Royals

Chapter 13: Russian

"Yes, I know the Damon family; they've been stealing from us for years." Mrs. Owens said, a Russian accent visible. Her gun locked and loaded sat next to her; unfortunately, the teenagers managed to get in. They sat on the cramped couch; Miles held the tea she made, and Dina sipped her cup.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one." Auburella smiled at Mrs. Owens; she contunied.

"They killed my husband, tortured him for days, and made me wacth." 

The room fell into an uneasy silence as Mrs. Owens's words hung in the air. Miles nearly dropped his cup, his face pale with shock. Dina froze mid-sip, her eyes wide. Sage leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, while Grey looked down, his jaw tense. Yuto sighed.

"They made you watch?" Auburella asked softly, her voice trembling.

Mrs. Owens nodded, her expression hardened by years of grief and fury. "He owed them money. Not much, but enough for Damon's father to make an example of him. They dragged him out of our home like a dog. And when he couldn't pay..." She closed her eyes, her voice breaking. "They wanted me to know what happens to those who don't follow their rules."

"And I think, I think they killed my girl, Kelly."

Mrs. Owens sighed, her hands trembling as she gripped the armrest of her chair. "Uh, do you know if Kelly had friends or...?" Miles interrupted the uncorrupt silence.

"No, no, she kept to herself. She had a diary, but it's nothing much." 

Everyone perked up at the mention of the diary. Auburella leaned forward, her voice cautious but curious. "A diary? Do you still have it, Mrs. Owens?"

Mrs. Owens hesitated, her gaze flickering between the teenagers. "Why do you want it? What good will it do? It's just full of her thoughts. You will probably use it against her."

"It might be more important than you think," Yuto said gently. "Sometimes people write things down they can't say out loud. It could have clues, even if they don't seem obvious."

Mrs. Owens looked unsure. "It's in her room. I couldn't bring myself to touch her things since she left. But if it helps, you can look."

Auburella stood first, glancing back at the others. "Thank you. We'll be careful."

⚜

"Yeah, no torture? I vote we leave." Sage raised her hands before the group entered her room.

"No way, we've come to far." Miles spoke.

Kelly's room had a few pop artefacts on her walls. Messy bed with blankets on the floor; some of her clothes were torn. A few shirts and male trousers were tangled up in one corner and her bra at the other.

The room felt abandoned but still alive, chaotic, and vulnerable.

Grey smiled as he spotted the discarded bra on the floor. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he whispered, bending down to pick it up. Holding it up like a prize, he examined it with exaggerated seriousness. "Hmm, I'd say... C cup? Maybe a B? What do you think, Miles?"

Miles groaned. "Now is really not the time."

Before Grey could respond, Sage slapped his arm, causing him to drop the bra immediately. "Are you insane?" she hissed, her face a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Have some respect, you idiot!"

"I was just guessing." Grey shrugged his shoulders.

Auburella, who ignored whatever was going on behind, picked up a black diary.

"Kelly's diary, don't touch, please!"

Sage gave him another glare for good measure, then turned her attention to Auburella. "Does it say anything useful?"