Starting Over: rewrite

Empire Bought Back

I cannot stop myself from writing this story and I hope you're all enjoying these updates.

Ella's POV

I can tell Serena is still bothered by Nate being four hours late to his own surprise party, but she's doing her best to fake it for everyone. I lean against the wall watching as she takes a Polaroid picture of Nate and explains the game. "The game of Assassin is simple. Kill or be killed. Your photo is your life. You wear it around your neck. If someone grabs your picture before you grab theirs, then you're dead, and you have to give them all the pictures of everyone else you've killed. Once you're a ghost, you come back here to the safe zone for the party. You can't go beyond this block but restaurants, buildings, shops, all fair game. The winner is the last Assassin on the street, and they have all of the other photos. So you have five safe minutes to leave the building starting now." People scramble outside to play the game, but I stay put, not feeling in the mood.

"Staying inside too?" Chuck asks me.

"Not really in the mood to be running around the city for a child's game." I answer my brother. I notice how depressed he seems. "Still no luck with Jack giving the Empire back?" He just gives me a look. "Fine." I wander over to the food table and make myself a plate.

"I may have done something." Chuck whispers to me.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" I ask.

"No. W...why would you think that?"

"I mean, you talk about killing Jack like once a day." I remind him.

"He's lucky I even think about him."

"What did you do, Chuck?" I question my brother.

"Something Blair may never forgive me for."

"Did you cheat on her?"

"No."

"Do you still love her?"

"More than I love myself, if that's even possible." He answers honestly.

"Then whatever you did, you guys will work it out."

"I don't know Ella. This ma...this is different."

"And you're not telling me what it is bec..."

"Because I...I just can't."

"Chuck." I place my food down and pull my brother aside.

"Will you always love me?" He asks, and I hear the sadness in his voice.

"Always." I assure him.

"I mean it. I...even if I did the most unforgivable thing."

"Well, that would be harming my daughter, and you haven't done that, right?" He nods his head. "Then yes, I will always love you." I want to press it further, but I haven't seen my brother this delicate since our father's death, and I don't want to push him too far.

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People come back to the Waldorf's, joking with one another and eager to see who the winner is going to be. Unfortunately, Chuck has now turned to repeatedly stabbing a fake knife into his knife while I'm having a hard time staying awake due to my jet lag. "Hey, Chuck, Ella. Have either of you seen Blair?" Serena asks us.

"I assume she's still slaying." Chuck answers.

"She can't be." Serena picks up Blair's photo from the table. "Her polaroid's right here. You know Blair. She's probably cheating." Chuck tenses up at this news.

"if you'll excuse me a moment." Chuck gets up and leaves Serena and me alone since our argument earlier.

"So you and Dan seem to be good friends again." Serena breaks the silence.