Bound By Sin

The Right Thing.

Anastasia stormed down the stairs, her heart racing and her hands still trembling with fury. The fight with Genevieve had rattled her more than she cared to admit, but the frustration—no, the rage—of seeing her sister so blind to what was happening, so stubborn in her refusal to act, was unbearable. She couldn't just sit back and watch her make a horrible mistake.

Her parents, Victoria and Nathaniel, were sitting in the living room, the TV flickering in the background though neither of them seemed to be paying attention to it. Victoria glanced up first, her sharp eyes immediately picking up on the tension in Anastasia's expression. She turned off the TV with a click of the remote, her brows furrowing in concern.

"Anastasia?" Victoria asked, her voice calm but laced with worry. "What happened? You look like you're about to explode."

Anastasia let out a sharp breath, shaking her head as she crossed the room, pacing restlessly in front of them. "It's Genevieve. I just had it out with her—again. She's being impossible. She won't listen to reason!"

Nathaniel straightened in his seat, his voice steady. "What did she say?"

Anastasia stopped pacing and faced them, her hands still trembling from the argument. "She's defending Nicholas. Like, defending him. Even after everything I told her, after what she saw, she's still pretending like none of it's real. Like it's all some misunderstanding. She won't even consider the possibility that he's the one behind all of this."

Victoria sighed softly, exchanging a knowing look with Nathaniel before turning her full attention back to Anastasia. She patted the seat beside her on the couch, motioning for her daughter to sit. "Come here, sweetheart. Sit down."

Anastasia reluctantly sat beside her, still fuming. She could feel the anger bubbling just beneath the surface, but it was mixed with something else now—worry, frustration, even fear for Genevieve. She was terrified that her sister's blind loyalty to Nicholas would get them all in trouble.

Victoria reached out, placing a gentle hand on Anastasia's knee. "You did the right thing. I know it's hard. Genevieve's upset right now, and she's not seeing things clearly, but you did what you needed to do."

Anastasia scoffed, running her hand through her hair in frustration. "It doesn't feel like I did the right thing. She just screamed at me, told me to get the hell out of her room. She's completely shutting down, and no matter what I say, she's acting like I'm the enemy."

Nathaniel, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "She's scared, Ana. And sometimes, when people are scared, they dig their heels in. It's not easy to accept that someone you care about could be involved in something so horrible. Genevieve's not ready to face that possibility yet."

Anastasia shook her head, her voice trembling with frustration. "But she needs to face it. Nicholas is dangerous! I mean, she saw blood on his hands, Dad. How can she still be in denial?"

Victoria's eyes softened as she spoke, her voice filled with understanding. "Because it's not that simple, sweetheart. Genevieve's known Nicholas for years. He's been one of her closest friends. It's hard to accept that someone you love could be capable of something like this. She doesn't want to believe it because it'll shatter her whole idea of who he is."

Anastasia let out a bitter laugh, her fingers fidgeting restlessly in her lap. "I get that. I really do. But what about everyone else? What about the people who are getting hurt, who are dying? Genevieve's putting all of us at risk because she can't let go of this idea of who Nicholas used to be. She's going to get someone killed. She's gonna get us killed."

Victoria squeezed Anastasia's knee gently, her eyes filled with both sympathy and resolve. "She'll come around, Ana. She's mad now, but when she realizes what we're saying—what you were saying—she'll be okay. She's not going to stay in denial forever. She just needs time to process it. And when she's ready, she'll understand."

Anastasia sighed, slumping back against the couch. "I don't know, Mom. It doesn't feel like she's ever going to get there. She's too stubborn. Too protective of him. I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall."

Nathaniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he spoke. "Genevieve's a good kid, but she's always been like this. She's loyal to the people she loves, sometimes to a fault. Right now, she's protecting Nicholas because it's what feels right to her. But that doesn't mean she won't come around."

Anastasia let out a frustrated sigh, her voice rising slightly. "What if she doesn't? What if she just keeps defending him until something terrible happens? I don't know how much longer I can deal with her acting like this. She's being so selfish, thinking about Nicholas but not the rest of us."

Victoria's expression grew more serious, her voice low and measured. "You're not wrong, Ana. Genevieve is putting Nicholas first right now, and that's dangerous. But you have to understand that she's scared, too. She's scared of losing him, scared of what it means if she's wrong about him. That doesn't mean she's selfish—it just means she's human."

Anastasia shook her head, still not satisfied. "But I'm scared too, Mom. We all are. And the fact that she won't listen, that she's ignoring everything I'm telling her, it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. How can she not see what's right in front of her?"

Victoria reached out and pulled Anastasia into a hug, her voice soft and reassuring. "I know, sweetheart. I know it's frustrating, but you did the right thing by confronting her. You're not losing your mind. You're just trying to protect her, to protect all of us."

Nathaniel nodded, his voice steady. "It's going to take time, Ana. And it might not be easy, but eventually, Genevieve will realize what's going on. She'll see that you were right to be worried. We just need to give her space to come to that conclusion on her own."

Anastasia leaned into her mother's embrace, though the frustration still gnawed at her. "I just want her to be safe. I don't want anything to happen to her because she's too blinded by loyalty."

Victoria pulled back slightly, brushing a strand of hair out of Anastasia's face. "And that's why you're a good sister. You're trying to protect her, even if she doesn't see it right now. She's mad now, but that anger won't last forever. And when she realizes the truth, she'll thank you for it."

Anastasia sighed again, the tension slowly draining from her body, though the frustration still lingered. "I hope you're right. I don't want to fight with her like this anymore. I just want her to understand."

Victoria smiled softly, her eyes full of warmth. "She will. She's stubborn, just like you, but she'll come around. It's just going to take time."

Nathaniel stood up, crossing the room to place a hand on Anastasia's shoulder. "You did what you had to do, Ana. Now it's on her to figure things out. We're all in this together, and we'll get through it. But for now, give her space. Let her process everything."

Anastasia nodded, though the frustration still gnawed at her. "Okay. I'll give her time. But if something happens, I don't know if I can forgive her for not listening."

Victoria's face grew serious again, her voice firm. "We'll cross that bridge if we have to. But right now, let's just focus on keeping each other safe. And that means letting Gen find her way through this in her own time."

Anastasia leaned back against the couch, closing her eyes for a moment, letting out a long breath. "I just hope she doesn't wait too long."