SILENCE fell over the room, a heavy and suffocating one. Lord Lucario stared at her as if she had just uttered the most blasphemous words imaginable, he was staring as though he had seen a ghost.
“Out?” He repeated what Jasira had said in a question, his voice dangerously quiet.
“Do you have any idea of what you are saying?” He added, shifting on his seat.
“I do,” Jasira said, her voice firmer now.
“I have been thinking about this for a while Lucario. The violence, the bloodshed- it is too much. I can’t keep living like this,” she relayed and was shocked she did.
What! Lucario was dumbfounded, when did this one start? Jasira?
Slowly, he got up, and began advancing towards her, his imposing figure casting a shadow over her as he took a step.
She stood still, waiting for him to come up.
“I raised you,” he said, his voice a harsh whisper. “I trained you, I picked you up when your so called family abandoned you and gave you a family. You are who you are because of me. And now you are telling me you want to walk away? To throw everything away?” He got to a few metres away from her and stood.
Jasira met his gaze, her eyes unwavering.
“I’m grateful for everything you have done for me, Lucario, but I have changed. There is someone… someone who has made me see that there is more to life than this,” She said.
Lucario’s face contorted with rage. “Someone? This is about a man?” He shook his head in disbelief.
“I knew bringing you into this world was a mistake. Love has made you weak now.”
“No,” she shot back.
“Love has made me strong. It has shown me what I really want, who I really am, what I deserve, and it is not this.”
He moved closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper.
“Do you think you can just walk away? Do you think the other families will let you leave? You know too much, Jasira. You are a liability.”
She sighed deeply and folded her arms, she knew all that.
“I will disappear,” she said, her voice resolute. “I will go somewhere far away. You will never have to worry about me again.”
Lucario stared at her for a long moment, the weight of her words sinking in.
“You do think it is that simple right? You think you can just leave and live happily ever after? This life is in your blood, Jasira, you can’t run from it.”
“I have to try,” she said softly. “I can’t keep living a lie.”
For a moment, the anger in Lucario’s eyes flickered with something else- regret, perhaps, or sadness.
Then he turned away, his back to her, as if the sight of her was too much to bear and behold.
“If you leave,” he said, his voice cold and distant, “you are dead to me. You will have no protection, no family. You will be on your own,” he growled.
Jasira instantly felt a pang of sorrow but knew this was her only chance.
“I understand,” she said quietly. “Thank you for everything, Lucario. I think it is going to be a goodbye from here.”
Just like that, Lucario just couldn’t buy it. As she turned to leave, he called back.
“Are you sure you really do know what you are trying to do Jasira? Think about the other organizations, what would they say when they get to hear this?” He questioned.
She halted, and then slowly turned back to him, he still had his back facing her.
“I really do know what I am doing Lord Lucario, and as for the other organizations, my life doesn’t matter to them, and besides, I have the right to belong to where I want or don’t I?” She questioned.
He scoffed.
“I never said you do not have the right, of course you can leave whenever you want to, but, you have to think about this little cat”.
She frowned.
“There is nothing to think about anymore, I know what I want,” she stood her ground.
Sharply, he turned back to face her, his eyes now bloodshot contorting rage and anger.
“Then you must have to undergo one final mission to claim your freedom,” he growled.
***
The fear and shock that filled Amelia’s widened eyes as she stared back at Jeremy was detectable, she just wasn’t expecting him.
Jeremy on his own part was astounded to see her standing right there, before his dressing mirror in his bedroom. How the hell had she been able to gain access into the room?
He slowly closed the door behind him and walked up to her, waiting for her response to his question.
“I asked a question Amelia, and you know I hate repeating questions,” he halted few metres away from her.
Her lips wobbled, as she glanced at the gold earrings, the lipstick tube on the floor and then back to him.
Jeremy suddenly became impatient waiting for her reply.
“Answer me!” He screamed and she trembled in fear.
“I… I… I ca… came to to see you,” she replied, trembling.
Then suddenly, she snapped out of her fear and swallowed hard.
“You said you had a meeting, so I wanted to surprise you,” she added, now trying to keep her voice steady.
Jeremy’s eyes flickered with something she couldn’t quite read.
“Well yeah I did, but it got cancelled last minute. Why have you come without a prior notice like I always say, or without me inviting you? And how the hell did you gain access to my bedroom?” He fired the questions at her.
She shivered.
“Jeremy?” She softly called,” I… I wanted to surprise you,” she repeated, her gaze unwavering.
“That didn’t for any reason answered my questions Amelia. Do you want me to get you arrested right now?” He barked and she gasped, her hands cupped over her mouth.
“Yes,” he nodded, “get you arrested for invading my privacy and theft,” he said.
“Ahh!” She exclaimed, “Jeremy?” She called.
“Do you think I can’t? Hold on,” he raised up his right hand which held his phone and began punching in some numbers.
Her eyes widened in shock. Oh my! He was right. Instantly, she covered the distance between them, trying to take the phone from him.
“I’m sorry J darling, I’m sorry, please don’t,” she cried.
He moved back a little, bringing his hand down.
“Are you ready to tell me now?” He asked and she nodded.
“How did you get the password to my bedroom?” He questioned.
She hesitated for a while.
“Oh my!”
“I… I, I cloned your security gadgets,” she spilled it.