-Updating a day earlier because I can't wait... 

His heart was beating in a frantic way. He felt his presence before he even opened his eyes. Sweat lined his forehead as his mind swirled around, trying to pick up the last memory from somewhere at the back.

Stuart opened his eyes to see Charles sitting relaxed with one leg over the other. His chair was placed by the far side of the room. Stuart's eyes landed on him and he could suddenly remember. He had turned around to receive a punch in the face while washing it.

Stuart pulled his hand up to the nose so he could assess it but it wouldn't move. He was tied all around to the wooden chair that he was sitting in. His heart began beating even faster. He was as vulnerable as a dog with an injured leg, howling with pain and scared to death.

Alex looked up at the culprit who he had tied himself to the chair. His eyes had the same softness in them that they did ten years ago. He blinked and a tear raced down his cheek. He didn't bother wiping his face. Emotions were not to be held back today!

Alex stood up and made his way towards Stuart. His heart beating the way it did at Violet's touch. Stuart looked up at him, completely defenseless. His eyes creased in the light of the single bulb glowing at their heads.

For a moment they looked at each other, both with watery eyes. Then Alex wrinkled his nose in disgust and looked the other way. Another tear tried desperately to hang on to his chin and fell to the floor after a couple of tries.

"Who are you?" Stuart croaked. He knew he had been overthrown. He knew had made a fool of himself. But this guy was still a mystery.

Then he continued. "You had everything that you wanted back at my mansion. Money, respect, power. What is it that you wanted more?"

"I want you." Alex looked back into Stuart's eyes before completing his sentence. "DEAD."

"Who are you?" Stuart's booming voice was reduced to a mere whisper.

Alex's chest burned as he reached for his pistol that was tucked at the front of his jeans, so he left it. He walked to his chair and set it in front of Stuart. Then sat, gazing into Stuart's soul.

"Ten years," Alex began. "Ten years it took me to avenge myself."

Stuart's face still depicted incomprehension.

"I am Alex. The son...or well, adopted son of Arthur."

Stuart's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. How could this be?

"No. No. You're...you're lying. I-I-" Stuart whimpered.

Alex's chest burned even more. He felt agitated and incomplete.

"You killed me, right? That's what you are trying to say?" Alex smiled at the look on Stuart's face.

"I survived. A bullet in the chest and I still survived. You know why, Stuart?"

Stuart's lips quivered.

"I survived because of love. Love gave me life. Because love wished to be avenged by me. The doctors said it's unbelievable that I am live. But I know I only survived because I had to kill you."

There was a moment's silence in which Alex felt a knot tightening in his chest.

"But- but you're not like-" Stuart fell short of words.

"I am not like Alex? It's funny how people get so easily fooled by appearances. Masks, these are. Encasing our reality into molds that we never chose."

Stuart still stared blankly at Alex.

"I had a cosmetic surgery. I guess that was the easiest part to figure out. And before you come to the hair colour....one can always dye them."

Stuart sat there, rooted to the spot. Slowly, the realization of it all sank into him. He had only one choice left now.

"I am sorry. I am really sorry just let me go. I promise I'll give you whatever you want. I'll- I'll resign and I'll make you the new leader and-"

"SHUT UP!" Alex roared at the top of his lungs and silence descended upon them. He thought he could see something white flash behind Stuart. Alex looked around but it was gone. He surveyed the small dirty room and saw a small open window at the top of one of the walls. It was probably a pigeon that flew away now.

"You really think everything is about money, do you? HERE!" Alex pulled out his pistol and threw it at Stuart. It's metal crashed into Stuart's ribs and finally fell to the floor. "Ask your money to pick that gun up for you and shoot at me."

Stuart looked at Alex with dubiety.

Alex walked over to Stuart and picked the 9mm pistol up from his feet. Tears trickled down his cheeks that were now burning equally with his chest. He looked up at Stuart and pulled the slide at the top of his pistol.

"No. No. Please. Listen to me I'll-"

Alex closed his eyes as his index finger curled around the trigger. His chest was tearing apart now. He was ready. He was about to do what he was destined to.

"LISTEN. PLEASE. I AM SORRY!"

Alex took a deep breath.

"DON'T DO THIS, PLEASE. I'LL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT. IT'S ONLY....." Stuart's voice faded away and was replaced by a much softer one. A voice that Alex could recognize even after a million years.

"Alex."

He didn't open his eyes. He couldn't fail now. It was just in his head. Just a hallucination.

"I can't stop now, Violet. This is what he deserves."

"No one deserves to die, Alex."

Alex hadn't opened his eyes but just the way that she said his name made him want to agree. He forced himself to pull the trigger but his finger won't budge.

"Just let me do this, Violet. Please. I'll be there for you. I don't want to live. I just want him to die."

"My Alex would never kill anyone."

Tears began flowing from Alex's eyes as if it was raining. This line had been echoing in his head since the morning. Alex could no longer breathe.

"My Alex promised me he won't pick up a gun." She continued.

Alex sobbed even harder. His body was drained of all energy.

Alex felt Violet's arms around him before her body met his. Her head rested on his chest and he could finally breathe the air mixed with her sweet almond scent. He knew at that moment that he was Alex again. He knew he was the same guy that he used to be ten years earlier.

Alex lowered the pistol and opened his eyes. She was gone. Now it was just him with his gun lowered to the floor and Stuart whimpering in the chair. The burning in his chest had faded. He was free again. Alex dropped the pistol to the floor and turned around to leave. He knew his fate, so he wished to spend his time with her.

*************************************************

An hour later, Stuart walked through jam packed streets for the first time in years. He was used to all the protocol and this was the first time he was left alone in his life. It had taken him an insane amount of time to make his way through the ropes.

How thick could that guy be? First he ambushed him. He had him tied on a chair. He had the gun pointed at his face. And then he sobbed like a little girl and ran away.

Stuart looked around at the street, knowing very well what he needed to do. He could think straight now.

Upon reaching a small shop, he asked.

"Need to use a PCO."

"Yeah sure. Right by the corner."

Stuart exited the shop and turned around the corner to see the PCO standing there. Inviting him to revenge.

He entered it and dialed a number.

"Hello!" And he explained all that had happened to the person on the other side.

"Pick me up from this place, whatever it is." He glanced around for a sign board and read from it. "It says Belta. Yeah. Now what? I know where to go. I know exactly where to go."

A few minutes later, the small town of Belta saw four crowded buses enter for the first time and leave within a minute of reaching.

*************************************************

He was smiling. For the first time in a decade he was actually smiling.

"I am sorry. I thought-" He sighed. "I thought you'd want me to do that." Alex listened close to the grave for a couple of seconds.

"Yeah. Very thick of me, indeed." Alex smiled again which faded slowly.

"I love you. Always have. Always will. Till my last breath and beyond." He looked at the grave with watery eyes. It had been an emotional day, no doubt. But Alex found himself wanting to feel, now that he could after so long.

"I've missed you so much. Your smile, your laughter, your sleepy voice, your stubbornness. Hell, I even missed your anger."

Alex laughed, then listened again.

"Yeah, I know." He whispered. "It's time."

A tear dropped from his cheek on to the grave as he leaned in to kiss the gravestone. He could hear their footsteps in the background. He knew death was coming. But how could death possibly be something bad when it was reunison that came with it.

"Thank you for giving me life." He whispered with his eyes still shut and his forehead resting on the gravestone.

The footsteps grew louder and louder. Life was not something that he wished for now. He had fulfilled his life's quest. He was free. Life had just begun for him and he knew he had the rest of forever to be with her. He knew he had done the right thing.

The footsteps stopped behind him. Alex did not open his eyes to look back. He was wilfully submitting himself to the mortality of his self and the immortality of his love. He was as calm as he used to be in her embrace.

"I love you."

A gun fired.

"I love you too." Her soft voice whispered in his ear. Alex opened his eyes to see her by his side. Her hand reached for his and she laced her fingers with him. Tears fell from his eyes once again but he smiled.

Another gun fired and Alex fell down over the grave. But there was no pain.

He closed his eyes. He was free. He was living again.

Alex exhaled slowly as the dust from the grave whirled up and hindered his vision. Creating a haze in front of her smiling face. Her hazel eyes beaming down at her.

"I always knew you won't let me down."

Alex smiled one last time. Who won? One can't really say. But it was the unison of two lovers, and a merry one indeed. Even with tears, they had reached the state of eternal satisfaction. Your choices are what define you.

Some stories live on forever...

-Whoever you are, whether a reader who commented and voted regularly or a silent one, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And please, write at least one phrase for my story in the comments. Tell me what was good, tell me what could be better. How do you rate my story according to wattpad standards? Tell me anything and everything. I'd love to see some people comment who haven't done so yet :)