BITS OF REVELATIONS

"Not right now, Gracia, because I don't have enough reasons to. But mark my words; the moment I prove my instincts right, the walls of a jail cell will not be enough to contain you, Gracia Adriano!"


"Good luck, my dear! But, if I get it right, you are declaring war on Gracia Adriano? Do you have what it takes to fight me?" She squeezes, her harsh yet soft and sarcastic venomous words cutting through the air with utter dread.

'I do! For my family, I have all it takes to fight anyone," I boldly state, unthreatened by her sinister demeanor. She can't scare me if that is her objective here.

'I see, but I must warn you that in this fight, blood will be shed—a lot of it—and I don't care who gets hurt. A lot will be lost along the way. So, Ellie?" She leans in closer, spilling her venomous aura on me as she speaks. 'Just what are you willing to gamble on? What are you willing to lose?"


Is this a challenge? A daring game? What more do I have to lose? Haven't I lost enough? Yes, damn it! I have lost enough already in this life. I lost my mother, and I just lost my father. If Damian were not in the picture, I would be alone, except with those few friends that I have. Now, that is more than enough loss, right? I refuse to lose anything else!

"I have lost more than I should have, Gracia. I ain't gambling on anything. I am sacrificing nothing aside from my blood and sweat, but I assure you, I will put a stop to these schemes of yours and send you where you belong. I am winning this game of yours."


"I will commend you on something-your balls, Ellie! You have got pretty hard balls and I admire them, but your brain sometimes sucks!"

It does, huh? Because I can see through her facade? Because she cannot fool me the way she fooled my father and everyone else? Is that it? "Ooh, yeah? Does it stink, or are you scared of it?" I ask.

"It sucks!" she sneers under her breath, her words hitting me with ice, 'You see, for you to win, you have to make a sacrifice, if not sacrifices! Everything has a price in this life, you dumbhead!"

I know, and I have a much higher price than anyone. What more sacrifice is there beyond losing both parents? I am an orphan now, and she expects me to lose more? What?

You know what? Forget about what she thinks; I still have to lose because that is not happening. I ain't losing another thing! "Not in this case, Gracia, because I have lost more than enough. Brace yourself, because the next time you push me to the point of holding a gun to your head like this, I will send you six feet under! Don't push me!" I warn, and I mean every single word.

If one of us has to die for the other to live in peace, so fucking be it! But it will not be me who will die. I am the only remaining member of this family, and I refuse to die. I refuse to leave it in her hands. It is this skimming witch and her daughter that need to leave me in peace, perhaps vanish from the face of this earth, because if all my intuitions are correct, the heavens will have to pardon me for what I will do to them.

"Things don't have to end like this, you know?"

I frown, taken aback by her words. I thought my brain sucked. Why does she sound like she is scared now? I thought she was all high and mighty, saying that I didn't have what it took to fight her. What happened now? Why does she suddenly want to take a different path on this?

"You have left me with no choice, Gracia. If this saga needs to end with bloodshed, I am so freaking ready! But you won't live to see me bleed even a drop, you witch!" I speak so calmly that I am even scared of myself and the wrath I feel for this woman.

They say anger can drive you insane and make you do things that you never imagined doing, and I am afraid that is where I am headed. I don't care, though. All I care about is to end this before things get even messier. Somehow, what happened here tonight feels connected to this woman. All the mysteries of my life seem so connected to this woman.

"I am willing to prove that I am not as rotten to the core as you think, Ellie. I am willing to offer you a peaceful way out of all this mess because I still care about you as the child of Richard."

I see, so all for my father's sake? And a peaceful way out? Well, then. I would also like to prove to her that my heart is not that black. I would still choose peace over anything. I would like for things not to get any messier. So, how about I tell you all about her brilliant idea?

I cleared my dry throat. "What way, and at the expense of what?" I ask, not exhilarated, because I know how the mind of this witchy-bitch works. There must be a catch for her.

She can not fool me! She probably knows I won't agree to her supposed 'way out'.

"You don't need to sacrifice anything. Nothing at all."

Fantastic, because I don't even have anything left to sacrifice. Damian and my life are not options here. So, nothing to lose? Great, right? Yeah, right! Give me a break!

"When the deal is too good, Gracia, I think three times. I am all ears anyway." I say.

"Tell your husband to step down for me, and we will all live in peace! I want the company!"

Forgive my outburst of chuckles right now that cut through the silence, perhaps almost impairing her ears! What's that again? The company? What she means is that I hand over the entire Riccaford fortune, which is worth billions of dollars, to her on a silver platter. The devil must also be laughing at her stupidity! Now, I think it is her brain that stinks, honestly. And she is boldly saying that to my face? Has she lost it?

"That is a distant luxury that you are forbidden to dream about, Gracia! That is the most stupid thing I have ever heard in my life. What makes you think I would even consider that absurdity you just spit?" I mock.

"For the love of losing another thing you love, maybe? Or for the love of peace among the remnants of the people you care about?"

Okay! Why is she beginning to freak me out now? What sort of blackmail is this? My grin fades; fears surround me, and I hate this creepy feeling. What is she talking about? And is she indirectly, or even directly, confirming my hunch?