NINTH FLOOR | 18+

XXIII. F A M I L Y B L O O D

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V I O L E T T E
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I don't know if it was something I had said or just the part where he had accidentally shared something about his childhood that he wanted to forget but Ruben had gone completely quiet.

He sat beside me on the kitchen counter, quietly eating the pasta I had poured onto his plate. I just continued to move my food around the plate suddenly not having an appetite for anything. It was also not lost on me that Gavrill, my bodyguard, was probably losing his mind over the fact I had been missing since last night.

"I was wondering if someone could drop me off at my apartment soon." He wasn't making a move to start a conversation himself so I knew I had to just ask him what I needed to ask by myself.

He didn't turn to look at me but instead continued to drag his fork through the few pieces of spaghetti left on his plate. "Do you need anything?" He finally asked as I kept watching him carefully.

Need anything? Confused I added, "What do you mean?"

The sigh that came out of his mouth indicated he was annoyed and soon after his eyes finally moved away from his plate to mine. "What I mean is, is there something you need from your apartment that we don't have here." I didn't know what I had hoped for him to say but it sure wasn't that.

When I finally managed to compose the surprised look on my face I responded, "I kind of need to go back home, Ruben." Not wanting to tell him that it was because of the fact my father would fly over to New York himself if Gavrill told him about my missing status, that is if he hadn't already done so.

The tick on his face became more prominent as he fully turned in his seat to face me. He stayed quiet for a few moments just staring me down before he asked, "Is there someone waiting for you at home?" At first I didn't catch the underlying meaning of his question but when I did my mouth opened and then closed as I sat there speechless.

Taking my silence as an agreement his hand that was sitting on the kitchen counter tightened into a fist and without hearing me out he stood up, turning his back to me in the process. "Ryan will take you home once you're done eating." He didn't wait any longer as he made his way to what I could only assume was his office and slapped the door.

He confused me beyond my grasp. In one moment everything seemed to be fine and in the very next it was as if I didn't even know who he was. Whatever I did with him, it was just either too much or too little. Not knowing how to breach this situation, I just grabbed my plate along with his and started to wash them in the sink. When I was finished, I decided to go find something to wear underneath his shirt that I had borrowed before waiting for Ryan to take me home.

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He never came out of his office. Not when I turned on the TV as I waited to be taken home and not when the doorbell rang indicating my ride was finally here. Maybe it was for the best. Getting too close to someone who you know is emotionally unavailable is definitely a heartbreak in the making and I've had a fair share of those already.

After Ryan had dropped me in front of my apartment building, I carefully navigated my way to the elevator as I tried to turn on my phone that I finally got a hold of. Apparently Ruben had left it to Ryan to gather my belongings along with me and to do the final drop off.

When the phone screen remained dark, I knew it was dead. That didn't help my anxiety at all as I knew Gavrill was supposed to check in with me every few hours.

As I finally made it into my apartment, I put my phone on charge hoping it would stop delaying the inevitable scolding I was about to get. But when the doorbell to my apartment rang, I almost dropped my phone in the process and had to gather myself with a few calming breaths before putting the phone on back on the counter.

"Ms.Rossi?" Another knock and the sound of a very distressed Gavrill sounded from the other side of the door. Not wanting the man to have a heart attack, I quickly made my way to the front door and opened it.

The man indeed looked hysterical but very relieved upon seeing me. "Where were you last night?" I honestly didn't even blame him for diving right into the interrogation mode because knowing how my dad is, I knew Gavrill was going to be way more reasonable but he looked on the verge of tearing down the place right now himself.

"Umm I- umm well I-" When I kept on stumbling on my words, he finally stepped into my apartment before closing the door behind him.

"Violette, what happened?" I knew the moment he said my first name that he was beyond serious. I hope dad doesn't find out about this, I prayed.

"Okay, I'll tell you but only if you promise you won't lose it." Gavrill looked like he was on the brink of a heart attack but he nodded to me regardless.

"I went out yesterday to grab some takeout food after you had dropped me last night."

"And what Violette?"

I dropped my face from Gavrill's as I continued, "Someone was following me or I think I don't know for sure. He tried to...I- He grabbed onto me and started to say all this stuff and I- I don't know."

"I just remember finally managing to get away from him and seeing my boss and and then it's all blank. I woke up the next morning at my boss's place."

When I don't hear anything from Gavrill, I finally make a move to look at his face. "What did he fucken say Violette?" Startled by the urgency in his voice, I stood there.

His hand softly grabbed onto my arm before he asked once again, "What did that man say to you Violette?"

"He sa- he said that she was just like her father and I was like my mother." I replied as fear snaked its way into my chest.

"I- I he...he said that I looked just like her." As I finished my sentence, Gavrill immediately let go of my arm as if I was on fire before stepping back towards the front door.

"She's alive." He whispered as if the words were shocking to him.

Not knowing what he meant, I asked, "Who is alive?"

For a moment he didn't speak, he just stood there shocked beyond comprehension. His fists clenched and he closed his eyes as if it was all too much.

"Who is alive, Gavrill?" I asked again but with a little more caution.

"Your sister Violette. Your older twin sister. Sh- she's alive."

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I'm gonna just leave this here and hope all is well haha.

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J. Iris Grace

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