Warning: This chapter contains scenes that might be uncomfortable for some readers. Read at your own risk.
[ Bella's Point of View ]
"Hi, Bella," Niana muttered and smiled at me as soon as she shot a bullet directly on Copper's head.
Angel looked at her older brother, lying on the floor, dead while blood was continuously dripping from his skull. She cried out loud for her brother's name and looked at Niana with a deadly stare.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" She screamed while hugging the corpse of her brother.
"Well, I couldn't let the both of you kill Bella. You shouldn't be doing my job," Niana said in a very different tone from how she used to speak to me before.
I was startled by her sudden appearance. She looks very different from years ago.
She was wearing very thick eyeliner and mascara, covering her whole eyelids. Her eyebrow also has a slit, and she's wearing a red gown.
"You look horrible," I muttered as she walked towards me.
"Hi, Bella. I missed you," she said and planted a kiss on my forehead. She's a bit taller than me now because she's wearing heels.
"What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" I asked.
"I decided I want to be like you," she replied and pointed the gun she was holding at me.
I tightened my grip on the gun I stole from Angel.
"Have you seen the pictures framed? Those are the places where you murdered people, Bella. Didn't you feel any remorse?" she asked with a hint of mockery in her voice.
"Not a single pang of guilt, Niana. I'VE TOLD YOU MULTIPLE TIMES THAT I DID THOSE THINGS TO SURVIVE!" I screamed at her with rage.
I felt rage and betrayal towards her.
"Bella, if you were meant to die, you should've died." She pointed the gun at my head. As I look at her eyes, I know she is full of anger and envy.
"Do you want Jameson?" I asked.
In an instant, the look in her eyes changed. She blinked her eyes two times and lowered her grip on the gun.
"Yes. I love Jameson so much, but he doesn't... he doesn't like me back," she cried, shaking her head.
"And it's all because of you, Bella. Jameson loves you so much that he is willing to sacrifice everything for a psychopath like you!" She cried again, but now, it was louder.
Jameson, if only he tried to love Niana, this wouldn't happen.
But it's not his fault that he loves me.
Love.
Love.
Love.
Angel stood up from hugging her brother. Her clothes and hands are full of blood. She tried to attack Niana while tears were flowing from her eyes.
I pity her. She's going to die.
As soon as she screamed at Niana, Niana aimed fire directly at Angel's chest, making her fall.
I looked at Angel die from Niana's hands, as blood flows from her and her brother's dying body.
Angel cocked her head towards me. I saw the rage in her eyes for the last time. She pointed at me and said, "You better die with us."
I didn't feel anything other than pity. I looked at Niana, who was fidgeting her gun while looking at the two dead bodies on our feet.
"What do you think, Bella? Do you want to join them?" She asked.
"Ask that to yourself," I replied and pointed the gun at her and looked directly at her soul. Her nasty soul.
"Hahaha! So, you're going to kill me, Bella? After being a really good friend to you?"
"Don't you dare call yourself a friend? I can't believe I played along with your schemes, Niana."
That's when I realized, was she also the serial killer?
"Are you the serial killer who attempted to poison me? WAS THAT WHY YOU WERE FORCING ME TO EAT THE DELIVERIES?!" I screamed at her.
"Yes. I thought you already knew. By the way, I was also the one who told Ashton about you. I was the one thwarted Jameson to see you and the one who told the guy at the bar to r*pe you," she said without stammering.
"Since the day I saw you with Jameson, while he was all smiling and happy, I decided to ruin your life," she continued.
Is she- no, it can't be.
"Bella, I am also a Psychopath."
That's when I felt a sudden flinch like ice was poured all over me.
Niana started laughing so hard.
I can't believe I haven't noticed it firsthand. What happened to me?
"You didn't notice because you needed me. You disregarded all red flags about me and focused on the green ones because YOU NEEDED A FRIEND!" She shouted and laughed again.
My hands are shaking.
THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!
Niana aimed her gun at me and said, "Goodbye, Bella. I don't think a person like you should be given a chance to say her last words."
In an instant, I ran to the side, and her bullet slid to my right shoulder. I held onto my bleeding shoulder because it was excruciating.
"Damn," I whispered.
"STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM DEATH, BELLA!"
I tried to fire a bullet, but it missed her. It just made me more infuriated.
"Dumb gun," I mumbled.
As soon as she aimed for another bullet, Jameson stood in front of me.
"Niana," he said in a very soft and calming voice.
I looked at Niana. She dropped her gun and started walking towards Jameson.
This brat! How vulnerable when Jameson is around.
"Darling, what are you doing here?" She asked Jameson and cupped his face. I can see the disgust on Jameson's demeanor.
"Please, Niana, let's go back. You don't have to kill Bella," Jameson looked at me, signaling me to go away.
Ha, I won't.
I moved to a corner, and Niana didn't notice me. Jameson held her hand and kissed it.
Yuck.
I pointed the gun at Niana. But as soon as I was to pull the trigger, Ivan marched from behind Niana and hit her with a rock.
Niana fell on the floor unconscious.
I immediately stood up and strolled towards them. "How did you come back?" I asked Jameson and Ivan while looking at Niana on the floor.
She's not dead, just unconscious.
"The two men weren't hard to attack because I brought a pepper spray with me," said Ivan and showed us his pepper spray, which probably costs more than Niana's life.
"Let's get out of here, Bella. We fought with the two men, and there aren't guards around," Jameson said while agitatedly looking around the area.
"Wait, we need to call the police," I said.
"Mom." I looked at Niana, who suddenly said something.
"Was that her?" Ivan asked.
"Mom. I...I ha...hate y...you," she spoke again while lying on the floor.
Mom? She didn't tell me anything about her mom. I thought she was an orphan.
She started humming a lullaby very familiar to me. I remembered my mom singing that lullaby to me when I was a toddler.
It flashed back a lot of memories.
This lullaby was made by my mom. How does she know?
"Bella, my co...cousin," she mumbled and totally fell unconscious.
COUSIN?!
"Did you hear what she said, Bella?" Ivan asked and gasped.
"She's probably hallucinating," I replied.
Jameson called the police while I sat on the couch of this mansion. Niana's words lingered in my head.
I wonder what she was thinking.
After ten minutes, cops arrived and covered Angel and Cooper's bodies with a large cloth. They took Niana to the ambulance to treat her wounds.
For the first time, I didn't wish Niana to die.
As the cops asked us why are we here, we told them I was kidnapped, and Jameson and Ivan came to rescue me.
I fell into a deep sleep because of exhaustion.
Cousin.
...
I woke up in a room very familiar to me. This room is where I grew up to.
My room.
I wonder why it's so clean. Did Niana stay with her for a year?
I sighed and looked outside the window. It's still a beautiful garden of flowers and trees.
It's already morning.
"Do you remember when we first met at that garden?" Jameson asked and stood beside me while looking outside the window.
"Yeah. A lemon fell on my head," I said, and Jameson chuckled.
"I'm so proud of you, Bella," he said and looked at me with his blue eyes, being struck by the morning sunray.
I looked at him and remembered Niana's words.
"Jameson loves you so much that he is willing to sacrifice everything for a psychopath like you!"
Maybe. Maybe it's true.
"Jameson, do you -"
"Do you mind?" He asked as he moved closer to me. Instead of my eyes, he's looking at my lips.
Huh?
I just looked at him perplexed. He looked back at me and smirked.
"I said, do you mind if I kiss you this time?" He asked.
I didn't know what to feel, but for sure, I felt like my heart was going to burst.
"Go on," I said.
As soon as he closed his eyes, I closed my eyes too and waited for his lips to touch mine.
"HEY, YOU TWO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
We both jolted and looked at the door.
"What were you two doing, huh? Were you about to kiss? That's not very nice," Ivan spoke like a child and crossed his arms.
"Why did you have to disturb?" Jameson said and pouted.
"The two of you shouldn't be alone. We can now go back. The cops are finished cleaning everything."
Ivan left the room, and Jameson and I looked at each other awkwardly.
"The kiss can wait."