I was befuddled, I did not know what to do, who to choose. Heart or Mind? According to Dean, confessing about the name was a shot worth for my freedom. But was it really? Because as far as I could guess, he held me captive before he got to know about the name thing, so he was keeping me for something else. Then why would he show some mercy in return of the favor that I could give?

'he can give me anything but freedom," I thought.

Pacing around the room, biting my nails, frowning deeply, with mind running faster than ever but with no apparent answers or clue, I felt utterly useless. A part of me wanted to open up to Romeo so that he could show some mercy and let me go, the other part of me knew he wouldn't let me go so it did not want to give him the name.

I was stuck between a glimmer of hope and a dark abyss of hopelessness, I did not want to fall down to the dark hole of hopelessness with no return, but I did not also want to keep following the glimmers only to find that there was nothing there but a trap. That house in which I was held captive was doing me no good, and to some extent no harm too.

'What is his intention for keeping me here,' I thought.

'Maybe he wants me to be used to of this place,' I also thought.

'But why? He doesn't seem attracted to me in a disgusting way, because I have faced that obsession too...then what could be so damn important that he would be willing to give the world to a stranger at a cost of her freedom.' I kept asking myself different questions, all lead me to nothing. Silence.

There was silence in my mind in return of my own queries. He left me so empty, I never felt that kind of emptiness in my life ever. What was he doing to me without even doing anything? The thought trembled me.

Huffing, I walked up to my door, twirled the handle of the door with mind full of possibilities of what could be the reaction of my action, but somehow, there was enough courage to walk out of the room and march towards the forbidden floor, where he used to be. I could hear some people calling me out from behind, but Jon or Dean was there to shut them up. I did not turn around, I did not want to change my mind then. I only wanted something instead of nothing. If a name could make Beast speak up and break his silence, I was willing to name the monster.

With each step firmer than previous one, I walked upstairs, the floor seemed almost empty. No luxury was there, plain empty walls, plain dark doors, dimmed gold lights, nothing special. Except the large painting of a lily decorating the wall beside his room.

It was his room, I knew it. The first room on the corridor, I once heard Jon instructing a servant to leave out the dinner in front of that room.

I wandered my eyes around, my palms were sweating, there was some little beads of sweat over my forehead too. I wiped it off with my sleeve, I did not want to look intimidated. I blinked my eyes twice, licked my lips, pull my chin up a little, tried my best to gain my composure and then raised my hand to knock on the door.

My knock had only one answer. Silence.

That empty place was haunting me, it smelled good, it looked fine, it seemed normal. But it felt devastating to me. I could faint. My anxiety was getting the best of me. I knocked harder, in hopes of some response from him for once.

I knocked again and again. Silence was the only thing that was granted to me.

"Romeo, open the door." I mumbled, I knew my voice wouldn't have reached him. It was a whisper out of desperation.

"Romeo!" That time, it was a louder voice. He must have felt disrespected. But still no answer.

"Gosh, I am here to tell you the name." I tried to bait him.

Guess what!

It worked.

The door opened. It was automatic so he was not there to welcome me with his politeness. I entered the room, it was huge. The walls were grey, the ceiling was ash white, there was a bed in the middle of the room, with plain white sheets. The furniture was as dark as his soul. The room was chilled, I could feel the cold entering my skin and making me tremble. At the left, the was a large window, where he stood. His back was facing me, his one palm was on the wall beside the window, the other one inside his pocked, his legs slightly crossed, he stood there as if all he wanted was to enjoy the nature. He did not speak anything, I stood there puzzled, looked around and was not surprised to find nothing to sit except his bed.

"I have a question," I spoke up, "If you love the painting hanging outside your room so much, why don't you bring it inside? Your room is just very...very annoying. It is as if there is no one living here." I did not know why I said what I said, because I knew he wouldn't appreciate me questioning his personal choices and I could put myself in deeper shit.

"Name?"

That was all he said.

Wow. I replied, "Clarissa Martin,"

"Do not test my patience with you." He turned around and threw a glare at me, a small smile that was on my face literally vanished in seconds seeing him, he groaned and walked towards me, before I could gather my thoughts, turn around and leave because my courage left my soul seeing his anger filled eyes, he held my hand and stopped me.

"Name, Clarissa?" he hissed.

I frowned and looked away, "I am scared."

His grasp on my wrist suddenly loosened, but he still held on to me, with a little pull, I felt myself closer to him, his curt voice again made me question my existence, "Scared of me?"

"I do not know." I whispered.

His hand slipped from my wrist and held my palm, there was gentleness in his touch there, he held me as if I was a precious treasure and he wanted to keep me hidden and protected.

"I wonder who could terrify you more than me." Though his touch was gentle, but his voice was not polite, I was looking down so I couldn't see his eyes. His stern voice had nothing but his touch had so much. He himself did not know what he wanted to do, hurt me and terrify me or protect me and hide me.

"You don't scare me, I guess." I looked up, his brown eyes were stuck on me, trying to figure me out, I think. There was no danger in there, I couldn't see him trying to scare me like he did a few minutes ago. He was just staring at me, not glaring as if he wanted me dead.

I never could understand.

"I don't wonder why, Clarissa. I have not done anything to you," he looked away and responded, before I could say anything, he continued, looking up at me, that time, his eyes had a conviction, "Yet."

I frowned. "What can you do to me?" I asked.

My question was genuine and innocent, I wished for a straight answer.

"So much!" he exclaimed with confidence, a small smirked crawled up to his lips, but then I heard a little chuckle, but it was not directed at me, it was for himself, he continued, shaking his head a little, "You are not what I thought you would be."

He stepped closer, I did not like the minimal distance between us, the only person I allowed to be that close to me was Luciano. But Romeo being that close to me, it brought back some old fears, but I reminded myself that it was not what I thought. I heaved a sigh. Trying to calm myself, I was pale I could feel, I could feel my legs trembling at those old fears.

He smirked, "And you say I do not scare you," Bastard.

"You don't. Past scares me, in front of it, you are probably a very beautiful present." I shrugged my hand away from his grip and stepped back.

He stepped back too, he turned around, he folded his dark sleeves up to his elbows and went towards the window again, "Just tell me the name and leave." He commanded.

"One condition," I demanded.

Silence.

"You will know the name on answering my question. Easy." I continued.

I rubbed my palms together, I was getting pain in my temples as well, the room was getting colder with time. I would have turned to ice if I had stayed there for more five minutes.

"Tell me...will you answer?" I asked, my voice broke for a second though.

He shook his head, denying to obey my one and only condition. His eyes were still stuck outside.

"Then I have no reason to stay here." I raised my voice, hoping to get his attention again.

Well, I think I was getting to know how to handle with Beast, because he again turned around. That time he stood there, leaning back on the wall beside the window, both hands were inside his pocket, he was just looking at me, for a few seconds, he continued to just stare at me without saying anything. "Why are you like this? Why don't you-" he cut himself off and cursed, "Fuck."

"Just give me the damn name, I don't want to..." his mood immediately changed, he looked like the Romeo who was a Beast to me at our first meeting, he punched the wall beside him, and all he did was curse at himself.

He held his face and shook his head, he marched up to his side table and picked up his watch, cell phone and wallet, his jaw clenched, his eyes spitting fire and he just kept silent and tried to walk out of the room, I ran after him, holding him by his forearm, "I am promising you the name if you answer me, why don't you like to answer me-"

He cut me off but shrugging my hand away and walked away, letting the door close at my face. I ran after him again, he was about to walk down the stairs, I held his hand again, "Please," I begged him, he turned to look at me, his lips pursed, his eyes were doing the talking, trying to repel me. But I did not flinch.

I kept my hold on his hand tighter than before, I raised my voice. "At least listen to my question, stop running away from me, I am here to give you what you need but you are not-"

"Shut up, Clarissa." He ordered.

"I won't, you will have to answer me, you have to-" He cut me off again, pushing me and walking towards me.

"I don't have to answer to you!" he gritted his teeth.

"If you want the name, you-" I was saying but I was again interrupted, but that time by his harsh hold on my arm and the way he forcefully pushed me to the wall.

"You will not make me do things!" that time he yelled. I realized I have never heard him yell like that, It was as if he was angry for no reason, he knew it and he was concealing it by keeping me silent.

"I just want some-"

"I will not give you any answer, I don't owe you anything!" He again yelled, stepping closer to me, his both hands caging me between his arms, his palms rested on the wall behind me, he dug down a little, keeping his face just an inch away from my face.

"You are keeping me here for no reason, you have to answer me why!" I blurted out with nothing but venom in my voice, "I will tell you one name that scares me the most, just to have one answer from you but you are denying me that too. How is this fair!" I continued, he kept glaring at me, "Why are you doing this to me?" My voice got lost in my sobs, I felt the tears pouring down my face and heard him whispered a curse word.

"Why?" I sobbed.

"Shut up," he said, no, he did not yell.

"Why? What did I do? Why am I here? When will you let me go? Why are-"

"I said shut up!" he hissed.

"I won't!" I yelled. He gritted his teeth.

"I hate you so fucking much, Clarissa." He slapped the wall behind me and I jumped on my spot. He emphasized on the word 'hate' so much that It made me cry more.

"Is that why you keep me here?" I asked, my vision almost was blurry by my tears.

"I just hate you!" He slapped the wall behind me continuously and then looked down but he stepped closer, enough to put his forehead on mine and sighed, "I wish I could hate you more and more," he whispered.

"You already hate me enough to keep my captive, away from my life." I spoke up, my voice was so low, but as if he was so near to me, he could hear me clearly.

"This is not enough for me!" Again, he punched the wall beside me, "I want to hate you to the point where I can take away your life from you, not just keep it away!" he pulled away a little, his forehead was not on mine anymore, he lifted his neck up and I had to look up at him, he seemed way too angry, for no reason, he wanted to say more but he stopped himself.

"So, you want to kill me?" I asked.

He looked to his right, breathed heavily and kept silent.

"I asked-"

"No!" He responded, "I don't want to kill you only, I want to make you go through a torture and then kill you, Happy! You should be afraid of me!" he continued. I was still caged by him but I raised my hand and impulsively, with my heart beating too fast in horror, with my mind unable to comprehend much, I slapped him.

I slapped the Beast. I regretted that in a second, I let out an apology, it was more of a whisper, I wanted the earth to swallow, because I knew what happened when I slapped the monster, I did not want to go through that again. "I am sorry, Romeo." Being scared, I trembled and asked for forgiveness, even though, I shouldn't have. He deserved that. The warm tears kept flowing down my cheek, I saw him pull away, trying to register the fact that he got slapped by his slave, he looked at me immediately, and in return I looked down. I slipped down and was crouched on the floor. I held my hand and kept on mumbling, "Please, I am sorry, don't touch me." I did not hear anything except his voice calling me out.

But I was there on the floor, shivering and asking for forgiveness, I did not respond to him, so I felt him crouch down near me, I still kept on mumbling an apology, the flashes of what could possibly happen were scaring the hell out of me, I felt his hand over my hands which were covering my face, he uncovered my face, I felt his hands grasping my face, I was scared to open my eyes and face what I was imagining. "Stop it! I am not doing anything to you, God damn it!" He said, annoyed by my continuous shrugging and apologizing.

"I am sorry, I won't slap you, I am sorry, I won't-"

"Clarissa, stop!" That time, he tightened his hold on my face, he wiped away my tears, "Open your eyes, it is...me not...well, him, I guess." I felt his voice softening but still I couldn't trust my fate enough to open my eyes and not find my tormentor of the past.

"No!" I cried.

"Look at me, come on." I heard him saying.

"I am scared!" I whispered, I found it hard to breath, I kept on sighing heavily.

"Well, gosh, Clarissa, okay...I forgive you, stop apologizing, stop crying, open your eyes, it is me, not someone else." He never forgave me, he never asked me to stop crying, he never asked me to stop apologizing, he never asked me to open my eyes but only legs for him. No! The tapes of horror were playing in my mind, I had no courage left to face them again, I couldn't.

"Clarissa, for fuck sake, just...I don't know how to deal with this, stop crying," I heard Romeo's curt voice again.

I felt his hands slipping away from my face, and I felt his hands grasping me by my forearms and lifting my lifeless body up, I was unable to stand on my feet, his hand snaked around my waist, holding me tightly. The other hand held my face, he moved forward, he tilted his head and I felt he was near my ear, he spoke up, "I will free you one day, I promise. Now, stop!"

I buried my face in his chest, "He said the same thing! He never fulfilled the promise." I spoke up.

"But I will! But only if you open your eyes, stop crying and go back to your room and get some rest." I immediately stopped sobbing, I opened my eyes and finally realized where I was, for real, I was held by the beast, stuck to his chest, with my arms holding him tightly, and my hands clutching his shirt from behind tightly. He only held me close to him to give me support as I couldn't stand properly, I looked up at him, he looked at me blankly.

"Promise?" I asked.

He looked away and nodded, he pulled away his hand from my waist, I immediately pulled myself away from him too, took two steps back and wiped away my tears.

He stepped back too. I did not believe his promise, because what happened earlier than the slap, it was enough to make me realize, he lied.

"You are lying!" I spoke up.

"Excuse me," he frowned.

"You lied, your promise is a lie, you won't free me ever!" I punched him on his chest, that time without apologizing, because I knew who was right in front of me. I stepped towards him and he stepped back. He looked puzzled, It was a treat to see the Beast so confused.

"You said it yourself," a tear fell down, "You said 'I hate you so fucking much.'" He held my hands, and shook his head, maybe he wanted to lie to me again, but I continued, pulling my hands out of his grip and again punching him, "You said "I want to hate you to the point when I can take your life away from you.'" He huffed and I continued without letting him cut me off, "You said 'I want to not kill you only but to make you go through a torture and kill you.'"

"Clarissa-"

I cut him off, "Then how can you promise to free me, why would you play with my sentiments like this, bastard." I punched him harder.

"I won't apologize for these punches, I won't! I won't be scared of you. I WON'T BE SCARED OF YOU." I yelled, "But you know what, I keep my promises. I told you to answer me in return of his name...you very well explained why you keep me here-"

"Clarissa, you don't get it!" he raised his voice.

"You reason is hatred against me, I get it. Then I must give you the name, your reason is to torture me then I must tell you the name of the person from whom you can take some classes of torturing-" I was inches away from him, his gentle touch wiping my tears away interrupted me.

"Get rest." That was all he said, and he stepped back, and started walking down the stairs.

"Romeo," I called out for him.

He stopped, after a few seconds, he turned around, "I told you to go back to your room and get some rest, why don't-"

"Elijah," After years, that name sounded so foreign rolling off my tongue, but still it had enough power to shake my insides. The look on Romeo's face was so different, he had a deep frown as if he heard the name for the first time, but I kept the promise, and I told him the name, now it was his mystery to solve. I ran downstairs, passing by him, wiping my tears away.

And I did what he asked me to do, I went to my room, and tried to get some rest. Old nightmares always used to drain me off my strength. But that moment, letting Romeo know my monster's name was a step that lifted a considerable amount of weight away from my heart.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What happened? You called me." Dean said, stripping off his jacket, then sat opposite Romeo. He noticed Romeo with a look which was not really familiar, for a very long time, he never saw Romeo like that. Romeo was sitting with some notepads surrounding him, a pen stuck in one hand and a cigarette on the other hand. Empty glass of whiskey was lying beside him, his eyes focused on inked pages, his eyebrows crunched together, analyzing each and every detail printed on it.

"Woah, you are doing some work, like good old days," Dean commented, with a chuckle.

"There is nothing good about old days, Dean." A curt reply almost robbed Dean's bright smile.

Dean cleared his throat, "Apologies, I did not mean that."

He noticed Romeo was inspecting very old records, which he never liked, Dean was so suspicious seeing him, "Romeo, what are you doing with these?"

"She told me the name!" Romeo looked surprised at Dean, who was way too surprised than expected.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, raising his eyebrows. "Did not expect her to open up this fast, what did you do to get the name?" Dean questioned.

Romeo looked down on the scattered papers again, avoiding the question, "I don't know that name, never heard it. So how can he know me?"

Dean did not force him to answer him, instead he questioned him again, "Didn't she tell you why he said your name as if he knew you? What if he meant a different Romeo? By the way, what is the name?"

"Elijah," Romeo spoke up, his voice had a glint of curiosity. He wanted to know him, he wanted to capture him and the first thing he wanted to ask him was not how he knew Romeo- The Beast. But what did he do to Clarissa that made her that sensitive and damaged her mentally. And then he wanted to burn him for doing whatever he did. Because there was no way he could let a sinner like that go.

"Never met any Elijah in my life," Dean responded after a thought process, he then texted in his group asking everyone if they ever met or heard of any Elijah. "Full name?"

"She only said the first name," he replied.

Dean nodded, reading the screen of his phone, he spoke up, "Jon is saying that he might have heard it once, but he is not sure where and when."

Romeo's eyes immediately focused on Dean, he then spoke up and demanded, "In my room right now," Dean got the hint and sent his message to Jon.

After a few minutes, Jon entered and then hopped on the bed, he raised his eyebrow at seeing both Romeo and Dean, looking through old records. "So, boys, how may I help you?" He said munching on his biscuit.

"Don't speak to me with your mouth full!" Romeo passed his statement without looking at Jon.

Dean gave a side eye to Jon and shook his head, Jon nodded at him, he finished his snack and then said, "Look, I don't remember where I saw or read or heard the name, but I just feel I did."

"Then you must try to remember!" Romeo ordered.

Jon rolled his eyes, "Dude what if he meant another Romeo, I know your name is stupid and not many people will have it but still?"

"You.Must.Remember!" Romeo said, focusing on each word, clearly sending his message to Jon.

"Uff, okay, I will tell you when I remember." Jon got off the bed, and started pacing from one end to another.

Dean and Romeo kept on checking lists, Dean spoke up, "Did you check his 90s records?"

Romeo knew who did Dean refer. He shook his head and planned not to ponder on it.

"I think we should open that up, maybe some clue there. I don't think Clarissa will tell anything more about this Elijah..." Romeo stilled at the mention of Clarissa, he remembered how she cried helplessly on the floor then in his arms. He never let anyone got that close him for years but suddenly she was able to break that barrier in just days, suddenly she was able to make Romeo lose his mind and question himself.

Dean snapped his fingers in front of lost Romeo, "Hey, you are acting different today? What is up?"

"You can go and get the records of 90s, maybe Luke's USB has it." Romeo said, again ignoring his question.

"Okay, let me finish checking this one," he held a thick blue file. Romeo nodded.

Busy in their search, they almost got shocked when Jon yelled, "Stop!"

Dean spoke up, "Jerk, I almost forgot you were here, why are you yelling, we are right here!"

"I remember." Jon said, he looked as if someone snatched the earth from beneath his feet. And that made Romeo and Dean to leave their work and walked up to Jon who was frozen on his spot. 

VOTE, COMMENT, SHARE

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the vibe of this chapter is a bit new. The third person P.O.V isn't about Mary/Luciano but about Romeo/Jon/Dean...so this is one major change 😊 Do comment about what did you like, what you did not. And what particular scene/dialogue is your fav. And what do you think Jon remembered?

Sneak Peak for chapter 15: It's going to be a very special chapter, some mysteries unfolding and you'll love it if you have been following the story and picking up hints and pieces of mystery. So stay tuned🤗