Nica wandered through the crowded streets, clutching a half-empty bottle of alcohol. She weaved unsteadily between passersby, oblivious to their stares.
She was pregnant, and she knew drinking wasn’t safe. But the pain was unbearable.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she staggered forward, nearly falling before catching herself against a streetlamp.
‘You’re more than just a woman throwing yourself at a man who clearly doesn’t want you.’
Vincent’s harsh words echoed in her mind, cutting deep. It was yesterday, yet those words still hunts her making her a mess. She let out a bitter laugh, sliding to the ground with a resigned sigh.
She made to drink but found the bottle empty.
“Huh?” she muttered, staring at the bottle as though it had betrayed her. “That was fast… Where am I gonna find more beer? I need beer…” Her head dropped, eyelids fluttering as exhaustion began to claim her.
“Excuse me?” a voice interrupted.
Nica looked up, her vision blurring slightly as she focused on a middle-aged woman with a worried expression.
“What?” Nica asked, raising a brow.
The woman exchanged a glance with the man beside her. They didn’t look like ordinary people-they were well-dressed, polished, and out of place among the grime of the street.
“Are you Nica Hanson?” the woman asked hesitantly.
Nica frowned, her alcohol-clouded mind struggling to process. The woman seemed to have a resemblance as her, though Nica chalked it up to the haze of intoxication.
“Yeah? Why?” Nica asked, suspicion tinged with irritation.
“Oh, God. We’ve finally found you!” the woman cried, her eyes brimming with tears. She knelt before Nica, reaching out to touch her face.
Nica flinched, pulling away. She glanced up at the man, whose expression mirrored the woman’s raw emotion. Both looked like they were on the verge of breaking down.
“I’m so sorry. Mother is so sorry,” the woman choked out, her voice cracking with emotion.
Nica’s eyes widened. Mother?
“What?” Nica asked, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips.
“We lost you when I gave birth to you,” the woman continued, her voice trembling. “The circumstances were… complicated. But we never stopped looking for you.”
Nica stared in disbelief, her head spinning-not just from the alcohol, but from the weight of the woman’s words.
“I’m your mother, Clara,” the woman sobbed, motioning to the man beside her. “And this is your father, Henry.”
Nica blinked, her mind struggling to make sense of the revelation. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”
The woman sniffled, her hand trembling as she reached for Nica again. “We’ll explain everything when you’re sober,” she promised. “But for now, let’s take you to a comfortable place…”
Clara pulled Nica for a hug. “Oh, my sweet daughter.”
_
“Kill who?” Ava asked again when they all remained silent, staring at her. She stepped further into the room.
“Are you just going to stand there and say nothing? I just asked you both a question!” she snapped.
Klaus made to speak, but Vincent stopped him and began explaining instead. Ava’s eyes widened with every word, and she instinctively stepped back in shock.
“After a year of working for him, he didn’t release us. He threatened to go after our family if we didn’t continue to work for him,” Klaus added.
Ava shook her head in disbelief. “Are you both serious right now? What in the hell did this so-called Simon do to drag you both into this? And why didn’t you tell me?! What could he have possibly used to threaten you?!”
“It was because of you!” Vincent snapped at her for the very first time.
Klaus gave him a look, silently urging him not to say it.
Ava’s mouth hung open. “Because of me?”
“August 19th, last year. What happened that night?” Vincent questioned, and the color drained from Ava’s face.
“He had the photos and showed them to me. Do you have any idea how crazy it was, seeing your indecent pictures with a man you met that night?”
“What?” Morticia mumbled to herself. Klaus glanced back at her, their eyes meeting for a moment before she averted her gaze.
“It was the day I found out about Josie’s sickness. I was drunk,” Ava whispered.
“Yeah. I wanted to protect this family. Your job meant a lot to you, and you were close to winning that award-the award that changed this family. Simon wanted to destroy your career. Not only that, he wanted to destroy my family. I had to do it… I had no choice.”
Tears slipped down Ava’s cheeks as Vincent’s words sank in.
“He added a condition that I must bring Klaus with me. We worked for him, and he promised to release us after a year. But he never kept his word and tried to kill Klaus last night.”
Ava looked up at Klaus, only then noticing the bruises on his face.
“But don’t worry. I’m not mad at you, Mom,” Vincent said with a sad smile. “I understand that night was a mistake. It was Simon’s trap. I’ll find a way to stop him.”
Vincent walked past her, heading to his room.
“I’ll be leaving too,” Klaus mumbled. He looked at Morticia, who had been quiet the whole time. “I’ll see you around, Bunnie.”
Morticia gave him a soft nod and watched him leave.
Ava burst into tears, covering her mouth as she broke down.
After a while, Morticia descended the stairs. Her eyes caught the broken figure of her mother sobbing on the couch, clinging to a pillow.
As she walked closer, she heard her mother’s sobs growing louder.
“Mom,” Morticia called softly, and Ava immediately stopped crying, wiping her tears and looking up at her.
“Hey,” Ava sniffled. “Sorry, too much is happening recently.”
Morticia stayed quiet, staring at her with a heavy heart. She handed her a glass of water.
“Thanks,” Ava murmured and drank from it. “You probably hate me now.”
“No,” Morticia whispered, and Ava looked up at her. “No, I don’t. I would never hate you.” She sat beside Ava and wrapped her arms around her.
“It’s not your fault,” Morticia whispered.
“I had no idea I was set up. I just wanted to escape the reality of my best friend dying. I got drunk and later found out I’d slept with a random man. When I woke up, he was nowhere to be found,” Ava shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Morty.”
Morticia held her closer, hugging her and patting her back gently. “It’s alright. It’s not your fault.”