Enchanted feelings

Acme

❃

LDM stepped closer, their hand still resting atop their mask.

"You actually thought I wouldn't find out about your little escape plan?"

"W-Who are you?"

"I am...your present, your future, my dear"

LDM let out one last chuckle before taking off the intricate folklore-like mask.

Isabela's skin went cold, her eyes glossed, and her heart sunk with utter betrayal.

"It's you?" Her voice broke as she stared at the all too familiar face.

"We finally meet, the true version of me"

"But that's impossible. You...y-you were with me when LDM-"

"Oh, but honey. I don't work alone, I have servants"  As those words registered into her mind a second figure stepped up.

"You know what your problem is Isabela?" The person's face was shadowed by a flowing hood, but that voice was engraved in the back of her head...how had she never realized? It was all in front of her.
"You trust people. You are just as naive as that little girl I once knew"

"Querida, show her your face"  The master mind spoke.

On command the slim figure threw back her hood, revealing a wicked grin. "Of course, mi corazón"

"But you were there too" Isabela's breath hitched, her chest tight. "Why would you do this?"

"We had pawns, people we used. We made them be different versions of LDM. We knew you would ultimately get suspicious of us if we disappeared just around the time LDM showed up.
And let me tell you, blackmail is one heck of a tool. Come on Isabela! You still haven't figured this out?"
The woman laughed.

"You were my friend" Isabela frowned as she stared into her cold eyes.

"Until you completely ruined my life"

The man watched them with feign disinterest "Tell her the story, querida"

"Yes" She nodded, still keeping her eyes on Isabela. "I will, but first you tell her yours honey. You deserve your place- it all started with you after all, and it will end because of you."

"So it was your plan to begin with?" Isabela's nails dug into her own palms, yet the pain wasn't there.

"Bingo!" He chuckled "I was the one that crafted this intricate plan. She's just my companion. You must know that a man is a necessity for every woman"

"But I don't understand" Isabela grimaced, she felt a deep sense of forlorn "The things you said as LDM...who you are. Is that why you're doing this? Out of frustration because of your sexuality?"

"Don't be so dense Isabela. You still think I'm a homosexual? Please" He rolled his eyes with a grunt  "I'm not a pervert like you, Isabela."

"W-What?"

"I had to fake having that repulsive illness of yours! That was the only way I could get close to you. Because I realized you would never be interested in me otherwise"

"How could you?" She had considered him a friend too. "What about the parties, the events...I thought you-"

"I'm good at investigating, and yes. I had to get my hands dirty and dig around for information regarding your people...those freaks of nature"

"Ramiro" Isabela took a careful step away from him

"Do you know how disgusting it was? For both of us to pretend to be such around you?"