A tear slowly escaped from the corner of Juliette’s eye and trickled down her cheek. She tried her best to hold back the sobs she had been suppressing. She would miss her sister; she would miss Robbin’s presence in her life. If only the end of their story could change, Juliette knew it was just a dream. This was her fate and Robbin’s. No one could stop Robbin, but only she could do that.
“Come on, Ette, for your freedom, for Leo, for your mother, for all the people who died at Robbin’s hands; only you can do this,” her inner voice encouraged Juliette. She took a deep breath. The silence that had previously felt so peaceful now turned highly oppressive. Juliette didn’t know how this could happen and hoped it was just her imagination.
Juliette inhaled again and carefully raised her hand, the sharp tip of the syringe gleaming slightly under the light, and slowly moved it down towards Robbin’s neck. At that moment, Robbin said, “And if you betray me, it will feel different from others.” Juliette’s movement halted instantly, and her body trembled.
“It would hurt dozens of times more if you were the one to stab me in the back because you are the only one I trust. You are the only one I have allowed into my heart.” Then one of Robbin’s hands slowly moved, reaching for Juliette’s hand that was holding the syringe, pulling away to stare sharply at her. “You want to kill me.”
“No… I…” Juliette was so scared and nervous, as Robbin’s dark eyes now looked at her with a terrifying fire of anger.
Robbin opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, the sound of a gun being cocked was heard, followed by a shout, “Robbin, stop!” Instantly, Robbin pushed Juliette to the ground before turning to glare at William, who stood not far from him, pointing a gun at him. “Robbin, stop everything you’re doing!”
“Uncle William, I’m not surprised at all by your involvement. What did you promise Juliette that made her dare to betray me?” he asked, glancing at Juliette, who stood up with her head bowed and both hands clenched tightly. Robbin glared at the syringe in Juliette’s hand but was distracted by William’s voice.
“I can’t let you continue, Robbin. You have to atone for all your crimes.”
“What have I done, Uncle? I haven’t done anything that would make you hate me and do all of this to me.”
“You are no longer the Robbin I knew. You are no longer my nephew who I always took fishing. You are just a killer who is good at hiding,” William hissed with fury. “You don’t need to wear that mask anymore, Robbin. I already know all your depravity.”
“Oh, is that so?” Robbin replied casually, sounding arrogant. His arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes looked at William with disdain.
“But I don’t understand what you mean, uncle.”
“Stop pretending! I know everything! You killed Anthony, your own father. You faked the cause of his death, then you kidnapped and tortured Daisy, your own cousin. Why? Why, Robbin? How could you do this? What wrong did they do?”
Once again, Robbin turned to Juliette before answering, “Do you want to know, uncle?” After that, unexpectedly, Robbin pulled out the same weapon, a revolver, from behind his coat and aimed the gun at William. “Because he asked for it.”
“What do you mean?” William asked, doubt written on his face.
Robbin smirked and said, “He didn’t give me permission or blessing to have Juliette, forbidding me to approach her, and did everything to keep me away from the woman I adore. He sent me to school abroad to make me forget Juliette, to forget my obsession and love for her.”
“Robby…” Juliette murmured, shocked by what Robbin had said. Her eyes were fixed on the sturdy back of Robbin, clad in a black suit.
Robbin ignored Juliette’s whisper and continued, “He knew what I was doing to Juliette. He knew I was always monitoring Juliette, following her, watching her from afar, and all that made my dear father challenge me.”
Juliette silently sobbed, listening to Robbin’s explanation.
“And I accepted his challenge, killing him when he was off guard. Killing him when he thought he had won and I was letting Juliette go. So uncle, I’m not wrong. He asked for it. I just gave him the poison, and he drank it willingly.”
“Do you have no conscience at all, Robbin?” William hissed with anger.
Robbin clicked his tongue and replied, “You should ask my father about that; he had no conscience for keeping me away from the woman I love.”
“What about Daisy? She did nothing wrong, Robbin.”
“How do I explain that?” Robbin pretended to think, tapping his finger on his chin, then said, “She tried to meddle in my affairs. You know what she did?” Robbin asked.
“She tried to make Juliette stay away from me by attempting to expose my past.”
“The past?” Juliette murmured in confusion. She was also part of Robbin’s past, although not entirely. So, what did Daisy want to tell her? And when? Juliette didn’t remember Daisy wishing to talk to her but wait! Could it be… Juliette stared at the back of Robbin’s head, her eyes widening.
“But you didn’t have to hurt her, traumatizing her so she could no longer speak.” William said with disappointment.
“I love you more than I love my own daughter. Even your father entrusted you to me before his death-not before you killed him-but I can’t let you harm my daughter indiscriminately.”
“I just taught her a little lesson, uncle. Making her shut her mouth and no longer speak of unnecessary things. If only Daisy had chosen not to interfere in other people’s affairs, maybe I wouldn’t have cared about her.”
Hearing that, Juliette remembered her late friend, Tamara. The woman had tried to open Juliette’s mouth, meddling in her affairs and bravely expressing her suspicions about her to Robbin. Now Juliette understood. Henry? Juliette knew that Henry was her mistake; he made that person a target for Robbin. “What about Leo?” Juliette whispered sadly.
“Haven’t I told you many times? He tried to take you away from me; I just did what I had to do. Get rid of that man.” Robbin sighed heavily and continued,
“If you realize it, that coward isn’t sincere. He made you his girlfriend just because you have ties to the De Lavigne family. He thinks you have a lot of money because you are the stepdaughter of Anthony De Lavigne. He cheated on you behind your back. You can ask Dion or the female coworker who was his mistress.”
“No. I don’t believe your words!” Juliette shouted hysterically. She wouldn’t believe what Robbin said.
“Suit yourself, believe it or not.” Just as Robbin finished saying that, Aldrich and another of Robbin’s men came and stood behind Robbin, surrounding Juliette and pointing their weapons at William.
“Unfortunately, our conversation has ended, and you must leave here, uncle. Your presence is no longer needed.”
William frowned and said, “No. I won’t leave until Juliette comes back with me.”
Robbin smiled. He lowered the hand holding the gun and tilted his body to speak to Juliette and William simultaneously without turning his back on William, who was pointing his gun at him. He would not let his guard down in a situation like this.
“So what now, Kitten? I’m giving you a choice. I know that man?” Robbin asked, nodding his chin toward William. “Choose wisely.”
Juliette swallowed hard and looked back and forth between Robbin and William. Then, she cautiously walked toward William. For a moment, Juliette exchanged glances with the middle-aged man who had been willing to help her. Juliette gave a small smile before turning and running to hug Robbin. Her arms wrapped tightly around Robbin’s body.
With tears streaming down her face, Juliette kissed Robbin’s cheek and the skin of his neck before saying, “Forgive me, Robbin, but this time, I won’t waste my chance. I am free from you.” Then, after saying that, Juliette plunged the syringe still in her hand into the back of Robbin’s neck.
“Y-you…”
And after that, the sound of a loud gunshot was heard. Juliette’s eyes widened, and not long after, a second shot rang out. Slowly, Robbin’s body weakened, and his vision blurred, but he could still see as Juliette looked at him with tear-filled eyes, blood oozing from her mouth, “No… baby… no…” His weak hand cupped Juliette’s head, and together, they fell to the ground, lying face to face.
“No…” Robbin whispered, seeing Juliette’s gaze slowly start to fade.
“Juliette… don’t leave me…” he whispered.
Robbin shifted his gaze and found Aldrich dead, bloodied, then he looked back at Juliette, seeing that her eyes were tightly shut. Slowly, Robbin moved his hand, reaching for Juliette’s hand and grasping it tightly before smiling sadly and whispering, “My Kitten, Juliette. My love.”
And the last thing he saw before his eyes closed was the police surrounding him with
Weapons in their hands.
After that, darkness welcomed him with open arms, with the last name echoing in his head…
Juliette.
…