SEVERAL MONTHS LATER,
"Lizzy! I missed you!" Lilly piped as she ran into Ellise's embrace. She'd travelled to Canada several months ago to complete her treatments. With how strong and gorgeous she was looking at the moment, it was evident that she was feeling very much better.
"How are you?" Ellise asked.
She grinned.
"I'm okay. Where are the others? Why isn't Lexa here to welcome me home?" She pouted. "Oh, actually there are a lot of surprises waiting for you"
Her adorable blue eyes shone with excitement.
"Really?! I can't wait"
Ellise chuckled and took her hand, leading her to the sitting room. The lights went on and everyone yelled 'Welcome home, princess Lilliana!"
She squealed in delight and embraced her mother. Alicia kissed her forehead, a giant smile on her face.
"Thanks, mum" she said, before embracing her father.
"Mummy didn't tell me about you, but I guess you're my real father. Let me say I've known for quite a while" Lilliana said and everyone smiled.
"Brother Lexa!" She squealed, embracing him.
She whispered to Dre, something Ellise couldn't hear. Whatever she'd said to him made his green eyes light up like a million stars.
She pecked his cheek and embraced the others.
By the time she got to Xanthis and Valentino, she had a confused expression on her face as her gaze flickered from Xander to Valentino. Ellise couldn't blame her, they looked so alike it was a bit weird. "Um... can someone please explain? I'm a little lost here" Lilliana muttered and everyone laughed.
"Damn, she's still as feisty as I can remember" Xanthis said, whistling under his breath.
"Actually, Lilly.... You have another brother apart from Xanthis and I. His name is Valentino" Xandre said.
Lilly blinked.
"Is he like older than all of us?" She asked.
"No, we're triplets" Xanthis said and Lilly's jaw dropped, her eyes widening. Suddenly, she grinned and hugged Valentino who stiffened for a minute before relaxing. "Wow. My name is princess Lilliana Odette Montero and I'm your newest sibling. It's nice to meet you, big brother. We love you" She said. Ellise was awed by the way she handled it. She wasn't too surprised because, after all, she was a Montero by blood even though her father was Jacobi.
Valentino's eyes turned glossy and he had a dazed look in his eyes. Obviously, he hadn't expected it. "It's nice to meet you too, Lilly" he said.
"Now, I have two elder brothers and a big sister. Isn't it great, Lizzy?" She asked Ellise.
Everyone laughed.
It seemed like Xandre would always be her big sister after all.
....
"They escaped, sir. We couldn't follow them because they were headed to the Montero mansion"
Baron paced back and forth, jaw clenched.
"I don't want to hear your excuses! You're all incompetent! You let this happen! They shouldn't have escaped! You were sent to kill not injure! I wanted them destroyed, you rats!" He growled, glaring at the four men tied up right in front of him. "We're sorry"
"Sorry isn't going to help anyone. I'll kill you. I'll kill you for being so lousy! For failing me!" He growled, grabbing a knife. The men began to struggle against their restraints, fear haunting their minds as he came closer. Anne squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch the men being killed.
"Anne, watch them being killed. Watch me kill them. This may become your fate if you decide to fail me" Baron said, a devilishly smirk on his face.
Anne whimpered, her stomach churning uncomfortably. She felt horrible. She wouldve preferred to rot in jail than to get killed by a monster like him. Unfortunately for her, he'd found a way to sneak her out of police custody. She couldn't bear it any more. She didn't want anything to do with him anymore. She would rather die than do what he wanted. Baron smirked and stabbed the first man directly
on his chest. He died instantly.
Anne squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the urge to throw up.
"Watch me. Open your eyes and watch"
Sobbing almost quietly, she refused to open her eyes. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked it backwards painfully. Baron stabbed the next man right in the eyes before stabbing him all over his midsection. It was a gory sight.
She couldn't bear it any longer, she threw up.
Baron killed the four men right in front of her and she felt horrible. She was desperate to die.
"I don't care if you'll kill me. I don't care about your stupid plans! I don't care! Kill me if you want to, but I'm not doing this any longer. I can't keep doing this!" She cried.
Baron laughed.
"Sorry, pumpkin. But, you don't control me. I control you. You'll do everything I ask you to do"
"No! Never again! You don't own me!" Anne barked.
Baron's eyes went cold, his smirk was gone, replaced by a more lethal look.
Anne knew she was in trouble and she braced herself for it.
He grabbed a whip, ripping off her shirt from her body and began to whip her. Anne screamed and cried as she was whipped until she passed out.
Just before she sank into Oblivion, he whispered in her ear. "Just so you know that I don't take orders from anybody. I'm not done with you yet. When I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to kill you"
...
Anne gained consciousness slowly, she was hurting everywhere. Her ribs were aching and she couldn't breathe without wheezing.
"Sleeping beauty is finally awake" he grinned maniacally.
She flinched, tears pooling in her eyes when he stroked her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut as he brought a pair of scissors to her hair and began to cut haphazardly. She screamed, tears making their way down her cheeks.
When she opened her eyes, Baron was laughing.
"Tonight, we execute the final plan. Tonight, the Monteros are going down. Tonight, I'll get everything I want and you're coming with me" he said, an evil glint in his eyes.
....
"Dre, what's wrong?Are you okay?" Ellise said as her fingers gently combed through her lover's hair.
He closed his eyes, the pounding in his head worsening. His shoulders felt stiff and he felt like something was going to happen soon. He could feel it. The feeling of foreboding resting on him, stole his appetite for the food in front of him.
"Andre, you're not eating your food. What's the matter?" His mother said. He sighed and picked up his cutleries, but the mere thought of eating had him sick to the stomach.
"Xanthis, you aren't eating either" Dmitri pointed out. Dre's worried gaze found Xanthis' and at once, he knew that he wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.
"What's wrong with the three of you? Care to tell us what's bothering you guys?" Alessio said and Dre put down his cutleries.
Dre didn't know what to say. There was no evidence that something was going to happen tonight, but the feeling of foreboding was so strong, it was almost sickening.
"Dad, you wouldn't mind Lilly going over to stay with Ellie's parents for the night, do you?" Xanthis asked.
Alessio grunted.
"I don't mind, but why are you saying so?"
Xanthis sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I want to go there today. Lizzy's parents are nice" Lilly put in even though she wasn't aware of what was going on.
"Okay, honey. After dinner, Dmitri will take you there" Alicia said and her little girl nodded.
Ellise and Noelle had worried looks on their faces.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Valentino whispered from beside Dre.
"I do. It's really strange isn't it?" Dre said. He nodded, fiddling with his food.
"I think Baron is going to attack Tonight" he whispered after a huge silence.
"You're right. It makes sense. That's what Xanthis thinks too. That's why he wants Lilly out of the house before nightfall"
"Knowing Baron as much as I do, he's going to show up somewhere around midnight. He loves carrying out huge missions by midnight" He said.
"We have to stick together, got it?" Xanthis said. He nodded.
"We have to bring that bastard down"