The Phantom's Game | 18+

Chapter 13

It didn't take long before she finally drifted off into sleep, only to wake up with a start. Her heart began racing wildly as her eyes shot open, and she quickly turned towards the side, staring at the blank wall next to her. 

For a moment, she forgot where she was and where she was, and everything else became irrelevant.

The events that had transpired earlier replayed in her head endlessly as she attempted to calm her breathing. Once she felt herself relax enough, she realized where she was and what she was doing. With that realization, Isadora got up from the bed despite the ungodly hour and made her way out of the room, walking past Vincent's bedroom.

The sound of the television playing a loud news station filled her ears as she descended the stairs, stopping in her tracks when she heard the voices of Vincent and someone unfamiliar. She stopped a couple feet away from the living room and listened to their conversation for a couple seconds, making sure she understood everything properly.

"...you're certain?" Someone's voice asked Vincent incredulously.

Vincent sighed loudly in response and shook his head, "Yes. Absolutely."

The stranger remained silent for a couple more seconds before he let out another sigh, "Alright, I'll be sure to inform everyone. Take care Vincent."

A short while later, the person left, leaving Vincent alone in the house with a glass of wine. Isadora watched him curiously as he poured himself a drink and walked over to sit down on the couch opposite the one she was standing by. 

She moved closer to the edge of the staircase so that she wouldn't disturb him at the moment. With an internal sigh, the brunette approached the man sitting down and lifted a brow, "What was that all about?"

Vincent met her gaze calmly and took a sip of his drink before replying, "Nothing really. An old friend came to visit."

She furrowed her brows slightly, "What? Who?"

"My brother."

Isadora frowned as she sat down onto the couch next to him, "Your brother? Who and why is here?"

Vincent stared at her before taking another sip of his drink, "That's none of your concern, Ms. Moretti."

The woman simply narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously before huffing out a defeated sigh, "Fine. Anyways, it's probably best for me to return home now."

He nodded silently at her statement as he put the glass down onto the table next to the couch. They both stood up from their places, preparing to move towards the foyer. Before that, however, Vincent grabbed her wrist to halt her movement. Isadora halted in her steps, turning to look back at the man standing next to her, "Huh?"

Vincent continued staring at her with that same expressionless face, "There are many things we must discuss before you go, if you don't mind."

Isadora was caught off guard by his sudden action and blinked a couple of times, trying to process what he just said. She wasn't expecting a discussion about whatever was bothering her before, or any conversation really.

"Alright. Tell me." Isadora mumbled after letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Firstly," He started off. "It's about the Phantom that we've been trying to uncover recently."

Isadora raised her eyebrows in confusion, "Huh? What about them?"

"They seem awfully intent on getting you. They have not bothered to keep us completely under wraps, but still they managed to get us all caught up on the recent developments. You needn't worry, though, you are safe from them for the time being. For now."

Isadora didn't respond for a second, "I don't get it. This Phantom seems a lot stronger than the ones I've seen before."

Vincent looked at her and smirked, "Don't underestimate them. They are strong and cunning, but unfortunately, that just makes them stronger."

The woman nodded slowly in understanding, but still didn't look entirely happy about this information, "Still, it's odd that they'd want me specifically."

"Not really, no. I would bet this Phantom is trying to wipe out those who are a threat to his business... such as you and me," He explained.

Isadora pursed her lips together in thought as her eyes narrowed, not convinced yet.

"Also," He added. "They probably know exactly what you're capable of."

"She hummed lightly at his statement, looking down in thought before asking him a question she hadn't asked earlier, "Have you found anything out?"

He raised an eyebrow at the question, "About what?"

Isadora shrugged lightly, "Everything. About what we are planning."

At this, he stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "I doubt it, but my brother and I have even contacted the Phantom's associates to ask for more details about this guy and what sort of dirt we can dig into."

"And?" She prompted.

"We are running out of information on what to expect, but for right now, we are at a stalemate," He replied.

"So we don't know what the Phantom has planned," She concluded.

He nodded in agreement, "Correct. If you'd like, we can have a temporary partnership regarding this Phantom issue. What do you say?"

She raised an eyebrow, a small smirk coming upon her lips.

"No deals, no strings attached, no benefits. My brother and I are still working on this, and if you wish, you can join us in on taking down this Phantom."

She chuckled lightly at his proposition. Although she didn't like working with others, she had to admit that Vincent had a certain charm about him that made it hard for her to refuse to cooperate with him. 

She knew that he would never try anything against her. 

Besides, if she wanted to find a chance at revenge against her kidnappers, then working with this Vincent was the perfect opportunity for her. After all, if he was willing to work with her, then maybe she would be able to catch these people off guard one day.

"Okay, fine. Let me meet your brother first before agreeing to this. I'm not going to trust this whole thing just yet, even though I could tell you're being genuine. It doesn't change the fact that the two of you are still strangers. So, I want to see what you can tell me about the Phantom before I agree to working with you."

"Understandable. Do you need anything else?"

She shook her head, "No, that should be all."

"Very well, then. It's late, I suggest you get some rest. We will talk tomorrow morning before breakfast and, perhaps then, we'll decide what our plan shall be."

"Got it."

Vincent gave her a curt nod before turning around and walking out of the room. Isadora watched his retreating figure until he was out of sight and sighed heavily. As much as she hated the idea of working with Vincent, she wasn't stupid enough to deny the possibility that she would gain something out of this partnership. 

In all honesty, she already had a feeling that this arrangement may benefit her in the long run. And so without much thought, she headed up the stairs once again and decided to head to bed, ready to confront her dreams with the knowledge that she would likely soon be faced with the same situation all over again.