Aphrodite: At first, yes.

At these words, Stefan wants to storm off, but Jace's hand on his chest stops him.

Jace: Calm down, son. She said, "at first". What the hell does that mean?

Aphrodite: It means I changed my mind.

Sebastian: And why is that?

Aphrodite: Because I found out about the man from Greece who was stalking her.

Stefan: How did you find out about that?

Aphrodite: Rather by chance. I overheard some girls in a café and they said that she ... Artemis came here to escape from someone. I did a little research and found out everything.

Mary: Who were these girls? How did they even know about Paul?

Aphrodite: If I understood correctly, one of them was friends with one of Artemis' cousins and she told her.

Stefan: Lila. Damn it!

Lucida: And then what? What was the big idea?

Aphrodite: I searched and found Paul. I contacted him and offered him a deal.

Sebastian: Yeah. We know. You lied to him and took advantage of his weak mental state. That's despicable at the very least.

Stefan: Paul told us that you were ready to tell him your whole plan right before our men caught you.

Aphrodite: Yes. That's exactly right.

Stefan: What were you going to ask him to do?

Aphrodite: To kill you.

Lucida/Mary: You fucking bitch!

Lucida and Mary spoke in one voice, while Lois bared her teeth menacingly.

Lois: That's it! You won't leave this room alive! I'll cut you into eight slices of bitch-eroni!

Lois' threat is truly terrifying and even Sebastian doesn't mind because he feels the same way. But Aphrodite doesn't seem to be afraid. The opposite is the case. She shrugs her shoulders indifferently.

Aphrodite: Do it! Kill me here and now. You'll be doing me a favor. I've lost everything. My father hates me because I didn't make him rich. My mother loathes me and never wants to see me again. My son calls another woman mom and doesn't even remember me. My friends have left me. And as for the man I love ...

She looks at Stefan, who gets an expression of disgust.

Stefan: Stop talking, bitch! I'm about to puke!

Aphrodite: No, Stefan ... Stefan-kin. I want to tell you.

Stefan: Tell me what? That you love me? You never loved me, bitch. You loved my wallet. Money. The only god you believe in.

Aphrodite: That's not the case. It never was.

Stefan: You know what? It doesn't matter. I hate you.

Aphrodite: Then ... Kill me. You. With your own hands.

Stefan: No. I'm not going to do you that favor. I won't put you out of your misery.

Aphrodite: And then what are you going to do?

Stefan: I'm going to get back some of the money I spent on you.

Aphrodite: How? I don't have anything to give you.

Stefan: Yes, of course, you do. Your body. You're going to work for me.

Aphrodite: What are you saying, Stefan? What's it that I'm supposed to be working on?

Stefan: On what you're so good at. You're going to become a whore.

Lucida: I really like the twist on this discussion!

Lois: Me too!

Aphrodite: No! No! Not that!

Stefan: You said you don't have a house or anything else. I'm offering you a place to live, food, clothes, and 2% of the profits. Think it over because the alternative isn't tempting at all.

Aphrodite: What's this alternative?

Stefan: Prison for several years. We have people in the police. With one word from me, they'll even hold you responsible for JFK's murder. You have one minute to think about it. Your time starts now.

Stefan looks at his watch and everyone else is silent, waiting for the end of time and Aphrodite's answer.

One minute later ...

Stefan: Ding Dong! Your time is up. I'm all ears for your decision.

Aphrodite: I'll do it. I'll work for you.

Stefan: A wise decision.

Aphrodite: Can I ask you for something?

Stefan: What?

Aphrodite: I'd like to see Paul. To explain it to him.

The men look at each other a little awkwardly .

Sebastian: I'm very afraid that's not possible.

Aphrodite: Why not?

Stefan: Because Paul is no longer with us.

Aphrodite: Did you kill him?

Jace: Not us, bitch. You did. You fed that vile monster in his head and drove him completely insane. He took his own life, but his blood is on your hands.

Aphrodite: No! It's not my fault! He was crazy!

Stefan: He was a mentally ill man, you bitch, and you drove him insane. I really hope his ghost haunts you for the rest of your life. Get her the hell out of my sight! I can't see her anymore! I'm gonna be sick!

Sebastian: Tiny, take her to the Doctor to get her wounds taken care of, and once he's done, hand her over to Arthur. Explain to him exactly what happened and he'll take care of the rest. He knows what he has to do. Tell him to put a tracking bracelet on her.

Tiny: Yes, boss.

After Tiny untied the rope around Aphrodite's wrists, he carried her outside to carry out his boss' instructions. Negro also went outside to take care of Paul's cremation. When the family was alone, Stefan exhaled with relief.

Stefan: One down, seven to go.

Sebastian: Tiger, are you sure about this?

Stefan: Yes, Wolf. I am. She owes me and this is the only way I'm going to get my money back.

Jace: You're not going to keep the money, are you?

Stefan: Of course not, Dad. I plan to give it to a poor family. Izzy will be able to help me with that.

Spyros, who has been silent all this time, comes up to Stefan and puts his hand on his shoulder.

Spyros: Well done, my son. I don't know exactly what that girl did to you, but the way you handled it was wonderful. At least let something good come out of all this shit.

Stefan: Thank you, sir.

Spyros frowns.

Spyros: Don't call me sir. You got my daughter pregnant. I think we're past these stupid formalities, aren't we?

Stefan: Yes. I think so, too.

Spyros: Good!

Mary: Can I ask what the hell happened to Paul?

Jace: We'll talk about it when we get home, Angel. We need to let the others know, especially Artemis. Let's not say it twice. What happened is horrible enough to be repeated several times.

Sebastian: Exactly! Let's go home.