• Ivina Kuznetsova •

"Bastard..these are photos from two years ago!" I state as I flick through the Kuznetzov documents I stole from him. There were multiple photos took of me exiting the house and leaving my mission locations.
"Why would he even need these?" Sveta questions as she looked quite concerned.

I shrug as a reply and continue to flick through.
Sveta grabs a few photos from the pile and looks through them. She suddenly stops and freezes in her exact spot as she looks at one.
"Hm?" I look at her as she immediately hid the photo she had in her hands a few seconds ago.
I raise an eyebrow. "Nothing." She muttered quickly making my curiosity risen.

"What's that?" I move my hands over to the pictures but she grabs my wrist. I look at her in shock. What the fuck? What's so secretive that she's hiding it? "Sveta." I say and she sighs. She goes to speak and I took that moment to grab the photo.

"Ivina listen I-" She begins to speak as she snatches photo out my hand. I stare at her in utter confusion. "You slept with my brother?" I put the photo into words. She seemed to be shocked at my statement but she did not deny.
See, I'm more mad I wasn't told. I'm not mad she slept with him. We aren't kids anymore.

I scoff and shake my head. They both lied to me. Like literally. My brother fucking lied to me. Along with my best friend. I'v not got time for this childish bullshit. "I made breakfast while we discuss-" Czar walks into the room in a weirdly happy tone but he stopped speaking as he saw the look of shame and regret on Sveta's face and the disgust in mines.

"You two enjoy your breakfast, I'll be sorting this families mess, you continue to make more yeah?" I say referring to the lies he was building up. When we began this new life. We promised no lies. No matter what it took to admit the truth. Guess only one of us stuck to that. I budge past him.

He never changes does he? He's just the same as before. Lies on-top of lies. God knows what else he's lying about. In the meantime. I have shit to sort. Something Erik, the psychopath himself taught me; "think like your enemy, that way you can outsmart them" and he was right.

As bad as he is. As bad as his ways are. He's smart, he's got tricks that I use. In a different way. Actually, if we sum everything up. I'm just as bad as him. Only thing, I didn't kill my mom. Aside from that, we're even on the bad list; if that's something to be proud of.
I mean I'm proud of it. If you translate bad, you end up with fun, in a different perspective.

So, taking his advice. I spent the past nights planning and discussing with myself. Yeah with myself. I'm very easy to discuss with if I may say. Anyways let me just get to the point.
Nicholson would want to outsmart me, but I won't let him. It's been a few days since the event at his warehouse mansion. Whatever.

• Glimpse of her planning •

"And that goes...there!" I connect the last bit of red string that linked all of the method, routes, photos, information. See originally he would make me feel at ease, then attack the mansion.
But he knows I'll know he's gonna do that.
So he'll attacks a different location while I'm protecting another. I'll show up at the location he's attacking...which is...

I grab the pictures of every warehouse we own. 17 in total. Only in New York. He won't go any further than here. I lay them out on my desk. I take a sip of my red wine. Red wine makes me feel professional, okay?!

There's one in Hempstead. Bit far. In the possible list. One in Alton...dumb idea. Not much leverage at that base. Score that out...I thought and moved it from the pile.
Another would be in Canisteo...it's too secret, he wouldn't know about it. Would he? Nah...he wouldn't. One in Elmont; very possible.

Then we have the bait one. In Ionia...it would be possible if it wasn't so bait. So no.
Score that out too. I remove it from the pile.
I look at the ones I have left.
Hempstead and Elmont. Now it's time to decide which one.

....

❦

Nicholson's been letting me have it "easy". Typical trap, which is why it doesn't work on me. I'v went through all his attack methods.
He could either attack in public, but I scored that out since he isn't that dumb. He could attack the mansion but that's a dumb idea, he wants leverage. So he wants me. He could attack the warehouse, which I came to conclusion that he is gonna do that. But he thinks that I'm gonna think he's gonna attack the mansion. Which I don't, I'm smarter than that.

He thinks I'm gonna have all my guards at the mansions; which I won't. Whilst him and his men will be at the warehouse that he's attacking. Which means when he does attack, we'll outnumber him. And that my loves, is how to outsmart a man who thinks he knows it all.

❦

I wandered around the warehouse. God when is this guy gonna be here? I just wanna kill him already. My phone began to ring and for some reason. The echoing throughout the warehouse made me get a bit nervous but I shoved it away.

I pick up the phone.

Call from Unknown

"Hello love." The voice said.

"Isaiah?" I question. I wasn't quite sure.

"It's cute when you say my name." The voice spoke again and I scoff.

"Where are you?" I ignore his comment.

"In Canisteo...very beautiful, nice cover up for the warehouse by the way." He spoke chuckling near the end.

"What have you done Isaiah?" I slam the wall.

"Calm down doll, just be here, it'd be a shame for you to miss the show." He spoke and I could feel his smirk through the phone.

The call ended

He's in Canisteo. I should've thought about it more. Damnit. How could he have possible outsmarted me like that? What show is he talking about? His guards aren't here...then where are they? What the fuck is going? How is a man better at the game I created?

God help me when I see him, I'm blowing that smug off his face. I storm out of the warehouse.
"Ma'am-" One of the guards spoke. "Canisteo, now!" I cut him off with a order. He instantly nods and rushes off. I get inside my Jaguar XF and slam the door shut.

I begin speeding off. I had no time to waste. The drive was 2 hours and god knows what this psycho has done.

❦

I set my palm on the tall dark tree as a underground cellar opens up by scanning the lines on my palm. It was designed for our family only...even Erik could come here...how did he get in there? I walk down the stairs and they disappear back up behind me. My eyes scan the metal room around me. I inhale the clean air. This place was never meant to be known. Never. How could he even find out about it?

I take a small step to set off the sensors. Arrows go shooting from each side. I chuckle. Right next time I should turn these shits off. Wonder how the got past them though. I walk past and look to my left. A full set of guns and the best ammo to exist. I look to my right. Our grenade stash. We made personal grenades with our initials carved.

I keep walking forward until I reach the main room guessing that he would be there. I hear low voices from the other side of the metal double doors. "Your beloved sisters time is nearly up." A prideful voice spoke. He has Czar...and probably Sveta as-well. I lift my hair and move my ear revealing a barcode tattoo that allowed the doors to slide open. Familiar faces. Unfamiliar faces. There were guards that I'm guessing Nicholson brought.

"Speak of the devil." He spoke as soon as my presence was known. I give him a sarcastic smile. Love, I already know, no need to repeat for me. "Why thank you." I scoff at him. He was on my last nerve. I could kill him right now, but that is very dumb due to the situation.
"I was amused by your little detective self, honestly turned me on a bit." He walked closer.

His aroma filled the place. Wait, that isn't the point. He's stalking me? Amazing. I look over his shoulders as I was just tall enough.
Czar and Sveta were tied up into electric chairs with gags in their mouth. Sveta looked like she's been crying but Czar looked fine.
That could only mean one thing.

"How do you know about this place?" I turn my eyes back to Nicholson. He smirked. He put a hand on me cheek but I bit it away. "Don't touch me." I growl at him while a disgusting chuckle escapes his mouth. "I'v watched your every move...for the past 2 years, which means I know you better than you do." He spoke as he began to walk around me and stopped till my back was facing him.

I turn to the side looking over my shoulder. I studied that the smirk never left his face.
"Stop with the puzzles, what is it you want?" I snap at him getting very irritated and impatient. "There there love. It's simple, tell your little guards to leave, I'll set those two love birds off, and you come with me." He said and I instantly realised that he already knew about Sveta and Czar. Of course he did.

Time to play.

Step 1: Make them believe you'll do as they want.

I took a small sigh. I turn my face forward and face Czar and Sveta. Czar gives me a small nod. I could see Sveta's body shaking in fear. "I'll do it." I "give in". Isaiah walks to my side.
"Knew you were the obedient type." He smirked. God men make me sick. Is that really all they think of?

Isaiah signalled one of his guards to untie them. The guard untied Sveta first who ran up to me. "Black vans, go." I whisper into her ears ordering her to go to one of the vans that our guards came in. She runs off. The guard goes to untie Czar. Firstly taking out the gag. Czar formed a disguised smirk on his face.

Step 2: Attack unexpectedly.

The guard untied his hands first then went down to his legs and released him. The guard went back up on his feet. Czar stood up to face him. It went quite. The guard was about to say something but Czar had prevented that by knocking their heads making the bald guard fall to the ground.

I took this as my chance to grab Isaiah's gun and hold him in a headlock. All of the guards took their guns out. "Tut tut, thought you'd all know better than to mess with me." I push the gun into the side of his head. He seemed awfully relaxed so I knew his next move. Czar had already grabbed the knocked out guards rifle and blades.

Nicholson proceeds to flip me over and I manage to land on my feet and keep a hold of my gun. He looked surprised yet impressed. He pulled another gun from the inside pocket of his suit. He pointed at towards me and I pointed mines towards him. "We can do this the easy way you know." Isaiah suggested. I raise an eyebrow. "Is that you saying your too weak for me?" I grin and he chuckles shaking his head.

"You have one choice doll, I mean if you want my full honesty. You have one choice." Isaiah lowers his gun in full confidence. "Your asking me to walk into my own grave? How dumb do you get?" I chuckle in disbelief. He fixes his collar and walks over. Our bodies inches apart. Our faces also.

His breathe was warm. Fresh. Different.
The only thing separating us was thin layers of air and gravity. "See there's that, then there's helping me take down your brother." He suggested. Is he out of his mind? As much as I hate the things Erik caused and done. I do not hate him. I could never kill him.

I don't kill blood.

I chuckled hoping that was some sort of joke. He stayed quiet. "I am not killing my brother for your stupid revenge fantasies." I walk past him budging his shoulder. No way was I gonna listen to that. Nothing could make me listen to that. "You make very poor decisions dear, guess I'll just kill this one." He spoke instantly making me turn around.

Czar was passed out as he looked like he'd been injected with some sort of sleeping drug. My eyes widen. Erik...or Czar? Czar...or Erik? He can't make me choose, that's insane. "You wouldn't." I grit through my teeth.
"You'd be surprised to what I can do." He smirked dropping Czar's body into the ground making a loud thud. My eyes follow the body as it falls.

Step 3: Ehm, screw that.

I hesitate. For the first time in never. I hesitate. Should I? I could always save Czar, yet that would conclude in all of us dead. Or I could kill off Erik, and be done with this.

Maybe I could. I'v done it before. It wouldn't hurt? Would it? ....only one way to find out.

"Ivina, don't." Sveta ran back in and I knew she had heard the conversation. I'v made my mind, no one can change my mind.

"Deal." I smirk and Isaiah looked pleased. Easy to fool. "Now, don't mind me. I'v got places to be." I pick up Czar's muscled body. Don't ask how I got the strength. "Yeah, sorry about your beautiful mansion, don't think my guards knew how to work the stove." He spoke as I had turned around. I dropped the body. He won't find out.

Fucker burnt the mansion down.
Along with my collection of Dior handbags and purses. I waited every year for a new one to come out! He looked amused by my reaction.

What the fuck am I meant to do now?

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What might happen next?
How will they find out Erik's whereabouts? Where will they stay if Isaiah had burned the mansion down?
What is Ivina planning?

That's for me to know, for you to find out ;)

Please vote babes!

❦ Goodbye darlings, mwah xo ❦