𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 (𝐇.𝐒)

E L E V E N

One Year Ago:

Sydney, Australia: 1500 Hours 

I touched the window of my hotel suite as I watched the busy Sydney streets below. This would be the perfect opportunity to make a hit. That made me sick to my stomach. The more bustling it was the least likely I would be caught. Even though I wished countless times I would be. If that meant I could be taken away from here. Then so be it.

These past two years had been a living hell.

I immediately moved away from the window as I heard people talking from behind the locked door. They always locked it except for when I needed to eat. There was a bathroom in my suite. So the only time I was allowed to leave the suite was to eat. This is how it was constantly. For the past two years, when I decided it was no point in fighting them. The first three months of my captivity were utter hell and I told myself I would never go back to that.

"Evangeline." The voice I had heard constantly for the past two years announced. He strolled into the room, closing the door behind him. Hearing and then seeing him always made me disgusted. He made me sick. "It's your time to shine, beautiful." I could almost gag in disgust.

"Wonderful," I always had to play along. It was clear they had no idea I was still very much Cece. I could kick his ass and knock him unconscious in one swing. Yet I knew that it would be impossible to get away, at least for right now. I also knew if I got away that would mean the people that meant the most to me would be put in danger. I couldn't let them go through with that again. I would never forgive myself.

"You do look smashing." He snickered under his breath as I felt him placing his hands on my hips. Instantly I pushed his hands away.

"What did I tell you, Julias." I tutted in disappointment. It was another part of my act. "Don't," I told him before fixing my dress that they had given me. They chose the outfits they believed would help me complete the assignments I had been given. "Now, who's my next target." I said, pointing to papers I could see him holding.

Julius rolled his eyes in annoyance. I knew I had to walk on eggshells around them. But even someone like Evangeline had boundaries that people shouldn't cross.

"You do like to play hard to get, don't you?" Julius blew a breath of annoyance as he showed me the photo.  Julius chuckled in amusement. "I'm sure you know him from your old life...Well...Cece's life." He corrected himself.

A photo of Milo was staring right back at me. This completely changed everything I believed I had known up until this point. I thought this had been all one sick game done by him. Trying to brainwash me into working for him. I had assumed this "helix" I had heard so much about for the past two years was also run by Milo and the syndicate. But this changed everything.

"What...what do you want me to do?"  Trying to make it seem like the photo of a man who tried to kill my boyfriend and my best friend didn't bother me in any way. To them, Cece no longer existed.