Breaking the Cinderella Rules

❁ THERE'S A PLACE FOR US, no?

Yaay! Goal completed :D Thank you so much for everything guys! We've finally reached 100k reads! I'm so thrilled. Anyway, here's another chapter. If you're an Andrew fan, here's the chapter for you. If you're an Ash fan, you might not like it o.o! I'm really sorry for this chapter. It's short, and  more is coming in Ash's point of view. The next chapter would involve some sad parts, Ash watching the lights on his own and meeting someone dangerous on the way :) We'll come across the Boss and some of Cinder's competitors in the next chapter :) I hope you like it :)

Chapter 24—THERE’S A PLACE FOR US, no?

Cinder

The hotel room was quiet. Nighttime passed in an instant, and before we knew it, the sun had come to take its place in the sky, indicating the beginning of morning. It was a brand new day. When I was little, Mom would always tell me this: every morning means new hope. Don’t ever think back of what happened yesterday. Now, what matters most is changing the future. Every day holds different secrets, yet to be unraveled.

But after the killing last night, it was hard to let go of yesterday. I was not used to this new life, this new killing. A few days ago, I was literally Cinderella, cleaning my stepmother’s house without payment. Suddenly, I defied all the Cinderella rules, ran away, and was drowned in a new problem even bigger than Cinderella’s petty little problems.

I’m learning to embrace this new destiny, this new journey. But I didn’t know how long it would take before I could really see the goodness of killing. Sure, killing my targets would mean more possibilities of me being the next heir of this killing organization. If I’m heir, I could stop further killings. But how about the innocence who had been killed before? Am I responsible for that too?

I was confused, puzzled by my own deep thoughts. I didn’t know what to do, to be baffled or to be happy with my decision to become the heir. In the midst of my thoughts, the door opened, showing Andrew with many small plastic bags in his arms. The scent of pancakes filled my nostrils, and suddenly, my thoughts were gone.

Maybe Mom was right. A new day means new hope, new dreams. Maybe our mission wouldn’t be so meaningless. I could save lots of people, although it means killing a few. Better to kill some than to kill everyone, right? Although it was still wrong, today we’re going to make things better. We had to choose one from the other. And I knew what I was going to choose. I am going to be brave, to be confident with my own choices despite the consequences coming. People could be saved from my actions, my consequences.

For now, Ash, Andrew, and I were going to make the next days to come to be better, to be brighter. And from this day on, we would make each second and each day count. There is a place for us in this world, despite all the mistakes we’ve done. There would be a world where all of us belong, where the real us would be appreciated. I believed in that.

***

My plate was empty before Andrew could even take a bite out of his pancake. When I stood up from the table to throw some trash, he gaped at me, dropping his buttered knife and fork. The bottle of maple syrup slumped to the floor, spilling some of its contents.  

I winked at Andrew and cleaned my plate and knife. A puzzled expression appeared on my face as soon as I spotted an already thrown plate inside the trashcan. Someone had finished his food before I did. Ash was seriously hungry for some reason. He was probably starved from thinking too much. Since he had a call from Ryan, he began to take his time alone, checking on his phone for something.

As I walked into my room, I spotted Ash using the computer provided by the hotel. He was browsing for something so intently that I wondered what he was searching for. His persistence never failed. Perhaps that character allowed him to be a vicious killer. Compare to Andrew, I had to admit that Ash was better in everything, just by half a step.