Living together was one thing and living happily together was another.
Axel and Lily were living happily together. Everything was perfect for them and it seemed like their happily ever after with their kids.
Everything was going great, nothing went wrong until one night, it all changed….
Lily waited patiently in Axel’s room for him. It was past midnight and he wasn’t back yet. She wasn’t worried or having any negative thoughts, it was normal for him to be so late. Sometimes he doesn’t come home at all.
Not like anything was wrong, she just felt like waiting for him till he was back.
Lily waited a few more minutes, and when he didn’t show up, she decided to get some sleep.
She was about to lay on his bed when the door opened and he walked in. Lily raised her brows and sat on his bed.
He looked exhausted.
He noticed Lily on the bed but he kept mute, he took off his jacket and loosened the first three buttons on his shirt.
Lily slowly stood up and walked to him, she got to him and pulled him into a hug.
She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his chest.
“I guess you had a long day.” She said and he exhaled heavily.
“Hmm.” He moaned in response.
Lily pulled away from the hug and wrapped her arms around his neck, she slowly leaned closer to him and kissed him.
Axel didn’t reciprocate, neither did he push her off. Lily noticed something was wrong, Axel was always excited if she was being clingy. It was really weird.
“Axel?” She called.
“Not tonight Lily. I am exhausted.” He said and held her arms wrapped around his neck, he withdrew them from his neck and then let go of her.
Lily stared at him surprised, that was the first time he was doing something like that.
“Is something wrong?” Lily asked as he walked away from her to the bed. He ignored her.
“Axel.” She called sternly and he turned to her.
“What?” He asked. He wasn’t looking friendly, he looked like he wasn’t ready to have a conversation with her.
“What’s wrong? Talk to me.” Lily said worriedly and moved closer to him.
“It’s been over a month since you came back.”
“Yeah, and?”
“You still haven’t told me about what happened in Russia.” Axel replied and Lily sighed.
“Is that what this is about?” She asked with a frown.
“Isn’t it worth it?” Axel asked back.
“I already told you countless times, Axel. Nothing happened in Russia.” She replied. Axel scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“That is bullshit. You were gone for a whole year. You can’t tell me nothing happened.”
“Well, nothing happened.” She raised her voice at him.
“Really? Cause I feel like a lot happened and you are hiding it from me. You can’t just show up and assure me everything is fine when you are gone for a year. What happened, Lily? How did you manage to be free? What took you so long? Why did Anastasia let you go after you broke your deal with her?” Axel raised his voice back at her. She froze. Not because he raised his voice at her but because he mentioned the name of the Russian woman she was with.
She was sure to never mention her or give any clue that would lead to her. How the hell did Axel know about it?
“You know Anastasia? How the fuck did you know her? She is supposed to be dead to you.”
“Oh, please. You are new to this mafia world, I grew up in it. I have my way of finding things and I know she is El Diablo’s sister so tell me what the fuck happened because it feels like a lot happened.”
“Stop questioning me, Axel! I already told you, nothing happened!” She yelled and Axel suddenly moved closer to her.
He made sure he had an intimidating look on, he was mad at her because he knew she was lying to him. It was making him so mad.
“If I ever find out that you are lying to me, you won’t like what I will do.” He warned and Lily blinked rapidly.
She gulped as her hands trembled, she pulled away from him and rushed out of the room as she felt her heart race. She got into her room and shut the door.
She leaned on it as she slowly sank to the floor, she was breathing heavily as memories of months ago came flooding in.
MONTHS AGO
RUSSIA
“I gave you one job! One fucking job, Nadia!” The middle-aged woman, (Anastasia) yelled at her and threw a glass at the wall next to her.
Nadia remained on the spot with her head bowed.
“I’m sorry.” She apologised and the woman shot her a death stare.
“Don’t you dare.” She warned and Nadia kept quiet immediately.
“I didn’t send you to New York to play the dumb role of a mother. You had one fucking job! Kill Axel Blackwell and take over the bases he took from the Russians!”
“I did. I made him suffer. I took over the bases but I couldn’t kill the father of my kids.” Nadia replied without looking up at her.
Anastasia was so annoyed.
She suddenly picked up a gun on her table and shot Nadia’s arm. She groaned in pain and stood firmly as she held her arm.
Anastasia was careful to make the bullet brush her arm.
“Aren’t you suffering right now? Are you not still alive? Suffering and dying isn’t the same thing.” She yelled.
Nadia kept her head bowed as she ignored the pain she was feeling. She knew the last thing to do was to show weakness, it could really get bad for her. After all, this was what she signed up for.
~
PRESENT
MORNING
Kender and Kendra walked into the dining room with a smile on their faces. They were dressed in their uniforms and ready for school.
They met their parents there but something was wrong, they were seated opposite each other and not next to each other.
“Good morning.” They greeted them and they mumbled in response.
Kendra looked at Kender and he shrugged in response.
“Is something wrong?” Kendra asked as they took a seat and dished their meal.
“Ask your father.” Lily replied without looking up at Axel. He scoffed and made noises with his fork.
“Dad?” Kender called.
“Ask your lying mother.” Axel replied and Lily looked up at him.
“Really? You are going to do this in front of them?” Lily raised her voice.
“You fucking started it.” Axel replied. Lily stood up and was about to walk out of the dining room but Axel stood up and stood in her presence.
“You don’t walk away from me when I am talking to you.” He said and Lily took a few steps back seeing how mad he looked.
“Please, Axel. I don’t want to do this. Not in front of them.”
“I think they should know their mother is a liar.”
“Stop calling me that!” Lily snapped at him and the kids flinched. They just kept watching.
“Why won’t I? I keep asking you the same question. What happened? You can’t tell me nothing happened. Dexter was there for a few months and he came back with so much power and money. You can’t tell me nothing happened.”
“I had no business with Dexter. I don’t know what you are talking about. Don’t accuse me of dumb things.”
“Then fucking tell me what the fuck happened in Russia?!”