Present...

The world was spinning.

I leaned my back on the wall and waited for the nausea to pass. I was in the less crowded part of the club, far from the dance floor and what seemed to be half of our town's rich kid population. The only light came from the two lamps hanging on the wall which was dim enough to provide a little bit of privacy to the couple making out just a few feet away from me.

It was a bit colder here and I was bothered by the fact that I was only wearing a black, tube top and skinny jeans. I left my jacket somewhere near the bar and I wasn't covered enough for my liking. I was sure I felt sexy and mature wearing it earlier but now, I only felt silly. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I shouldn't have come here.

Shawn warned me that coming here here would be a terrible idea. I was starting to think he was right.

The people walking past me on the way to the restrooms couldn't be older than twenty one. My responsible side couldn't help but think that I would be in big trouble if there would be a police raid. My drunk, reckless self just didn't give a damn. I came here to forget, and forget was what I was supposed to do. It wasn't very effective.

I felt annoyance crept into my skin as the image of that heartless boy suddenly popped inside my head. It was unfortunate for me that the last person I needed to see right now was also the first person I searched for in the crowd. I was so pathetic.

It was supposed to be the coolest party ever and I should feel honored I got an invite but all I could feel right now was guilt and regret. Guilt because I was now contributing to the alarming rate of underage drinking in this country and regret because my feet were killing me from wearing this bloody high heeled boots Sophie lent me.

"Need some company?" I heard someone say.

I opened my eyes and saw a boy standing in front of me. The darkness hid most of his features but I could tell from his silhouette that he was tall, lean, and trouble.

I gave him an impressive glare that would give Medusa a run for her money.

"No thanks. I've already reached my maximum limit of acceptable daily human interaction. I'm done for the day." I said.

That wasn't the warmest welcome ever but the boy laughed happily as if I just told him we were now official bffs.

"You sound like a character straight out of John Green's book." He said, still chuckling under his breath.

I narrowed my eyes at him eventhough I was sure he couldn't see me.

"What do you mean?"

He casually walked closer and stood beside me.

"You know, the deep, antisocial, misunderstood teen who talks like a forty year old guy with a Phd."

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"If this is a book then I think we've already reached the part where the protagonist is assaulted by some random bad guy in a party for the sole purpose of giving the love interest a scene where he could show his manly and heroic side to the girl he usually treats like trash." I slurred embarrassingly. All my self inhibitions left me a few tequilas ago so my tongue was looser than normal and given what happened earlier this morning at school, I was also more of a loser than normal.

The boy let out a hearty laugh.

"You're not planning to assault me now, are you?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

I almost let out a smile.

"Who says you're the protagonist?" I said in a playful tone.

The boy shrugged.

"Well, assault isn't included in my itinerary so I guess you're in the wrong party."

I let out a fake sigh.

"There goes my cliche love story."

There was a brief moment of silence and then we both laughed. It was the first time since the incident that I had a reason to laugh and it felt good. I laughed until I was running out of breath.

"Wow. It feels good to be laughing again." I said in between giggles. I wasn't the giggly type but the alcohol was messing with my head. Everything seemed so funny now.

"Can I give you an advice?"I heard the boy say. I suddenly felt a strong sense of deja vu upon hearing that. Hunter also asked me the same thing after he helped me delete my email to Kenji.

I looked at the boy beside me and saw he had this serene expression on his face. I thought he looked familiar but my drunk mind couldn't make the connection.

"It isn't safe for a young girl like you to be alone in a place like this." He said and then gave me a warm smile. "I'll stay here to keep you company until your companion finds you."

I frowned.

"Do I know you?" I asked. There was something so achingly familiar about this guy. His posture, his voice, even the way he smiled... I felt like I should know him.

The guy shrugged.

"I don't think we've met."

I was about to answer him when I felt my knees buckled. I swayed on my feet. The boy caught me by the elbows before I hit the floor.

"Whoah, there! Easy now. I'm sure that love interest of yours would hate to see you pass out cold on the floor." The boy said.

"Let me take care of her." A voice demanded from behind me.

I rolled my eyes. Great.

"Of course, you'll be here." I turned around and gave Cain the stink eye.

"You really thought you could ditch me in my own party?" He said. He walked towards me and casually took my arms off the good samaritan. I would have felt embarrassed if I wasn't so inebriated.

"Are you okay?" His voice sounded genuinely concerned.

"No one has assaulted me yet so I'm fantastic." I said. "I just wish the world would stop spinning."I felt my grip on his arm tightened despite myself.

"This place is full of underage drinkers. I'm disappointed at you, Cain." I heard the boy said. I felt Cain tensed.

"I don't care about what you think of me, Archer." He spat as he tried to pull me farther away from the boy.

"Archer? I think I've heard of that name before..." I murmured to myself.

"Of course you did." Cain said coldly under his breath. Then his gaze flew to Archer. "He is Dean's brother."

Archer smiled at me.

"Nice to finally meet you, ma'am." He said, his purple eyes sparkling.

***

8 hours earlier...

It felt surreal walking out of the auditorium after that performance. My heart was still aching horribly but at least I was able to release some of the steam. I was glad Rush didn't ask me any questions before and after the show because I honestly didn't know how to feel about him.

One of the most painful part of Hunter's betrayal? It made me doubt the friendship I formed with his friends as well.

Were all their kindness part of the grand plan to make me fall in love? Did they really consider me as a real friend? My heart shouted yes but my mind was doubtful. I hated feeling so torn because it made me feel shitty to doubt the people who had done nothing but be good to me.

I kept on wishing that this was all just an extra-realistic nightmare, that any second now, I would finally wake up to a world where Hunter could truly love me, without the schemes and bets and pranks.

My heart ached at the thought of Hunter. He deserved an Oscars Best Actor award for this because it all felt so true to me. It felt so real that even until now, my heart still couldn't accept the fact that I'd just been played.

My miserable thoughts were interrupted when someone blocked my path.

"I didn"t know you can play violin." Cain said with all seriousness. He stood straight from casually leaning on a wall. I wasn't exactly sure why he felt the need to ambush me here. Maybe he still wasn't satisfied with what he did. Maybe he was here to rub the humiliation in my face.

"I'm tired, Cain. I don't have time for this." I said, not even bothering to hide the exhaustion in my voice.

"You were great back there."

"Thanks." I said coldly as I brushed past him. I didn't want anything to do with him. I didn't have the strength to deal with shady boys with questionable intentions right now. I've had enough hackers, bad boys, and spawns of satan for the day.

"Go on a date with me tonight." I heard him say.

I stopped walking because I just couldn't believe what I heard. The sheer audacity of this nincompoop was unbelievable. After the stunt he pulled earlier, it would take a gun to the head before I accept that shameless invitation.

"Any other impossible request you want me to grant?" I said sarcastically.

"It's not a request." He walked closer to me. "You still owe me a date."

The nerve of this man!

"I don't owe you anything."

Cain let out a patronizing smile as he took one step closer to me.

"Yes, you do."

I wanted to pull my hair out of my scalp from frustration. Why couldn't these boys just give me a freaking break? Hello? I was heartbroken and humiliated, I at least deserved a quiet night away from these assholes.

"Weren't you listening to a single word Hunter said earlier which, by the way, you accidentally broadcasted in the whole school?" I put an emphasis on the word accidetantally to let him know I wasn't fooled by his evil machinations. "I am nothing to him. You will never be able to use me against him. So now, please do me a favor and disappear from my life."

I started walking away. I was so done with everyone today.

"I'm sorry."

I stopped on my track when I heard what Cain said. I looked back at him, one eyebrow raised.

Were my ears playing tricks on me?

He ran his tongue over his lip piercing and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Look, I know I've been such an asshole to you for no acceptable reason." He started.

"Exceptional observation skills you have there." I said, sarcasm laced in every word.

A ghost of a smile played on his lips, looking both amused and annoyed at my sarcasm.

He stepped closer to me and I almost took a step back when he lowered his head so we were face to face.

"I want to make it up to you." His silver eyes were twinkling with a challenge. I could smell the cool scent of his cologne and it felt like it was seducing me to say yes. Cain's eyes dropped to my lips and a dangerous smile played on his. "This doesn't have anything to do with Dean..." He murmured huskily. "I just want to spend time with you."

I didn't like Cain. I was sure of that. But there was just something so deliciously appealing about him. If Hunter was a jigsaw then Cain was a Sudoku puzzle. Both of them were difficult and annoying.

I pushed his face away from me and glared at him.

"Stop acting all sexy and mysterious. It won't work." I said.

He stood straight and smirked.

"What can I do? It comes naturally on me."

I rolled my eyes and sigh.

He was right. Our agreement to go on a date had nothing to do with Hunter. I was the one who made the promise to him and the thought of breaking my promise just because of what happened didn't sit well with me. I had to take responsibility for my own actions.

"Fine." I said. "Let's go on a date tonight."

***

4 hours earlier...

"You're crazy." Shawn lectured as he watched Sophie put makeup on my face.

From the mirror, I saw Sophie rolled her eyes at Shawn.

"Do you prefer she stay all alone in her room the whole night, wallowing in self pity and shame?" Sophie challenged.

Shawn glared at her.

"She wouldn't be alone. I'll stay with her. We'll watch Star Wars episode III." He said indignantly.

Sophie carefully swiped the lip tint's brush on my lips before giving Shawn a pointed look.

"Right. As if you haven't watched that for like a hundred and eighty times already."

Shawn's cheeks turned red.

"Fifteen times! We've only watched it fifteen times!" Shawn said defensively.

"My point exactly." Sophie said.

Shawn looked at me incredulously, like he couldn't believe I allowed an ex-cheerleader inside my room, much more get in the way of our Friday night tradition.

I gave him an apologetic look through the mirror.

"Sorry, Shawn. I want to get this thing with Cain be over as soon as possible." I explained.

"I don't trust him." Shawn said.

"Me neither but you gotta admit he's hot." Sophie said as if that settled everything.

"He's creepy." Shawn insisted.

"Mysterious is the right word." Sophie answered again.

Shawn stood up.

"He's Hunter's mortal enemy!"

Sophie stopped fixing my mascara. She faced Shawn and put both hands on her waist, glaring at him.

"Hunter is a fool and he needs to be taught a lesson! Can't you see? It's like hitting two birds in one stone. Hunter needs to realize that Sky's life won't stop just because he hurt her, and Cain needs to know that he messed with the wrong girl. This is a genius move by Skylar so stop being such a killjoy!"

I was stunned. I wasn't really thinking about all those things when I agreed to go on a date with Cain. I just wanted to be done with our agreement. But what Sophie said made a lot more sense. Why would I let myself be miserable just because of a boy who never loved me in the first place? Why would I waste one night of my life crying for him when I could go out and have fun?

"Wow. You girls are scary." Shawn said, shaking his head.

Sophie went back to fixing my face.

"For the record, I don't actually believe a single word Hunter said in that broadcast." She said in an irritated tone. "Doesn't change the fact that he's an asshole, though."

I chose not to answer that. Hope was a dangerous thing. It would only make the pain worse in the end.

I closed my eyes and let Sophie do the finishing touches on my face. I was glad she came here to help me prepare for my date even on such a short notice. She was the only girl friend that I could turn to right now. Thinking of Heather, Pen and Natalie made me want to cry again. I missed them.

"Done." Sophie announced after a while.

I opened my eyes and looked at my reflection in the mirror. There had been no dramatic change in my face, thank, God! I still looked like me but Sophie managed to make me look radiant and fresh despite the state I was in earlier. My hair was arranged in soft curls, framing my face. Sophie made me wear a black tube top under a denim jacket, skinny jeans, and black high heeled boots. I couldn't believe it, but I actually looked chic and sexy in this outfit.

Sophie gave me a satisfied smirk.

"Girl, if Hunter can see you right now, that bitch's gonna regret ever making you cry."

I smiled at what she said.

"Thank you." I told her.

She winked at me.

"Anytime." She then glanced at Shawn and raised one eyebrow at him. "What can you say, Montgomery?"

Shawn rolled his eyes at her and walked towards me. He put one arm over my shoulder and smiled.

"You look beautiful, Sky." He said.

I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for being here, Shawn."

A knock on my room's door made us all jump. My dad entered the room looking like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Skylar, there's a maserati in front of our house!" He announced in panic. "And there's a boy who is not Hunter Cole claiming he's your date! Why are you going on a date with a boy that is not Hunter? I don't understand?"

"Dad, calm down." I said, super embarrassed by my dad's outburst. "He's just a friend and it's just a casual date." I explained.

"But he's not Hunter?"

Sophie giggled silently beside me. I frowned.

"Am I only allowed to go on a date if it is with Hunter?" I said, annoyed. I blamed Hunter for ruining other men for me and my parents! How dare him include my parents in his schemes!

My dad noticed I was upset so he instantly backtracked.

"Of course not! My princess is allowed to cheat with any boy she wants!" He said.

"Dad!" I protested while Shawn and Sophie laughed.

We all went downstairs. Dad was still murmuring under his breath, talking about teenage girls and their playful hearts. Great. Now my dad thought I was two timing Hunter.

Cain was with my mom, sitting on our couch like our home belonged to him. My mother was eyeing him with a mix of fascination and confusion on her face.

Cain stood up when he saw me.

"Good evening, Sky." He smiled.

He was wearing a simple gray shirt under a black leather jacket, jeans and boots. I was annoyed at the fact that our outfits almost matched.

"We're going." I said, not bothering to formally introduce him to everyone.

"I'll take care of your daughter." Cain said as he respectfully nodded to my parents.

"You better." Shawn said in an almost threatening way.

Cain regarded him coldly and smirked. "Of course."

Sophie and Shawn went ahead of us. Shawn said he'd stay home tonight (He and Natalie had a little fight earlier because of what happened between me and Hunter) while Sophie had a date with Kenji.

I kissed both my parents good bye.

"Love you, princess." My dad said then his weary gaze flew to Cain. "Have fun with... Not Hunter."

My mom threw me a loving smile.

"Be careful." She said.

I nodded.

I certainly would.

***

3 hours earlier...

"Where are we going?" I asked. It was my first time riding a Maserati and I didn't imagine it would be this uncomfortable. It felt so awkward being alone with Cain.

He glanced at me.

"Do you have a place in mind?"

"Anywhere without you is fine."

Cain let out a deep chuckle.

"That won't do." He murmured, smiling to himself.

I let out a fake sigh.

"Fine. Your call, then."

"You sure about that?" There was something intriguing about the way he asked the question. It was as if he was challenging me to refuse. I remembered Sophie telling Shawn how I should prove to Cain that he messed with the wrong girl. Maybe I should tonight.

"Yes." I said firmly.

We drove downtown until we reached an unremarkable establishment. It looked like a bar that had been closed down for a while. It was in the middle of an old bookshop and a record store. It was the kind of building I would passed by during day time without even noticing.

"We're here." He announced. He parked the Maserati in front of the building and I noticed several luxury cars were also parked nearby.

"What's this place?" I asked curiously. We were in a quiant street but there was something eerie about the silence. It felt so unnaturally still.

"You'll see." Cain said as he stepped out of the car and opened the car door for me.

We walked towards the entrance of the establishment. A young man wearing a black hoodie threw us a bored look.

"Password?" He said, stifling a yawn.

"Nihil." Cain simply said.

The man gestured towards a dilapitated door and Cain started to walk towards it. I ran to keep up.

"What's this? This isn't some kind of a cult hideout, is it?" I asked nervously. We entered into a long and dark hallway. Only lights coming from the candles on the wall illuminated the way. The wooden floor creaked under our boots each step and I couldn't help but step closer to Cain out of fear.

Did this jerk bring me to a haunted house?

As if sensing my fear, I heard Cain chuckle. He reached for my hand and pulled me closer to him.

"Relax." He said, his voice sounded melodic in the dark. I felt his other hand snaked around my waist, his silver eyes staring at me intensely. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

I lightly pushed him away.

"Hands off, loverboy." I said, giving him a sharp look.

He dropped his hands and smiled innocently. It was so annoying that his face looked so stunning in candle lights.

We reached the end of the hallway and was greeted by a narrow staircase that led underground. It was so dark that I couldn't make out what was downstairs.

"Is this where you're going to brutally mutilate me? Cause it definitely looks like the perfect place." I told Cain, starting to feel really creeped out by this place. It was supposed to be a date, not a test of courage!

"Has anyone ever told you how morbid you are?" Cain laughed. He held my hand and led the way down the stairs. I was too scared that I didn't attempt to pull my hand from his hold.

A heavy metal door waited at the bottom of the stairs. It was a plain black metal door with no door knob or any decoration whatsoever aside from a small screen right in the middle. Cain put his hand on top of the screen and to my amazement, the door opened automatically.

"Oh." I whispered under my breath.

Loud music instantly assaulted my ears the moment the door opened.

We were greeted by two heavily muscled men, both wearing black tshirt and jeans. The word BOUNCER was printed on their shirts. Behind them was a black curtain that hid what I was now sure was a freaking nightclub in the middle of nowhere.

I shot Cain an incredulous look.

"You brought me in a club on my first date?"

Cain smirked devilishly.

"Technically." He said.

"I'm a minor!" I said through gritted teeth.

I didn't plan to break any laws tonight!

Cain shrugged as if that was an insignificant fact.

"We won't be drinking here." He said as he stepped forward. I had no choice but to follow.

I expected the two bouncers would stop us and demand for our IDs but they didn't. Instead, they gave Cain a respectful bow and opened the curtain for us.

My eyes widened at the scene in front. We were in what seemed to be the most exclusive and high end club in the country. The place was dim and only illuminated by the blinking lights coming from the gigantic screen on stage and laser lights. People wearing designer outfits from head to toe gathered around the elevated stage, dancing and cheering.

"Oh my God. Is that The Weeknd?" I exclaimed upon seeing who was performing on stage.

"Hmm." Cain nodded. "Do you like him?"

"I do!" I shouted so that he could hear me over the booming sound coming from the speakers. "How did you know he will perform here?"

I was so excited and thrilled. It was my first time ever to attend a party and it felt extra special since one of my favorite artists was the special guest! How cool was that?

"It's my private party. We own this place."

My jaw literally dropped.

"Seriously?"

I already knew Cain's family was filthy rich so this revelation shouldn't have surprised me but it still came as a big shock. The Weeknd's talent fee was no joke! To have him perform in a private party would cost a fortune.

Instead of answering, Cain pulled me forward. The sea of people parted for him. A lot of beautiful and sophisticated girls in the crowd shouted greetings at him. He just waved at them and continued until we were right below the stage. I gazed up stage in wonder. It was unbelievable. The Weeknd was so near me that if I stretched my hand, I would be able to touch him! I was just watching his music video the other night and now he was in front of me.

I gripped Cain's arm beside me.

"Tell me this isn't a dream." I said breathlessly.

"You're not dreaming, Sky..." He said in his deep, husky voice I could hear clearly amidst the noise. I could feel his heavy gaze on me but I refused to look away from the Weeknd, afraid he'd disappear if I so much as blink. "But maybe I am." Cain added in a whisper.

I didn't know what he meant by that and I was too distracted to ask. I was having the time of my life, jamming to the Weeknd's music.

"This is amazing!" I shouted as I let myself be swayed by the dancing crowd. "Thank you for bringing me here!"

Cain watched me in amusement.

"The pleasure is mine." He said.

"Do you think he'll sign my shirt if I ask?"

The music, combined with the cheers of the crowd, was so loud that I wasn't able to clearly hear Cain's answer but I thought it was something along the lines of:

"He'll do whatever I pay him to do."

The performance lasted a good thirty minutes and I could say that those thirty minutes was the highlight of my week. It actually managed to make me forget every single unfortunate thing that happened to me during the day.

"Did you have fun?" Cain asked as he led me towards one of the expensive looking couches at the side of the dance floor.

"Yes! I love him!" I exclaimed as I sat on the red, velvet couch.

Cain sat on the couch opposite me so we were face to face with only a small table between us.

"Good. I'd hope he'd put you in a friendly mood before I ask you this question."

The smile instantly vanished from my face. I knew there was a catch to this.

I shot him a sharp look.

"How neat. Using the Weeknd to bribe me, huh?"

Cain crossed his legs and smiled.

"I'm a businessman. I call it investment."

"Right. What do you want?"

Cain dropped his gaze to my arm. I looked down to see what caught his attention and was surprised to see he was checking out the bracelet I was wearing... the bracelet Hunter gave me. I still didn't have the heart to throw it away.

"What do you know about Cerberus?"
Cain asked. He was all business now.

We were inside a noisy club with hundreds of people shouting and dancing around but I had never felt so alone in my life.

I remembered what Hunter told me about the virus he created, Cerberus. That night, Hunter assured me that he got rid of all traces of it. I sure hoped it wasn't just another part of his lies.

I saw a waiter passing by in front of our table and stopped him to get a drink on the tray he was holding. I drank the content of the glass without asking what it was. It didn't taste that bad. In fact, it tasted like orange and pineapple with just a little sting. I gave Cain a hard look. If I had to talk to him about the boy who broke my heart, then I'd better get myself drunk.

"The only thing I know about it is that it's dangerous and that Hunter did the right thing when he got rid of it."

Cain's lip tipped upward. His eyes were fixed on me, watching my every move.

"He will never be able to get rid of it just like he will never be able to get rid of the sins he committed."

I felt the chill of his words and it resonated within me.

"What are you talking about?"

Cain leaned forward and put both of his arms on his knees.

"Do you know that Hunter has a photographic memory?"

Cain let out a satisfied smirk upon seeing the look of surprise on my face.

"Dean remembers every codes he used, every keys he clicked, everything he saw."

My mind went back to that night Hunter went to our house for the first time. He told me he had trouble sleeping and hadn't had a good night sleep for a while. Was it because of all those information he couldn't forget? All those memories his mind were forcing him to remember even if he didn't want to?

"I'm sure, with the right motivation, Dean can recode Cerberus."

I didn't like the way Cain said those words. It came a little off. What motivation was he talking about?

"Why do you want it so much, anyway? You own an antivirus company, for goodness' sake!"

Cain's face hardened.

"All of the progress we made over the years were destroyed when Dean sold us to the CIA. We need Cerberus to create the perfect anti-virus."

I squared my shoulders.

"And how do you plan on making Hunter do that?"

"My plan was to use you, of course. All I need to do is send Dean a picture showing you're in danger or something and I'm sure he'll come running over here to save you. You'll be free to go once I had him here. My men will handle Dean from thereon."

He said all those terrible things as if he was proposing a business transaction, not at all like what it really was: kidnapping, blackmail and torture.

"Are you for real? My parents knew I am with you! If something happened to me, don't you think you'll be the first one who will get in trouble?"

Cain only rolled his eyes.

"Nothing will happen to you, Sky. I won't let anyone hurt you."

I let out a laugh.

"You're an idiot! I am nothing to Hunter! He won't come here for me!
How many times do I have to tell you?"

I stood up. I was done talking to this asshole! It was time for me to get the hell out of here. I wouldn't let anyone use me to win games. No, not anymore. Besides, I was sure he was just playing a one player game. Why would Hunter care about me? If he was smart, he'd just report Cain to the police the moment Cain send him a picture of me. His plan was stupid to the core. I was so embarassed to be even near this D-class villain.

"If you're nothing to him then explain to me why he put a tracker in that bracelet he gave you?"

That made me stop. I glanced back at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Cain stood up and walked towards me. He took my hand and raised it in front of me.

"I have to give it to Dean. That motherfucker is always one step ahead of me. He knew I'd come to you first so he made precautions." He murmured. His eyes traveled to my face. "It was just a plan, Sky. I didn't say I'll go on with it, tonight. Please, stay."

I jerked my hand away from his hold. I refused to look at his face because I was afraid to see the same plea I heard from his voice.

"No, I'm sorry but I need to get away from you and all your evil plans for a while."

I ran away from him.

I looked around and tried to exit the same way we entered but before I could do so, the two bouncers blocked my path.

"You don't have access to the gate, Ms." Said the bigger one.

"Fine! Where are the other exits, then?" I demanded.

"Mr. Moriarty gave us intructions not to let you leave this place alone."

"Great."

Fine. If I couldn't leave this place, I'd better just enjoy the hell out of it. I didn't want to think about anything tonight. I didn't want to let myself hope that Hunter really did care for me just because of this stupid bracelet I couldn't let myself get rid of. What better way to forget than to take advantage of all the booze?

I walked towards the bar.

***

Present...

Cain took me in a VIP lounge at the back of the club and deposited me in a couch.

"Are you okay?" He asked. His face was guarded but I could feel the concern in his voice.

I nodded as my eyes flew to Archer, who followed us here in the room. His resemblance to his younger brother was undeniable now that I could finally see him in bright lights. Even his eyes were the same shade of purple. He looked to be in his early twenties. He had four piercing in both of his ears and his right arm was covered with tattoos. Surprisingly, he didn't look like a delinquent. In fact, he had a very angelic face and seemed to be surrounded with gentle light, so very unlike Hunter's devilish aura.

"Why would you leave her all alone by herself in a place like this?" Archer questioned Cain.

Cain's face hardened.

"Shut up, Archer. I didn't leave her."

"Really? Because she seemed very much alone when I saw her." Archer continued. He put the bottle of Heneiken he was holding on the table and sat at the chair opposite me, still giving Cain a disappointed look.

"Uhm, C-cain's right." I butt in. "He didn't leave me. I left him."

Archer looked at me and gave me a warm smile.

"Can't blame you." He said.

I was too mesmerized to think of any response. He was just too cool. He was like the gentler, more mature version of Hunter.

His eyes focused on Cain. "My beloved little brother asked me come here." He took a swig from his bottle of beer.

"I wonder why." Cain answered coldly.

Archer chuckled.

"To give you this." Archer threw a silver, metallic thing at Cain.

Cain caught it easily.

"What's this?"

"A gift from my little brother."

Cain gave Archer a suspicious look. He looked at the USB on his hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" I couldn't help but ask.

Archer looked at me and smiled.

"He named it Persephone. The antivirus specifically coded to counter Cerberus."

Cain's eyes widened.

"He did it..." He murmured. I saw him gripped the USB in his hand.

Archer's face turned deathly serious as he regarded Cain.

"I can no longer allow you to hold Hunter accountable for everything that happened in the past." Archer stood up and walked towards where Cain was sitting. "My brother did what he did to save his friends... Especially you and Maria."

Cain shot Archer an incredulous look. He stood up and stared at the older guy with silent fury in his eyes.

"He did what he did to save himself!" Cain said through gritted teeth.

Archer remained calm and impassive.

"If Hunter didn't reveal some restricted information about Moriarti Tech to the CIA, the CIA would have revealed to the media that it was your company that funded the creation of Cerberus."

Cain's face contorted in shock. Archer smiled, satisfied with the reaction.

"What do you think will happen if the public finds out that the leading antivirus company was behind the conception of the world's most dangerous computer virus, huh?"

Cain seemed like he lost the ability to speak. He stood there in silence as he gripped the USB in his hand.

"Hunter took the fall to save all of you." Archer said matter of factly. There was no hint of deception and drama in his voice, just pure truth. "My brother will never be able to choose what he wants to do with his life because he will forever be tied to the CIA to pay for the sins you committed together."

I felt my heart constrict upon hearing that. I knew it. I knew Hunter would never betray his friends but I never realized how heavy the burden he had to carry just to save them.

"Hunter didn't want you guys to know. He's not planning to reveal any of this to you but since seeing you act like a fucking villain in some kind of a B-list show annoys the hell out of me, I just had to show you how fucking dumb you look right now."

For a moment, Archer looked exactly like Hunter's mischievous self. But his expression turned back to being angelic in a split second.

We were all quiet for a while. Cain was still dumbfounded while I was just speechless. I knew the revelation didn't have anything to do with me but I strongly felt I deserved to know everything too. And despite how big this revelation might be, it only made me question everything more. Why did Hunter kept big secrets like that? Why did he has to keep everyone in the dark? Why did he let people hate him instead of telling them the truth? Why did he have to suffer alone?

The silence was broken when Archer let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh, man. Hunter is going to kill me for this." He said in between laughs. He looked at me and winked. "You're not going to rat me out on him, are you?"

I shook my head defensively.

It was stupid, but I felt so starstrucked seeing Hunter's older brother in flesh. I knew Hunter had two older brothers, Holder and Archer, but I'd never seen one this close before. Just like his parents, the two of them were artists. Holder was a painter and Archer was a sculptor. They studied overseas in some prestigious art school so they were always away.

"That looked good on you, by the way." Archer pointed at the bracelet in my arm and I couldn't help but blush. He was the one who made the charms.

"T-thank you." I said.

"I wondered why Hunter put a tracker in those." He glanced at Cain and shrugged. "Now I know."

He stepped away from Cain and headed towards the door.

"If you tell Hunter I told you his secret..." Archer looked back at Cain and smiled. "I'm going to break every bone in your body."

"Where's Dean?" Cain asked, he sounded defeated.

Archer stopped walking.

"Hunter went back to DC."

***

A/N

I missed Hunter :(

Two more chapters to go until the end.
The next chapter and one bonus chapter will be published next Saturday. Hang in there.

Your votes, comments and feedback are very much appreciated.