The Billionaires Too (#2)

Unveiled

The first thing that occurred to MJ when she stepped into the room, was how packed it was; and then the first thing she thought when she spoke, was how every single person was looking at her. But the moment her eyes landed on the casket sitting at the podium, everyone and everything else disappeared, and she found her feet taking her to the front.

She stood in front of the casket with her back turned against the crowd, and placed her palm on top. A flash of the murder hit her sight and a gunshot echoed in her ears, causing her to grip the casket for dear life. She closed her eyes and released a sharp breath. "I stood outside this building for more than an hour and stared at the stars, hoping that they hear my call. I stood out there and listened to all of you talk about what a good man Alastair Cooper was. But the truth is, your words mean nothing." A chorus of whispers rose, and people started shifting in their seats; but MJ did not pay attention to them.

"To you, he was just one of your clients. To me, he was a parent. People often speak about soulmates, and somehow always relate the word with lovers. But to me, a soulmate is someone who knows your demons and still manages to look past them and love you without asking for anything in return." Her face remained neutral as she spoke as if she was reciting a memorandum from work.

Her eyes were pitch black, a colour they only produced on rare occasions, and her face was ghostly pale due to cutting her recovery short. The bruises on her head had turned purple and seemed to fest from exposure.

"I met my soulmate on the streets of London." She paused as her mind started to go down the memory lane. "We were strangers, two broken souls killed by the cruelty of this world. When I ran away from home, I never imagined life to put me on the streets, and during that time; I never thought I would find someone to want to share his own food with me or share their makeshift shelter with me. I never imagined that he would comfort me every time I had a nightmare. He would have been off the streets if he wanted to, only he was a proud man; a man who was hurt and too broken to fight his demons. But when life became harder for me on the streets and I fell sick, he put his own pride aside and found me shelter. He turned his life around for me and made me who I am today." She caressed his picture.

"It was a bumpy road, but we conquered it together." She wanted to say so much more, but something restricted her. "You did not deserve to die, not the way you did. You had your entire life ahead of you, you had all the time to stay cooped up in the office until you got tired and finally designed that car you always spoke of." She laughed dryly, her laughter echoing throughout the silent hall. "There are so many people in this room who deserve to be in your place, instead of you. Even myself. It hurts me to know that your murderers are still out there, that they might even be amongst us today, shedding crocodile tears." Her voice became harder and harder as she spoke, her eyes almost like empty balls. "You always taught me that revenge was the spice of life for people like us who were once victims of this world, you said revenge was paving our own way to our redemption. I promise you, Alastair, I will find the person who did this to you, and when I do; I will tear them limb for limb until there is nothing left of them." The promise in her voice was deafening. "No tears could ever bring you back to life, but if I had a single teardrop to spare, I would. I probably never said this enough when you were still alive, but I want you to know for the last time; I love you."

No one said anything as she opened the casket for her eyes only. The sight that greeted her, made her swallow; he looked so pale and yet so peaceful. He was dressed in his favourite gray suit, similar to the one he died in. There was nothing much to him other than the fact that he was dead. With one last glance, she closed the lid with a shaky breath.

"May your legacy live forever. Until we meet again, rest in peace." She said boldly and threw one last glance at the picture. Her eyes moved over the figures in the room, and she caught Sandra's gaze, giving her a brief nod before leaving the room in silence.

The last thing she heard before stepping into the starry night, was a loud applause from inside.

There was no explaining how she felt, it was all too much. She felt as though she had spent so much time away from him than she did with him. But he was the one who told her to never let the world in again. He was speaking from experience, and she believed and trusted everything he taught her.

He taught her never to shed tears in front of people, because tears were a sign of weakness, especially in a men-dominated world. He was the one who taught her how to channel all her feelings towards work, to build a legacy.

She was taught to never ever let her pain show to the world. She was taught to use her pain to get what she wanted. Kindness was only good when beneficial, and unless she stood to gain something from it, it was better to keep it concealed. She was never to let men walk all over her, and had to exert power wherever she went.

He told her that she had to keep a blank face all the time, to not allow people to see what she really felt, especially in business. He told her to always mask her emotions, to never show vulnerability, even through her eyes. He noticed that her eyes were her loudest voice, they said what her lips could not speak; thus she had to mask them.

She practiced his teachings until she was perfect, but her pain made her into a person he never dreamt of. She channelled her feelings until there was nothing left of it; she was a living shell, void of any emotions unless triggered by a past. She was heartless, a broken soul. She was as dark as the night, and what she left behind, spoke volumes.

"MJ." She closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath as Jorge came into view. "I'm sorry." He said.

MJ shook her head in disbelief. "You could have prevented this from happening if you'd confided in me, Jorge." She said in a steely voice.

"I didn't want to risk putting Sonya's life in danger." He gritted.

MJ stilled. "So, you would rather put my life in danger?" She scoffed. "Just how far are you willing to go to protect that two-timing girlfriend of yours?" She asked.

"Fiancée."

A cold and pregnant silence followed as MJ stared at him as if waiting for him to say he was joking. When nothing came, cold laughter filled their silence as MJ clapped her hands.

"Wow. Just wow!" She said. "Congratulations, Jorge. You have just successfully pledged your life for her, and in doing so; you have also declared war against me." She said coldly.

Jorge gasped in shock. "MJ?" He questioned.

"The only reason I haven't killed you, is because I love you so damn much to live with your blood on my hands." She cupped his cheek. "But I promise you; you are going to suffer, Jorge Billings. I am going to torture you and your fiancée, slowly until you can't bear it anymore. I am going to drive you to the point of suicide, and when I'm done with you, you will beg me to take your life." She gripped his chin hard enough to leave bruises. "Watch your back, Jorge, because from this day forward; your life will never be the same again."

She walked off and left him behind, while Logan stood at a distance and watched everything transpire. He glanced down at the watch in his hand and clutched it between his fingers. Maybe he would need it in the future. She had just put a price on Jorge; what were the chances that she would not do the same thing to him? With one glance at the gold jewel in his hand, he turned around and strode back into the building.