Forbidden Deception (Deception)

31

4 years ago

“I was called in for something?” I say to the woman behind the reception desk.

The red-haired lady nods and hands me another letter. The rough brown envelope scratches at my heart, and the words that I know will be in there are going to burn it even more.

I don’t know who it is from, though the impossible feels possible right now.

Medora waits for me near my bed, looking up from her book to find me with another letter in hand.

“Another one?”

I nod, sitting soundlessly on my bed and just staring at my name on the front of the letter.

“Open it. I’m sure it’s from the same person again,” she says.

Carefully tearing at the seam, I slip out the white paper with printed writing on it.

Venezia,

It’s time for me to bring you home. It’s time for you to step out and find the world you must be looking forward to seeing. Your dreams, aspirations, the freedom and the first breath you will take in my world will surely give your life new meaning.

It’s not long till I come to get you. Until then, hold on for me.

Hold on as you have been doing for the past ten years.

–R

I fold the letter and slip it back into the envelope.

“We both are assuming it’s your brother, right?” Medora asks.

Someone pounds on our door, and our heads jerk up. One of the guards who usually stands outside my room walks in and places another envelope on my bed, then wordlessly walks back out.

I open that one, too.

In two days. 2 o’clock.

The guard letters are always specific but with few words than the reception ones are. I deduced from the wording of the letters that I have an older brother who has been trying to rescue me for years. I got so excited and began to dream of a life away from this place. Only for every single dream to get shattered by a call from my father.

He admitted that they have been using me to control my brother, and now that he’s found me, he will come to collect me and eliminate me, so they can’t use me as leverage any longer.

I didn’t know who to believe at first. But my brother’s letters were full of his longing for me. The love pouring from every word, every sentence, made me realise he was waiting for me, and every time I received a new letter, it was full of hope.

“You’re leaving, Venezia. You’re finally leaving,” Medora whispers, an ocean of tears in her once-cold eyes.

I stiffly nod, but I am unable to respond, emotion taking hold of me.

“I’ll be…I’m leaving? I can’t believe it. I didn’t think I would ever leave this place. No one does, ever, and now…” I trail off, unable to grasp the situation that is quickly turning from dreams to reality.

“You’re going, and I promise, I will meet you out there one day,” she promises, and that has my own tears flowing.

“See the ocean for me, will you?” She pats my hand that holds my letter and gets up, walking to her own room and leaving me in silence.

She doesn’t hug me. Doesn’t smile. Nor does she touch me like normal friends do, but Medora is her own unique person. That’s exactly why I will miss her.

There is nothing to carry with me today. My last day. And walking past Medora’s room for the final time feels surreal.

I need so many answers, to ask so many questions and while that curiosity got lost in the way, Medora has been the one to spark that question in my life once more.

In some way, she saved me from rotting and destroying my life.

Medora became my anchor in this place, and for the past year, she has also been my one and only friend. We share a horrific, disgusting past that has pulled us together in an unbreakable way.

“Move it, little girl.”

I discreetly glare at the bulky guard walking me through the tunnels to reach the front entrance that only selected staff can access.

It’s dark and dimly lit. I can barely see where I am going.

I’m leaving.

I’m finally going to be leaving this place.

As soon as the door in front of me opens with a click. Light blinds me for a moment, and I blink to clear my vision. A man stands there, waiting for me.

I blink again, trying to adjust to the bright light, and the slam of the door behind me makes me jump in place.

The man has dark olive skin tone, pitch-black hair, and sharp features. He looks like the male version of me. Tall and broad and wearing a clean, pressed suit, my brother stands in front of me, and I can’t seem to grasp reality.

I walk towards him, carrying my small duffle bag filled with his letters, sunflower seeds, an ocean book, and a bracelet from Medora.

“Venezia,” he whispers, his inky black eyes carefully watching my every move. He lifts his hand, and my heart skips a beat.

He wants to hold my hand?

Mother and Father didn’t want that with me. Ever.

Is this a test? What if they were right and he truly wants to get rid of me so he can live without someone holding leverage over him?

“Are you ready?” he asks, his face void of any emotion, but the strength and kindness behind his words is enough to wash away my hesitance.

He doesn’t know who I am, how I act or do things. Just the double doors to my left are enough to push me to be the person I want to become. Seeing the light outside cements my final decision.

“Let’s go.” I grab his hand, and we both head out despite my heart shivering with nerves.

“You took too long,” I manage to whisper, my voice scratching at my throat. I didn’t want to show so much emotion already, and he might throw me out, but I’m holding onto the hope that he gave me.

He stops in his place, looks over his shoulder at me, and it’s like his resolve wavers. His brows pinch, and his eyes hesitate.

“I couldn’t reach you, Venezia. Father and Mother did their best to keep me away from you, but they didn’t know that I wouldn’t let go of my sister.”

I shut my eyes for a second.

“They told me you would never want me. That you didn’t want a sister and that no one would get me out of there. That I didn’t deserve to live except for being a pawn they needed in their game for keeping you under their control.” I suck in a breath, hoping, praying, it’s not true. “Is that all true?”

He looks stricken but quickly composes himself.

“Only that they held you as leverage over me to make me do what they wanted.” He looks away instantly, as if ashamed.

“Those guards? Those letters? Was that you?” I need confirmation. I need to hear it from him.

He nods, and only then does my breathing return to normal. Shuffling closer to him, I stand with him at the top of the stairs, looking out of the doors towards cars lined up in the parking lot.

“Did no one ever stop you? Are you married? Did no one ever question you looking for me?” Surely, he has a life outside of looking for me, as he stated in his letters.

Remo lifts his left hand in between us, and I gasp at the ring on his finger.

“What’s her name?”

“Aurora Torre. Aurora Cainn, now.” A small smile lifts his face—if his micro-expression could even be called a smile.

A laugh spills out of me at his reaction.

“Like the princess. I can see that you love her by the look on your face.”

He looks in love. He looks like what the prince’s in books were described when in love. He looks like he won’t let me go.

He’s proving our despicable parents wrong with every word from his mouth and his actions, and some of the anxiety wrapped around my heart like a thorny stem loosens.

“Will I get to meet her?”

“Yes.”