Chapter 124: Leashed

I was shivering up a storm during my trek back to the August Mansion. My jacket was drenched, but at least it was still doing its job. My shoes, on the other hand, were just as soaked and made squishy sounds with my socks. The rain had picked up rapidly and my phone was down to 1% but thankfully I made it back to the mansion before I got caught up in the storm.

My teeth chattered as I continued to shiver even after I came back inside. Each step I took left a puddle on the spotless floor. Unfortunately, there was one person that I wish hadn’t witnessed it but did.

Grace was in the living room with a look of disgust on her face, sitting on the sofa with a cup of steaming tea in her hand. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Mind your own fucking business,” I grumbled, instead of stating the obvious. She had to have already known that I was going to my room to change my clothes. Why would she ask such a stupid question?

“You’re really going to just leave your messes behind? Seriously? You can’t do that here.”

“The fuck are you on about? It’s just water! Besides, can’t the maids just mob it up?”

“The maids are gone, Sis.” she looked at me like I was stupid. “Didn’t you notice?”

*Wait–what??* “What the fuck do you mean by they’re gone? Just gone home?”

“No.” Grace gives a tired sigh. “Gone as in they’re not coming back. Not with this weather. They won’t be able to leave. I told you, the road is flooded. But you already knew that, right?” She sipped her tea again as I glared daggers at her.

*Fuck, I wanna wring her neck.* To think I thought she wasn’t that bad when I went to that party with her!

“You know what that means for you, right?” Grace snapped me out of my thoughts. The smile on her face was one I hadn’t seen in a while. The viper was back.

“And what’s that?” I grumbled, already having a very bad feeling.

Her smile stretched wider. “Somebody has to clean the mansion, and it’s definitely not me or Julian. Besides, you know filth better than anybody else on this property, even when it did have many people on it.”

My jaw gaped, shocked by her audacity before I cackled at her sarcastically. “I didn’t know you were born with balls, princess. There’s not a damn thing in the world that you say that’ll make me clean up your shit.” My defiant, mean smirk dropped when I saw Grace lift something with her other hand. It was a knife and a big one too. Over twice the size of my pocketknife and the spotless silver reflected my face.

I may have been caught off guard, but it only lasted for a second before I growled. “You cooking in here, or is that a threat? Do you seriously think you can take me on? Oh, yeah! Don’t forget about Julian–he’d stop you in a heartbeat and we both know it.”

*Wherever the fuck he is…*

Grace’s smile turned into a grin. She had something up her sleeve, but I couldn’t tell what. After she finished drinking her tea, she set the decorated cup on the table. All of a sudden, she sliced open her free palm. My jaw dropped again. I couldn’t believe she just did that! But what was more alarming was the look on her face. She didn’t even flinch at the pain. No, this time her grin held something else. Finally, after all this time, the viper shows her fangs.

The female twin lifted her bleeding hand with a dramatic gasp. “Oh no! The ruffian queen got angry at me! I tried to be nice and did as she said, but it wasn’t enough!” Her awful acting ended with an amused chuckle. “Who’re they going to believe? The perfect daughter or a thief off of the streets?”

My hands balled up into tight fists as my teeth grind and my voice shook with rage. “You… motherfucking…!!!” Right as I took a threatening step toward her, she lifted her knife.

“And there’s more where that came from.” Her voice was as pretty as a singing bird. It made me want to puke. I couldn’t believe she was actually going to blackmail me by using my past against me!

*Mom wouldn’t believe her, right?? Right?! She knows I’m not that far gone, right?!?*

All of a sudden, my mind was filled with doubts. Has anybody ever really accepted me the way I am, with all of my flaws?

*Does Julian?*

Grace flicked her knife at me. “No, go grab a broom and clean up your mess.” my feet stayed defiantly rooted in place and she curled her lip impatiently. “Now! Or I’ll cut my arm next for the whole world to see!”

Motherfucker! I seethed in my thoughts before finally turning away and heading to the laundry room where the maids kept their cleaning supplies. Grace smiled with satisfaction. It looks like she finally got what she wanted–to put the mutt in her place, on a short leash. To sit, bark, shut up, fetch, and lay down when told. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening to me. ME! I was still uncomfortably soaked and took the chance to undress in the laundry room, leaving only my shirt and underwear on since they weren’t wet.

*My fucking hell. What am I supposed to do now?? The crazy hoe will chop herself up like ham if I don’t do as she says!* And I know she’ll do it too. The look in her eyes was too similar to Julian's when he was about to do something that would leave a mark on my memory. A bad mark.

I looked through the laundry for any pants or shorts to put on. *C’mon, man, there’s gotta–* “Ah!” I give a startled shout when arms wrap around me from behind. I knew it could only be the one person that I’d been dreading to see today.

“Sukia.” His voice sounded the same as it did in my nightmare.

I spun around and pushed him away from me. “What the fuck, Julian? You scared the shit outta me!”

“You’ve been rather jumpy as of late.” He looked me up and down curiously. “Is everything ok?”

“Is everything ok? Is everything ok?!” My voice gradually raised. “Julian, your fucking sister is BLACKMAILING ME! AGAIN!! Do something about it!” I hated relying on him. It’s become a habit. And I was still hesitant to approach him about the medication and his suffocating me last night. What if it was all in my head? Not to mention he’s the only other person here… Grace is one thing, but if I fuck up with Julian, then I’m fucked for real.

“She’s blackmailing you again?” He murmured with concern as he stepped closer and ran his fingers along my jawline, lifting my head so that he could get a better look at my face. “Don’t worry, Beautiful.” His voice grew quiet, full of love and affection that made me sick. “I’ll take care of it.” Julian leaned down forward and gave me a delicate kiss before brushing my damp bangs behind my ear. With one last smile, he left the laundry room and headed for the living room.

*Oh fuck. Oh fuck.*

Screw the mop. I needed to take this chance while I could. Julian will handle this, right? Like the time she recorded us fucking on the staircase? I had no choice but to pin my hopes on him as my older stepbrother.

I scurried to my room and locked the door swiftly. I dug through my drawers and slid on the first thing I found–some shorts. Before I could think of what to do next, I heard a knock at my door.

“Suki? Beautiful?”

*Fuck.*

Though reluctant, I still opened the door for him. “Well? What’s going on?”

The look on his face didn’t bring my hopes up. His brows were furrowed and his blue eyes looked troubled. “Why did you hurt my sister?”