Maya

Standing outside what they had convinced me was my room, I felt my palms grow clammy, my heart hammering against my chest, my eyes welling up, and a deluge of thoughts flooding my mind all at once.

Was I making the right decision? I couldn't be certain. There was simply no way to be certain when every little bit of my life was in chaos.

Yet, an insistent feeling stirred within me, urging me forward. I didn't grasp the potential consequences, nor did I have the faintest clue about what might unfold, but it was that undeniable itch—the one that prompts action despite knowing the risks.

It felt too early to be pregnant, especially carrying the child of two individuals who did not even care for me and only sought to harm me. No, not harm—kill me. Those monsters wanted to kill me.

Wouldn't they want to kill my child too? What if they inflicted pain on my child, passing it off as part of their twisted fucked-up revenge scheme?

Damn it! I'd come this far; I might as well confront it.

Inhaling deeply, I gently pushed the door open, their distinctive scents signaling their presence inside. I was sure they had sensed me by now. As dangerous as they were to me, my body still craved their presence—drawn to their scents and even the smallest details about them, like a moth lured to a flame. Flames destined to consume me eventually.

What was I even doing? Letting those monsters know that I was carrying their child? This child…it was no symbol of love, was it? It was rather a bitter reminder of the horror I went through.

But still…I could not feel the courage to take away its chance at life just because I never had one.

As the door swung open, their faces greeted me. Maximus stood by the open window, while Leonardo lounged in his chair, both puffing on cigarettes. A bottle of whiskey rested at Leonardo's feet.

"So, you've finally made an appearance," Leonardo spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of accusation, “Care to enlighten us about the plan you've concocted with your mother?"

Plan? What on earth was he talking about?

"What do you—" My sentence was cut short as Maximus abruptly closed the distance between us, seizing my jaw in a painful grip.

"Before you dare fucking deceive us, Maya," he spat out, his voice cold, locking his gaze with mine, "Let me make it crystal clear—we saw you having breakfast with your damn mother. So spare us from your shit and spill the fucking truth.”

So, they caught sight of my mother approaching me and concocted their own petty assumptions, as they always did—it was their trademark. They had a knack for it, but I wasn't in the mood or had the time to explain myself to them.

I desperately wanted to disclose the pregnancy and get it over with. My anxiety was already soaring through the roof already and I didn’t know what a few minutes of wait was going to do to me.

"Listen, Max... I'll explain everything later, but right now, I need to tell you something. I'm—"

"We don't give a damn about what you have to say, Maya. We don’t want to hear it!” Leonardo rose from his seat, striding towards us. He seized a handful of my hair, forcing me to meet his gaze. "But we do care about whatever scheme you and your damn mother cooked up. You two seemed deep in conversation—what plan did she fucking design against us?"

God! They didn't know how to read me at all.....

Fuck! They didn't even want to understand me. They only believed what they had seen with their own eyes.

I didn't know why their lack of trust hurt me so much when I should have anticipated it.

I should have seen this coming, shouldn't I?

"Her conversation with me had nothing to do with any of you," I breathed out.

"Really? Defending your dear mother now, are we? I thought you wanted to distance yourself from her! You didn’t want to be like her, then how come there’s a sudden change?”Maximus chuckled, positioning himself behind me. His breath grazed my neck, sending shivers down my spine and when I didn’t answer, he spoke again, “You won't spill the beans like this, will you?" His lips made contact with his mark, and an involuntary gasp escaped me as Leonardo suddenly pressed his lips against mine.

They were using that game again…

My eyelids slammed shut, and I clenched my fists at my sides. No! I couldn't allow them to do this again.

Summoning every ounce of courage I had, I forcefully tore my lips away from Leonardo's and propelled myself away from him. I wrested my waist from Maximus's grasp and distanced myself even further.

I needed to stay fucking away from them.

"I won't let you both do that to me again, do you hear me?!" I shouted, my voice quivering. "Just stay the hell away from me."

Leonardo emitted a low chuckle. "And what makes you think we'll heed your fucking words?"

"You have to fucking listen to me, Leonardo. I want nothing to do with either of you—you both sicken me. The last thing I'll ever tolerate is being blamed for something I didn't do," I seethed, my frustration boiling over. "You two clearly don't believe a word I say, so why bother asking about my conversation with my mother? Why feign interest when you have no intention of trusting my words?! After all, at the end of the day, you two do what you want and believe what you want to believe! It’s all about you—only you!”

"Clearly, we're not about to buy into your lies, Maya. Have you ever given us a reason to believe you? Have you proven that you're not just like your damn mother?!" Leonardo decided to spill some shit just like his brother.

"Prove? Prove what and to whom?!" I let out a bitter laugh. "Why should I prove myself to those who never cared to understand me? Have you two ever attempted to understand me, see through me, even before knowing I'm your mate? No! You never did. You never bothered when I pleaded, you never listened when I tried to explain something, and... you never stopped when I begged you to. So why should I prove myself to both of you?! Why?!"

Not a word escaped their lips, but their stern gazes unnerved me in a way I didn't want to admit. I didn't want to feel scared, but after enduring their horror multiple times, what else could I do? There was nothing. Truly nothing.

It was simply natural for me to feel scared of them.

"Why? I kept asking! WHY?! Why do this to me? But no, you never answered—when you took my virginity, when you hurt me, when you burned me, when you ruined me! So why should I answer you when you ask about what I discussed with my mother? You both have this delusion that you can control everything I do because you're so damn powerful, right? What does my plan with my mother scare you?”

Anger twisted Leonardo's face, and Maximus mirrored the same expression, yet it was Leonardo who spoke first.

"So, you've conspired some shitty plan with your mother, huh?" His jaw clenched tightly. "How many times do you need to prove that you're just a replica of your mother—a whore?"

Damn... Those words cut deep.

"I don't need to prove anything, do I? You both already see me that way, don't you?"

"Of course, we do. What else could you possibly be but a reflection of that woman? You are nothing but a whore like your goddamn mother, Maya,” Maximus's voice dripped with disdain. "But let me make it clear, Maya," he sneered. "If you think you'll gain anything like Morgana did by sucking Dad’s dick, you're dead wrong. You'll get nothing from us. Absolutely nothing," his tone laced with bitterness. "Perhaps try charming some warrior. Suck him off and You might earn their favor that way."

"Neither of you has a heart, do you?" Tears cascaded down my cheeks on their own, and I hastily wiped them away. "I came here to share something important, but it seems I made a mistake. You don't fucking deserve to know a damn thing!"

They don't deserve to know…..

Confusion clouded Leonardo's face. "What are you talking about?"

"None of your damn business," I muttered, attempting to walk past them, but Maximus seized my hand, halting me.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded, his jaw clenched and his gaze piercing.

"Away from both of you," I snapped, wrenching my hand away from his grip.

"Stay put, Maya," Leonardo commanded, grabbing my arm firmly to restrain me.

"No, I won't!" I shouted, shoving him away. I'd had enough of their games—there was no point in staying, especially since they clearly wouldn't want the child. It was clear as day.

As I headed towards the doorway, Maximus's voice, low and menacing, froze me in place.

"If you step out of this room, there will be worse consequences, Maya."

Worse consequences? As if they hadn't already subjected me to the worst.

I couldn't give a damn about their drama. All I yearned for was to escape, far away from their presence, their essence, and the mere sight of their faces. They were fucking venomous.

"Fine," I shot a fleeting glance back at them. "I'll be waiting for whatever you think you've got," with that, I spun around and walked away, leaving them behind.