Chapter hundred and twenty five

Dallas

There was only roaring in my head as I punched Sylvie in the face. Nothing else. I wanted blood. I wanted to mar her skin with bruises and watch as blood seeped through them. I wanted to kill her.

Sylvie's cry pierced through my rage and the fog cleared, just a bit. I saw the blood trickling down her nose as she fell back into her sister's awaiting arms. She placed a hand on her nose as if she could stop the bleeding.

It wasn't enough. A simple broken nose wasn't enough punishment for what she said. After everything my mother did for this horrible family, after all the sacrifices she made for them, after literally dying at their father's hands, they were still ingrates.

She dared spit on her reputation like it meant nothing. She talked down on her like she was some loose woman who chased after married men.

The roaring in my head intensified and I stalked towards her, intent on beating her to a pulp. I wanted her to feel even a fraction of what my mother went through, slowly bleeding to death after her crash. The crash her stupid father arranged. I wanted her to know how she suffered before her death because of them.

She chose them. She chose to raise the kids of her murderer over her own biological child. And she dared to insult her like she meant nothing.

Stephanie stepped between her sister and me. She wisely kept some distance between us.

“Let her go! Please!” She cried, stretching an arm forward.

“We've suffered enough ever since our father died. We've got no money, no food, and no hope of getting some. We didn't even get the chance to give our father a funeral.” Her voice cracked and a tear escaped her eyes.

She quickly wiped it away and waved her arms around.

“Look at the state of this house. We're now cohabitating with rats and spiders, because we don't have money to take care of the house. We can't afford anything.”

They could afford pizza and takeouts but not a single detergent to clean up. The retort hung at the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it back.

I debated telling her that all their problems would be solved if one of them just got a job, but I decided against it. Taunting them wasn't important now. I needed her to keep talking.

Stephanie didn't say anything for a while. She just continued sobbing. I was growing impatient and tired of her crying.

I didn't feel a shred of pity for them. I simply stared blankly, the rage still burning inside me.

Maybe that made me a monster like them too. But I didn't care. They didn't deserve my sympathy. Not after everything they've done.

Their current situation was as a result of their laziness and complete dependence on other people to do things for them. Neither of them had done hard labor for a single day in their life.

“That envelope,” she pointed to the white envelope now lying on the couch, Xavier stone faced beside it.

Sylvie groaned loudly on the floor as if telling her sister to stop talking. But either Stephanie didn't understand what her sister was trying to say or she simply didn't care.

I was willing to bet on the former, judging by how she was shaking. She wasn't in control of her emotions.

“It arrived this morning. It had no address attached or any information about the sender. Just some cash and a letter ordering us to get somewhere safe. The words were woven with such urgency that Sylvie and I started packing immediately. I don't know why you're asking so many questions about it, but I assure you we don't know anything. I've told you all we know. So please leave us alone.” she clasped her hands together and held it in front of me.

Silence fell after Stephanie's confession, only interrupted by Sylvie's constant groaning.

I ignored her and faced Stephanie.
“So you received a strange message and you were prepared to take off just like that because of some cash in it?” I arched an eyebrow.

Stephanie gritted her teeth together, clearly not missing the jab in my tone.
“I told you, it was written with urgency–”

I held up a hand cutting her off before she finished.
“I don't blame you for taking such a stupid decision, after all, the both of you share a brain cell.” I chuckled.

She took a step towards me, probably to try hit me, but one look at her groaning sister had her considering. She curled her fingers at her sides and sneered at me.

I grinned widely, flashing my teeth. I let her see my unhinged side. The Dallas Valencia that she shouldn't dare mess with. I could have put them in their places all the time they bullied me. I only let them because of their father.

But now, I didn't have to worry about that again. The house belonged to me. I could easily throw them out if I wanted.

Stephanie drew back and crouched beside her sister on the floor.

“Where's the letter you received?” I asked.

“We burned it.” She waved her hand.

“Why?” They weren't smart enough to try hide their tracks like that.

“Because it said so.” She half yelled at me, clearly irritated.

“Oh!” I nodded. I threw a glance at Xavier and he nodded slightly.

“Well, enjoy.” I was about to walk away when a thought suddenly hit me.

“The letter said you should “get somewhere safe”, where exactly is that?”

“I already told you, it didn't specify where!” Stephanie snapped at me. She glared at me, her eyes glistening with rage.

I returned her glare with a smirk, causing her to snarl at me. Good. Get her more angry so she will unconsciously spill the remaining truth.

“Where were you going then?” I made sure to keep my face curious but not overly.

I doubt she would suspect I was onto them, not when she was this high on emotions. But her sister was watching.

Whatever the answer was got Stephanie to hesitate a bit, but she said,

“We were gonna crash at Tony's.”

“Tony? Seriously?” I couldn't hide my disbelief.

Tony was Sylvie's boyfriend and one of the worst person on the planet. He was a local gang leader and deals with so much illegal shit. How he and Sylvie met was still a mystery to me.

“Your idea of safety is taking over at the place of a gang leader?”

Neither of them replied me. I hadn't expected them to.

I shook my head and sigh.

“I'm just gonna go. Carry on with whatever you were doing.”

I spun on my heels and trudged towards the door. Xavier walked behind me closely. I was almost out the door when I stopped abruptly and threw a glance at them over my shoulder.

I don't know why but I just couldn't leave without doing it. Call it pettiness but I don't care.

“Just so you know, your precious daddy is alive. He's been alive all this time. He's so focused on killing me. I don't think you're that special to him if he was content to let you suffer for so long without him."

I smirked, satisfied as the colors drained from their faces. I didn't wait for them to reply before stepping out of the house.