Eric lifted my spirits as soon as I woke up. Not seeing him in bed when I opened my eyes, I got up, took a shower, and got ready to have some breakfast to start again with the simulations since it was the last one for the final test.

However, my plans changed when I saw Eric leaning against the kitchen island, completely soaked, probably from the rain, and holding two breakfasts from that restaurant he had promised.

He does everything for sex.

So I enjoyed a delicious breakfast, devoured the plate, forgave Eric, and left him in the shower, as I sent him to bathe to avoid catching a cold.

However, my good mood changed drastically when Uriah told me about Oliver's disappearance two days ago. And I don't know whether to feel relieved or scared. I don't know if Four managed to tell him and now he's abandoned, or if they simply captured him.

I didn't know if it was the tension between the two of us, but Uriah couldn't complete the simulation successfully and jumped back into the water to wake up. So before he could get out, I modified his record, which might have taken me about 20 minutes, and I let him out, leaving me with a load of guilt.

Uriah doesn't know that Oliver was also Divergent, or at least I didn't tell him, he just deduced it from his incredible rise, which makes him more worried and discouraged.

"What if he was Divergent? They could have discovered it even though you're helping us, so... no one is safe, Grace."

He made me feel like scum, the human trash of society, and I had to stay silent, keeping my secret as if it condemned me. Uriah sees me as the best person, even though I never told him anything. He never doubted that I would help Oliver just as I helped him. I grimaced and sighed.

I just hope he's now in his sister's arms with a smile. And if not, I don't know how I would handle the situation.

"You're not alone, Uriah. Zeke, Four, and even I, are ready to protect you, even if our lives are at stake. No one will hurt you." I murmured, a lump in my throat, as I noticed that Oliver's name was no longer on my list. Someone above had erased it. Max knows he's gone, or he was the one responsible for his disappearance.

I spent my afternoon practically with the guys. Lynn improves every day as Dauntless, and if it weren't for Uriah, she would be in his place. She has set aside her thirst to prove to the world that she can do better than Peter just because she left him behind.

So here I was, in the training room looking at the ranking of the initiates. Tris was in first place, and I was hating it. I can't let her finish in first place. Uriah is in second, and Lynn in third.

Uriah needs to learn to be alone to overcome that stupid fear and be able to achieve first place. But he can't manage it.

Four's presence arrived next to me, arms crossed, looking at the ranking as well. I had to leave my initiates, and I don't want to. I'll miss them, or rather, I'll miss Uriah, Lynn, and Marlene.

"You'll take care of the initiates in the third stage." I murmured. "I guess our bet ends in the second stage."

"Are you giving up?" he asked.

"No." I swallowed hard. "I was just told that was the plan from the beginning. They only wanted a Divergent." I turned my head to look at Four, who met my gaze. "Did you find Oliver?" I asked with fear, not wanting to know the answer.

"No." he replied, returning his gaze to the board. "They say they saw him leave the room at night, and he never came back."

"He left on his own?" I asked.

"They say they saw three men. Oliver left because he apparently knew them."

I nodded with a grimace, feeling a knot in my stomach. My helplessness grew to a maximum level, causing my eyes to well up and forcing me to swallow hard, trying to calm my urge to cry.

"I didn't know.." I murmured. "Eric didn't tell me anything. I don't even know if he knows... Max must have realized and gave the order."

"Do you really think Eric would tell you he caught the initiate you were training? Especially after he's seen how you continually go against the law and force him to comply." Four asked pointedly.

I pressed my lips together, looking at him. He could see the tears in my eyes, making it obvious that I was on the verge of crying.

"Grace, did you tell Eric that Oliver is Divergent?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes."I replied painfully. "It's my fault." I admitted, wiping away the tears that were slowly falling, torturing me in the process.

         ***********************************

A necessary evil, it's the only thing I could tell myself. Now I'm safe, and Oliver must be suffering as a guinea pig. If heaven exists, then there's a hell, and in the place reserved for traitors, there's a spot with my name on it, waiting for me.

However, this should be the least of my worries, so I'm in my office trying to do what Four once did when I wanted to find out who was stalking me.

I have to find a way to contact Evelyn. Weeks are passing, and if I don't get a response, I don't want to imagine against whom she'll unleash her fury. She didn't leave me an ID, an address, or anything. She simply left me to my own devices to find her, and that's what I'm doing. Being a Dauntless and Divergent has served me well, and it's a lesson I've learned over time. Not only do I know how to defend myself, but I also know how to attack. I was always good at gardening and was considered to have a green thumb. Now I'm acquiring an Erudite education, learning as I go, from my mistakes, and focusing on the small details.

It was difficult, but I accessed my ID, searched through all the messages linked to electronic devices until I found Evelyn's. As expected, both the sender and the recipient were me. If my reasoning is correct, I just have to do the same thing, and with luck, they'll have access.

Now that I think about it, I need to change my ID or find a way to deny her access.

"Specify day, place, and time."

I simply told him that and leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, getting lost in the white light of the room. The door opened, but I didn't let myself be startled because, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Four's arrival.

"I thought you might need help finding her." he said, excusing himself. "How did you manage to set this up? It took me months to learn."

I shrugged, unable to give a concise answer. "I just watched you do it and remembered. It took a while, but I managed to send them a message."I explained.

He nodded. "What do you think she wants?" he asked after a while, leaning on the virtual table, arms crossed, looking both excited and confused.

"First, she'll want an apology, that's obvious. Once she sees the happy family, she might try to use you, I don't know. She offered me an army to defeat Erudite, what she wants is power."   I grimaced. "I declined her offer. It's clear she'll try with you."

"If things end badly with her, we'll be in danger. You know that, right?"

"Maybe, but what she doesn't know is that I have a stash of weapons hidden away, and if we need to escape, we go there and take them all out."

"So, you still have it?" he let out a nasal laugh, probably remembering how Norman gave me the bag to attack Andrea's army.

"I would never waste something so valuable."

The laptop vibrated, so I immediately straightened up and smiled as I spoke. "She responded."

"When is it?" Four asked.

"Today, in an hour. She sent the coordinates." I typed on the computer, and after several attempts, I managed to reflect the position on the map.

"It's there."

"That's where we found you." he said. "I can't take weapons from the armory without Max finding out."

I nodded, standing up from the chair, and walked to the locker, taking out the second weapon I used to hide in my room. But since Eric moved in with me, the whole room has been filled with weapons. I kept my father's gun and handed him the other one.

"I'll go out first, take a vehicle, and meet you by the train tracks. We'll leave it there and continue on foot."

       ************************************

"Ten minutes have passed." Four announced from the doorway near the room where I remember being before.

"I know." I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. "She has to show up."

We hid the truck, hoping no one noticed, though knowing Max, he has eyes and ears everywhere. But I don't care much, I have an alibi, a lie ready if I'm caught.

"Have they figured out how they got the explosives, sedatives, and weapons?" Four asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I know Eric is investigating. If he hasn't told me anything, it's because he probably hasn't discovered anything yet."

"There's someone who must not want you around." he suggested.

I let out a laugh, which Four joined in. "And who doesn't? There's always someone who wants me dead, even Max. I'm still alive by a miracle." I scoffed.

"You're alive because of Eric." he corrected.

I smiled, nodding. It's true. Eric keeps me breathing, the villain of horror stories protects me from the other villains.

"And yet here you are, doing this behind his back just to meet a woman who claims to be my mother. Why?" he continued.

"I have no choice, you don't know what she's capable of. She knows about Norman, and the last thing I need is someone to drag him out of his cave."

"It was just an incentive, I would never have hurt him." a third voice sounded from the front door.

It seemed like I was the third wheel. They were looking at each other intensely. Evelyn had tears in her eyes, wanting to embrace the brown-haired man, who looked at her with a furrowed brow, not believing the situation.

"I'll leave you two alone. I'll be outside."I murmured, walking toward the exit.

"Grace, Edgar has no idea I'm here. When he finds out, he'll come and want to enter... Can you..."

"I'll take care of it."I nodded, stepping out completely.

The abandoned house wasn't the end of it. Beyond the front door was a long, roofless, unreliable hallway that looked like it could collapse at any moment. Exiting the hallway, there were several collapsed houses, making it more difficult to recognize the entrance.

I sat on a piece of concrete, feeling the cool breeze. A light drizzle covered my face, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed the moment, the smell of wet earth, and the thought that I might finally be free of this problem.

The crunch of weapons made me stand up and draw my gun from my belt. There were several hurried footsteps, so I aimed directly at the noise, ready for anything.

"Idiot, you scared me." I frowned, lowering my weapon.

An angry Edgar kept walking, followed by a group of guys. "Where's Evelyn?" he demanded.

"Inside." I replied. He didn't wait and headed toward the entrance. However, I stepped in front of him. "Hey, you can't go in."

"I'm not leaving her alone. Move." he growled, looking up.

"She's not alone. She's with her son and asked me to kick your ass if necessary to keep you outside."

His gaze showed his low tolerance for frustration, the anger issues he carried, and his urge to hit anyone in his way.

"A son who makes her reckless. She didn't tell anyone she was leaving." he exclaimed.

"Maybe because you're an intense bloodhound."I retorted, stepping forward as he did, both of us eager to fight and needing to protect the one inside. "Relax. We're both here to wait for them and ready to protect who matters to us. Just wait. They want to be alone."

The blue-green-eyed guy pressed his lips together, visibly annoyed, unsure of what to do, with the group of Factionless behind him waiting for orders.

"Get out and guard the den." he ordered.

"Are you sure?" asked one guy, showing doubt.

"Yeah."

The other Factionless left, leaving us alone. Edgar turned to me, and I couldn't help but smile victoriously, finally alone.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"Nothing, just remembered something." I said, then without warning, I punched him in the left cheek, making him turn his face completely. "I think we're even."

I didn't care that my knuckles hurt right now; it was worth every damn second until he raised his face with a smile on it. In a matter of seconds, he lunged at me, grabbing my neck firmly and slamming me against the wall. It was a very aggressive act that disoriented me because the lack of oxygen was a problem for me.

"Don't be ungrateful. Thanks to me, your boyfriend doesn't suspect you, and you're still the victim." he spoke through gritted teeth.

"I'm not a victim." I growled.

He was taller, at least a little, compared to Four and Eric, who were taller than him.

"Are you sure?" he murmured with amusement.

He was too close, and it made me uncomfortable. His available hand started to grip my waist, making me more alert, and I began to struggle to get him away from me. I hit him several times, but my attempt was in vain when he grabbed my wrists with one hand and held the other at my neck.

His breath grazed my jawline as he smirked and brought his face closer to my cheek, his lips brushing against my skin until reaching my ear, listening to his deep breaths. Gradually, I felt his knee moving between my legs.

Was he seducing me?

I already have something to regret, I can't let Edgar be another reason.

"I think you're misunderstanding things." I murmured.

"Do you think so?" he murmured in my ear while pressing his leg further.

My spine tingled, my body trembled, especially with that tickling sensation. But no, I have to stand firm. Tell the idiot to back off.

And so, when his thigh was close enough, I seized the opportunity and raised my knee to hit his groin and free myself.

"I do." I spoke firmly.

I expected a completely different expression from the smile he had. He pointed his index finger at me. "We'll see about that."

His arrogance, narcissism, explosive behavior, and bad mood only reminded me of someone who must be in the room waiting for me. And if it weren't for the green traces in his blue eyes, I would say he's more similar than I'd like to admit.

But no, my guy has blue-gray eyes.

I rolled my eyes, turning away from him, arms crossed, ignoring him and patiently waiting for Four.

"Oh, come on, he can do whatever he wants with you, and you can't?" he asked with a scoff.

"It's none of your business." I growled.

"What I know is that you need to break free from your stupid routine for once and do what you want, not just to be with an idiot who could kill you at any moment."

"You don't know anything about him."

He sighed, annoyed and disbelieving my vigorous defense of him, and what infuriates me is his irrational interest in my life. It's as if he knows everything about me and has an idea of what's happening to me. I came here with the idea of getting revenge, hitting him, and forgetting about them, and I'll leave here confused, annoyed, and feeling like someone is watching me every day.

Our conversation died down as Evelyn arrived, stepping out of that hallway and clearing her throat, her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

"Are you okay?" Edgar murmured, looking at her concerned.

Evelyn nodded, then turned to me. "You've completed the mission, it's over." she smiled.

I furrowed my brow, taking a step forward, noticing that Four still hadn't emerged. "And Four?"

"He left through the other side, he told me to tell you he'll be waiting for you at the van." her attempt at a smile was pitiful, instead, a grimace emerged, signaling that the mother-son conversation hadn't gone well.

I nodded. "So, it's over?"

"Yes, and as far as I'm concerned, we don't know each other." she shrugged.

I smiled, feeling the weight of worry on my shoulders dissipate. "Before we never see each other again, I need to know something." I interrupted their walk towards the forest, making them turn around. "How did you get the explosives, the weapons, the sedatives? Who supplies you?"

She smiled knowingly. "Dauntless used to manufacture their weapons before Erudite took over, Dauntless threw out the machines, and now we can make our own. And... as for the other stuff, be careful, Grace, there are people in Dauntless who don't like you."

"What do you mean?"

"To get you out of your cave, I needed to ensure the others didn't feel threatened, just you. So, I promised Max I would kill you if he gave me what I needed to make you listen to me."

The raw way he said things sent shivers down my spine, processing the way he said it was harder than his words themselves.

"But I'm not dead."

"And Max is an idiot with power. Grace, my intention was never to kill you, I just promised things I would never fulfill. He gave me the chains and the sedatives, he gave me strict instructions to hide and torture you, making your death slow and painful." He shrugged. "What he didn't foresee, and what I used to my advantage, is that Eric would never stop looking for you. So, to him, this was a plan that went wrong."

"Just Max?"

"No, the blonde with whom Eric cheated on you gave me the things." He smiled without warmth. "Don't trust anyone, and believe me. You must kill the blonde before she kills you, after all, it wouldn't be the first time you've done it."

He knew me so well that it scared me. He knew perfectly well that Genesis had been my first victim, and while it wasn't a secret, he didn't see me as the worst person. On the contrary, he made me feel like killing people was the right thing to do.

I nodded. "Goodbye." I murmured.

Edgar gave me one last look, and like Evelyn, neither showed any emotion. Their expressionless faces were the last I saw of them as they disappeared into the forest as if they knew it perfectly.

Then, loneliness invaded me once again. I turned around and walked back to where I had left the truck.

What an irony life is. My life was truly a joke, a mockery. I was loyal to Dauntless and was willing to give my life for them, for Max, even though Eric was the only one I loved completely. And Max is the first to try to kill me without a second thought. I no longer feel safe anywhere except when I'm with Eric, but how long will that last? I doubt Eric can protect me from everything, not when he has complete trust and loyalty to Max.

We should kill him. As soon as Eric takes over as leader of the faction, no one will suspect a thing. Then, I would feel safe. But my thoughts are brutal, after all, Max did something similar to get rid of Norman. Does this make me a worse or better person? Would it be his karma?

In the distance, I noticed Four sitting in the passenger seat. I approached, opened the driver's door, and sat down in total silence.

"Sorry." Four apologized. "I couldn't stay another second."

I nodded without saying anything. Getting to know a relative after years of not seeing them is difficult. You can't make up for years of absence, especially if their mother is a psychopath.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"My mother died when I was six." he replied with determination, turning to look at me. "And that's how it will stay."

I started the truck, understanding everything, and in a way, I didn't care. "Fine. By the way, Jeanine suspects you. She wants the records of the initiates. She asked me to investigate why you haven't given them to her."

"I have a Divergent, Grace." he admitted with a sigh. "I can't hand that person over."

I nodded. "It's you or that person. Choose."

****************************************

The walk to my room had been horrible. Every sound that wasn't my footsteps felt like torture. I felt like Max or Jina would come at any moment and kill me, finishing what they started since I was alone.

I even jogged until I reached my room and entered, locking the door behind me.

"Why did they see you and Four leaving Dauntless?" Eric's muted voice came from afar. He was sitting on the couch in the completely dark living room.

"I wanted to leave." I murmured, approaching him. "He asked me about the investigation you're doing, if I knew how the Factionless got their supplies. Not knowing anything, I thought that by going back, I might discover something." I sat down next to him.

There was a worrying distrust in his eyes. His jealousy consumed him easily, drowning him in madness and, of course, keeping me in guilt.

"And did you?" he asked.

"I found one of the initiates I expelled." I lied. "Sarah saw Jina delivering packages to the Factionless. Her instructions were to kill me, all on Max's orders."

His intense eyes changed drastically, showing that the jealousy had dissipated, or at least his interest had shifted.

He sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'll find out." he assured, wrapping his other arm around my shoulders and pulling me into an embrace.

I leaned against his chest, realizing that not only Max was playing with him, but I was too. So, I hugged him tightly, hoping to find a justification for my actions.

"Did you make Oliver disappear?" I asked in a whisper.

I noticed how he tensed up, and the seconds it took for him to respond were a way of answering me, so I couldn't insist further.

"Yes." he admitted. "I had to make sure Jeanine had any divergent, except you."

"Did he suffer?"

"No." he replied immediately. "We sedated him and delivered him asleep."

"When?"

"An hour ago." he replied. "We had him since yesterday, but the delivery couldn't be made, it had been done once before."

This is who I am, but I want to be better. How can I go against Max and Jeanine if Eric is part of them? I have to ruin their relationship, make him choose between them or me.

"Forgive me, Grace." he murmured. "I know you cared for him, but believe me, this was the right thing to do."

I nodded. "I know."

Now I understand that I have to defend Uriah no matter what. I will save him from this predicament behind Eric's back and I will manage to kill Max, only then will I feel safe. I want to continue with my life, be a leader and train the initiates, I want to be here with Eric by my side, him being the most powerful in Dauntless and thus, maybe Jeanine will stop bothering us.