"You think he'll let you?"
"You think he can stop me?"
⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻
Margeux can't decide whether she's a sociopath, or a psychopath. Continuous events tend to sway her either way. Out of all the people she could kill on her eighteenth birthday, she en...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
••●••
THERE IS SO much more to Director Hayes then we thought. A fraud? Check. A liar? Double check. A tyrant? Triple check.
We know he lied to us.
But we didn't know he lied to Reign. About so much more.
"Holy shit." I whisper, skimming my eyes over the papers again, "This is...he was searching for this for years."
"And his father was hiding it from him." Elliot sighs.
We're seated at Koen Park right now, the time reaching midnight, the temperature falling quickly. Our research got us to a. point where it didn't feel safe to conduct it near him. In his quarters.
"We should have known." I shake my head, "I mean after what we've learned about Director Hayes it should have been obvious he would do this to Reign."
"Maybe Reign's family was bad. Maybe his parents weren't good people. That could be why Hayes was keeping this from him." Elliot suggests.
He's right...in a way.
When an adoptive parent decides to bring a child into their life, they take on the responsibilities of parenthood, with open arms. A true adoptive father does not see his son as any different from a biological child. He provides emotional support, guidance, and protection just like any devoted father would.
And I've seen it. Director Hayes loves Reign. He does. And Reign, maybe, loves him. Just a little quieter. I grew up with these people. I know that Reign relied on his father, that he trusted him - and I knew the same went for Director Hayes.
What I also noticed, was that although Director Hayes loved Reign, I don't think he loved him as a father. I think Hayes saw Reign as his kid, but not himself as his father, if that makes sense. It was odd. It wasn't the best household I'm sure - given occupations and trauma - but it was one that could be navigated nonetheless.
My household was definitely different.
"I'm need to go to the bathroom." I say abruptly, standing and walking away.
"Are you okay?" Elliot calls after me.
I throw a thumbs up and barge into the women's bathroom, locking myself into a stall and thinking.
Reign has alive relatives. He has a different last name. There is a mother out there. A dead father. An alive brother. And said alive brother with a documented dangerous past.
This was hidden from him.
And he was still looking for it.
"Fuck." I mutter. Yup Sasha. Fuck indeed.
Reign is my friend. He left, but he will always be my friend. And he doesn't deserve that. Or he other things I read about his household from before Director Hayes.
Reign's childhood from before Hayes, reminds me of my own.
I can feel it as I sit in this public restroom, dark because of the darkness outside. Memories from my childhood easily come rushing back like a relentless storm. The scars of abuse have left permanent marks on my soul, and despite the passing years, the pain remains as raw as if it were yesterday. It always will. That's how it works.
I didn't know he went through what I went through. He never told me.
Elliot is waiting for me when I leave. He got up. He knows me too well. And he's looking at me like it.
"I'm fine." I say.
"I didn't know he went through that either." He says, "No one did."
"His father is dead." I nod, "Good. But...he has...a mother, a-and a brother and-"
"Maybe. But we don't know if they were good people. They could have been like his father." Elliot says softly, stepping forward and reaching out for my hand. I let him take it, I let him focus on my pinky finger and hold it in his.
"Why would he be looking for them then?" I ask with a whisper.
Reign hid it from us. And he was good at it. We wouldn't have found out unless Margeux told us after he left. He wouldn't look for people who abused him. Unless he wanted revenge. But I'm sure someone like Director Hayes would be okay with that, so I also think not.
"I don't know." Elliot keeps his voice quiet, careful of me. Of if I break. I should be offended. But I do break. More than I want to. He's right.
"Where is he?" My voice cracks, "There's no way he just left - there's no way Margeux-"
"You're right."
"-would just leave either, there's something wrong and...what?"
"You're right."
"I know."
He nods.
"You...you trust me?" I sniffle, asking with hesitancy.
"Of course." He chuckles.
"You agree that something has happened to them?" I re-word.
"I believe everything you say. It's a problem actually, you could tell me the Earth is flat and I'd believe you." He shrugs.
I let out a surprised laugh, "And if I told you I'm a better investigator than you?"
His eyes drop all amusement as he stares blankly at me, causing me to laugh harder.
"That's too far." He says.
"But you'd believe me." I shrug.
"What do you want to do about Margeux and Reign?" He changes to topic of conversation.
I sigh, "I think we need to do something about Director Hayes first. I think once we have him, we have them. He must have done something."
"You don't think he..." Elliot trails off.
"No." I say firmly.
Because he couldn't of. I won't even entertain the thought. He didn't.
"Okay." Elliot nods. He believes me.
We're going to blackmail the fuck out of Director Hayes, get our friends back - and hopefully, our lives as well.
••●••
Elliot fr:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
