Chapter 3 - Temptation

"You're drunk," he uttered before pushing her back to the sofa. He sighed before standing up and messing his hair. This is bad. 

He looked down at Dianne who was clearly still under the influence. He shouldn't take advantage of her. A man should take care of a drunk woman, not take advantage of her. 

He left her there to get some spare clothes for her. After getting an oversized shirt and underwear for her, he returned to the living room but found no soul. He immediately started looking for her and upon entering the kitchen, he saw her throw a kitchen knife in his direction and he quickly dodged it as it hit the wall. 

"He cheated on me!" She cried loudly as his heartbeat was rapid from almost getting pierced by a knife through his heart. He didn't know she had the skills of an assassin. 

She grabbed another knife and he ran to her and took all the knives away. "I hate… him!" She sniffed her nose before opening the fridge. 

"Where's my chocolate drink?" Tears fell as she couldn't find any, making Silvester sigh. 

He approached her and grabbed her shoulders. "Wash your face," he sweetly said as he brought her to the sink. She vomited again before she successfully washed. 

It was hard to instruct her but she managed to change clothes by herself before depressingly leaving the bathroom and sitting on the floor. "I was engaged to him…" she murmured and his eyes widened. 

"I really thought he was the one," she said as she looked up at Silvester looking down on her. "Things could've been worse," he uttered and she sniffed. 

"He could've died and that's worse." Yeah, he's not good at helping a broken-hearted person. Instead of feeling better, guilt was seen in her eyes and she cried harder. 

"I'm so doomed!" she shouted before trying to wipe her tears. 

He managed to calm her down but she kept waking up at night to bother him or try to find food in the kitchen. He was unable to get rest. Now, she's trashing the kitchen to find fast food. "Stop." He tried grabbing the oranges from her but she didn't budge. 

He pinned her against the counter and she gulped. "I-I'm… sorry?" she unsurely said and he clenched his jaw before leaning down to have their faces aligned. 

Her eyes widened and she tried getting away but her escape path was blocked by his masculine arms, pinning her in place. He threw the orange away before he tilted his head as he examined her. "Let's go to the rooftop." 

Once they arrived, she felt a bit of fear. "You're not… going to throw me off, are you?" she asked as her drunk state is starting to subside but she still feels the headache from it. 

She knows it's bad to be with Silvester but she can't help but stay a little longer. 

She walked around and saw that the place looks like a picnic area. "Wow, you're rich," she said and he chuckled as he followed behind her looking around. 

She gasped loudly as she saw white roses. "They're so pretty!" she exclaimed in excitement. "Can I have one?" she asked as she turned around to look at him but he shook his head. She pouted before scoffing. 

"You even have fairy lights here?!" She felt young again, the excitement made her feel nostalgic. 

She was about to run off but the wires on the ground tripped her. Silvester was quick to catch her and pulled her towards him, and hugged her. "Be careful," he whispered with a smile and her heartbeat went rapidly.  

"Go away-" She tried pushing him but only made both of them fall to the ground. He felt the impact on his body but made sure to shelter Dianne. She turned red as she was on top of him. 

A few hours ago, she got cheated on. Now, she's in this position with her ex-lover. 

"Why did you leave me, Dianne?" he asked and she froze. She avoided eye contact as she clenched her jaw. He can never know under any circumstances. "Tell me, why did you leave me longing for you?" he asked and she tried stopping her tears from falling. 

"I simply didn't love you enough to make me stay." A beautiful liar protected her real reason. 

He let his grip loose, letting her sit down. He sat down as she was sitting on his lap before hugging her. "You might not remember this moment tomorrow morning, I just want to tell you…" He took a deep breath. 

"I never stopped loving you." 

Piercing pain spread across her heart as her tears fell. She couldn't help it any longer, her emotions were overflowing. Despite both their feelings shattered again, he kissed her forehead.

Why is he being nice to her? 

ON THE OTHER side of the city, Rae was caught by the syndicate. He was cornered in an alleyway with nowhere to escape. Fear consumed him as he heard loud footsteps behind him. As he turned around, a man wearing a black suit emerged as if he was the grim reaper. 

"Rae Rickson, 26 years old, fiance of Dianna Reeves, with the crime of treason and infidelity," the man with a deep voice uttered five feet away from Rae. 

"Who are you?" He trembled in fear as the man walked forward, revealing his face. 

"Someone worse than death," he uttered with a devilish grin before men dragged Rae away with a cloth covering his mouth, blocking his screams. The man who ordered the punishment laughed loudly with a grin on his face. "Hurting her means punishment worse than perishing," he said as he walked away and the only sound was his shoes stepping on the ground. 

Arriving in the underground prison, Rae was beaten and tortured for information. "Tell me, how long have you been working with the enemies?" the punisher asked but he didn't answer, earning another lash. He groaned in pain but is still fighting death. 

"Tell me the reason why you committed treason! Tell me why you cheated on the leader?!" He grew frustrated as Rae was not answering his questions. 

"Why do you care that I cheated?" For the first time, he spoke. 

"Who are you?" Rae asked, making him scoff. 

"Who am I? I'm the protector of the leader, ask for forgiveness and give us the information. I'll consider sparing you as she loved you before." He sighed heavily before wiping the blood from the lash. 

"Infidelity and treason, two birds with one stone, ey?" The punisher said before scoffing and glaring at Rae, still not over the fact about his suspicion. Even from the start, he already hated this man and knew something was off. 

"Love is dangerous, isn't it? One wrong mistake and everything is over," Rae said, receiving two more lashes. He screamed in pain as he couldn't do anything to stop the man. 

"Over for you," he said before giving the lash to someone else. He checked his phone and saw miscalls from Dianne. "Torture him till we get the information we need," he commanded before taking off his gloves and leaving the room. 

He called her in which she answered after the last ring. "Don't kill… him," she whispered lowly and his eyebrows furrowed. 

"What? Why are you whispering?" he asked in confusion. 

"Listen, Harrison. D-don't kill him, let me talk to him. I'll come b-back tomorrow," she said before hiccuping and he sensed something odd. 

"Are you drunk?!" he angrily screamed and she flinched on the other side. 

"Who are you talking with?" Harrison heard a baritone voice on the other line and his anger grew further. Before he can even react, she bids goodbye before ending the call. "Dianne- Dianne!" he screamed. 

He received a message from her saying she's fine and will be back soon but he's still worried. With no other choice, all he can do is wait for her to come back. 

"Look for Dianne," he commanded so someone can keep an eye on her in case something bad happens. Screaming was heard from a distance and it was no other than from Rae getting severely tortured. 

That is what you get for challenging the syndicate. 

BACK AT SILVESTER'S house, he was able to make Dianne sleep at last. He has been struggling to give her continuous sleep but now she's sleeping like a baby. But this feels wrong, severely. He loves his deceased wife, he wants to take revenge and find the killer, but why is he here with Dianne? 

He felt as if he was betraying his wife and the guilt was consuming him as he looked at Dianne. Should he avoid her for the sake of his dead wife? This seems too unfair for Chloe despite her being deceased. 

Whatever happens, Silvester will take revenge with or without Dianne on his side. 

"Good night, Dianne," said Silvester. The plan to find the killer tonight was ruined but he found someone who gave him peace. He put a blanket over her before closing the lights and leaving the room.

When the morning came, he went out of his room to cook breakfast for the two of them. He checked on her before and she was still there but upon finishing cooking, she disappeared all of a sudden as if it was all in his head. 

He double-checked but still nothing as if it was all a dream. He looked at the wall of his kitchen where the knife is still lodged and definitely knew she was really here but she suddenly left.

He looked inside her room and found her wallet. He smirked before looking through it. "I guess she's coming back soon," he uttered. Credit cards, debit cards, and cash. All the things she needs are here, she'll surely need to return. 

After all, maybe fate led them back together? 

He received a message from an unknown number, the same anonymous tipper that told him where the killer was last night. 

"Look within the surface, find what you seek, and don't be deceived." He clenched his jaw after reading the message.