5. Flashback

It was a sunny afternoon; he was playing with his sister and they played hide and seek; it was his turn to hide, and he knew the one place where she wouldn't find him was in his parents' room; so he sneaked into their room; his parents were taking a nap, his Dad had his hand around his mom; he could still remember the flower petals on the gown she wore; the red roses on the quilt, not a single memory of that day had blurred, they were still inscribed in his memories. Tip-toeing gently, he found his way to the wardrobe and hid; a boyish grin on his face as he thought of a million places his younger sister would look for him in their mighty mansion.

He could still hear her distant counts; she was almost nearing ten, and he was eager to win this time; when suddenly she stops counting at eight;

Thinking she might have stopped because she wanted to get him before he finds a place to hide, he smiled to himself; she won't ever think of their parents' wardrobe. There was still a grin on his face when suddenly the doors to the room pulled open and he heard footsteps march in; four armed men, wearing all black and a mask over their faces stepped inside, then there was a clanking of heels; his brows furrowed as he wondered what they were doing in his parents' room and then he saw her;

Melinda Steels; he could never forget the smirk on her lips when she stepped into the room; she walked to where his parents lay and woke them up; his father stirred and turned to look at her;

He sat up in shock, his mom followed suit;

''Surprise! '' She said, her hands in the air and a wicked smile on her lips;

''What are you doing here?! Who are all these people who let them in? '' his father asked, seriously confused at what was happening;

''Aren't you happy to see me? '' She asked, the grin leaving her lips, buried in her eyes was extreme hate and disgust;

''What are you doing here? ''

As soon as his father asked again, a thunderous slap landed on his left cheek; making his mother shriek and tears falling from her eyes;

''I've always wanted to do that. '' Melinda said, and she swung her gloved arm in the air;

''What do you want? '' His mom cried as she rubbed on her husband's face where he was attacked;

''Can't you see? Are you blind?! I'm here to kill both of you! ''

She said walking to the couch was opposite the bed, she sat down;

''But first, I have to tell you something I want you to take to your graves. ''

''Melinda, don't be stupid, you are making a grave mistake'' His father said, this time his voice was sober;

Melinda laughed wickedly; ''that shouldn't be your concern; you are a dead man already. ''

''I always wanted to be this woman; She said pointing at his mom; ''I always wanted to be your wife; Daniel. I loved you with everything in me; I got pregnant for you, so maybe you would change your mind and marry me; but no! What did you do?

You chased me and my little boy away and married this filth! Is she prettier than me? Uh? What does she have that I don't, uh? Why did you have to choose her!'' She lifted a porcelain vase that was sitting on a table beside her and threw it across the floor. It made a shattering sound as it scattered into many pieces.

''Melinda, you know that is not true, I gave you global Corporation as a compensation, and I never intended to have a child with you, you drugged me. ''

''Shut up!! '' She blared, standing up from the couch; she paced around the room for some seconds, stabling herself;

''Well, I don't need you anymore, I have your baby now; and that means, I get to own everything you have! '' She laughed hysterically; a little tear dropping from her eyes

And you know how I will do that? I will kill you both now. You may be thinking, oh! I have two kids, who would take over my companies ha-ha, sorry, I've killed them both! So you see, I'm just inches away from achieving my goal!'

She laughed again, shifting her gaze to his mom; ''You've always wanted to be with her, no problem I'll let you have her, but that would be in your grave! ''

His mother burst out crying when she heard what she just said; Liam was shuddering inside the wardrobe; he could not even move.

She had killed his sister!! Tears gathered his eyes as he bit the back of his palm trying to force them back, he could feel the metallic taste of blood on his tongue but he couldn't risk exposing himself.

He watched her dip her hand into the inside of her coat and took out a small gun;

''This gun right here, it is a paperweight, you won't even hear a sound, neither would you feel anything, until your blood fills your mouth and you drop dead. '' She raised it and removed the safety, then aimed it at his mother's head;

No matter how much he wanted to look away, he could not bring himself to. Liam sat still, watching the woman aim a gun at his mother; he was helpless, thoroughly helpless.

''Melinda, please, we can talk about this… wait… '' Not interested in what he had to say; she fired the gun, but it wasn't on her head, she had shot her in the neck.

''No!! No! What have you done? What have you done! Kiara! Kiara!! '' His father cried as he held his mom to his chest; his mom was not dead yet, it was as though the woman had intended what had happened; she intentionally shot her in the neck to make her death slow and painful;

His mom's blood flowed like the water from a loose tap; splashing on the wall, the rose-colored bed sheets turned dark red in a matter of seconds;

His father tried to stop the blood flow with his hands but it wasn't working; his mother gurgled and choked on her blood until she died in his arms;

Tears flowed from his father's eyes as he watched his wife's life seep away slowly;

''My bad; I wasn't trained to use a gun, but come on, why the tears, wasn't it epic? ''

She asked; her laughs vibrating through the room;

''Kill me and get done with it! You daughter of the Devil!'' His father screamed; his whole body soaked in his wife's blood;

''Oh yes, baby! I will do that now; '' She aimed the gun at his head;

''I hope in your next life, you make the right choice, goodbye Daniel! '' And poof the trigger went off and his father fell backward; his head fell just below the edge of the bed, which made his eyes stare straight at Nicklaus;

Blood trickled down his forehead and dropped on the ground;

''Find the boy! ''

''Yes, boss! ''

She stared at the corpses for a moment and then smiled victoriously before walking out of the room, the men following suit.

If anything should be more damaging, it was the fact that he had to stare at his parents' dead bodies for close to six hours before the police officers came by the house and rescued him.

The incident haunted him for life; he lost every person he loved, his sister, his parents, in a single day, and he had watched them die and from then onwards his life became a horror. He didn't speak for close to one years and when he finally came to himself, he was like a lifeless body walking.