Chapter 057

~~~Sandra~~~ As I sprinted through the woods, the crunch of dry leaves beneath my feet echoed through the air, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside me. My mind reeled from the events that had just transpired – I had pulled the trigger on my own stepbrother. The weight of my actions threatened to suffocate me. I paused, gasping for air, and clutched my chest as if trying to physically contain the chaos within. My thoughts swirled with the consequences of my actions – my cover was blown, and I had nowhere left to hide. The grandmaster would inevitably discover my betrayal, and I would be forced to face the repercussions. Frantically, I scanned my surroundings, desperate for an escape route, but the dense woods seemed to close in around me, offering no reprieve. Suddenly, I sensed a presence behind me. The air seemed to thicken, and a shiver coursed through my veins. "Who's there?" I demanded, my voice trembling. Before I could utter another word, a searing pain shot through my neck, and everything went dark. I crumpled to the ground, sedated and helpless, with the ominous feeling that I was in grave danger. I sat in my tiny room space as I stared into thin air, my mind reeling through so many thoughts simultaneously, as I drifted my thoughts to my mother's last words before she passed. "Promise me, my child..." Her voice trembled, and her hands shook as she struggled to speak, the illness taking its toll. "Promise me you'll...you'll find your father...and tell him about me." Her words were laced with a desperate urgency, her eyes pleading with me to make this vow. I sat beside her on the quack bedside chair, as I stared deeply into her eyes. I was only fifteen, not too young but young enough to know that she wasn't going to make it. She tore out a sheet of paper and scribbled something on it, before giving it to me, I looked at what was written on it and it was a name, just a name. 'Who's this mom?" I asked, confused As I sat beside her, I felt a lump form in my throat. I was trying to process the weight of her words, but they seemed to hang in the air, unresolved. I looked at the name on the paper again, "Zac Brooklyn." It was a name that meant nothing to me, but somehow, it felt like my entire future was tied to it. I looked back at my mother, her eyes sunken, her skin pale. I knew she didn't have much time left, and I felt a desperation creeping in. I wanted to ask her more questions, to know more about this man, my father. But before I could say anything, she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "My dear child, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him sooner. I was trying to protect you, but I realize now that was a mistake. You deserve to know the truth, and you deserve to know your father." 'That's the name of your father, find him, and let him know who you are, tell him I was your mother, Christine Johnson, and he would definitely take care of you." She said still with a shaky voice. 'Mom? Why are you just telling me this?" I asked, as I felt a lump in my throat "My dear child," my mother whispered, her voice laced with regret, "your father...he didn't want you. We met at a club, and...and he was getting married when I found out I was pregnant. He wanted me to...to terminate the pregnancy, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't know when I'd have another chance to be a mother." I felt a sting of tears as her words cut deep. "What?!" I exclaimed, my voice cracking with emotion. "How could he...?" My mother's eyes filled with tears as she continued, her voice barely audible. "When you were born, he...he didn't want anything to do with you. He paid me off, told me to never contact him again. I'm so sorry, Sandra. I was trying to protect you, but...but I realize now that I should have told you the truth sooner." As she finished speaking, her body relaxed, and her eyes closed. I felt a scream building in my throat as I realized she was gone. The paper in my hand, with the name "Zac Brooklyn" scribbled on it, seemed to burn with a fierce determination. I was going to find him, and I was going to make him acknowledge me as his child. But for now, I was lost, consumed by anger and hurt. I didn't know where to start, or how to process the emotions swirling inside me. The pain and confusion led me down a dark path, one that ultimately landed me in the Rehabilitation Center, struggling to overcome my addiction to hard drugs. Five years had passed since my mother's death, and I had spent the last two years in this rehabilitation center, consumed by grief and anger. But I had a plan, a plan to find my father and make him pay for abandoning my mother and me. 'Miss Sandra?" One of the nurses in charge called, 'you have a visitor," she announced. As I walked to the visiting center, I wondered who could be visiting me. I didn't know anyone, or so I thought. That's when I saw him, the grandmaster. His scarred face was intimidating, but I felt a sense of hope. He offered me a deal, a chance to exact revenge on my father, a wealthy mafia lord who had left my mother to suffer in poverty. I accepted the deal, and the grandmaster transformed me into a model with a mission to eliminate my father's family. But things didn't go as planned. I fell in love with my stepbrother, Aiden, and my emotions clouded my judgment. I failed to carry out my mission, and now I was filled with regret. Aiden had taken care of me, given me a taste of the wealthy life, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal. He had moved on, found someone else, and I was left to pick up the pieces. I thought about the baby, the one I had terminated, and a wave of anger washed over me. I had done it to spare Aiden the truth, to keep him from discovering that he had been sleeping with his stepsister. The grandmaster had offered me a new plan, a chance to make things right, but I knew I couldn't trust him. He was going to make me pay for my failure, and I was running out of time. The shadowed men who had taken me were likely working for the grandmaster, and I knew I had to escape, to find a way out of this mess before it was too late, or maybe it was already too late, I thought. I opened my eyes hours later only to meet eyes with the grandmaster's scary face. 'You little brat!" He spat at me giving me a resounding slap to my face as I was bound to a chair, I stayed in the direction of the slap as my hair cascaded down veiling my face, all I could feel was hatred and regret. 'After all I've done for you this is how you want to repay me? Huh?!" He yelled as he roughed his hands into his not so long hair in frustration. At this moment, I hated Hailey even more, if only she hadn't come into Aiden's life, none of this would be happening in the first place. I wouldn't have blown my cover like this, and I certainly won't be facing the grandmaster's wrath right now. He's done so many great things for me after my moms death and it really hurt me that I couldn't perform the one task he gave me. I just sat there, my head still frozen as I shed cold tears. The only thing I expected from him right now, was to send me six feet below because he's certainly not going to forgive me this time. "You ungrateful child!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls. "How dare you betray me after everything I've done for you?" "Answer me!" he demanded, his fists clenched. "You were supposed to eliminate Aiden's family, not fall in love with him! What happened to the loyalty I taught you?" I slowly turned to face him, my eyes locked on his. "I...I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice barely audible. "I let my emotions get the better of me. I know I failed you." The grandmaster's expression twisted in disgust. "You think a simple apology will suffice? You've compromised the entire operation! You're lucky I didn't kill you on the spot." I felt a chill run down my spine as I awaited my fate. The grandmaster's wrath was not something to be taken lightly.