Leo

I sat tied to the wall back to back with Dane and Paulina. Why do people like tying me up so much, first my father, now Mia?

I don't remember much before she landed that solid thing over my head knocking me out. All I know is that she called us telling us that she "found something" in Xander's basement. I think I should've known she wasn't sarcastic when she said "Baby" Xander.

Well, here we are, all tied up together hoping this hell will end soon. This obsessive son of a bitch went too far with this shit. Why can't he just let it go? Accept the fact that she's not in love with him, she's not his; that she's mine.

I heard Paulina groan in pain as she started pulling on the ropes trying to free her bound hands in panic.

"Let me out of here" she screamed "Let my daughter be. I trusted you, Xander"

"Calm down, Mrs Pauline" Dane told her quietly "Xander isn't here"

"It's just Mia, Paulina" I stated "Thank god they don't have, Chanel. Let's hope she's safe"

The door opened revealing Mia with a smirk on her face "Hey fam" she greeted brightly skipping around the clapped loudly in front of Paulina "Guess what mama?"

Mia stayed silent for a moment the dramatically sighed "Your dumb daughter, survived another goddamn car accident. What did you feed her?"

"Accident? What accident?" Paulina asked

"You see, poor thing decided to get Xander out of the hospital after the fake shooting in front of your porch. Poor girl also accepted that he drives, I mean, who's that stupid? Anyways, Xander the simply drove the car off balance making it boom boom baaa" then clapped loudly again "but don't worry she got out, then ran away, then went to a girl named Dawn's house, where she called Leo's phone telling me that she's there and giving me the address" she explained sarcastically stressing on the 'me'

"Me being nice and sweet me, I called our driver survivor, Xan. Told him where she is and he's probably on his way there to bring her here and make a huge family reunion. Don't we all love these?" Mia said laughing loudly

Paulina went quite and I understand, I mean nobody can hear that much shit happening to their daughter and have the strength to say anything.

I know Chanel isn't stupid.. She will figure something out.

Mia got to her knees to my level and smiled sweetly "Aww Lee, you look sad. Are you worried about her?"

"Actually, Mia; I'm worried about you" I stated smiling back

Her face slightly changed to a hurt expression, more humanly than the act she had on. That's more like it

She stood up straight and looked down at me in anger, I felt like she was about to do something she will regret; but then she flipped her hair back and smiled widely "Don't ever forget, that you're the one who's tied" she said with confidence then left.

I rested my head back as silence spread the room. Paulina's pain was the only thing that filled the air, that Dane felt as well as me.

"She's going to be fine, Paulina" He said in a soothing manner

"She's smart, she will figure it out"

She stayed silent through our comforting then i caught a glimpse of her moving her head down as tears fell on her lap
_______________________________

Chanel

I rode in the car beside him, my legs shaking and my heart racing. I forced me into the car after I refused to not ride with him, but of course, he doesn't care.

I felt terrified, but something inside me told me that he won't do it to me again, not like that. There are a lot of things that I don't understand. A lot of questions in my brain to the extent that I can't grasp onto one.

"Why?" I asked, this is the only question that sums it up.

"Because" was his answer, very bleak and emotionless

"How could someone transform from such a sweet person to this?" I asked looking at him

"He falls in love." He glanced at me for a second then back at the road

"But I did nothing, Xander" I started "I didn't cheat on you with Dane, I tried talking to him at this party and he treated me badly, then I saw you and I was mad so I left. I didn't want you to see me cause we would've fought"

He looked at me weird for a second then back at the road "Sounds like your memory is back."

"Thanks to your attempt at murder"

"Well well well, don't I just always do great things for you," he said sarcastically

I couldn't reply, how can I? Although it was in every wrong way, I can't say he didn't do good things for me. -What am I thinking? He tried to kill me.-

"What happened to Irene?" I swallowed the lump in my throat preparing myself for what I knew was something I didn't want to hear.

"She was murdered" He answered coldly

"How did you kill her Xander?" I felt my heart punch repeatedly against my chest

"How did I kill her.." He said it as if he was practising how to say it, then slowly sighed and started "When I visited and found her in your room, I knew she was going to say something. Of course, she always loved stepping into things. She paid me a visit, telling me that she knows I'm lying to you and threatened me that she would tell you if I didn't do it first. I couldn't afford to lose you, not like that, not that fast." He stopped the car into a fast motion and looked at me with slightly watery eyes "I would love to spare you all the gory details, but I know you wouldn't want that, and I know that you will really hate me after this, more than you already do.. But here we go, so I lied her up in the basement of my house, clipped some of her nails off thinking she would just give up and forget telling you but of course she didn't, I slit her throat then the last step was cutting her tongue, the same one she threatened me with. That's all after she got some knife cuts over her body. Do you feel any better after knowing?"

I looked at this guy in front of me, torn between his heartless words and his hurting eyes. He was in pain and I felt it, he was in love with me and I broke him...

Did I bring it upon myself?

He then stepped out of the car and walked to my side then opened the door and pulled me out of the car.

I recognised the place I was in instantly, the house that he bought for us, for me. The place that was supposed to have been a safe place for us. Had we stayed together, this could've been the place we lived in.

"I want you to move in with me, Chan" Xander said as I stood adjusting my makeup in front of the mirror

"Move in where, Xander? Here?" I asked

"Well.. Yeah" He said standing at the door "I love you, and you do too.. Why don't we just take a step forward?"

"I don't know, Xan. This house is too small for both of us really, staying the night here is a thing, but living is a completely different one. I can't manage this place it's so trashy."

He sighed stepping into the bathroom and standing behind me "Okay, what about I get a new house? Just for us, and you pick it."

I smiled at him through the mirror "Maybe.. Maybe that would be a better idea."

"Perfect" he said planting kisses down my neck as I turned around to look at him

"How do I look?" I asked smiling

"Enchanting.." he answered eyeing me

"Well.. The books you're reading are actually adding some words to your vocabulary huh"

"I'm trying to be half what you are, Chan."

"I like the trial" I kissed his cheek and walked out of the bathroom

"Xander" I held his hand from moving towards the house "How did you know that I'm at Dawn's house?"

"You'll know" he said pulling me from my hand forcefully into the house then locked the door

I looked around at this space, where furniture that he picked for me was located.

Walking in, I moved my hand softly on the white couch and smiled

"One, two, three, four, five..This is perfect Xan" I smiled at him and walked carefully around the house "Baby, this house is so amazing. You even got all the furniture I chose.. didn't you pick anything?"

He walked my direction slowly and wrapped his arms around my hips "I wanted every part of this house to make you feel comfortable. All I care about is you and I being under the same roof.." he smiled moving his fingers softly on my cheek pulling me into a soft kiss "I love you, Chan"

I smiled against his lips and breathed out, moving my hand on his cheek into his hair "This is perfect, Xan"

"Not quite yet" he smiled sheepishly and took a step back moving something out of his pocket. A blue velvety square-shaped box came into view, I looked at him in frenzy, what is he doing?

"Don't worry" he started "I'm not asking you to marry me, at least not yet. This is a ring for us, for this.. To mark a new step forward in our lives together.." he opened the box revealing two silver rings "I promise you, Chanel, that I will love you till our lives end, till our last breaths.."

"So, till death do us part?" I bit my lip in an attempt to stop the scream from escaping my mouth.

"Basically" he smiled and moved the ring onto my finger then worse his and threw the blue box away

"Xander!" I yelled "Don't just throw things like th-" I didn't get to finish the sentence as he picked me up on his shoulder and walked us to the bedroom

I breathed slowly out as a tear slowly skipped my eyes, cascading down my cheek. I turned to face Xander who stood watching me deep into my memories.

"When we were locating everything, you changed this couch to like five different positions." He smiled softly "I used to watch you, then act like I didn't see anything. You'd get so furious when I put anything with an angle or just throw it there. As much as it pissed me off, you were too beautiful to say no to"

"Xander.." I said moving towards him "I'm sorry.. for everything.. I was heartless, cruel, cold-hearted and everything bad in this world. You didn't deserve that from me, I'm so sorry.."

"I'm s-" he started but we were interrupted by a throat being cleared

"Welcome, Channy"

"Mia? What?"

"Surprise" she smiled brightly and walked my way, bumping into my shoulder as she skipped to Xander and jumped on him in a kiss that lasted for a second till he put her down.

"How was it?" She asked him playing with his hair seductively

"Pretty good" he answered "I have her don't I"

"Mmhmm babe, did you spare the girl?"

"I couldn't"

"Uff," she said dramatically "Did you do it with style though?"

"What the hell is going on?" I asked in confusion

"You didn't tell her, Xan?" she asked, "You did make my presence a surprise!" She skipped to me and smiled "I called Xander, told him that you're at Dawn's house, I figured he'd know. There's nothing my baby doesn't know." She giggled

"Leo.." I whispered.

Is he onto this too? Did he do this to me?

"I heard that!" She yelled jokingly

"What did she say?" Xander asked standing behind her

"She's calling her knight in shining armour, so adorable."

I looked at Xander, whose eyes turned from a tint of apology and remorse to a cold, emotionless barrier. I saw the anger and pain in his face when he gripped my arm firmly dragging me to the basement.

He stopped before the door and looked at me with eyes switching back and forth between love and hate "It's time for a small family reunion" he said before opening the door.

He pushed me into the basement, I fell hard on my face, feeling pain in my elbows that supported my head from bumping into the floor. I hissed moving myself to my knees, knowing that Xander was watching me in pain, knowing that inside him he's in pain too, but the evil in him was winning the fight.

I stood up on my feet, I yelped as I found my balance back and my feet and looked up.

"Welcome to the lion's den, or may I say, Xander's den" Dane stated sarcastically

"It's not my den, that's for sure" I heard Leo from Dane's back

"Leon" I ran and sat down beside him

"Hello princessa" he smiled

"What happened to you?" I asked in terror and worry. He replied by moving his head to the side signalling me to look beside him.

"Mom?" I moved fast towards her and moved my hands on her cheeks "Are you okay?"

"You were in an accident?" She asked in worry with tears moving down her face

I looked at Xander who was standing at the door watching then back at her "I'm fine, mom. I'm here.."

I hugged her tightly, noticing her hands are tied back to Leo and Dane's hands. I stood up and walked to Xander "Untie them, Xander"

"I can't"

"Yes, you fucking can" I yelled "This is your brother! My mother!-"

"And your boyfriend" he interrupted me as he took a step closer to me showing off his height

He yanked my chin upwards and before he says anything I decided to speak "This is not you.." I started "I got you into my house, introduced you to my mother, she took you as a son, she loved you, I loved you.." I breathed out "You abused me, hit me, harassed me, raped me and I stayed with you.."

"You left, Chanel"

"I wasn't going to leave.. It was a party, I was gonna go back to you, I needed my time, I needed a breather.. You decided that till death do us part and wanted to kill me" I shouted

"You remember.." Dane pointed out

"Of course I fucking remember! It was like a movie replaying in front of my eyes when, again, you were this close to killing me, Xander"

"You didn't die"

"You're cursed.. I'm your curse" I shook my head "Could you tell me what the hell would you have done do if I had died?"

"He travelled to end his life" Dane answered coldly

"Then why the hell bother killing me, if you're not living anyway"

"Don't you fucking get it?" He yelled, "I can't be with anyone else and I can't fucking see you with anyone else."

"They have nothing to do with this, Xander," I said pointing behind me "Let them go.. I'll stay here. You wanted me, you have me."

"No!" Leo yelled

"Shut up, Leo" I yelled back "Let them go, Xander. For me."

He sighed and as he was going to agree with me "No one is going anywhere" Mia said walking in "Right baby?" She said moving her hand in his hair

"Untie them until I come back," he said looking at Mia then walked out then locked the door.

"Yes, sir" she smiled at me then skipped to them

"Why are you doing this, Mia?" I asked

She untied Dane first, who stood up and stretched, cracking his neck. She then walked to my mom and cut the rope tying her to Leo without removing the rope from their hands, then stood them both up.

"You two will stay tied, you can't be trusted," she said to both Leo and my mom then looked at me "What did you want?"

"Irene was your friend, she loved you" I started

"Irene was never my friend, Irene used me as a sex toy, she was too into your father, but you already knew that right?" She asked, "Did you tell, mommy?"

I looked at my mother who was looking at me with questions in her eyes. "Did you tell mommy that you were fine with daddy fucking Irene? Did you tell her that Irene told you and you told her and I quote 'You do whatever the hell you wanna do, its nun or my business' and laughed at it"

"Okay.. I knew! I was a bitch! People hated me and I hated everyone! I didn't give a damn about my family, all I cared about is myself! I get it! That doesn't mean anything, doesn't mean you do this to me, doesn't mean you kill her" I yelled

"I didn't kill her!" She screamed in anger and then her face slowly turned into a smirk as she said "Xander did" she laughed

"Why are you doing this?" I asked

"They all used me, Irene and this guy," she said pointing at Leo who looked at her in confusion "They all wanted some fun time, no one took me seriously, no one wanted ME"

"And you think that Xander wants you?" I asked "Don't you see that he's doing all of this for me? Don't you see that he's still using you? Even if Irene and Leo used you, Xander dragged you into murder, into a series of events that will end up ruining your life. This is the worst use of all."

"Shut up," she said angrily "Xander cares about me"

"No, Xander cares about ME," I told her "He would choose me over anyone else if you gave him the choice, I know him more than anyone" I looked at Dane for help which he seemed to understand

"He chose her over his family. When our father was dying, Xander chose to stay beside her and help her with the gallery instead of standing beside his dying father" he said looking at the floor in pain "Dad needed him, Xander was his favourite son.. He died in tears.."

I shook my head remembering that day.. The day when Mr Davis was on his death bed. Mrs Davis had called me multiple times to tell me that he needs Xander by his side, that she needs me to tell Xander to go to his house and stay beside his father...

I remember I answered the first call and didn't tell Xander to leave because I needed his help. He knew his father was dying, I was thinking to myself that "If he wanted to be beside him, he could've been" but instead, he was with me.

I remember I kept declining her calls and silencing my phone.. until she stopped calling. Until he got the call from Dane telling him that he died, even then he didn't leave. He stayed with me because I told him I needed his help.

"I'm sorry, Dane," I said looking at him, a tear slipping down my cheek

"Boohooo" She said "You people are boring, that was back then when he gave a damn about her, but right now, he doesn't"

"Then why is he doing all that" Leo said looking at her to which she responded by slapping him across the face.

"Because he doesn't like you" she said holding Leo's face close to hers "I don't either" she spat on his face

I saw Leo's face turn red in anger, I saw what he was imagining doing to her. "When you die, Mia. I will make sure to leave your body without a burial, I don't want you to rest, even in your fucking death" he yelled at her face in rage

I watched her as she moved her hand on his cheeks into his hair and crashed his lips into hers, kissing him in a harsh manner then pulled him back and smiled "You're so adorable" she said then walked in my direction

"So, Channy, now that your memory is back, who's better in bed? Dane, Xander or Leo?" She asked giggling then knocked on the door

I looked at Leo, the guy who has nothing to do with all of this, the guy that came into my life, loving me, without knowing that it could lead to his death. I gave him an apologetic look which he responded to with a nod

"Are you okay, mom?" I asked

"I should've been there for you, I should've been monitoring your manners, I should've raised you well.." she answered

"Mom.. please" I shook my head refusing to listen to this right now but deep inside me, I knew she was right... I knew I was shitty, I was self-centred and selfish. I was on an ego-trip to my downfall, to everyone's downfall.

"I love you, Chanel" Leo said out of nowhere

"We all do" Dane commented

The door opened revealing Xander who was changed into a different outfit than the one he had before with his hair tied into a bun. He walked in, locked the door and sat down on a chair he was carrying.

"I thought about what you said.." he said looking at me "You're right.."

"What?" Mia exclaimed

"They have nothing to do with this, it's not their fault you existed in their lives"

"Xander, what are you doing?" Mia asked in angerly confusion

"Shut up, Mia"

"Don't fucking tell me to shut up!" She yelled "You're not alone in this! You dragged me with you! It's me, Xander"

He looked at her coldly "You? You're doing a lot of things I haven't told you to do. Who told Paulina that Chanel got into another accident? Did I tell you to do that?"

"No! But I wanted to say! I liked the look on her face, you should've seen it" she started angrily but then smirked

"That's enough, Mia" he yelled "Untie their hands and let them leave"

"No!" She screamed

"Come again?" He asked

"I said no!" She said revealing a gun directing it at Xander "This is my chance Xander, I'm not going to let it slide"

"Put the gun down, Mia" he said standing up slowly

"No! Not until you do what you said you would. You told me you will help me, you told me you love me, that you will do everything I wanted"

"Irene is dead, Mia. This guy didn't do anything to you"

"But he did to you! He took her, she loves him, kill them both"

"Mia!" He shouted

"Xander!" She shouted back moving the gun closer his way

"Fine!" He yelled and got his gun out and directed it at Leo

"Xander.. no" I gasped holding onto his hand "Please.. Please don't do this"

"Let my hand go, Chanel" he said

"No" I shook my head "This isn't you! Please"

"Xander" Dane started "This is not how dad wanted you to be"

"He's dead, Dane"

"You know very well he's watching"

"Shut up!" Mia told Dane, directing her gun at him "Shut up or ill end this shit"

In a swift move, Xander moved the gun in Mia's direction and pulled the trigger, her body slamming down on the ground as she whaled in pain

I stood unable to balance my legs well on the ground, the shot was too loud, my ears were whistling. I gulped the lump in my throat as I watched the girl lay hopeless, in pain, on the floor, her soul being stripped away from her.

I looked at Xander who stood straight, proud, his soul was already long gone, it was too late to bring it back.

With every soul he took, a piece of his, secretly, left his body.

It was all my fault...

I breathed out silently fearing she'd hear me and envy my soul that was still intact, untouched, and unharmed in my body.

"Why?" I asked

"That's my brother, Chanel," he said pointing at Dane "Shes right though, I should go with my promise" I stared at him for a solid minute as he turned around to face Leo.

Leo who was currently standing with a gun in his hand directed at Xander.

"I guess I finally met my match" Xander said with a smirk on his face

"Last time I checked, you were the only asshole in the room" Leo replied

"Ouch. that hurt me deeply, Leon"

"Poor, sick kid"

"Dane.." I called taking the keys from Xander's pocket and giving it to Dane "Get mom out of here"

"What about you?" My mom asked

"If there is something you taught me, mom. its to handle the consequences of my actions. this is a consequence. Now please go" I kissed her cheek and forced Dane with Mom in his hand out of the door and locked it.

"No one is killing anyone." I started "Xander, you're not fully gone, I feel it. You can stop this now, all will be forgiven I promise you." I begged "Leo, this is not you, you're not your father. Please make this stop."

"Its too late, Chanel" Leo said pulling the trigger

"Leo! No!" I said running in front of Xander

Dane

I pulled Paulina out of the house after a lot of struggle and stood outside waiting to see what might happen.

I stood holding her, preventing her from running back in, when we heard two gunshots coming from the house. We froze for a second as I saw Paulina run towards the house screaming Chanel's name.

She stopped at the door when we heard it..

One last shot..