How the Mighty Fall (The Sinner #1)

SIN 22

Kairos

I only say this on rare occasion. But it seems there were miscalculations in the way I perceived my wife.

I expected her to breakdown in front of me after uttering those words to her father. But she nonchalantly stood up and asked me if I wanted the revel bars she brought me.

I'm not blind to what she went through while she's here. I stole her away from everything she knew, confined her in this house, slashed a knife to her neck in my torture chamber, forced her to marry me, and exposed her to the dangers of our world which her father tried so hard to keep her from. Not to mention Vashka's salty behavior which did more harm than good for her.

Despite it all, she's still here, mutinous than ever. As if attempting to extinguish fire by water, yet just gets fueled and grows more.

She may be physically weaker, but those who I tortured could never amount her strength. Torture leading to death is easier than being constantly fucked with as you live life. Suffering in the face of death means you know it'll end eventually. Suffering as you live means you'll never know when it is enough or if another will come next.

"Kairos," Atlas kicked my leg. "You're out of it. Stop thinking about your wife."

Natatawa tawa pa siyang umiling. Elowyn smirked. Vashka threw a pillow right at his face, causing Atlas to stop.

"She's got permanent sparkling eyes whenever she zones out thinking about you while cooking. That's how the ladies look like when they profess their love to me."

"Going back..." Vashka interrupted him. "Elowyn, you were saying?"

Vashka shot me a look that said "Focus!". And I shot him one back saying "I am. Should we test it?"

"Mismong ang mga tauhan ni Lennon Islas ay hindi niya na mapasunod," said Elowyn. "The Mancinis are threatening Islas. Kung hindi raw maibabalik si Vivendel at mapapatumba ang mga De Cordova ay patutumbahin ni Mancini ang Islas."

"Kumpara sa mga Mancini, mas malaki ang Islas," Atlas replied. "So why are they scared that the Mancinis will go through their threat."

"Islas took in some of the soldiers that survived matapos matalo ng iyong ama ang lolo niyo sa laban ng Despiadados at Mancini."

My jaw ticked when she adressed our sperm donor as our father but kept listening.

"Kahit na parte na sila ng Islas ngayon, Lennon Islas cannot risk it. Some of them could possibly still be loyal to the Mancini organization. Kilala nila si Harrison bilang tagapagmana ng organisasyon ng mga Mancini. They might've waited for him to reach the right age to lead."

Ngumisi ako. Vashka filled my glass with more Rioja. If Mancini indeed has loyal soldiers, mas madaling mapatumba ang mga Islas since the real enemies are within.

If Harrison has soldiers in Islas, and is confident that he can take down the organization, it makes more sense why he wanted my wife in the first place. It will be easier to manipulate the Islas. Vivendel may not see it, but when it comes to her, Lennon Islas will hand over his entire organization just to ensure her safety.

If he can't take over Despiadados, Harrison will take over Islas and will use its soldiers to take down Despiadados.

Vashka was also in deep thought. And I know we both reached the same conclusions.

All the more I cannot give my wife up. That wasn't in my plans anyway.

"The Islas soldiers are threatened kaya kahit walang utos ni Lennon ay umaatake sila rito sa Pangasinan." ani Elowyn. "They're pissed at Lennon's lack of action. Syempre ay may pamilya sila kaya ayaw rin nilang totohanin ni Mancini ang kanyang babala."