Vincent ran his fingers through his hair, his gaze on the ceiling as he struggled to sleep.
All he wanted was to see his family again. He missed them so much, but he never expected to meet everything so screwed up.
His phone buzzed, and he picked it up to check.
His eyes widened at the message, and he sprang up from his bed.
“What?” Vincent mumbled.
Klaus, who had also received the same message, sat on his couch with a stunned expression.
~Simon, Dimitri and their other accomplice eliminated for breaking the rules~
The message was from a strange, untraceable number, accompanied by a picture of Simon, Dimitri, and others lying dead.
The rules.
Was it because they tried to kill Klaus?
“Void,” Klaus and Vincent muttered simultaneously in their respective rooms.
–
Old Evan tapped on his counter machine, trying to make it work.
“What bad timing, you little punk,” he mumbled and hit it again. The customer before him let out an awkward smile; the old man looked scary when frustrated.
Nica rushed through the door, breathing fast.
“Nica,” Old Evan mumbled. He had been worried about why his little lady hadn’t come to work.
“Sorry I’m late,” Nica sighed, stepping in.
“You don’t need to be here. I’ll be closing the store soon. It’s almost 10:00 PM,” Old Evan grumbled.
Nica chuckled awkwardly, her eyes settling on the machine. “Here, let me help.” She stepped closer and grabbed her screwdriver.
She bowed apologetically to the customer before fixing the machine in a minute. She then attended to the customer, who left afterward.
“Where have you been all day? You didn’t even pick up your calls,” Old Evan asked.
“Sorry, sir. I lost my phone last night while wandering around,” Nica said, scratching her head, hesitant to continue. “Actually, something happened yesterday.”
“Your biological parents?” Old Evan’s eyes widened after Nica’s explanation. She nodded, and he muttered, “Wow.”
They were now in Old Evan’s home, with a delicious meal served before them-bought by Nica.
“They own the Oxford Corporation in England… sigh… It’s so unbelievable they’re my parents,” Nica mumbled, taking a bite.
Old Evan nodded. “How did they lose you?”
“When I was born, there was a fire at the hospital,” Nica explained. “The nursery wing caught fire, and in the chaos, I was taken by someone. They thought I had died… until now.”
Old Evan’s face was calm. “And how did they find you after all this time?”
Nica hesitated, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Apparently, they’ve been searching for years. They hired investigators, but it wasn’t until someone leaked my DNA from a school medical record that they made the connection. They showed up at my apartment last night.”
Old Evan nodded lightly. “What did you say to them?”
“I didn’t know what to say,” Nica admitted, her hands fidgeting with the spoon. “They seemed so… desperate. They wanted me to come home with them immediately, but I-” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I told them I needed time to think.”
“Good,” Old Evan said firmly. “They need to earn your trust first.”
Nica gave him a faint smile. “That’s exactly what I thought. But they’re flying back soon and asked me to go with them.”
The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of the overhead lights.
“And what do you want, little lady?” Old Evan finally asked, his voice softer now.
“I don’t know,” Nica whispered. “I’ve lived my whole life not knowing who I really am. Now that I have the chance, I’m scared. What if I don’t fit into their world? What if they’re disappointed in me?”
Old Evan’s expression hardened. “You listen here, Nica. You’re smart, you’re capable, and you’ve got a good heart. If they can’t see that, it’s their loss-not yours. But whatever you decide, know that this old man’s proud of you.”
Nica’s eyes welled up with tears. “Thanks, Uncle. That means a lot… I’ll take my leave now.”
“No, you can stay here. It’s late out there, and you shouldn’t wander around, especially in your condition. Get some rest,” Old Evan said firmly and headed to his room before Nica could retort.
_
Morticia stared at herself in the mirror, sighing at her reflection. It felt as though everything was falling apart. It had been four days-four days since she had heard from Klaus.
No text. No call. No physical appearance.
As for Vincent, he was back in his apartment and called sometimes.
Heading downstairs, she greeted her mother, who was doing the dishes in the kitchen.
“Let me help,” Morticia gestured.
“No. You’ve got an exam in an hour. You need to get prepared,” Ava retorted.
“I still have time…”
“Morty…”
Morticia began to help before she could respond, and together they finished the work.
“Bye,” she kissed Ava’s cheek and left home.
Morticia cleared her throat at the familiar sight of the campus; she was a little nervous about crossing paths with Klaus. She had no idea what to say to him.
“Morty!!!”
Morticia’s head snapped in the direction of the loud scream, and her eyes met Rhea, who was running toward her.
Rhea’s body collided with hers in a tight hug.
“Oh God… I missed you! I missed you! I missed you so much!!” Rhea chimed, pouring kisses onto Morticia’s face.
“Eww… gross. Stop!” Morticia pushed her away gently.
“Oh my God, you look even prettier!” Rhea squealed.
“What a mood you’ve got there, Rhea,” Morticia shook her head in disbelief and began to walk. Rhea wrapped her arm around hers and walked by her side.
“So how was New York? What happened there?” Rhea asked.
Morticia sighed. “A lot happened.”
Rhea noticed the sad look on her face and blinked. “Was it Klaus?”
“Not really,” Morticia said. Most of it, though. She just didn’t know what to think.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Maybe after the exam,” Morticia replied.
“Hey, guys!” Valerie appeared before them. Her eyes met Rhea’s, and they smiled at each other.
“I better get going. Good luck on your exams,” Rhea said and left. Morticia and Valerie did the same, heading to their respective venues.
After the exams, Morticia caught sight of Klaus making calls around the corner. His eyes met hers, but Morticia was quick to avert her gaze and left the area.
Rhea saw this and followed her. “You both had a fight.”
“I just need some time alone,” Morticia sighed. She tried to walk away, but Rhea stood in her way.
“Talk to me,” Rhea urged, and Morticia finally gave in.
–
Klaus stepped into Josephine’s ward with some packages. He smiled as their gazes met.
“I’ve got all that you asked for,” Klaus said, drawing out the box of his mother’s favorite pizza.
“Aww, I’ve been craving this forever!” Josephine took the first bite. “Hmm… this is heaven.”
“Easy with the bites, though,” Klaus chuckled.
Josephine had the brightest smile on her face. “How were your exams?”
“Nice… it wasn’t bad at all,” Klaus responded.
“Nice… it wasn’t bad at all,” Josephine repeated his words, trying to mimic his voice, which made Klaus chuckle. “Your smile is everything, Klaus.”
“Don’t make me blush, Mom,” Klaus teased.
Josephine burst into laughter. It was a beautiful sight.
“Now I see the reason why Morticia fell for your charm,” she said, and Klaus’s smile slowly faded, but not completely. “I knew you two were together when you danced with her.”
Klaus nodded. “Yeah.”
“You fought with her?”
Klaus couldn’t possibly tell her about Simon and the part he had played before. Though those he killed were hard-term criminals in the underworld.
“Vincent caught us in an inappropriate way. He got mad, and I think Morticia needs time,” he explained, hoping his mother wouldn’t ask any further.
Josephine nodded. “You miss her, don’t you?”
“A lot,” Klaus mumbled truthfully. Seeing Morticia ignore him stung his heart, but he couldn’t blame her for it. He just couldn’t wait to have her back; even Vincent had never spoken to him after that day.
As for Void, he was seriously searching for that bastard’s identity.
It wasn’t over yet.
“She’ll come around,” Josephine assured, and Klaus nodded.