The Queen || ✔

Chapter 16: Queen Wins

Claudia

I opened the door wildly and everyone swarmed in, throwing themselves onto me with all they had.

Everyone embraced me with all of their might and their love and care rubbed briskly on me but didn't hurt me. I looked around me, Zeus at my waist, Athena at my neck and Mona at my legs, struggling to get through to me, but clinging on still.

Blade and Bullet stood inside of the room, both with glasses on but I could tell that Blade was worried, his hands were usually behind him, now they were fiddling with his watch. I felt so guilty.

Everyone needed me in their lives. With all their hearts, minds and souls.

Zeus was still uneasy about his future. He was strong, smart and willing to take his responsibility as the heir, but he was too curious and immature. He asked too many questions, and most of the time, that would always get on someone's nerves.

I still had to open his mind to the dark side of his future. He had to find comfort and shelter in it, just as I had, and get used to the fact that he had King blood running through his veins. He had never even held a gun in his hand in his entire life. I couldn't believe that I almost left him to deal with a man as dangerous as Charles King by himself.

Athena needed me more. She was very talkative, jovial, ambitious and full of life. But she lacked experience. I knew that I had spoon-fed her from the beginning, but after while, I decided to let go. Little did I know that she had become so accustomed to the silver platter, she would've done anything to keep it, but always failed in her endeavours. She was just too risky of a person to trust with any important task. She didn't know how to do anything except whine and cry. But either way, she was my baby and as her mother, it was my duty to protect her from the likes of Charles King.

Mona, my most loyal employee in the world. Mona had been working for me since I could remember. I took her in and made her a part of my family. Every cell in my body regards her as my blood and would do anything for her. There is absolutely nothing that this woman hasn't done for me. Literally.

Hera, my little lamb. I would never leave her side. She kept me sane, almost normal. But then again, to live the lives we lived, I had to go just a little crazy. When she had the car accident, I was sure that I was going to lose her. I was prepared for grief.

But at the same time, I held on with everything in me. I fasted, prayed, cried, broke down and picked myself back up again. I believed with each and every single ounce in my body that she would get better. It was bittersweet when she woke up. She lived to tell the tale, but at an expense. From then I knew that I would protect her so much better than I had Cynthia. I would break limb from limb in battle for her. My little lamb.

Poseidon, that little monkey. He was literally a little monkey stuck in this world as a human. There wasn't anything he wasn't capable of doing, except behaving. He had a mischievous characteristic to himself which made him behave or react to certain situations in a way that made it seem like he was a nuisance, but he was just being his careless and playful self.

I looked up and batted my eyes to sharpen my vision and the first person I saw was Charles, looking as retorted as ever. He snarled at me and I raised my brow.

I had everything. And everyone. The kids, Hilary, Mona, half of the business and most importantly, I had TsiTsi. I had him and I wasn't going to let go. I would've rather died than to give him back, if it meant moving them, I would willingly do that.

"Fuck you." He mouthed at me while I grinned maliciously at him knowing that I won this one.

I looked straight at him and couldn't believe how far I had come with this man.

I let everyone go and walked towards him pridefully with large strides and a courageous and murderess mindset ready.

I stood straight in front of him and looked at him. Reminiscing to myself about the day I had met him for the first time, on my wedding day. Reminiscing all the tears I shed. How badly I wanted my family back, how badly I just wanted to get everything back to normal, but he deprived me of that.

He still looked exactly the same, just older. And hopefully wiser. Wise enough to know that my game face was on.

"You look exactly the same as when I met you..." I said in a whisper which still echoed as the room stayed as silent as ever, listening to me go on, "... I was only sixteen. I still couldn't believe what you did, what your father did. I knew from the moment I saw you while I walked down the aisle that marrying you was going to be like signing my death certificate. But... I also knew that I'd never leave your side. You're stuck with me."

"Never!" He gritted out, huffing in all the oxygen he could and then breathing it all out aggressively. I let him do it in my face, it was going to be one of his last breaths anyway.

I continued talking calmly, no sound of anger, pain or aggression in my voice at all. I was emotionless.

"You took them from me and made me kill my father. You made me think that I destroyed my own family. You made me bleed. My blood is on your hands, even though I'm not dead. My screams are in your conscience. My pain is in your memory, Charles, and I promised to avenge myself."

"You have no idea what I am going through!"

"I took your family from you for a few weeks. Y-You h-have had mine for..." I broke down again, but didn't fall down. I'd never fall to this man's knees ever again.

Zeus kept me upright by putting his arm around my waist and holding my hand, and I let him.

"... twenty-five years..." I heaved out. I breathed out heavily as my mind blurred up again and my eyes began rolling back. I was too weak, but I wasn't done yet.

"... Charles. I don't know what's going in your head right now, but I want you to remember that... I'm only getting started." I finished off.

I looked at my son longingly and lovingly and asked him quietly to take me to my room. He obediently did as told, and the rest of my family followed.

From the back of my ears, I could hear Charles weeping, breaking down and hurting inside. Now he knew I how I had been feeling for the past twenty-five years.