Entertainment | Marquis De Gramont

Sunrise Part 1

The two sit silently in a Church, surrounded by burning candles to honor the dead of random Paris families.

"Awful generous of The Marquis to finally let you talk to me." Nova scoffs at her father's blindness.

"You still don't get it." She shakes her head.

"Then make me get it. Why stay with him? He took you from The Ruska Roma." Nova faces her father to argue.

"And gave me a better life than I could have ever imagined. One filled with nothing but love and freedom."

"Under The Table." John mutters. Nova nods, shrugging.

"Yeah, so what? I'd never been loved before Vincent, John. He gave me what you never bothered to try to give me. Happiness, comfort. Those aren't things that you come by in our world. Like you, I fell in love. And I want to keep it." John stares at the ground as he finally listens to his daughter. Nova crosses her arms as she faces the front again.

"I'm not saying I don't understand why you did what you did in the beginning. Vincent and I both understand the love you had for your wife. We would do the same as you in a heartbeat.

But to The Table, you crossed the line when you spilled blood in a Continental Hotel and killed two members." Nova sighs.

"Look, I don't know if you ever felt a shred of love for me, -"

"Now you're the one who doesn't get it." She stops her rant, staring at the side of his face curiously. John turns to look into her eyes.

"The only reason I gave you to The Ruska Roma was because it was the only way The Elder would let you live. That was my deal. Koji was the lucky one of us three. Caine got the short end of the stick.

I was able to visit when you were smaller, but they didn't want you to know who I am to you. So, when I did visit, I'd only be able to watch from afar."

Nova remembers that. She'd see him in person sometimes, and as he would chat with some of the older members of the Ruska Roma, Novalie wouldn't be dismissed like when other guests were around.

"I love you more than anything, Nova. I don't have an excuse for retiring to get married to Helen, other than I was told you couldn't get out. Not without doing what I did. I didn't want you to go through that and potentially die. Besides, you didn't even know that I'm your father." She nods along to his words, turning back to face the candles.

"Who's my mother?" John stays silent at her words. She nods in understanding.

"I thought so." She wrings her hands in her lap, staring at her wedding ring.

"Why does my husband have to die?" She whispers. John still looks at her as he observes her look of disdain at the mere thought of The Marquis's death.

"If I explain, will you promise not to shoot me in the face?"

"There isn't a single reality where I would let my Vincent die, John."

"Nova-"
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Novalie meets Vincent at his headquarters. The place's roof is decorated with large fountain stairs leading to a rectangular pond, a platform with a 3D city model, and her husband waiting for her with open arms.

She rushes to him and wraps her legs around his waist with a smile. Vincent basks in it with a contented look of his own, setting her down on the edge of the model, and giving her a deep kiss as Chidi walks up to them.

"Forgive me, but this is madness." He spits out with a worried glance at Novalie.

"Madness?" Vincent listens to his guard but keeps his eyes on his wife, who is still smiling brightly at him.

"Trusting your fate to a blind man?" Vincent gives one look to Chidi before focusing back on Novalie.

"There are three types of men in this world." He explains, caressing his wife's face affectionately.

"Those who have something to live for, those who have something to die for, and those who have something to kill for. John Wick barely has one of these things. He is but a ghost in search of a Graveyard. While the blind man has all three. As do I." Nova studies her husband as he speaks, always calculated and meaningful in his words.

"Besides, I don't think John Wick will make it to the Church by sunrise." He raises his brows at Chidi until he voices his understanding and walks away. The couple sit in silence until Vincent breaks it.

"I am ready to talk about it when you are." Nova sighs at his words.

"I got the answers I needed." Vincent chuckles.

"I'm glad, Mon Coeur."

"It was a deal. Like Caine and Koji." Is as she tells him from their conversation.

"I didn't like that it took so long," Nova says, glancing at the big clock on the wall. Her husband nods thoughtfully.

"You are more at ease. This makes me very happy, my love." He notes her uplifted attitude. Novalie nods, shrugging.

"You know I love you more than anything in the entire world." Nova says. Vincent nods. 

"And I, you." He smiles as they sit in silence.

"You won't die at sunrise." She suddenly hums contentedly, too contentedly.

"Of course not, my love." He let's her bask in the feeling of false security, and she knows it. She chose not to say anything about it either.