Beyond What Meets The Eye

Chapter Thirty-One

She should have known Leo was too demented to put her out of her misery.

She'd lost count of the days she'd been locked in this damned cell, but it didn't even matter anymore. The only way she was getting out of this cell was with a bullet to the head, maybe even by Leo himself if he cared enough.

It was always dark when there wasn't someone there to interrogate her. She could barely keep track of whether she was awake or not, it was all the same. They asked the same questions over and over, like a broken record, and every single time, Mira told them she didn't know shit. It wasn't a lie, but even if she did know something about the other two families plans, she'd take it to the grave.

Mira winced as the door swung open and the lights flicked on. Leo made his way inside, revealing himself for the first time since he knocked the shit out of her back at the docks. He was dressed in a white button down and dress pants, like he'd just gotten off his 9-5 and was about to go have dinner with his family before calling it a night.

"You're really milking this mafia boss position, huh?" Mira asked flatly. She'd spent days a sobbing hot mess, but now she had no tears left. Everyone she cared about was dead, and in some sick twist of fate, she was the last one breathing.

"Still got that snarky attitude of yours, don't you?" He folded his arms over his chest as he stared down at her. Her eyes met his, challenging him. She had nothing left to lose, so he could say and do whatever he wanted, but nothing would change.

"You've honestly surprised me, you know that?" He leaned forward so that he was eye level with her.

"You're a lot like your mother. She was kind, but never a pushover. She had this sort of effect on people, if anyone was going to cause a change of heart in father, it was her. I watched him change before my own eyes, it was incredible, but it all made sense when I met her. I didn't get to see her often, once every few years maybe, but I guess it worked out in my favor. Had I gotten to know her any better, I probably wouldn't have been able to kill her."

Mira's mouth went dry, her eyes brimming with tears. The man in front of her had truly taken away everyone she cared about.

"So are you happy now?" Her voice shook. "You've managed to kill everyone who meant something to me, turned lives upside down so you can waltz around with a little crown on top of your head." She gritted her teeth. "Congrats, you got what wanted."

Something flashed behind his eyes, his hand shooting to Mira's neck as his fingers wrapped around her throat.

"You think this was how I wanted things to turn out? All I ever wanted was father's approval, but nothing I did was ever enough. He had a perfect little family, and I wasn't a part of it!" He yelled, grip tightening around Mira's neck. She choked, struggling to breathe.

"The mafia is the only thing I've ever known. I didn't get to go to school and play outside on the playground. Instead, I learned how to smuggle drugs cross country, to lie with ease, to suppress my emotions, and how to kill without getting caught. You can judge me all you want Amira, but you could never understand the life I've lived." He growled, pulling his hand back and turning away from her.

Mira sucked in a few shaky breaths.

"It was never that you weren't enough, Leo. You reminded him of a part of himself he was trying to let go of. You think he despised you, but the reality was that he despised himself."

Leo stared at her, his eyes piercing through every fiber of her being, his bright blue irises filled with nothing but rage and hatred.

"Mira, nothing you say matters anymore, because ultimately, I killed your mother, your father, and now I'm going to kill you, and then there will be absolutely nothing standing in my way. Everything you've done up until this point, was for nothing." He let out a long sigh.

"Now I'll leave you to wallow in your thoughts, I have to let everyone know that we will be holding an execution tonight."

Mira didn't say anything as she watched him leave her cell, the door clanking shut behind him.

She leaned back against the chair she was chained to, squeezing her eyes shut as she stifled soft sobs. She knew this would be how it ended, yet, she still hoped for some miracle, for some sort of happy ending.

And now she was alone and scared, waiting helplessly until it was her time to die, because this story didn't have a happy ending.