Twin Tormentors By RARE

EPILOGUE Leaving Dark Woods felt so foreign and oddly queer that | felt like | was leaving the biggest part ofbehind. | couldn't help but steal glances as the cab that Val had gottenstretched further and further from the castle, and | didn’t understand why my heart hurt so painfully when | was actually doing the right thing for the three of us. Surprisingly, Dark Woods had grown onso much that it felt like home, and one always cried when leaving home. | wanted to laugh because I used to resent this place so much, but now I was in pain for leaving.

Was it because | left without saying goodbye? Was it because | didn’t even see the look on their faces when | turned my back and left? But this wasnt a goodbye. It was not! And seeing the look on their faces would have shatteredinto pieces and | wouldn't be leaving, that’s why | sneaked out when they were still sleeping.

| glanced down at my finger where two rocks that becone were nestled so big and proud. A smile stretched on my lips as | attempted to turn one with my finger, and grinned even harder when | realized the two were indeed locked together.

A wave of warmth spread all over my aching heart because | knew that | will always carry them withwherever | go. They were forever tattooed onand | couldn't erase them even if | wanted to.

So this wasn’t a goodbye; | was going to cback stronger, bolder, befitting to be their woman and the hostess of Dark Woods. That's why | needed to do this. After reassuring myself, | felt very light, like a heavy have been lifted off me.

The cab droppedat the airport where | wasted no tand went for the check-in. For December 24th, the airport was surprisingly so not packed, and before | knew it, | was rolling down in a Porsche to the first-class cabin.

That's right ladies, | was that rich! | mean hey! | am the fiancée of the Mafia Lord and the CEO of the biggest company. That madethe richest housewife on the globe! So yeah baby! After settling down on the plane, | was really surprised at how empty it was. | had thought that the whole airport would be packed with passengers since Christmas was just a breath away.

After settling in the plush seats in first class, the stewardess brought forward the drinks and o f course, | made myself comfortable and stared outside to the other crafts as | sipped my coffee elegantly, feeling myself so much and then went over my mental list of all the things | was going to do as soon as | stepped off the plane. The first thing was to visit Laura. That bitch better be at her house because if not, | was going to murder her and feed her to the dogs. | missed her so much, and the thought of her not being here withhurtto greater extremities.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcto Flight...

The captain's voice boomed in the inteand quickly faded into the background as a plethora of exultation spread all over my insides. | couldn’t believe this day had finally arrived when I'd be going to my little apartment.

| went even crazier when the craft began reversing from its spot, majestically whooshing against the hard concrete ever so slow and so bold.

| was still in my daze when one word caughtoff guard causingto spill the coffee from my mouth! My heartbeat skyrocketed as my brain began screaming, a loud unintelligible sound that wanted to know WHAT THE FUCK was just happening! | waved my hand and the stewardess crunning up to me.

“Is there any problem ma’am?” The little lady smiled so earnestly while | was hyperventilating in my seat.

“Where is this flight going to?” | asked causing her professionalism to drop as she stared atm e with shock before she quickly masked it off and forced a smile, “To Los Angeles, United States of America ma’am.” She replied with a smile causingto sweat buckets in my seat. My day had started so good in an epiphany and had quickly turned into mayhem in just a blink of an eye. | looked outside the window to find that the plane had picked up the pace and was ready to take off at any minute.

“I think there's been a mix-up, | am flying to Cyprus. Not the US!”I pointed out and quickly whisked my boarding pass out; she checked it and opened her mouth to reply.

“But it’s written Los Angeles here ma’am.” She pointed out and | quickly yanked in from her hand to check, the letters were like a slap in my face, so bold, all in black on a white piece of paper. | gave her a small nod and she went off, leavingchewing on my nails while my mind went a mile a second trying to figure out what the hell was all of this about.

A shadow flicked on my left as my neighbor stirred in his seat, | paid him no attention since h e seemed to be in a deep slumber and settled back in my seat, then watched as the steel bird took off with my heart beating like a drum in my chest! “Just relax and enjoy your flight, babe.” A painfully familiar voice crooned and I quickly whisked my head to my left from where it cfrom. My neighbor unhurriedly peeled off the hat that was covering his entire face completely and looked right at me. My mouth dropped t o the floor as black eyes stared back at me, a huge grin and very cleaned and well-shaved face turned fully to face me.

“It’s good to see you alive.” He went in by smirking atand then relaxed into his seat, so calm and so carefree while | was shocked out of my wits, staring at the man who just made m y world explode into a kaleidoscope of anxiety and terror, and right at that moment, | knew that this was a game-changer! | opened my mouth and squeaked out one word that | could master: “XANDER?"” THE END ~NOTE FROM RARE~ Hey, Sunbeams! | know very well that this was not the end you all were expecting. And | know the majority of you will be very much disappointed and less thrilled about how the story ended. But as | had promised, the only thing | work for is to give you quality stories and not anything less. And writing this story has been the most challenging and draining thing I could ever think of. Chunk a whole bucket of my messed mental health at the moment.

Throughout the story, | struggled so much with quite a few things in my life that madefuck up the plot royally. And it was very late when | realized that things were going down South. And | would like to apologize for that. It was never in my intentions for that to happen. And if you have realized, schapters were just so empty and | hated them so much.

But one thing | would like to express is my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and love for my works, even though | don’t always deliver. | really can’t thank you all enough because you are really a jewel on my crown. And | would like to thank you all for being withthroughout this journey up until now.

| am not going to take a break! Hell no! | am just going to try to remove the burden and pressure, then create a working schedule so that | give you all what you love, just the way you love it. And with that, | want you all to know that Leigh-Ari’s journey continues, and we will read about more of her very soon and find out why Xander did what he did..

| know | promised to write a scene of the twhen they took Leigh for a tour at the company, and it should ctomorrow but since the story is basically ended, it is really okay to miss it out. Although it will be hell’a steamy! In the meantime, take care of yourselves and stay healthy for me. And for my Sunbeams from Ukraine, just keep praying, we are all with you in this disheartening, trying tand we hope that this too shall pass. You guys are not alone, and Rare is sending hugs and kisses all the way from her bed to you and your families.