Before the Fall

Chapter Eight - The Deal

Xander

I wanted so bad to spit into the face of the man who had ruined everything beautiful in my life.

"Where's my wife?" I choked out as he walked in.

I was confused when he knelt down before me, back to the glass.

"Listen to me, Presley, and listen well."

His voice was low, as if he was trying to not be heard. His words stabbed me in the heart and as he spoke I didn't think I could control my breathing.

"Do you understand? If you want that pretty wife of yours to continue breathing for a while longer, you'll do it."

I watched him stand up, while I was still very confused and angry.

"Xander, look towards that glass," he said, pointing to the mirror. "Your dear Aster is back there."

My eyes widened and I felt the tears fall. I so needed to see her. Why didn't he just let me see her?

His hand slid across my shoulder and he stood behind me. "Now, let's tell your wife the truth, shall we?"

I felt his hands grip my shoulders. I looked up at the glass and I prayed my eyes said what my mouth was not going to say.

The truth.

* * *

Aster

I heard Li ask Xander a question and I felt all the air being sucked out of the room.

"Have you been injecting with my hybrid serum?"

Xander's eyes blindly searched for mine. I knew he couldn't see me.

"Y-yes," he stammered. "I grew interested in it during our research."

I heard Xander's words and my head slowly shook from side to side. That wasn't true. Was it?

"I decided I wanted to have that for myself."

Li clicked his tongue and shook his head. "So greedy. You pretended to hate my company so much but you really wanted the incredible product I had. Shameless."

Xander's face grew more hardened and angry.

"So, do you still want to go through with the augmentation surgery?" Li glanced at me with a smile.

Xander seemed to hesitate, but he nodded slowly. "I do. I'm ready."

My hands flew to my mouth. How could he betray me like this? Was any of it really true? Were the words I just heard him speak true?

"You chose well." Li smoothed out Xander's hair and I was horrified to see Xander smiling.

"I know I did," he said, looking up at Li as a child would a father.

I spun around and threw up.

With every wretch, Xander's words played in my mind.

I was in disbelief.

* * *

Xander

Li pushed a button on the wall and I heard who I only could assume to be Aster throwing up. I grimaced at the gagging sounds and then I flinched at the sobs.

Her screams of, "It's not true! It's not true! Xander, why would you betray us?"

My heart was broken.

Would she ever understand that I was ultimately doing this to save her?

Who was I kidding? She would never understand. Li would make sure of that.

She would only know me as the man who betrayed her and our love.

If she even saw me as a man ever again.

I was full of anger and hate as Li finally pressed the button shutting off the mic to the other room, then turned to me smiling.

"Good job. Now, I'm a fair man. What would you like for your last meal?"