CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

As soon as Lia heard those words come out of Leo's mouth, she ran to hug him and held him tight. It was as if she was compelled to do so.
Leo hugged her back and they both filled their hearts with each other's warmth.
Lia had been looking at things the wrong way and now she had just realized her fault. Instead of ignoring Leo, she should be fighting for her relationship with him.
She might not be able to stand on her two feet and fully claim that she loves him, but she knew that something was there between them.
Leo broke the hug and without wasting another second he claimed Lia's lips.
...
"Aren't you tired of staring. You have been looking at me for hours now". Mabel said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to sound rude. Who are you, again?" Mr. Black asked.
" Mabel, I'm Mabel"
Mr. Black was shocked.
" Oh, I'm sorry I haven't seen your face without any paint before and you... " Mr. Black eyed her up and down before proceeding to say,
" You look different"
" You dare mock me? " Mabel said.
" You look weak, but you still have the energy to retaliate" Mr. Black smiled.
Mabel just rolled her eyes and instantly regretted it because of the pain that came after.
" Was he the one that gave you that scar? " Mr. Black asked Mabel.
" Take a guess, you should probably give him what he wants, if you don't want to end up like me, he is the devil himself," Mabel said.
" And what about you? What does he want from you? "
" I don't know, I guess I will find out later," Mabel said.
" Where is this place? " Mr. Black asked.
" Who knows? But I believe we are in an abandoned zone. I haven't heard a sound since I have been here"
" How long have you been here? "
" Days, weeks. I don't know how much time has passed"
" How do we break out of this place? " Mr. Black asked while looking around the room.
" I have already tried, believe me. I can't even get passed that door. You better pray that you make it out of here alive" Mabel said.
" If my guess is correct ( of Liana being with Leo), then even if I make it out of here alive. My boss will end me"
Mabel suddenly began to shrink herself back into a corner as if she was trying to look small.
" What are you doing? "
" He is here," Mabel said.
Ben opened the door and came in.
" I guess, you guys are already keeping yourselves company, It looks like I won't have to worry about you being lonely anymore," Ben said to Mabel.
"..." Mabel said nothing.
"I brought you lunch," Ben said as he took out a covered plate from the bag in his hand.
With shaky legs, Mabel stood up to take the plate from his hand. She removed the lid expecting to see another bunch of leftover food. To her surprise it was a decent meal, this was the first time he had brought her what could be considered as food. Mabel felt kind of happy because she felt like Ben was finally taking it easy on her.
Ben wanted her to regain her energy just so that he can carry out his new plan to get rid of Liana.
As Mabel slowly ate her food. Ben circled Mr. Black and observed him carefully, just to make sure he hasn't already escaped from the chain and was just waiting for the right moment to attack.
"Are you ready to speak?" Ben asked.
"Maybe I need some more time," Mr. Black said.
" She went missing today" Mr. Black's face dropped.
" No one knows where the girl is right now"
" What did you do to her?" Mr. Black tried to attack but the chains held him back.
" Be calm. I haven't done anything to her, yet. I guess she was tired of staying with Leo and that boring old lady ( Cynthia). But my daughter told me that she keeps asking about her brother, Maybe she went searching for you"
" Release me, damnit" Mr. Black yelled, his veins popping out of his neck.
" All I have to do is find her and kill her and blame it on another person, what do you think? "
" Just like you did with Cynthia's husband"
" You are such a fanboy, keeping tabs on every action I make "
" You destroyed another person's life"
" Well someone had to take the blame for the death of Smith. All I had to do was plant the idea in his head and the man was so money hungry that he took the opportunity without a second thought. It's not my fault he was foolish" Ben said without a single ounce of guilt.
When Ben had succeeded in eliminating Mr. Smith, he had to find someone who could take the blame in his stead and Mr. Giovanni was the perfect scapegoat.
Ben manipulated Mr. Giovanni into taking over Mr. Smith's business not long after the accident. Ben managed to make it look as if Mr. Giovanni was just a greedy man who killed his friend just so he could take over his assets.
That was the part Leo got to find out. He made sure that Mr. Giovanni lost everything he had worked for which resulted in his suicide.
"That still doesn't justify your actions," Mr. Black said.
"I guess we all do the wrong things sometimes. Just like how you have been hiding Liana from Leo for all these years". Ben said.
At first Mr. Black only attached himself to Leo for the sole purpose of finding his parent's murderer, seeing as Leo had that kind of power. He never knew that Leo would be connected to Liana.
So when Leo would ask him to find Liana he would always get rid of any evidence that proved she was still alive. He believed it was the only way to protect her.
He always wondered why Leo never gave up on the search, after all, he always came back to Leo with the same news ' Ameliana Smith is dead '.
"I only hid her to protect her, from you"
"Oh please. Don't make me laugh, there is nothing to protect, she is as good as dead. You should have allowed me to end her misery a long time ago" Ben said.
With gritted teeth, Mr. Black said, " she is recovering"
" It's been twenty years and there is still no improvement, that doesn't sound like a recovery if you ask me"
" Fuck you" Mr. Black spat out.
" Now, if you don't want me to find your sister and kill her tell me where Diana is," Ben said seriously.
"..."