AN: here's chapter 33. Enjoy, people.

TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️: very very brief mention of ALMOST s*xual abuse- Does NOT go into detail at all. But I will put a 🌸 where it starts and a 🌺 where it ends, just to be on the safe side.

Also another note: One of the characters here has a speech impairment which causes him to stutter. I will report any negative comments towards him as this is NOT something that is to be made fun of.

Lexi's POV:

I wiped the dried tears on my cheeks as the pilot's voice over the intercom declared we would be landing soon. Stephanie was shooting me sympathetic smiles, but they offered no consolation. If she'd come just a few months ago, I'd have bolted on the plane and said sayonara to my 'evil' brothers. But of course, I had to slip up and get attached. Way to go Lex.

"The couple wishing to adopt you are lovely- their names are Leo and Sam- Sam is gender-fluid by the way. They read your files so know about your past... situation and are really looking forward to having you in their family. They have one son who is a year older than you called Lucius." Stephanie explained and I half-listened.

We got off the plane and thanked the air hostesses as we went down the ladder and onto solid land. After a pretty gruelling bus ride- in which, I narrowly dodged a baby projectile vomiting on me- and a hassle to get out luggage (Stephanie had to literally fight a man who thought our suitcase was his suitcase and refused to believe otherwise. Not gonna lie, it was pretty amusing) before we finally made it to the waiting room- where my future foster family were. Oh the joy.

"Hi!" One of them waved to me excitedly from their seat. "I'm Sam, it's so nice to meet you Lexi!"

"Nice to meet you too." I responded politely, even though I really hated them at the moment for taking me away from my family. Stop it.

"I'll let you four get acquainted." Stephanie smiled tiredly and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "If they try anything, shout and I'll be here, okay?" I nodded and she squeezed my arm briefly before leaving the room, allowing the door to click softly shut behind her.

Releasing a soft sigh, I flopped in the metal chair opposite the three people, maintaining a casual facade, even though I was alert and ready to take them down in a fight if needed.

Directly opposite me was Leo- a broad, dark skinned man with a strong jaw and stormy brown eyes and closely cropped black hair. His expression was flat when he gazed at me, but his lips broke out in a small smile when he turned to his excited partner to his left. He reached over and intertwined their fingers together.

On his other side, a boy with a mop of thick blonde hair was sitting crossed-legged, eyes firmly glued to his lap. He began scratching his dry, cracked arm and I internally winced as he drew drops of blood. Leo clamped down on Lucius's arm with a firm, yet gentle grasp. From his pocket, Leo passed his son a yellow tube, which the younger boy took gratefully. I watched, slightly intrigued, as Lucius smeared some white cream up and down his arm, shoulders dropping in relief.

I finally turned to Sam, and was a little taken aback to see them staring at me intensely. I resisted the urge to shift awkwardly under their steely gaze. I got the distinct and uncomfortable feeling that they were studying me, as I was to them. I noticed three hair bands on their wrist- one green, one blue and one pink- and briefly wondered what they meant.

"It's to make it easier for people to tell what my pronouns are." Sam explained. "I know it's stereotypical to assign colours to specific genders, but it's just easier this way, to be honest."

I nodded in understanding. "That's pretty smart." We lapsed into uncomfortable silence.

It was broken by my ringtone piercing through it, like an arrow through fog. I took my phone out from my pocket.

"Hey." I said.

"Oh thank God!" Maddie practically sobbed in relief. "We were so worried when you left and didn't pick up your phone. You brothers locked themselves in the house and didn't say anything! Ace has gone, quite frankly, mad. Jackson is scared to death and Dean- YES! IT'S LEXI! WA-give me my phone back!"

"ALEXANDRA DELESCO-DELACRUZ!" Ace boomed. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"I've been adopted. Long story." I whispered, guilty I didn't inform my friends of my sudden departure. "Look, I have to go. Talk to you later, okay?" I didn't wait for a reply before ending the call.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up swiftly and smiled brightly. "Well, as lovely as it has been to meet you three, I am afraid our time has come to an end. I am quite uninterested in being adopted- I was very happy in my old home-"

"Oh we know."

I froze, my blood turning to ice in my veins as I slowly turned to face the newcomer. "What are you doing here?"

Liam put his hands up in surrender and I hated myself at that moment for flinching. A pained expression came over his face.

"Look, Lex-" He started, but I cut him off with a hard kick to his jewels. He groaned and went down like a sack of potatoes. I heard the three wince behind me. I rained blows down on Liam, letting out all my pain and frustration of the last sixteen years. I was weak before- I am not now.

To my surprise, Liam made no attempt to stop me. My punches were sloppy- driven by emotion, not logic- it would have been insultingly easy for him to defend. And... why wasn't Sam freaking out? Or Leo? Or even Lucius?

"Please Lex! Just listen!" Liam begged, face mottled with colourful bruises.

"Why?" I growled, pulling my arm back to deliver the final blow. "Why should I listen to you?"

Suddenly, a hand gently held my elbow. A quiet, fragile voice spoke. "P-p-please d-don't h-h-hurt h-him."

I froze, air leaving my lungs in quick, ragged breaths as I slowly turned to face Lucius. His head was still firmly down, but I saw a single tear trace down his cheek. My heart clenched and, with a final disgusted look at Liam, I stood up. Upon inspecting my knuckles, I realised they were bloodied and bruised, the skin cracked open, but I felt no pain.

"Give me one reason why I should listen to you." My voice sounded detached and tired.

"October twenty-eight." He whispered and I stilled, feeling like a wrecking ball had slammed into my lungs, knocking all the air and reason out of me.

🌸

"Hello little Lexi!" Isla grinned. Although this day happened nearly six years ago, I still remember it like it was yesterday.

I shirked away from her, not liking the maniacal gleam she had in her eye. I remember her saying something about it being good I was pretty- and how it would get her a lot of money. I remember seeing this man with a jagged scar on his face and reeking of alcohol. I remember the absolute fear striking me like a thunderbolt. I knew Isla was evil- but I didn't know she'd go that far.

Scar dude stalked towards me and I scrambled back, my heart thudding wildly in my chest. Deep down, I already knew what was going to happen. But I'll be dammed if I go down without a fight.

Scar gripped my wrists and smirked- something I would remember for the rest of my life. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he was suddenly ripped off me. I gasped, relief flooding in my system and I crawled away as fast as I could, unable to tear my gaze away from the harrowing scene in front.

Liam was pounding Scar to a bloody pulp, eyes lit with a dangerous fire. I'd never seen him so angry. He punched and punched and punched, not holding back. Isla screamed at him to stop, but she was too scared to actually intervene- I didn't blame her.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" He roared and Scar scrambled to obey, sprinting away as if a hundred angry lions were chasing after him.

When the front door slammed shut, I breathed out softly, still curled up in the corner. Liam turned his fiery gaze to me and softened slightly, before returning to their blazing state when he looked at Isla.

"What were you doing?!" Isla shrieked. "That brat was going to get me lots of money! Have you forgotten our agreement, Liam? You said you'd do anything!"

"Not that." Liam replied coldly. "Never that, Isla. I don't care about our agreement- pull something like that again and I'll kill you."

🌺 🌺

I blinked and looked at Liam. My mind whirred, thousands of possibilities clashing through my brain.

"You have one minute. If I don't like what you have to say, I'll kill you and blame it on them." I said in a tight voice, jerking a thumb to the duo on the bench. A brief smile tilted Liam's lips as he shakily got to his feet.

"Better make it quick then, huh?" He wheezed.

"Fifty-four seconds." I snapped, perching on the furthest seat away from Liam.

"It started a few months before we adopted you." Liam began quietly. "I remember it as if-"

"Forty-nine seconds."

"Alright! Jeez! As I was saying, you were about a year old. I knew Isla back in school- we were good friends, but when she grew up, she started to go a little crazy." He paused for a second. "She had fallen in love with your mother- your biological mother- who rejected her. I think when she found out your identity, Isla was eager to torture you because she couldn't get revenge on the woman who jilted her.

At first, I was against it, naturally. But then one day, Isla showed up at my house and demanded I help her. When I refused, s-she-" he stopped suddenly, tears streaming down his face.

"I-It's o-okay, U-u-Uncle L-L-Lee." Lucius muttered. He raised his head to meet my gaze, and I had to bite back a gasp.

The left side of his face was burned away- white, like spiders' webs- with thick veins protruding in his skin. His right eye was a dark blue, his left was light blue- borderline white.

"She threw acid on his face." Liam said hoarsely. "And every time I refused to do something for her, she would harm my family. And if she couldn't do it herself, she had her lackeys do it for her. What kind of person hurts a child?"

"You're one to talk." I said bitterly.

Liam swallowed and bowed his head. "You're right, of course. It made me sick everytime I had to hurt you. I am so sorry. I know I will never be able to make it up to you- but believe me, I won't stop trying. And besides," he let out a slightly hysterical laugh. "If I really was a crazy psycho, Sam would've beaten me up and never have let me near anywhere you."

Sam nodded. "Damn right I would."

I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut. Hot, bubbling anger frothed and swirled around in me, begging for a release, wanting to rain destruction down on Liam. Hurt him like he hurt me.

But then I glanced at Lucius, and my emotions fizzled out. Isla had wanted revenge on my mother- and she harmed many innocents to get that. Her emotions blinded her and where had that got her? Six feet under with bullets in her brains.

I did not want to end up like that.

So I let go.

I didn't forgive Liam. It was too soon. Maybe one day I will, but I will never forget what he did to me. But I also didn't want to bottle up that anger.

I nodded curtly. "Okay." Somehow, that simple word managed to convey all my emotions. A single moment of understanding passed between us.

"Thank you." Liam said, standing up and wincing slightly. "Second thing on the agenda- get you back to your family."

End of chapter 33.

I hope you guys liked it!

Stay safe and thanks for reading :)