Twin Tormentors By RARE

Chapter 45 LEIGH-ARI Days flew by and the secret grew heavy in my chest. With each passing second, | weighed my options and the pros and cons of telling the twins about Xander. It was just way too much. But | had decided against it when Xander took four full nights without visiting.

Maybe he had found whatever he was looking for. Because he just disappeared without much of a word. But still, | felt guilty for carrying all this by myself. Xander was the twins’ enemy, and he wouldn't waste a chance to destroy them and vice versa. The twins had to know.

At the stime, | feared for what they would do to each other. It was their world, it was what they did, what they knew. | get that very well. But | wasn’t going to allow any bloodshed. Not under my watch.

So instead of telling the twins, | decided to put on my smallest bikini and sunbathe by the poolside just right outside the west wing.

Raquel was also withand the other maids were dismissed. We were sitting in a very comfortable silence, withstaring at the blue sky with milky white clouds.

The protective glass house shielded us against the harsh autumn wind.

| shifted into a more comfortable position and my eyes landed at the thick heavy forest just ahead. Without further ado, | called out “Raquel?” “Yes, M’lady.” She was by my side in a split second.

“What is in that forest?” | asked the question with my eyes glued to the heavy trees that had their leaves already falling. The brownish-yellow hue marring the ground, birthing a false classic view of a very flat plateau on a nice spring day, full of bright colors.

When there was no answer, | glanced up to find her chewing on her bottom lip.

“It's nothing, M’lady. Beyond the forest is the border of the castle. Then nothing.” She said refusing to lookin the eye.

“Hmmmm. Have you been there? Beyond the forest?” | asked staring right into her eyes.

“No M’lady. Dark Woods is a restricted area.” Huh? “Dark Woods? Isn't that the nof the castle?” “No M’lady. Dark Woods is the nof the forest. And the castle was named after it.” She clarified. And God help me! That just made my curiosity go through the roof. | gave her a small nod and stared right into the thick trees.

Minutes ticked by withhaving a very intense internal war.

| was trying to get myself into not going there and exploring, but the other side was winning.

Without any other thought, I sprinted out of the chair and pulled on my black kimono. There was a pair of slip- ons | had brought earlier and | pulled them on, then ran towards the glass door.

“M’lady you can’t go in there,” Raquel warned, erupting from nowhere, and then stood by the door blocking my way.

“Why? | just want to see what's beyond the forest. | won't die right?” | said casually, but she seemed to be horror-stricken and | really didn’t understand why she was making it a big deal.

“M’lady, my job is to keep you safe and protect you with my life. And | tell you that it is not a good idea to go to that area. The bosses don’t allow anyone in there. Please don’t make it hard for me.” Her words penetrated deeply, and whatever they were keeping in there, it was huge.

| smiled and patted her cheek.

“I know my safety is all you care about. | am just going to take a stroll, won't even go inside. Just stay here if you aren't allowed, I'll be back before you know it.” And for that reason and many others, | bee-lined past her and waltzed towards the outside stairs that led to the ground.

“M’lady you aren't supposed to go there, please.” Raquel called out yet again and | decided to wave at her. No one was going to change my decision now.

Whatever it was they didn’t wantto see, then | was going to see it.

My heart pumped harder with every step | took towards the forest. It was as if there was something that was callingin, and | just couldn’t say no to it. It was as if | had been consumed by this bewitching spell that called for my name, and so | delved into the forest.

The rustling sound of the drying leaves under my feet lulled all my troubles, kissed away all m y pain. The wind that brushed through the branches, pulling the leaves off their stalks made a soft whir that sounded like a soft melody that made everything seem normal, just for a split second. | closed my eyes, then took one step forward, then another.

| was so consumed by the sound of the drying leaves and my thoughts when all of a sudden, a loud explosive went off just right in front of me, sendingflying backward where | hit a tree log with my back and then planted my face-first into the dirt.

| let out an ear-shattering scream that was drowned by the sound of explosives and bombs that tornadoed on and on without stopping.

The last thing | remembered was a bomb that went off just a foot from me, then darkness.

LORENZO POV Sitting in a meeting, | was so tired and wired up. It felt insanely quiet and way too peaceful, like the calm before the storm. Nothing in my life was this peaceful, well except Ari. But yeah.

We were currently in a meeting with the planning department, going through all the schemes of expanding to the east.

Acquiring the east added our workload by a hundred, there was just so much to be taken care of. While Verzi took care of the underworld deals, | stayed on top in a clean three-piece suit and did the good work. That's just how our world worked.

The team leader went on explaining the plan, while | just sat there staring blankly at the large screen, the sudden vibration in my pocket called for my attention.

| whisked my phone and then switched it on to find a little text, it was Verzi.

My blood ran cold when | read what it said, Ari triggered the mines.

One minute | was sitting in my chair at the head of the table, the next second | was outside already heading for my car. | don’t know, but everything seemed to have happened in just a blink of an eye.

If Ari had triggered the mines, where was she? VERNERO POV The hacking system of the new base in the east was taking forever. | had just finished creating the first firewall when a loud BOOM! Rang around and then followed by a series of more explosions and sirens.

| reclined in my chair before slowly getting up and began arming up with my favorite toys. A very satisfied smile on my face. It’s been a long time.

Whoever it was that was trying to enter my humble abode, he was going to die a horrible death. And | was ready to take him down. The rush of adrenalin pumped through my system and | flexed my arms as | pulled my small blades and tugged them neatly in their compartment on the belt | was wearing. | had just strapped it securely when the door flew open and in cValerie with wide eyes.

“Boss.” “I know, we are under attack. | have never felt this good.” | flexed and gave her a big grin. She shook her head rapidly and ran towards my desk, “It’s Madam. She went into Dark Woods.” She announced causing my stomach to drop in a pit within a second.

| stayed glued to the ground, staring blankly at her moving lips. | could see she was saying something, but my senses refused to cooperate with me. All | could hear was the sound of the sirens and the mines that continued going off, wreaking havoc in the forest.

“Boss!” Valerie's scream joltedout of my daze and | sprinted out the door.

| have never been so scared in my life. | had passed through the worst, been through a lot of shit that no one can possibly think, but none of that has ever soured my heart like what was happening right about now.

| gathered the little strength inand ran to the forest, | don’t know what | was going to find i n there. But whatever that had happened, it was going to killcompletely. Just the thought of it knocked the air out of my lungs, making it so hard to breathe.

Through that haze, | ran into the woods, staring everywhere like a mad man trying to spot her, or anything of her. God no! Please don't let it get to that.

My men were also on the search, armed and ready for whatever was there. | felt lifeless, with each ticking second, | felt like life was slipping through my fingers.

“Found her.” Someone called from my far right. | ran on my wobbly legs and found her covered in leaves and dirt, with the guys already turning her on her back. Her beautiful face was covered in dirt, showing that he had fallen right on her face, “She’s breathing.” They announced and that’s when a whole load left my shoulders. My knees gave out and | dropped to the floor next to her torso, then crawled towards her and pulled her i na big hug. And then, I cried! The walk back to the castle was filled withcrying and sobbing the life out of myself. Lorik and the others left with her on a stretcher and left to the medicine room where they cleaned her back that had a few scratches. It was as if something scraped her back, but that was nothing, compared to what | had thought. She could have died. God, she could have died a horrible death | sat on the floor right outside the medicine room and sent a quick text to Enzo. He was going to kill me