I enjoyed reading everyone's reaction to the last chapter 🤣🤣
Oh God!
And as SoloButterfly said, everyone was like:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Agatha Christie would be so proud of me right now and of course my boyfriend, Satan😌😌.

And if you think that was all the twist this story had to offer...oh boy, you are so wrong 😉.

Anyway...the next update would be late considering it's Saturday tomorrow and I'm gonna sleep as long as I can. 😁😁

Enjoy!

Third Person's POV:

Ruslan's body became numb with shock. The gun dropped from his hand, landing on the floor with a thud.

He was hoping that maybe, just maybe it was another bad dream because this was not possible. This couldn't be possible at all.

His Alfresca. How can she do this?

He didn't jump to conclusions. Maybe he was hallucinating. Or maybe it was true but he didn't jump to conclusions. He wanted her to explain.

His knees buckled as she took a few steps closer, the gun still pointed at him and he slumped down on the chair behind him.

"Where's Easton?" She asked again. "Did you kill him?"

"Easton?"

Her tone was cold. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. "Easton Jennings. Where is he?"

"Who are you?" He questioned back.

"Zoriana Jennings." She stated firmly as she stood right in front of him but she had lowered her gun.

"Bullshit." Ruslan spat. "The Jennings only have a son and not any daughter."

"They have a daughter who wasn't brought out to the public." She replied telling him the truth.

It took him some time to process the information. The look on his face, the look of betrayal made Zoriana's heart clench. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to. She fell in love with him. He loved her too. She didn't want to hurt him. Neither physically nor emotionally.

Realisation dawned upon Ruslan and burning rage shot throughout his body. "So, all this was a game to find Easton?"

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "Yes. Now, where's Easton?"

Ruslan's jaw clenched, his palms folding into fists. He didn't answer her question, instead his mind wandered off to the every moment he spent with her. It was all a lie.

"You were acting all this time? Pretending to be someone you were not?" He hissed.

Her eyes didn't meet his. "Yes."

"You were the one who...hacked into my laptop and took out all the information related to the arms shipment?"

"Yes." She whispered.

He scoffed. "And who else was involved in this?"

She sighed. "Arthur."

"Arthur." He repeated in a dangerously low voice.

The attack was a distraction. It was planned before that Zoriana would be in his office when the attack would commence. And he would leave her there. And that's when she hacked into his laptop and pulled out all the information.

And how she went unconscious?

Arthur helped her by sneaking into his office and pressing the cloth to her nose to make her unconscious.

It was all planned.

And he remembered the sudden death of his mother. He gritted his teeth. "Tell me...you were the one to kill mom too..."

That made her let out a shaky breath. "Arthur did. I...I...she...was starting to recognise me...my cover was going to be blown...Arthur mixed a chemical in her coffee without my knowledge."

She wanted to break down in front of him and beg for his forgiveness. She was no less than a murderer.

It wouldn't be too difficult for Ruslan to tackle her to the floor and kill her within seconds. But he didn't. He couldn't.

Before she could lose herself to the emotions, she cocked her gun and pressed it to his forehead. "Where's Easton?" She raised her voice.

He scoffed again. A storm brewing up in his eyes. "Go on. Kill me. Because even death won't hurt more than your betrayal."

That made her heart stung. And she lowered the gun, tears welling up in her eyes. Her hands trembling. "Please tell me where's Eaton. And I will leave."

She couldn't stop herself from blurting out everything. How Easton was kidnapped and she was trained to bring him back and as well as...bring down the Searlus Mafia.

"...cause we are the good guys. Dad told me."

Ruslan couldn't believe what he heard. "Are you still acting or are you completely naive?"

"What?"

"Good guys, huh? You are the good guys? What does your father do for a living, Zoriana?" She hated how he spat her name.

"H-he owns a company. The Jennings Industries."

"And besides that...what is his source of income?"

"What do you mean? That's his only source of income! Stop lying!"

"I'm not lying!" He lost his temper making her flinch back.

Her lips quivered and she looked at him through the tears. "What do you mean?" Her voice was low and weak.

"Who's the leader of the Meryd Mafia?" He questioned.

"No one knows him." She answered. "No one knows who is the leader of the Meryd Mafia." She lowered her head.

He smirked. "No one, except a few. Except me." That made her head snap to him.

"Michael Jennings is the leader of the Meryd Mafia. Your father is a murderer himself and you think you are the good guys?!"

Her eyes widened in shock. No. This is not true.

"Stop lying, Ruslan!" She shouted.

He shook his head. "Your father is a Mafia leader. Your father killed my father. And Easton Jennings was supposed to take over the Meryd Mafia but he didn't want to. He was being forced. So, he ran away. He was never kidnapped. He ran away."

She stuttered. "H-how do yo-u know all this?"

He almost growl. "Because Easton Jennings is my best friend!"

All that information was too much for her to take and her legs gave away and she fell down on the floor.

"No. No. No." She whispered. "This is not true. You are lying, Ruslan."

"I'm not a liar like you." He spat.

"Then where is he?" A tear rolled down her eyes. "If not kidnapped. Then where is he?"

"Safe." Was all Ruslan said.

Zoriana managed to get on her feet. "No. Tell me where he is. Please!"

"I gave him my word to never disclose his location to anyone." Ruslan stated.

She didn't have the energy to argue anymore. All this was too much. Too much. Her parent's lied to her. Wilson lied to her. Everyone lied to her.

Ruslan's heart was bleeding. He loved and trusted her and she betrayed him. The love of his life betrayed him. She was acting all along.

"Tell me, Zoriana." He again spat her name and she looked at him. Those tears in her eyes didn't melt his heart.

His eyes were bloodshot. Body trembling with rage. "So, everything was a lie? Everything? Every sweet word, every touch, every kiss. It was all a lie? Was romantising me a part of your plan?" He hissed.

She shook her head frantically. "No. No, Ruslan. It wasn't a lie. It wasn't. I love you, Ruslan. I really do. It wasn't a lie. It wasn't a part of the plan."

"You betrayed me, Alfresca." His voice broke, he was on the verge of crying. "You betrayed me. I loved you. With everything I had. I...I...I was ready to shut down everything just for you. Just because you told me to."

She sobbed. "I am so sorry, Ruslan. I am so sorry. I didn't know. I was just doing what I was told to." She stepped closer and cupped his cheeks in her hands. "But my feelings for you was real. I love you, Ruslan."

He shut his eyes tightly to block her face and slapped her hands away. "I fell for your innocence once and I am not going to fall for it again."

"Ruslan. Please." She cried. "I didn't know, Ruslan. I didn't. Everyone lied to me. They all did."

"But I didn't, Alfresca." This time, a tear rolled down his eyes too. "When I said I love you, I meant it. I really did. You never said it back but that didn't stop me from loving you. But now...all I feel for you is pure, unadulterated rage. That's it."

"Ruslan, I love you. Please." She continued crying hoping to convince him.

She thought this is the Karma for lying to him. He loved me so much and I lied to him. And now, everyone lied to me.

She crouched down at his feet and grabbed both his palm in her hands but he yanked it away, breaking her heart further.

She looked up into those eyes that used to look at her with so much love and admiration but all she saw at the moment in them was hatred.

"Ruslan, I love you." She whispered, still sobbing.

"Stop saying that!" He snapped. "You don't. And don't you dare say that again."

She shook her head. "Ruslan..."

He leaned forward and gripped her jaw in between his fingers firmly. "Go and tell everyone Ruslan Searlus retired. The Searlus Mafia is officially down. That's what you wanted, right?"

"No! I never knew you were not as everyone portrayed you to be. I thought you were heartless but you are not. You proved it to me, Ruslan. I wasn't going to...take any action but today when I met Lucy...she was told to tell me that it's getting late. I was forced to do this..." She rested her forehead against his knee, her tears soaking his jeans. "Please. I never knew. I never knew who dad was actually."

He all of a sudden stood up making her body stumble forward, her head falling down on the chair.

His hands trembled as he picked up his phone and he dialled a number and extended the phone towards her.

His tone cold and dangerous. "Tell your brother to come get you."

She eyed between the phone and him in confusion. He glared down at her and she quickly took the phone from him not wanting to anger him further.

She pressed the phone against her ear as it rang for a few seconds and then she heard the voice she didn't hear for such a long time. "Ruslan. How are doing, man?"

"Easton." A sob escaped her mouth and there was a long pause on the other end.

"Zoriana?" He whispered, not believing himself.

"Easton!" She cried. "Where are you?"

"Firstly, why the hell are you calling from Ruslan's phone and..." His voice turned low and threatening. "Where's Ruslan?"

She glanced up to Ruslan who stood their with his hands folded and his back towards her. "He's here. He...he told me to call you."

"God! This is so confusing! How come you are there?!"

"I was looking for you, Easton. You disappeared."

Easton cursed underneath his breath. "Zoriana. Please tell me you didn't hurt him. He has nothing to do with me. All he did was help me."

Yes, she didn't hurt him physically. But emotionally, she couldn't even describe in words how much she hurt him.

"H-he's...I didn't...I didn't hurt him. Atleast not physically." She whispered, guilt consuming her.

"Did father send you there?" He inquired.

She started sobbing again. "Yes! Why didn't you tell me the truth about him?!" She accused him. "You lied to me, Easton! You all did!"

Easton let out a shaky breath. "Zoriana. Please give the phone to Ruslan."

Sobbing, she slowly got up on her feet and in a weak voice, called him. "Ruslan?" He turned to her, his eyes wet with tears and she lowered her eyes and gave the phone to him.

He pressed the phone to his ear. "Easton."

Ruslan's eyes were fixed on her, not moving, scrutinizing her face as he listened to what Easton had to say.

A few sentences later, what Easton said made Ruslan's eyes widen slightly but he kept his mouth shut.

Zoriana didn't dare to look at him as he hung up the call and placed his phone down on the desk.

Ruslan sat down on the chair and placed his head in his hands, sighing.

"Leave." He finally spoke, not looking at her. "I don't want to see your face ever again."

"Ruslan--"

He roared. "I SAID LEAVE!"

Flinching, she bit her lips to stop herself from sobbing anymore. She wanted him to punish her. Do something. She didn't deserve to be just let go after what all she did.

She took a step back. If that's what he wants, I will leave. She thought.

She glanced back at Ruslan who sat there with his head still in his hand and she walked towards the door.

At the end of the corridor, she saw Geordi enter. His accusing gaze fixed on her as he took long strides towards her.

"Geordi...I..." She wanted to say something but couldn't.

That made Ruslan's head snap to her and he saw Geordi advancing towards her with a gun in his hand.

He quickly got up, probably to stop him but it was too late.

"Bitch." He whispered underneath his breath and pointed the gun at her making her freeze. She didn't run or fight because she thought that this is what she deserved.

Geordi had grown to like her as his sibling, so he wasn't capable of shooting her somewhere fatal.

Her stomach was where he shot her. And she fell down on the floor on her back.

Blood gushed out of her stomach as Ruslan ran to her and crouched down near her. Her eyes were closing, not only because of being shot but because of the mental fatigue. She was tired.

She saw Ruslan's face hovering above hers. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks with her cause she saw concern in those eyes and a soft, small smile graced her lips. Her eyes roamed his face, memorising every details.

She managed to lift her hands and for the last time, managed to brush her fingers against his cheek. For one last time. "I love you." She whispered before darkness consumed her.

Chapter completion on: 12/9/21