Chapter 3 Night and Death

Chloe's POV

I was grabbed by my cheek, and I was surprised when the man holding me pushed me down. I couldn't stop myself from crying because of the pain of the man slapping me.

"Will you still deny it?" the man who slapped me said as he knelt in front of me. With anger in his eyes, he gripped my cheek tightly with one of his hands. "Don't pretend you don't know us because no matter what evasion you do, you will not deceive us," he said as he violently let go of my cheek.

My body was so weak because of the fear of what they could do to me. I'm not sure, and I'm perplexed by what they said because I've never committed a major sin, particularly against them. I have nothing to do now but cry and show that I am a very weak woman. I'm not a strong woman. Yes, I am brave but not in this situation.

"Boss, it looks like she doesn't know; I think that woman has amnesia and can't recognize us,"  one of his colleagues said as I remained hunched over. No, I don't have amnesia. All my life I have never had amnesia and what the man claims is untrue.

"He was right, if she knew us, I'm sure she would have done an act earlier and tried to kill us, but look at her now, boss, she's begging us not to hurt her. She's different from what we know," another of his companions explains.

I heard the loud laughter of their called boss so I looked up at him. "Then it would be easier for me to kill you," he said, pointing the gun he was holding at me. I wanted to open my mouth to speak, but I felt as if I had exhausted my ability to defend myself. I couldn't believe I was on the verge of death now. I don't know why they said I was the one they were looking for.

"I never imagined I'd be able to kill you so easily." I immediately covered my ears and eyes when I heard a gunshot. I assumed that was the end of my life, but I felt as if no bullet had struck my body.

"Fuck! Kill him!" yelled the man who had earlier pointed a gun at me. I screamed when a series of gunshots I could hear and just stayed in my seat while praying for my survival. Why am I in this situation now?

When I tried to open my eyes, I was surprised when someone pushed my hair up, causing me to cry out in pain, as if my hair would be separated from my scalp. The man wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pointed his gun sharply at my head.

"Let her go!" My eyes widen as I look at Axel, who is staring at us with an angry expression on his face. Axel held a gun and pointed it at us. The three male companions of the man who was holding me were already lying down and bathed in their blood. 

"Who are you to order me around?! Why should I let go of this woman who will lift me from my chaotic life by murdering her?!" he shouted angrily. It was as if my head would explode in confusion because of all the lies the man was imposing on me.

"I said let her go or you will regret that your gun is now pointed at my wife." I couldn’t believe what Axel said. For the first time, he called me wife.

The man just laughed. "You'll be the first to die." he pointed his gun at Axel but in an instant, I just felt the man behind me faint after a gunshot. I slowly turned my back but I was startled when I heard two gunshots and they hit the man who was now lying on the floor. I covered my mouth with my palm and weakly sat down on the floor. All my life, only now have I witnessed such a scenario that my will can't accept. Do I have to blame myself for them ending up thinking I was the woman they were looking for? Just because of me someone lost not just one but four lives.

Axel rushed over to me, and I just kept crying, as if tears wouldn't stop falling from my eyes.

"Damn, are you alright? Do you feel any hurt?" he asked, concerned, and checking me if I had any wounds until he swore again when he saw my hand. "Fuck, they hit you?!" he said frustrated. But I still couldn't speak because of my sobbing. He was referring to the wound on my hand, which had begun to bleed as a result of the broken glass I had touched earlier. But I can't feel the pain here even if the wound is quite big. Maybe it's because of what happened, and I'm numb from the intense fear I'm experiencing.

"Answer me, Chloe!" Axel couldn't stop himself from yelling, But then he grabbed and hugged me. My wailing only grew louder as a result of what he did. He was rubbing my back, assuring me that everything would be fine.

"I'm already here and no one will hurt you anymore." I could tell by the tone of his voice that he cares about me. Now I just get the impression that he's worried about me again. I never imagined he'd be able to kill those men without hesitation to save me.

He drew back from hugging me and touched my cheek to wipe away my tears. "We need to get out of here. It is no longer safe for us to stay here," he explained and he helped me stand up. I took a deep breath to soothe myself from crying but before I could step on my feet I grabbed his hand holding me to restrain him. His eyebrows met as he looked at me as if asking a question.

"Axel, I have to go to Levine's room first so we can take her with us to leave," I said, but before I could take a step, he stopped me, which confused me. We can't leave Levine here. We must have her with us on our departure.

"She is not in her room," he replied causing my head to knit.

"Then, where she is? Do you know where she went?" I asked but he just averted his eyes from me as if something bad had happened. Suddenly I felt another nervousness that I could not explain why I felt it. She's safe, isn't she? Why doesn't Axel answer me? What's his problem?

"Axel, please answer me. Where is Levine?!" I asked repeatedly, raising my voice. He took a deep breath and stared at me. I was unsettled and didn't appear to want to hear what he had to say.

"She's dead, Chloe," he said briefly, and I was taken aback by what I heard. My heartbeat quickened, and my tears flowed once more. It was as if I was out of breath and didn't want to get caught up in what he was saying.

My head shook. "No, that's not true. Axel, tell me where the hell she is! Tell me you're just lying!" I yelled as I approached him, barely shaking him. She can't be dead.

"She's in the garden," he replied as he stared at me deeply in my eyes, but I quickly passed him and couldn't help but hit him on the shoulder. I went to the garden where Levine used to entertain herself. When I arrived in the garden to look for Levine, I rolled my eyes around, hoping Axel was just lying. But I shivered when I saw a body lying on the grass, and I recognized her; it was Levine.

"L—Levine?" Almost no voice came out of me when I noticed she was bloody. I knelt beside her and stared at her intently. Anger overwhelmed me because of the tragedy that had befallen her. How could they kill someone like her who had done nothing wrong to them?

Now, one of my closest friends, my only sibling, has died. She is, indeed, my sister, but she is only my half-sister. I kept Levine a secret from my Mom because I didn't want my parents' relationship to deteriorate. Mom does not want to relive the agony she felt when Dad betrayed her. So I secretly helped Levine since she came in as a helper to me, but I never considered her as a maid. I was sorry I didn't tell her about me, being her sister. Now, those men slaughtered her mercilessly, and it was all because of me.

"We need to go," Axel said from behind me, but I didn't look at him, instead I stared at Levine's poor face. I know that if it weren't for Axel, I wouldn't be breathing. But I can't help but blame him because if he was here, he could help us.

"I said let's go, Chloe!" He already shouted at me causing me to turn my gaze at him. When he spoke, it was as if he had nothing to care about with what happened to Levine. He knew about Levine and how important she was to me.

"No, I will not leave her. You can leave if you want, and if you can, don't come back again. Just spend all your time with Stella. That's what you want, isn't it? So, what are you waiting for?" I said, holding my anger. He gave me a glare that shut me up.

"This is not the right time to talk about that! I will call someone to take her body! So don’t be stubborn, Chloe, because it’s dangerous if you stay here longer!" No matter what he says I can't just leave Levine here.

"I still won't leave my sister here!" I shouted. I saw how his jaw clenched.

"Okay, then I have no choice but to force you." I noticed he took something from the back of his pants and walked closer to me. But before I could get away from him he suddenly covered my mouth with the handkerchief he was holding until I fainted.