CHAPTER SIXTY THREE

"Hello, Lia," Ben said behind Lia.
"Father"
"You should have stayed at home Lia," Ben said as he stalked towards her and she moved back.
"W...where is a...aunt Diana?" Lia shakingly asked.
"Why so scared, all of a sudden. Did you perhaps hear something?" Ben said and laughed.
"Th...those things you said, are they true?" Lia asked.
" It looks like I failed to teach you not to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. If it were Mabel, she wouldn't dare"
" Is it true?"
"It depends, what did you hear?"
" That you k...killed someone"
" No," Ben said and Lia let out a breath of relief.
" I killed people," Ben said again and Lia was shocked.
" No, you are Lying. Tell me that you are lying" Lia pleaded.
" Why would I lie?"
The person standing in front of Lia wasn't her father, it was a completely different person entirely.
" You..."
" What? I can't be a murderer because I am your father?. Lia, I don't need you anymore, especially now that you know things, you need to go" Ben said.
" Yes, I will leave immediately," Lia said and began to walk towards the door. Ben came after her and harshly grabbed her wrist.
" That's not what I meant," Ben said with a murderous glint in his eyes.
" Let go of me" Lia yelled as she tried to get loose from Ben.
Ben increased the tightness of his grip on her arm, there was no way It won't leave a bruise on her skin. He began to drag her while she scratched and hit him, but he wouldn't budge.
Ben opened the door to a room and threw her roughly against the hard concrete floor. Lia's shoulder was the first to come in contact with the ground and it made a crack sound.
Lia groaned in pain as she tried to get up, but she couldn't do it alone. Diana who was already inside the room came to her side and helped her stand up.
" What is all of this Ben?" Diana asked him, wondering why he had brought Lia.
"What do you mean?"
"Why did you drag her into this?"
"I did nothing, she was the one who snooped around"
" She is your daughter Ben, you can't be so heartless as to treat her this way"
" She should be happy I haven't killed her yet" Ben harshly said.
" How can you do this father?" Lia cried out.
" Shut your mouth" Ben snapped at her.
" Leo will find me" Lia stated.
" You are right, I should probably kill you before that happens, don't you think?"
"Let the girl go, you have me. You can spare her and then we can run away together" Diana said.
" Always trying to protect the others from me, it makes me sick. You should be by my side, Diana." Ben said the last part almost yelling.
" Please Ben, release her"
"That's not going to happen," Ben said as he walked away and slammed the door.
Lia ran to the door after and tried to open the door but it was locked.
" How is your shoulder?" Diana asked Lia.
" It's getting better, but it still hurts" Lia stated.
" Why did you come here?" Diana asked.
" I wanted to..."
" You put yourself in a lot of danger, you shouldn't have come alone"
"And what about you? Why didn't you want anyone to know?"
"This is my fight," Diana said.
"Why is he doing all of this?" Lia asked.
"He wants something"
"What?"
"Me"
"Why?"
"I don't know"
"He killed your husband, you must hate him," Lia said.
"I did, but not anymore"
...
"Lia" Leo called out.
He had woken up without his wife by his side and he hasn't seen her all morning. Where could she be? he thought.
He had called her, but her phone was in the house. Leo also got to find out that Diana was also missing. He had a feeling that Diana had something to do with Lia's disappearance.
"Leo" Cynthia called.
"What?" Leo snapped at her.
"One of the night guards said that they had left early this morning" Cynthia spoke.
" Are you sure he is telling the truth?"
Cynthia nodded.
Leo motioned for a bodyguard who was standing by the door to come forward.
" Gather all my men, I want them on the road. No one comes back until my wife has been found" Leo said to the guard and he immediately left to pass the message to the others.
Leo had joined them in the search and after a while, they had finally gotten a lead.
The car Diana drove had been found. It was in the middle of nowhere. This made Leo more anxious than he already was.
He decided to check on Ben.
Leo soon got to Ben's home and banged on the door.
"Are you trying to break my door" Ben yelled at Leo.
Leo said nothing and walked into the house.
"I didn't give you permission to enter," Ben said and again Leo said nothing.
He checked everywhere in Ben's house but there wasn't a trace of Lia.
"Are you done searching for whatever you are looking for?" Ben asked.
"Have you seen Lia?"
Ben's face fell into a frown.
"What do you mean? Is my daughter missing?" Ben asked.
"..."
"What kind of husband do you call yourself? You can't even take care of her properly" Ben spoke.
"Are you sure you haven't seen her?"
"I am"
"The food you prepared, it's too much for only you" Leo stated.
"I cook in bulk, so I always have something to eat" Ben lied.
"Very well then"
Leo said and left.
He was still suspicious of Ben so he went back to his car and away from Ben's sight. After a while, Ben drove out of his compound and Leo said to his driver,
"Follow him"
The ride went on for hours. And then Leo's driver suddenly stopped, along with the backup that was coming from behind them.
"What is it?" Leo asked.
"Sir, I...Lo...lost him" The driver stuttered.
"You what?" Leo yelled.
"I am so...sorry..." Before the driver could continue Leo got down from the car and slammed it hard.
The other men had already gotten out of their cars, waiting for the next instruction from their boss.
"Everyone spread out, I want three cars with me, do not stop until you find something"
Leo then turned to the car he had just come out from.
"Kill him," He said, and then got into another car.
...
Diana had told Lia everything that had happened between her and her brother.
It was all hard for Lia to take in. After all, Ben was the one who raised her and made her into the person she was today.
"I think I hear footsteps," Lia said and indeed she was correct. Ben was fast approaching.
They both waited and then the door was unlocked.
Ben walked in with the food he had prepared specially for Diana.
"Take this and eat," Ben said.
Diana hesitated at first but she eventually took the plate from Ben and began to eat.
"Do you like it?" Ben asked eagerly.
Diana only nodded.
"You are lying aren't you," Ben said suddenly getting angry.
"No, I me..." Ben cut her off.
"Stop lying to me and tell me the truth," Ben said, now holding her face in his hand. He was pressing the side of her face with one hand.
Cynthia cried out in pain.
"I really do like it, let go," Diana said but Ben refused.
"Let her go," Lia said and jumped on Ben. Ben pushed her off his body and gave her a hard slap on her face.
Lia's face turned to the side with great force as she broke down in tears. Ben had just hit her for the very first time in her life.
Lia's lower lip was busted and blood oozed out. Lia touched her lip with a finger and looked at her blood, before turning to look at Ben.
"Don't you ever interrupt me from talking to her, understood?"
Lia nodded.
Ben glared at Diana one last time before leaving the room.
"Dear, are you alright?" Diana asked with concern.
"I am" Lia answered her question.
Lia raised a flashy object and Diana saw that it was two keys.
"You took his keys?" Diana asked amused.
"I did"
"You are really smart, Lia"
"Let's get out of here," Lia said.
Lia slowly turned the doorknob, and thankfully it wasn't locked, what a relief, picking the lock with her hairpin would have taken too much time, if it would even work.
Lia wondered what the key was meant for as she and Diana walked passed so many rooms. They were all either empty or destroyed.
They came across another room and it was locked. It was the only room that was locked so far. Lia brought out the first key, but it didn't fit in the keyhole.
She tried the second key, and it opened. She was happy but it ended when the room showed no sign of having an exit.
The only thing there was a man sitting on a chair. It looked like he was asleep. But Lia Knew that man, she knew him too well.
"Mr. Black?"