The mind is a tricky place to keep sane.

Especially when insanity keeps pulling you into its rabbit hole every passing minute. Especially when there's something called fuckery of mind and people who master at the art.

They call him Bartholomew. The captives think he is the safest option compared to Pugsley and the others who resort to fatal violence. But they don't see what I do, they don't keep track of the fact that everyone who returns from Bartholomew's torture chamber takes their own life.

I always wanted to go there. Into that torture chamber, test how much more messed I could become. I used to wonder, what if I mastered Bartholomew's method? What if I used it on him, on all of them? The thought of watching them take their own life, killing themselves with the same weapons they used on others, gave me a sick sense of pure satisfaction.

But. . .when they dragged Kai into the torture chamber today, was the thing I felt dread? Because all I thought was; I was supposed to be there. I was prepared to go there. Kai. . .never was.

~ from the journal entries of Daisy

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☘︎ Eᴠᴇ Kᴀᴠɪɴsᴋʏ ☘︎

Here's the thing; there's no universal fact stating that if a killer is at a foreign land for committing murder, they can't enjoy a vacation at the same time. I mean, look at me, I happen to be having the time of my life.

When we'd descended from the yacht onto the Bali port's docks, I'd very near whistled at the two Ferrari F8 Spider in red and yellow colors waiting for us. I'd almost considered driving one of the beauties. But then Tori settled in the yellow car accompanied by our tour guide and I was left with Axel who had already gotten behind the wheels of the red car.

So now with the wind howling in my ears, hair like whips slashing against my face. I throw my head back and extend my arms in a titanic pose, enjoying the exhilarating thrill of the open-shed car ride while Axel drives in the direction of the resort we'd be residing at.

"You should settle down, Miss Eve." Axel asserts in a half-baked attempt for what seems to be the thousandth time.

Popping open an eye, I glance at his enchanting form spread across the leather seat-the black shirt he wore buttoned to the top and his black slacks stretching across his slightly parted thighs, his forearm gripping the steering wheel and turning it in attune to the mountain road's circular turns. Lush green trees pass in my peripheral, the sound of waves clashing against rocky cliffs creating a tropical wonderland.

A grin pulling at my lips, I ask coyly, "On your lap?"

Axel's gaze meets mine for a split second, long lashes sweeping in a single blink before he shakes his head and focuses back on the road, completely giving up on convincing me to sit down. He's done with my inappropriate comments at this point.

Especially when I know I'd very near kissed him the previous night, probably been way too honest and told him some very scandalous things in my partial drunken stupor too. But he'd still held me all night, made sure I didn't do something stupid and let me rest on him like a sloth.

When I woke up in the morning though, Axel was awake, his arms still securely around my waist but his piercing gaze watching me in deep observation. I'd glanced up from his chest and grinned at him with half-lidded eyes and possibly resembled the walking dead, but his lips had twitched the slightest before he'd lifted me off his lap, set me on my feet informing me that we'd be reaching the Bali port in an hour and took off towards his room in the yacht.

There's an inkling in my mind that I was forgetting something vital about the night but I couldn't recollect, so I simply flopped down on my seat and asked the question nagging at me for a while, "Was it fine to let Vicky go with the tour guide like that?"

"She'll be fine. I have a GPS tracker on their car, just in case. Besides, Yuvraj is my grandfather's most trusted junior employee and someone I've known since my childhood." He swivels the car and this time, the roads give way to a cobbled stone path leading to a lavish resort area.

The name Empire H is engraved in gold calligraphy over the black entrance gates. Guards check our identity cards, scanning them into their systems before they bow their heads akin to those fellas in royalty shows, "Welcome to Empire H, Mr and Mrs Hernandez. Your grandfather had reserved the entire resort for your stay, feel free to use all of the amenities. We wish you have a great honeymoon."

My lips twist in a smirk at the last word. Leaning comfortably against the leather seat, "So what are we going to do on our honeymoon all alone in this large resort?" I tease, blinking at him innocently when he glances my way.

Axel sighs and proceeds to park the car in front of the foyer of the deluxe villa within the resort's vicinity, pretending to not hear my words.

The villa is built of high-quality bamboo accents and clear glass. Standing on two floors, I can glimpse at the living room on the ground floor and a guest room. The master bedroom is upstairs with a vast balcony and swimming pool area that overlooks the mountainous range. There's a separate jacuzzi area within the room too, with glass walls. I suppose the resort is so high, no one could see even if you were naked in the jacuzzi.

Eyes sparkling at the villa, I open the Ferrari's door and hop out, Axel following shortly behind me. Tori is already at the foyer, standing with her suitcase and her snake's vivarium in hand, the guide nowhere in sight.

Axel starts hauling our luggage from the car, "Where's Yuvraj?"

Ensorcelled by the way Axel's muscles flex underneath his black shirt, my mind barely pays attention to Vicky's response, "He said he'll be here to pick us up for the Ubud Art Market tour in an hour. So we should freshen up and be ready before that."

Stopping myself from openly ogling at Axel, I turn around and rush into the villa's interior, yelling behind me, "That's plenty of time! Freshen up and come up to the swimming pool in the balcony, you two. Let's have some fun. It's vacation afterall!"

...

Unsurprisingly, I'm the first one to appear at the swimming area.

Dropping my robe onto a straw chair, I get into the pool in a two-piece white bikini, without wasting a minute. The cool water soothes my nerves. The electro-automated waves collide gently against my body underwater, almost like a massage of some sort. Almost like a balm to the invisible scars on my skin.

Most of my scars from the days when I was young had faded with time-the one on my cheek from the coal had nearly taken a decade to heal and pigment in tune with my natural skin shade. Majority of them were fixed with plastic surgery, especially the scars on my arms and legs and the burn from the fire on my hips. But when your adoptive mother's cousin is the best plastic surgeon and dermatologist in the world, things did get easier.

Swimming to the edge of the pool feels akin to standing at the edge of a cliff, the sound of birds and the rustling of the leaves on the trees seem to echo so high up on the mountain. The scenery of beach coastlines meeting the mountain edges, waves colliding with the rocks are so vivid despite the soft fog in the air. There's a peacefulness that makes me feel sad for no reason.

What was I going to do after I killed everyone in the secret society? Would I even be sane enough, knowing the people I will have to face eventually, once I'm done with Bartholomew? Would any of this make Kai. . .

Scowling, I push the sadness out of the way, focusing on the anger and vengeance instead. Right, it wasn't just about me and Kai. If I didn't continue, more people were going to end up like Kai and Sienna-broken and dead-or me and Michael-rotten and deranged.

"Is that why you asked Uncle Xel to book this resort? Because Bartholomew Lang was staying at the villa just one level lower on the same mountain?" Vicky's tactical voice interrupts my train of thoughts.

Clad in a black nylon diving suit that covers her from neck-to-toe instead of a swimwear and her tied up in a bun, Vicky leans over to watch the said villa, a solemn expression on her face, "You're not using Xel for any of your motives, are you?"

I remain silent, absently swishing my hand over the surface of the pool, "Do you have any wishes you want to fulfill?" I ask her instead.

Victoria frowns, glancing at me for a minute before focusing back on the scenery below the mountain, "I want to hack a government system. A president's security system, to be precise. And. . ."

"And?" A smile starts forming on my lips. I hadn't expected her to actually answer.

"I want. . ." She tilts her head to the side, a conflict on her expression as if she's wondering whether she should tell me or not, "I want to see Uncle Xel happy." She sighs, finally giving in.

A warm feeling starts engulfing my chest and this time my smile is soft and genuine, "You're an amazing niece, Vicky."

Victoria stops staring at the scenery and looks to me in surprise. I see the faintest of flush spread over her sharp cheekbones before she looks away, "Thank you."

My smile spreads into a grin at her reaction. Before she can say anything else, I gather some water in my palms and splash her with it. Victoria blinks in shock, turns to me with a scowl and although I expect her to sigh and walk away the same way Axel does, she scowls harder.

The next minute, water sloshes on my face with force. I squeak, inching back with a laugh, "Hey, you're supposed to be the mature one, Vicky!" I throw some more water in retaliation.

"You're older!" She deadpans, but there's a smile on her face. There's that rare joyous glimmer of youth in her eyes as she splashes back. For the first time, Vicky actually seems like a fifteen year old.

"But you're smarter!" I keep up the feign hurt, spraying enough water her way this time that she nearly drowns in chlorine.

"You splashed my hair!" Victoria's bun comes undone, her pretty curls falling onto her face and eyes. We are both laughing at this point, acting kiddish and petty.

"You splashed my face first!" I chuckle, trying to splash her some more while I'm at it.

"Should I be glad I didn't come here early?" The deep voice stops both Vicky and me on our water war.

Victoria mumbles 'finally' while I turn to Axel with the brightest grin. My smile though, falls drastically quick. Lips forming into an 'O', I try very hard to not gape in starstruck wonder.

Because Axel is standing there.

Shirtless.

His body like the statue of a God carved in marble made to worship, like art pieces in a gallery meant to admire. Taut, lean muscles give way to a ripped, defined stomach. The intricate 'V' below his waistline disappears under the black pants hanging low on his hips. When he moves to descend into the water, those muscles move erotically and I have to wage a war to prevent my hormones from going haywire.

"You're gawking." Victoria deadpans.

"There's too much to gawk at." I sound like someone who's high on drugs, someone who's neurons are so messed by the effects that they couldn't process any signals the brain was trying to give them.

Victoria visibly cringes at my words. With a shake of her head, she starts swimming towards the edge of the pool to get out, "I'm going to go get dressed."

"Hey, wait! We were having fun-"

Two large palms grab my hips from the back cutting off my words, fingers digging into my skin and warm breath against my earlobe as he says, "Let her go."

I freeze dramatically, realizing Axel is behind me, possibly looking like the male version of Aphrodite and very much half-naked.

But it only takes me seconds to get my brain on track. When it does, I tilt my face backwards and let my head rest against his broad shoulders. Eyes meeting his, I pass him a teasing smile, "I think I like your hands on me, Charming."

Knowing Axel, he's prone to sigh at my blatant flirting and let go of me. But this time, he hums at my words in concentrated consideration. His head tilts to the side, wet copper hair possibly from a shower shadowing those onyx eyes. His fingertips brush against my bare stomach, slowly riding up and down the side of my hips, absently teasing the knots of my bikini bottoms, "Do you?"

Instinctively, I find myself leaning back against him, feeling the hard ridges of his chest against my back and the gentle thud of his heartbeat against my rapidly beating ones, "Yes."

"Hmm, I see." Those stupidly long fingers spread across my ribs, moving up and up-

"WHY ARE YOU BOTH NOT READY YET?!"

I jolt away from Axel the same moment he inches back, releasing me from the cage of his arms. My heart beats hundred miles per minute and there's a fluster taking over my face, but Axel remains impassive. Infact, when the man to whom the voice belonged starts nearing to the pool area, Axel looks downright scary with the blank expression on his face, "We'll be there in a minute, Yuvraj. Get out of the house."

Then Axel's hands are grabbing my waist, pulling me out of the pool, while I'm still in a daze from what happened minutes ago.

This was the first time he'd touched me like that and I would be lying if I said I didn't like it way too much.

....

The Ubud Art Market is rich with culture and color. Hundreds of art pieces, handicrafts and paintings hang from various stalls, the skill displayed in them peculiar. There's a joyous energy in the surrounding but for some reason. . .

Axel's face is etched in a permanent frown.

For hours in the local market, all Axel and Victoria do are scowl at every breathing thing around. I and Yuvraj seem to be the only sane ones actually shopping and conversing and enjoying the tour.

Yuvraj, the tour guide, who's also one of the youngest and most trusted employees of Arthur Hernandez, dressed in a hawaiin shirt and khaki pants, with his dark hair and charcoal eyes, is handsome. But there's something familiar about him. Familiar in a way it isn't alarming but curiosity evoking nonetheless.

"You keep staring at him." Axel states blandly, his eyes squinting in observation as I pick a three-pair matching handcrafted bracelet.

Because he's familiar.

But I pause at a sudden possibility. I sneak a glance at Axel's face and notice how his frowns aren't exactly directed at everyone but especially a particular flirty guide.

Lips twisting into a smirk, "He's sort of pretty." I shrug, trying to goad him.

Axel's frown turns deeper but he doesn't speak a word, whether out of respect for me or because he doesn't realize what he's feeling exactly. Possibly both.

My lips notch up into a smile and I grab Axel's face by his jaw, turning it so that those grey eyes are focused on me, "But you're prettier." I wink at him.

Axel blinks, staring at me with skeptism before sighing in acceptance.

I grin. Letting go of his face, I hold up the matching bracelets in front of his eyes, "Let's get these. I asked the shopkeeper to customize it earlier, it's done now. But hold on," I crane my neck to glance at the stall few feet ahead and find Victoria finally buying a painting. Yuvraj looms around, monitoring her so that she doesn't get lost in the crowd while she shops, "Vicky, come here!"

At the sound of my voice, she stops whatever she was doing and gazes around until her eyes finds mine. I beckon her over. Telling Yuvraj something—probably to buy the painting in her stead—she starts walking my way when a tall body collides her mid-path.

The cap on the guy's head falls off, revealing a specific shade of very familiar dark blonde hair. Victoria stares at the top of his head in suspicion as he bends down to pick up his cap, but before she can peer longer, he'd already gathered the cap and strode away. Maybe my mind was playing tricks, everyone seemed to look familiar today.

Even Victoria shakes her head dismissing whatever thought she had, reaching me instead and raising a brow in question. Both my people now close, I hold out the bracelets to Axel and Vicky, "These are friendship bracelets. But we'll label it as family bracelets. Ones for you," I loop the aquamarine and moonstone bracelet with the letter 'VH' dangling onto Vicky's wrist.

"This ones for me." I put on the matching bracelet with the letters 'EH' onto my wrist.

Holding up the final one with the initial 'AH', I smile mischievously at Axel, "This one's for you. Come closer, let me put it for you."

Axel stares at me for a minute too long, but then those lips start twitching in amusement. I remain standstill, a foreign feeling holding my heart in its clasp as his mouth transforms into a smile, dimples peeking through. He is gorgeous.

I wish I'd have been more alert. I wish I'd remembered I wasn't really here for vacation. I wish I'd just not dragged him into my mess.

Because the next second, everything happens so fast. A gunshot goes off, people scream and scatter around the market, Axel's smile drops and he's onto me, shielding me with his body. But he doesn't realize there's blood seeping through his clothes and onto my hand.

He doesn't realize he's the one who's shot.

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The update came out an hour later than intended coz I woke up late gshsjs. While the glitch was happening yesterday, I edited a few things here and there though but I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!

IT TOOK DECADESSSS FOR ME TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER AND CENTURIES FOR IT TO ACTUALLY GET UPDATED SKSKSK. I'M SO SORRY, MY TINY HOOMANS!😭

Anyways, there's another update on Friday as compensation. Now tell me I'm fantastic😌😂

Now now, what was your favorite moment from the chapter?

Do you think the cap guy was suspicious?👀

Who shot Axel? Is he gonna dieeee???

(P.S. I'll be putting few visuals of the chapter on Axel, Eve and Tori's instagram profiles. Who knows? Maybe you can even get to see Axel shirtless?🌚🤝)