Going Back...

(Bryce Carter's POV)

[Same night after receiving a message from Valerie]

'I think now is the time for me to get back to where I actually belong. I'm tired of all this running and hiding. Please come and take me with you tomorrow.'

Wow looks like my feisty V is becoming timid. It is no fun like this. But I love it when she stops using that useless brain of hers. I'd love to chase after her and play hide and seek with her but now is not the time. While I was a bit busy with my darling a rat came out of its nest. I have to take care of this rat before it tries to make a mess. I have to set an example this time for all these rats. I'll make them pay for trying to ruin my empire!

(End of Bryce Carter's POV)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's already 8 am and Bryce will be coming to collect his possession soon. While waiting for Bryce, Valerie realizes that she was cutting up her wrist randomly to die and couldn't feel a thing last night but now the pain of the stupidity is being a bit of a bother. She turns on her phone to check up on Bryce as her numbered moments of freedom depend on him.

(Valerie Hart's POV)

I know I have already made the decision of going back but I still don't know what I'm going to do. Going back there is not a good decision for my mental health either but still, I'm doing this. Look mom I'm trying. I won't die before letting the world know one day that you were innocent. It was me who was responsible for everything.

(ting~)

[As Valerie was pondering about the decision she made her phone lit up.]

--unknown sender--

'Valerie, I know you are curious about my identity and the option I talked about. But all you need to know right now is, you have to stay alive. I hope you have made the right decision of going back to his place as you know keeping your enemies closer is a wise thing to do. I am not your friend neither your enemy all we have in common is the same opponent.'

[Valerie hurriedly turns off her phone and puts it deep inside her bag.]

Whoever this person is they haven't wired up my house, that is all I can say from this message. They don't know if I'm going or not. But still, I am not sure whom I should believe and whom I should not.....

I'd rather choose an unknown ending than the expected captivity on Bryce's hand. If I don't do anything I would have to live with the guilt of killing my mother. If this person can help me bring justice to my mom and free me from this crappy fate of mine I would happily accept whatever they have waiting for me.

[Suddenly Valerie can hear numbers being pressed on her front door keypad and she ducks behind the sofa.]

What on earth is going on?! Why can't I have a moment of peace? Every second is getting tenser than the previous one. Who could it be? Another new character?

'Darling! I'm here!'

Ugh! that jerk! I should have thought about it. Valerie, you need to get stronger and here you are getting scared of every single thing.

'Yeah hi! I was just cleaning up a bit here.'

'You don't need to come back here. Why even bother cleaning?'

'I know but I just wanted to do something while waiting for you.'

What an obnoxious guy! Why are you so full of yourself all the time? Just because you can play with people's lives and get away with it doesn't make you powerful. Without that position of yours, you are nothing. If you weren't the heir of Simpleton Industries I'd have just put you behind the bars for things you have done. I still can't understand what I was thinking when I fell in love with you, or what was going on inside my mind when I decided to confront you about the things I heard from mom. I don't even want to think about that now.

I believe that was 'True Love' which makes people blind and takes away their rationality.

'Darling you know what, you are actually pretty smart but when you trying using that useless brain of yours too much you make things complicated.'

'I don't know what you are talking about. Let's go.'

'I love how you are trying to take initiative right now.'

[Bryce hugs Valerie tightly and kisses her.]

Yeah, do whatever you want. You can have all of this body. You have already killed my soul so it doesn't matter to me anymore. All I can feel is an undying rage inside me. You can't handle this rage. I promise we will burn together in this rage.

'Hunn you should be more active when we are playing. Don't you agree?'

'I'm still feeling a bit out of it sorry.'

'Aww really?! You will feel okay as soon as we get out of here.'

'Hmm let's go.'

You are acting as if you know why I am feeling bad. Don't even act as you know. You are making me feel sick. Your smiling face is just too much for me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Somewhere in San Fransisco in Simpleton Estate near the sea)

'It's already past 6 do you want to see go to the beach to see the sunset? It's been years since we last watched the sunset together.'

'Sorry but I'm really tired. Do you know a thing called jetlag?'

'V, don't try to provoke me. I was just trying to be nice. If you don't want then I'm never going to force you to do something against your will.'

'Hmm, I know...'

You are acting as if you are the most hopeless romantic in this world. If it was the Valerie from 4 years back she would have liked this but now I'm a different person. The Valerie who was your fiancee is long gone. You killed her with your own actions. The Valerie standing in front of you is just a shell filled with rage and the urge of getting revenge. With just a single chance I'll burn everything you cherish just like you did to me.

[Bryce leaves in the mid-conversation and Valerie is taken to her designated room.]

Really? You want to torture me in every way possible? Okay, bring it on. I don't care.

Designing this room just like our bedroom back then won't make me feel anything. I somehow want to throw away everything and ruin everything here but I can sense your schemes now. You want me to react that way. I'm sorry Bryce but I'm tired of your little schemes.

I have to focus on what I have to do next. Should I wait for that person to get in touch with me or should I proceed with my plans of searching for them? This is the thing I'm concerned about Bryce, not your petty little schemes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[At the terrace of a building that unknown message's writer is standing wearing a hoodie and covering their face. They are intently watching the empty apartment Valerie left behind. Only their back can be seen.]

"Valerie, I'm still not sure whether I should believe you or not. I'll start with a small test. The results will decide what will happen to you, will you be getting your revenge or not?..."