Leonardo

We waited for her in the room—it had been almost an hour since we saw her at the dining table with her conniving mother. I couldn't speak for Maximus, but I felt an overwhelming urge to rush there and drag her here—I wanted to do fucking nothing but that. Take her away from that scheming whore of a woman. It puzzled me, this sudden intensity, considering I'd always tried convincing myself that Maya was nothing but like her mother—manipulative, deceitful, and repugnant.

Well…Both Maximus and I attempted to believe it, but every day since she arrived at the pack, that belief became increasingly difficult to hold onto.

Everything became fucking difficult after she came into our lives.

"Is that what she's been up to this whole time? Conspiring with her damn mother whenever we're not around?" I found myself asking Maximus, who had been silent since this started. "What do you think? Are the mother and daughter duo planning something behind our backs?"

"It's possible, considering they make quite the team," Maximus chuckled casually, puffing away at his cigarette. I poured myself a glass of whiskey, raising it to my lips; the bitter taste offered only a shred of solace.

Damn it! I felt like I was losing my mind.

Fuck this shit!

I had no damn hope for that fucking girl, knowing she was likely to inherit her mother's nature. But this situation was driving me insane—I couldn't keep my thoughts straight. Like for real, it was getting out of my hands.

"A team?" I scoffed. "I'll destroy that damn team if she even thinks of going against us. She's run her mouth too much for my liking; I might just shut it for her today and fucking break it.”

"You really didn't expect that, did you?" Maximus chuckled bitterly as if he'd foreseen it; I was certain he hadn't, although he might have suspected it a little, which wasn't entirely wrong.

"And you're speaking as if you've been expecting it," I took another sip from the whiskey, finding it offering little solace. Eventually, I pushed the glass aside and started drinking directly from the bottle.

"You can't afford to get drunk, Leo. You know alcohol will fuck you up," Maximus cautioned.

"I'm not spending the day here anyway. I'd rather be at the office than stay here and see her face! It drives me crazy! It makes me want to do things I don't want to do!"

"Take it easy, Leo. I wanted you to face reality, but not like this."

"I'm calm, Max," I muttered, taking another hefty gulp, and slumping into the chair. Restlessness brewed inside me, untamed and wild. "If I wasn't calm, I'd have already stormed over there and dragged her back here. You know me—I don't care about the consequences when I've lost it."

"And I'm sure if you keep drinking, you will lose it," he remarked, tossing a cigarette and lighter my way. I caught them with my left hand. "Here, take this. At least, this won't mess you up."

"This won't be enough for me, you know."

"Make it enough for now because we have to fucking face her once she gets here. You don't want her to realize she has the upper hand, do you? That’d just make it easy for her.”

"Fine," I relented, setting the bottle aside and lighting the cigarette, drawing in a long drag. The burn in my lungs and the ashy flavor engulfed me. It would have tasted better if Maya were here before my eyes.

There was something peculiar about her face, that I loathed admitting. But whenever she was in my thoughts, everything seemed better—even the mere sensation of air in my lungs or the sight of her eyes that often exuded innocence, though they were anything but innocent.

She was an enigma. Beautiful and cruel indeed.

How could she maintain such a facade without it ever cracking?

But was it really a facade, or was there something more beneath the surface?

It couldn't be anything else... could it? No, it couldn't.

Maya had to be like her damn mother. It was the only explanation I could accept.

“You know I was thinking about it for quite a while—how do we kill her if she doesn’t take the step by herself?” Maximus’s voice suddenly rang out through the empty room.

He had to be fucking kidding me. Why did he have to bring this up now, when I was barely holding it together?

I swear to god. If he weren’t my brother—I’d have killed him today.

“Hang her by ourselves,” I managed to let out, the words leaving my mouth felt sharp against my own throat, “That’s the ultimate option.”

"You really think that's the way we can take without facing any problems?" Maximus chuckled, taking a drag and leaning against the wall beside the window. The clear sky outside offered a contrasting view to our troubled thoughts. "I doubt it."

"Then what's the fucking plan? What do you want to do? Tell me! Keep her alive and abandon our goals?" I snapped, irritation lacing my words. "You're confusing the hell out of me. What exactly do you want?"

"I want her gone. Fucking dead. But I'm unsure how long we'll stick to our decision. It's getting tougher by the day. We need to act fast, push her buttons, and make her take the step before it's too late and we hesitate ending up changing our mind," he explained. "Speed is key, Leo."

He had a point, but I needed to voice something.

"She's not Mom, Max," I found myself saying. "Mom loved Dad and she wasn't conniving. She never aimed to exploit Dad; she stayed because she genuinely cared. She fucking loved him. But Maya, she's not like her. She's Morgana's reflection, meant to be twisted. Our actions won't faze her. She's focused solely on her own agenda. She is fucked up, just like that whore.”

"You're right, but she didn't seem unfazed by what we did..." His voice trailed off, subdued.

"She knows how to put on a fucking show, Max. Remember what you said? Overthinking won't get us anywhere—don’t think about it too much.”

"I suppose you're right again," he sighed, taking another drag, his gaze fixed on the sky. "Let's see what she has planned with her dear mother once she arrives."

"I'll get her to spill it out—I've had enough of her games."

As I finished speaking, the sound of the elevator door opening cut through the air, followed by her distinctive scent. She had arrived.

This had to be fun……