For the time being, Seb stopped at an inn several miles away from his hometown and thousands of miles away from home. I didn't complain. I wanted to be far away from it all until I am able to get everything back on track. I can't keep on running like this. Not at least, forever! 

It was a cheap inn, with a really dusty lobby. Thankfully, the rooms were clean yet the smell of vacancy was so strong that I wanted to squirt air freshener into the room. There was a can of it, but it was empty. I couldn't complain. This was only temporary; I assured myself. 

So, I pulled Seb's perfume and squirted it in the air. But, it was a mistake. It was a damn strong smell which oddly mixed with the musty smell and created something which suffocated me. I quickly opened the doors to the balcony and all the windows. I could hear him laughing from his room hearing the hassle. I snorted.

He and I shared an apartment but with two bedrooms. I quickly got into the shower and had a nice hot bath. I don't like hot showers, but the water was already heated up. So, I waited for the water to lose its warmth but it didn't. So, after like an hour, I walked out feeling lazy and light.

As soon as I got out, the lights in the room flickered and died on me, to have my hair snatch from behind. Whoever it was had a good grip on my black locks and pulled hard to their chest. With my right elbow, I tried to elbow-kick him, but he held my elbow roughly and dodged my left hand too. Now he pushed me to the bed and pinned me with his muscular body.

"Your uncle said hi. But, darling, he ain't here to save you anymore! I want the map to the hiding place. I don't want you anywhere near the treasure. You can run but you can't hide, neither can your boyfriend or your uncle, hide you from me; anymore! Do you hear me? I will wait for two days, and I want results. I will text and you should text back." He pulled my hair again and I hissed. The lights came back on, but I wasn't able to turn. My head was resting on his right shoulder now; with his gruff voice and scrubby beard brushing my skin. He dropped something to the bed and said, "Don't look while I leave and don't say anything to your lover boy. Remember, two days!"

He got up from me and before I can even get up, he was away from the balcony.

I brushed my hair with my hands and yelped to feel cold breeze wrapping me up. I was naked. Damn! I was naked the whole time.

Angry and frustrated, I covered the towel on me and pulled the furry bathroom robe on top of me, then sat on the bed to open the box and pulled out the rest of the letters. There were three of them left.

Dearest Lily,

I utilized the chance to the fullest. I used Peter. But he knew about it all and laughed at me. Saying I am a fool to go in head on head with the rival to his team. He had all the right to laugh but when his minions, who were under me, laughed; I challenged Peter.

Peter accepting my challenge; gave me a mission.

Before that,

Never once doubt your worth

Be sure of yourself, for

Who stole my life?

Wasn't able to steal you from me

This was what I always said to myself when I wanted to accept defeat. You are strong, Lillian and very brave.

The mission Peter gave me was to steal some papers that Louise first had in custody. It was some important papers that Peter wanted. I accepted the challenge. Peter laughed again. I said a girl is not strong enough in front of me to which Peter laughed again. He said, Louise is a man, just like him and I was stunned. Whoever will name a man, a girl's name? I decided I will play with fire and show them who is the boss.

I prepared myself, rehearsed myself, injured myself, but amidst it all, I became stronger.

It was at this point, I met Sam who was a business tycoon and a very strong man with fewer words and a scowling face. I met him, talked to him, fell in love. It was very strange, you see.

Anyway, after few months, Evelyn surprised me by contacting me and said all about her pain. I asked her to come to me with her three small children. She came and I housed her with Peter for a while.

Lillian, for a mafia head, he was very soft and sweet. I wish you could meet him, Peter I mean. He is damn funny too. Anyway, I was ready for the heist. I was so ready for it when Bethlam found me after years of searching and we met. We talked about the old times and all.

Evelyn showed me her husband's photo and said his name was Louise. I was startled. Her abusive husband was this so-called rival head. I was overjoyed by then.

Also, I was ready for the heist.

Yours truly,

Eve.

What didn't I understand was what did the poems mean? Her history was giving me a nightmare. I am not able to wrap it all in my head. It was very confusing and since I was not completely put my mind into it, I didn't totally understand. I just wanted the clues and to be done with.

Anyway, I opened the fourth letter.

Dearest lil,

I am keeping it short now.

The heist or my attempt was a mission success. But, that made me soak my hands in few innocent although I am not sure of it, still innocent 'blood'.

I earned myself a lot of enemies too.

After the theft, I realized the papers were in fact, loads of papers since it was a total of three brown sealed folders. They were heavy too. Whatever it maybe, I took it with me.

You know what the fun part was? I was six months pregnant with you. I never showed and I had all those fun times with you in my honey. I couldn't wait to break the news to Sam. I came back home and Peter was awestruck. He didn't assume I will be able to find it. I found it and handed him the package.

After that, I told him, I wanted out... to live with Sam. He agreed but he didn't let me go since now that he was aware of my worth, he didn't let me go completely. This is the times that I am totally regretting that I had to be a part of this darkness.

Anyway, I had you and we had a grand party at your first birthday. That night, Peter showed me what was in the package, what he understood of it and what he was going to do with it.

I was frightened.

You see, the papers were... no, once you get hold of it, find it for yourself. Never hand it over to anyone else. The rumor is right. There is an island with lost treasure but the map is unreadable. You will find it, I know you will.

Before you fold me goodbye,

Here,

You are my apple in my eyes,

Your warmth I wasn't able to feel

You are the repetition of history

Like what they had to go through;

From the eyes of my parents

Yours only,

I love you, dear, I love you so much.

I had tears in my eyes with the poem I read. She must have had to ditch me because of this wretched map.

Why didn't she tell me what was on the map? Why didn't she tell me?

I quickly picked the last and final letter.

Dear,

I am in haste. I need to be somewhere.

They realized it was me who took the treasure. They are after me and threatened to kill you. I had to vanish but before I did, I had to do this so they will not kill you. Know this, if I hadn't put the deal on you, they might have killed you. I negotiated that once you attain the age of twenty-one, you will find the package for them.

But they messaged me back that they wanted eighteen; if not they will kill you.

I know this for sure because by that time I had vanished, I was away, far away and you were safe with Evelyn and Sam.

They won't kill you until they get the map. I promise! I am sorry.

It is all a race against time. Hun, don't rush!

That is the reason why you had to go through this honey. I wanted to save myself and save you too. You had to live. I had to live. At least for a day, I wanted to... live with you.

Now, why I had to vanish from the face of the earth is because Peter had gone insane with the power the package behold. So, I stole it from him and hid it in place only you and I can get. I vanished from the face of the earth. No one knows about me. This letter handed over to Bethlam was the last time anyone saw me.

They will find me and kill me, I am sure. But they won't until you get the map late.

You see, I am living in the life of constant terror.

This may sound confusing; why I did what I did and how I did it. But, you only focus on delaying in finding the map.

I forgot to mention. While I had to kill a few, I killed and completed my revenge by killing Louise first. His partner and Louise's best friend Tom took over. I have no idea, how Tom attached himself to our family.

Now, look,

These letters have no clue hidden

And these lines are not gibberish lines

Read again and again

To realize what it is and girl, you will realize;

They know me not.

For each letter, I have a poem. From each poem, take out the respective line for the letter number and you will get my message. Place each first word to get your second last clue.

Yours only,

Don't hurry!

I was startled by the poems and the clues. I decided to write down every poem and then the lines as she told me.

1) Time will come when

Sea and land kiss,

The shore will halt

And waves will be high;

On such a day,

I will come back with might

2) I will tell you this;

When I avenge those,

Who made me hide my life?

I got the chance to hide them

In paper bags and shoeboxes

3) Never once doubt your worth

Be sure of yourself, for

Who stole my life?

Wasn't able to steal you from me

4) You are my apple in my eyes,

Your warmth I wasn't able to feel

You are the repetition of history

Like what they had to go through;

From the eyes of my parents

5) These letters have no clue hidden

And these lines are not gibberish lines

Read again and again

To realize what it is and girl, you will realize;

They know me not.

To me, these were gibberish lines that didn't have true meaning. Well, she did tell me that wasn't her intention. She was just writing to give me clues and stall time if anyone else was to get them.

Why was she asking me over and over again to stall time?

Now, as per her suggestion, I jotted down the respective lines.

Time will come

When I avenge those...

Who stole my life?

From the eyes of my parents

They know me not.

Although I wanted to slap my mother for baiting me for her to escape; she could have taken with me to hiding. Anyway, reading this made me smile with tears and I wished to hug her. She had been through a lot. Indeed, she did that to save her sorry ass but she did that to kill her parent's murderer. Her motive wasn't the package, it was revenge and she did that. She was a strong lady just like they said.

I was very proud of her and angry too.

Now, that I got the poem and their meaning, I am glad that it was about to end, since it is the second last clue, right. I picked out the letters, "T, W, W, F, and T". They were random and odd but what should I do with them now?

I picked the box, looked everywhere to find some hidden hole or anything. I didn't find anything out of the blue or odd. Frustrated, and exhausted, I tried to find something that will make me get what she meant by the final, or second the last clue.

I got up from my bed and walked towards Seb's door to ask him if he can find or help me. As it wasn't locked, I opened it to see him sleeping, snoring slightly.

After the encounter, I had every windows and door locked. He didn't know anything at all.

Seeing him, I smiled as I placed the letters and notes in the box and closed it; and then, went to lay down with Seb who groggily held me close to his body as we both fell into deep slumber.

___________________________ 

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