THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS
ix. THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
❝READY TO MAKE YOUR MARK ON GOTHAM?❞

ANASTASIA LOVEJOY FOUND HERSELF staring up at the large W on top of Wayne Tower, feeling the bitter manifestations of Falcone's words as she remembered the role the Waynes had played in the destruction of the Lovejoys. It was no secret she loved Bruce more than anything, but the news that his parents had played a part in her mother's death. Though, it was not as if they had been the ones to carry out her execution. If Falcone had been telling the truth, it had been her own father who had taken Charlotte Lovejoy's life. And, Anastasia figured the files she found at Dr. Franklin's, the medical examiner, office would provide the evidence she needed. She couldn't blindly take Falcone's word, knowing the man had told lies his whole life to weasel his way out of trouble.

After the events at the GCPD, Anastasia and Bruce had gone off in different directions. Despite his protests for her to go home and rest, she had headed to work. She wasn't too sure where Bruce had disappeared off to, but he said that there was something important he needed to deal with. Anastasia headed inside Wayne Tower, nodding a greeting toward the security guards as she walked by. Heading up the elevator to the top floor, she made her way into the office where only Laura remained. The other two assistants, Monique and Anya, weren't anywhere to be seen.

"Morning, Laura," Anastasia greeted, sparing a glance at her phone to see it was only a couple minutes after eleven o'clock. It wasn't the afternoon yet, but Anastasia felt as if the day had already dragged on for too long.

Laura looked up from her computer screen, giving Anastasia a warm smile as she stood. "Mrs. Wayne, I didn't realize you were coming in today."

"There's too much work to be done to take the day off, unfortunately," Anastasia sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she stole a glance at Monique and Anya's empty desks. Perhaps, they had days off. Laura was in charge of making their schedules, considering they were more of her assistants than Anastasia's.

"Oh, I was about to send you an email about this, actually," Laura began, fiddling with her thumbs as she avoided Anastasia's tired expression. "I had Chairwoman Zellerbach come in earlier, requesting a meeting with you. I informed her that you were not coming in today, but she was still adamant on setting up a meeting."

"Did she say what about?"

"I'm not too sure, but she made it seem important," Laura informed, shrugging her shoulders. Her curly hair was pinned up, having a few loose pieces frame her face. "I think it may be about Lovejoy Corp? It is probably just a quick rundown on profits, you know? I'm sure it's nothing."

"It's never nothing with Regina," Anastasia sighed, running a hand over her face as she imagined the meetings she had with Regina in the past. They rarely worked out in her favor, considering the older woman was rarely nice when they were alone. But, she would rather get the meeting over with than have it looming in the horizon. "Just tell her that I'm here in the office ━━ ready whenever she wants to come."

Laura nodded. "Alright, I'll give her a call."

Anastasia entered her office, stealing a glance at the balcony where she and Batman had stood only the night before. It felt like a lifetime ago, considering too much had happened in between. She took a seat at her desk, letting out a heavy breath as she set her purse down on the floor. The first thing she did was open her email, dragging the files she had sent from Dr. Franklin's laptop to her desktop. It took a few minutes to download, but they transferred successfully. Clicking on them, she hoped they would open but she was met with a prompt to enter a password.

She turned to her desk phone, pressing the button for the IT department since there wasn't much she could do on her own. If anyone in Wayne Tower could open the files, it had to be them.

"Help desk, this is Jacinda speaking," the woman, Jacinda, answered. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Jacinda, hi," Anastasia greeted, taking a deep breath as she tapped her nails against her desk. "This is Anastasia, I need you to send someone to my office right away who can help me with my computer. I have these files that I password-protected and unfortunately, I forgot the password. Normally, I would just let it go, but I need these files for my next meeting. So, I need someone right away."

"No worries, Mrs. Wayne," Jacinda said, typing away at her computer since Anastasia could hear the clicking through the phone. "I'll have someone sent up right away. Is there anything else we can help you with?"

"No, that was it," Anastasia sighed a breath of relief, nodding her head. "Thank you. Have a good day."

While she waited, Anastasia checked her other emails and tried to reply to as many as she could. Fortunately, it seemed as if Laura had been keeping an eye on the inbox and replying to emails for her. There wasn't too much to do, causing Anastasia to catch up rather quickly. A knock was heard at the office door, causing Anastasia to look up as the door opened to reveal Laura and a tall dark-haired man behind her. He wore clear glasses, a band t-shirt layered with a plaid red flannel, and dark-wash jeans. He held a laptop in his hands, smiling as he stood behind Laura.

"Mrs. Wayne, I have Eric Sato from IT here," Laura said, holding the door open wider as she entered with Eric. "Did you call for someone to help with your computer?"

"I did, thank you," Anastasia said, welcoming them both into the office. Laura shuffled away, putting files away into the cabinets. As always, she focused on completing her work. Eric approached her desk.

"Hey, Mrs. Wayne, it's nice to meet you," Eric said, holding out his hand for Anastasia to shake. Upon closer look, she realized how young he seemed. She would place him somewhere in his mid-twenties, only a few years younger than her at twenty-eight. For some reason, he reminded her of Tiffany Fox, Lucius' daughter who was still in college.

She led him to her computer, showing him the untitled files. "So, these are the files that I need opened."

Eric hummed, taking a seat at her desk as he tried to open the files to be met with the same password prompt. For a moment, his eyes drifted to the desktop photo. It was a picture that focused on her and Bruce, smiling at one another after they had taken their first kiss after being officially married. It had the two of them fully on display with their venue glowing in the background, an outdoor wedding with all the pink flowers that Anastasia could have ordered. It had easily been one of the best days of her life and one that she vividly remembered. "Cute photo," Eric commented, giving Anastasia a warm smile as he turned on his laptop to connect to her desktop. "I remember hearing about the wedding in the news. It was all Gotham talked about for a good few months."

"I remember..." Anastasia sighed, shaking her head. Despite all the claims of her being a golddigger, the media usually regarded them in a better reputation. It would be difficult to come back from the claims that Falcone had put out into the world.

"Did you write the password down somewhere by any chance?" Eric asked, tearing his eyes away from his laptop to look at her again.

"I wish I had," Anastasia lied, shrugging her shoulders as she clasped her hands together. "Unfortunately, I have the worst memory. Isn't that right, Laura?"

Laura chuckled from her spot, pausing her task for a moment to look at the two of them. "I'm afraid that's very true."

"It's no problem at all," Eric reassured, opening up another screen on Anastasia's computer to display lines of code. His laptop was running, displaying rapidly moving numbers as his program tried endless passwords. He hummed to himself, typing away as Anastasia watched. She wished she could understand what he was doing, but he worked too fast for her to process. He glanced in her direction, smiling. "You'd be surprised how many people forget their passwords. I feel like unlocking people's computers and email is all I do most days."

Anastasia chuckled, crossing her arms. "Glad I'm not the only forgetful one."

"This is one big file," Eric mumbled, frowning as he continued to watch the program. "The computer is trying to scan the file and it is supposed to only take a few seconds, but it's been a few minutes already."

"Oh, it's just documents I need for my meeting," She tried to explain, not wanting Eric to ask anymore questions. Laura watched from the corner of her eyes. If anyone knew Anastasia's complete schedule, it was Laura. She would catch Anastasia in a lie, but she could try to convince Laura that it was for her meeting with Regina.

"Huh, okay," Eric said, clicking on the file as he tilted his head. "It's just strange. The file doesn't just have one password; it has multiple. Must be some important documents for all this security."

"Has it cracked the first one?" Anastasia asked, frowning. She wasn't aware that the file had more than one password. What was Dr. Franklin hiding? It wasn't normal, considering the files were about her parents.

"It has," he replied, opening up the unlocked part of the document. "It was just a series of words and numbers. Those aren't too difficult to crack, the program can open those easily. It managed to unlock some files, but not all of them."

The files opened, causing them both to crowd around the computer to look. Anastasia's eyes scanned over the documents that it had opened, noticing several building blueprints for a few Lovejoy hotels in Gotham. She frowned, wondering why Dr. Franklin had these documents and what role he played. Perhaps, her father had given them to him since they were friends as Dr. Franklin claimed.

"Is this what you needed for your meeting?"

"No, these are just blueprints," Anastasia mumbled, moving closer to take the mouse to open up one of the blueprints. It had layers of documents, considering there was one blueprint for each floor. This hotel was twenty-five floors, having the office on the top floor while the hotel rooms were located from the third to twenty-third floors. She looked at Laura. "Hey, Laura, the hotel on fifth and main, wasn't that closed last year?"

Laura hummed, trying to remember as she faced them. "I think so, yeah," she began, nodding her head. "I think the plumbing wasn't up to code. There was too much black water in the pipes and issues with renewing the contract from the city. So, the Wayne Enterprises board decided to shut it down instead of fixing the problem."

"I think there's apartments there now," Eric commented, nodding his head. She remembered the board had shut down several hotels over the years, most of them being in Gotham. Though, it wasn't as if it had mattered since hundreds of others were being built all over the world.

The next blueprint that Eric pulled up made her pause, realizing it was the blueprint for the original Lovejoy hotel that was built more than a decade ago. It made a sigh leave her lips since she knew her father had poured his heart and hard work into designing every aspect of that hotel. It had been shut down since he had died and Anastasia had never visited back again. Still, it stood on the other side of Gotham ━━ just as abandoned as so much on that side of Gotham. It was as if ghosts resided in that part of the city more than anything else.

"Another password cracked," Eric commented, pulling up even more files that were more than blueprints. This time, Laura had curiously made her way over to look at the computer. He opened the documents, frowning when he noticed they were photos of a large office department. In the corner, there was a date that was four years ago. Though, they were far from normal office photos. "What the hell is this?"

Anastasia recognized the place, the old office at the original Lovejoy hotel. She remembered spending nights there as her father worked and she was forced to do homework. It was most of her high school years spent there. However, it was different from how she remembered. The lights were turned out in the photos, considering the room was illuminated by the photographer's flashlights. There were dark cracks in the walls with black ooze covering the walls and dripping out of the cracks. Spores floated in the air, surrounding the flashlights as they illuminated the specks. There were dozens of similar photos, showing how the office had decayed into something out of a horror movie.

"It looks like... mold? Maybe?" Laura hummed, tilting her head as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Is that why the original hotel was shut down?"

Anastasia shrugged, keeping her eyes focused on the photo. For some reason, it resembled the dream she had that morning. The same black ooze covered the walls, the same spores lingered in the hair, and the lights didn't work. "I don't remember why the original hotel was shut down," she replied, shaking her head. "But, that is definitely not up to code."

"I can dig up the paperwork for the hotel," Laura reassured, facing Anastasia with a warm smile. "I can try looking for it if you want, Mrs. Wayne?"

"Yes, please. I want to take a look at it," Anastasia nodded, appreciating that Laura was willing to help without any questions. All she wanted to do was remember what had happened in her past, considering she never realized how much was missing from her memory. Laura walked off, determined.

"Uh, Mrs. Wayne?" Eric mumbled, drawing her attention back to him. "I see some medical reports from Arkham Asylum. There's so many, all of them created by Thomas Wayne."

"From Arkham Asylum?" Anastasia echoed, looking at the files on the screen. There were dozens of reports that stared back, names that she recognized but also some she didn't. "Charlotte Lovejoy, Esther Cobblepot, Masashi Sato?"

Eric froze, staring at the screen with wide brown eyes and a quivering lip. "That's... That's my father's name."

"Your father is in here too?" she asked softly, facing him. "He was a patient at Arkham Asylum?"

"No, he wasn't," Eric said, shaking his head. He took a shaky breath, avoiding her gaze as he chewed the inside of his cheek. "I was so young when this happened, maybe around four or five. My father and oldest sister disappeared and there were all investigations by the police, but they never found anything. Eventually, they were presumed dead."

Anastasia stared at him, letting out a heavy sigh as she stared back at the file. "Try opening the file? Perhaps, your father made his way to Arkham Asylum after his disappearance."

Eric tried, but was faced with another request for a password. It caused a string of curses to leave the man's leaves. "They all need passwords. What kind of psycho password-protects all their files?"

"I... um..." Anastasia tried to come up with an excuse, trying to make up another lie that Eric may believe. But, he stopped her before she could say another word.

"I figured the file wasn't yours," Eric said, shaking his head. He forced a smile to his lips as he faced her, causing another sigh to leave her lips. "Where did you find this?"

"I found it at Franklin Crematorium on Doctor Rupert Franklin's computer," Anastasia confessed, shrugging her shoulders as she truly realized how horrific her trip had been. She could explain stealing of a rude doctor's computer, but she couldn't explain why the man had tried to kill himself. "I honestly thought this was going to be my parents' real death examinations, but... I was obviously proven wrong."

"I see..." Eric whispered, nodding his head as he looked at the program on his laptop.

She ran a hand through her hair, trying to alleviate some of the pain she felt in her head. Her bun had long come undone, causing her hair to fall loosely. "How long till the whole file is unlocked?"

He checked the time. "It says ten hours, so it should be ready sometime tonight."

"Okay, so after the debate, I'll come back," Anastasia said, nodding her head. "Either we can do this tonight or tomorrow morning, we can take a look at this together?"

"Let's do it tonight," Eric said, nodding his head as he clicked away at his laptop to keep the program running in the background. "I want to see what my father's file says."

"Alright, we'll do this tonight then," Anastasia said, writing down her number on a sticky note to hand it to Eric. He gave her his number too, causing Anastasia to save it in her phone. She barely knew him, but she trusted him already. It seemed that both of them were affected by whatever was going on, along with everyone else in the file.

"Didn't think I'd stumble into a conspiracy when I woke up for work this morning," Eric chuckled, shaking his head as he stood to his feet. He was taller than Anastasia now, towering over her as he took a step back out of respect. "Funny how fate works."

There was a knock at the door.

Anastasia, thinking it was Laura returning with the files she requested, shouted for the person to enter the room, but she was met with Regina's stern gaze. "Oh, Regina, um, hi," she stammered, sparing a glance at Eric who quickly grew awkward. "I didn't realize you were coming so soon."

Her cold eyes regarded Eric, raising a brow as she entered the room. She crossed her arms, pursing her lips into a tight line. "Your assistant said you were ready for our meeting."

"I am, of course," Anastasia mumbled, locking the computer to make sure Regina wouldn't see. The last thing she wanted to do was get Regina involved. She faced Eric. "Will the program keep running in the background?"

He nodded. "It will."

"I'll see you after the debate then," Anastasia whispered, mimicking his nod to remain as nonchalant as she could in front of Regina. The woman had a habit of exaggerating the tiniest of details.

Eric began to make his way toward the exit, leaving Anastasia alone with Regina. Once he was gone, Regina approached and stood beside her desk. She was a few feet away from Anastasia, standing tall as she let out a heavy breath.

"Computer trouble?"

"Yeah," Anastasia said, shrugging her shoulders as she faced Regina. "Just forgot my password."

"Well, anyways, I am here to talk about your reputation in the media, Anastasia," Regina began, causing Anastasia to dig her nails into her palms. "It's always been less than desirable, considering what Gotham thinks about your relationship with Bruce. But, I have always let that go since gossip will always be gossip."

"Last time I checked, my reputation isn't the one under attack, Regina," Anastasia interrupted sternly, narrowing her eyes at the older woman. "All I've seen is them talking about the Waynes with brief footnote mentions of the Lovejoys. I think you should be having this conversation with Bruce."

"Really? Have you seen the things they've said about your father?" Regina scoffed, no doubt becoming angry with Anastasia's dismissive attitude. "We've all heard the rumors about him being associated with Carmine Falcone. And now, the news is saying that both him and Thomas Wayne have connections to the mob?"

"Okay, and?" Anastasia asked, shrugging her shoulders. She did not have time for Regina if she was being honest. After all, she didn't know the truth about the past.

"I think you and Bruce need to be very careful since your actions have been affecting the company," Regina continued, scolding Anastasia. She felt as if she was a child again, being talked down to rather than being spoken to. "You were spotted at Carmine Falcone's club right before he was arrested, Anastasia. It was on the news."

"I have nothing to do with━━"

"Is that why his men were here the other day?" Regina spat out, growing more and more frustrated. But, it was nothing compared to how Anastasia was feeling. "I don't know what your or your family's involvement is with Falcone, but it doesn't look good."

Anastasia stayed quiet, staring at the ground as she listened to Regina. From an outside perspective, she had a right to be angry since the company would suffer if news of them being associated with crime was considered to be the truth. But, Anastasia knew that neither she or Bruce had anything to do with Falcone.

"Look, I told Bruce that it was a mistake to make you CEO and step away from the company," Regina added, making Anastasia clench her jaw. At the end of the day, it always came down to the same thing with Regina. "But, I suppose love makes us blind."

"Are you serious?"

"I think it's best if you give the company back to Bruce," Regina said, standing her ground. "Let the Wayne name clear this mess, Anastasia. It is one of the oldest families in Gotham, a family that everyone respects. The Lovejoy name does not hold the same power."

"There is actual proof that the Waynes are associated with Falcone," Anastasia pointed, trying to ignore Regina's harsh comments about her family name. "You have this chat with Bruce too?"

"I will be bringing this up to him," Regina reassured, nodding her head.

"Then we can have this conversation when Bruce is present too," Anastasia retorted, knowing the meeting would take a turn for the worse if it continued.

"Fine." Regina sighed, nodding her head. "In the meantime, I will gather the opinions of the other board members and present them to the two of you. We can decide how to proceed afterwards."

Anastasia stayed quiet, avoiding Regina's gaze.

"It's nothing personal, Anastasia," Regina said softly, taking a step toward Anastasia. "I am only looking out for this company. It's my job."

"Great, now please," she began, sending the woman a daggered look. "Get out of my office."

Regina left.

Anastasia sighed, taking a glance at her computer and Eric's laptop. They were both locked, but he had assured her that the program would keep running as long as the computer wasn't turned off. She was about to find something to do, but the sound of her phone ringing caught her attention. She picked it up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Ana, is that you?" It was a woman's voice, one that she vaguely recognized but couldn't place.

"...Yes?"

"It's me, Selina," the other woman said, causing her a sigh of relief. Perhaps, she should do better than to trust random numbers that called her. But, she was grateful it was Selina and not a complete stranger. "I got your number from Harvey."

"Oh, Selina, hi!" Anastasia tried her best to sound enthusiastic, but the chat with Regina had drained what little energy she had. "What's going on?"

"Well, Harvey and I are practicing for the debate later," Selina began. "I was wondering if you would like to join, considering you've coached him up to this point? I swear that man is a lost puppy without you. There is only so much I can do."

Anastasia chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, fine. I'll be there. What time?"

"Perhaps, in an hour or two?" Selina replied. "Harvey is still at the GCPD. But, he'll be done soon enough."

"Sounds good," Anastasia said, deciding that the debate prep would be the best distraction. "I'll see the two of you in a little bit."

━━ ━━ ━━

IT WAS THREE HOURS LATER when Anastasia found herself back at Harvey Dent's doorstep. She knocked on the door, balancing the box she was holding with one hand. The door opened to reveal Harvey's smiling yet anxious expression. She held out the box, returning the smile. "I got us some treats. Nothing like sugar to save the day."

"You are Godsent," Harvey grinned, ushering her to come inside. The apartment had been tidied up, Anastasia noticed. Perhaps it was to impress the other woman in the room. Selina Kyle sat on the couch, donning a black blouse and dark jeans. Her lips were painted a black color, matching her shirt. She held some flashcards in her hand. "Selina has been trying to help, but..."

"Unfortunately, I have no clue about politics or public relations," Selina finished for him, giving Anastasia a playful smirk. Her comment made Anastasia chuckle, realizing that Selina was lucky to avoid all that.

"Well, I don't have much experience in politics, but trying to mingle with Bruce's social circles feels like the same thing," Anastasia said, setting the donuts down on the table. She walked over to Selina, taking a seat on the couch to look over the flashcards. She wanted to know what they had already gone over and what they needed to still cover. It was the last debate before the election and Anastasia didn't want anything to go wrong. Fortunately, they had already gone over opening statements and rebuttals.

"Where is Bruce?" Harvey asked, taking a seat on the loveseat adjacent to the couch the girls were sitting on.

"Don't know," Anastasia mumbled, earning a glance from Selina. Her dark eyes flickered from Anastasia to Harvey, studying them. "He said it was important, so..."

"More important than the debate?" Harvey scoffed, shaking his head. He didn't seem too pleased that Bruce had other priorities again, reminding him of the party a few days ago. "I haven't seen or heard from him since everything went down at the GCPD."

"Did you learn anything else?" Anastasia asked, curiosity piquing. The gunshot still rang in Anastasia's ears and the sound of Falcone's monitors flatlining. "Any reason why the sergeant shot Falcone?"

Harvey looked at Selina for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. "No, nothing. Gordon decided to hand the case to Clarice, saying she'll be the best to investigate this. So far, Montoya was taken to the hospital and Falcone's lawyers are prepared to sue."

"Oh, wow," Anastasia mumbled, sinking into the couch as she faced both Selina and Harvey. She couldn't help but recall that Bruce was running his own investigation with Alfred. Perhaps, that was where he was off to. It was strange that he cared so much about Falcone's death. She shook it off, not wanting to think about it any longer. "Alright, down to business. The first thing they'll ask about are the policies that you'll be enforcing."

"Putting a dent in crime, of course." Harvey winked whilst Selina only playfully rolled her eyes at the comment. "A better Arkham Asylum, building a brand new hospital for the patients. New and improved education requirements, especially focused on middle school and high school. And, last but not least, funding shelters and homes to cut down the homeless population."

"Sounds better than what Mayor Hill is doing already," Selina smiled, reaching forward to the box of donuts to grab one out of it. One sprinkled donut was already gone since Anastasia had eaten it on the drive over to Harvey's.

"I'm sure Hill is prepared to find every flaw about the new facility that's replacing Arkham Asylum," Anastasia mumbled, looking over the detailed notes that Harvey had already taken. There were pages of notes about the harsh conditions of the current asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary. "What about you? Have you prepared for the cross-examination?"

"Of course," Harvey replied, giving her a warm smile. His eyes never left her, watching her closely. "I plan to use history as my ammunition, especially since not much good has happened in Gotham since he became mayor."

"Almost three decades worth of shit to dig up on that guy," Selina pointed out, finishing the last of her donut. She paused, realizing her phone had been buzzing. Text notifications lit up her screen. She sighed, shaking her head as she spared Anastasia a glance. "Looks like the party will have to continue without me. It's... It's work. I'm wanted, unfortunately."

"Do you have to go so soon?" Harvey asked softly, facing Selina.

"I do, sadly."

"Well, let me see you out," Harvey said, standing to his feet as he followed Selina to the door. He looked back at Anastasia, giving her a quick nod. "I'll be right back, Ana."

"Take your time."

By the time Harvey had gotten back, she had organized all of his notes and created some new ones of her own. They needed this debate to go on without a hitch, considering they had spent too much time and money on the campaign. He took a seat beside her, giving her a shy smile. Anastasia smiled back, handing him the notes.

"Let's get started," she said. "We might as well go over everything ━━ opening statements, rebuttals, cross-examination, and closing statements."

It took them about three hours, being close to seven o'clock when they had finished going over everything and Harvey was more than prepared for the debate. Anastasia felt exhausted, feeling as if she was in school again and had stayed up all night for a project. She sighed, leaning back against the couch as she closed her eyes. "I feel like I can sleep for weeks."

Harvey chuckled, leaning back as he kept his gaze on her. "It's been a long day, especially with Falcone's murder and now the debate. We can never catch a break, huh?"

She opened her eyes, shaking her head. "I can't believe that happened, felt like a scene straight out of a movie. And, with the stabbing this morning? I just... I have never seen such violence before."

"Welcome to Gotham," Harvey chuckled. "At least, we're out of the mess now. I know it's difficult to think about it now, but eventually... It stops fazing you."

Anastasia faced him, frowning. Sometimes, it was easy to forget everything that Harvey had seen with his job as the District Attorney. He always behaved as if nothing mattered to him, cracking jokes as he worked endlessly to protect Gotham. He was a good man, but he had grown through so much too. "You've gotten used to it?"

"It never gets any easier," Harvey confessed, shaking his head. "But, I suppose, in my line of work, you end up expecting that kind of stuff to happen. All I can think about is getting justice for the people who have been wronged."

"I think... I think my father wasn't a good man," Anastasia whispered, thinking about what Harvey had said. She wondered how many people he had wronged in his life. How many people had William Lovejoy, Thomas Wayne, and Carmine Falcone destroyed? There was more that had yet to be revealed, but Anastasia could only go off what she remembered. There should be more information revealed in the files, only a few more hours.

"How so?" Harvey asked softly, speaking when Anastasia had stayed quiet. For a moment, his eyes glanced toward the flickering light before he glanced outside to see what the weather was like. But, it was a peaceful night outside.

"I don't remember the terrible things that he's done," Anastasia confessed, letting out a heavy breath as she wrapped her arms around herself. She could feel her head starting to hurt, but she ignored it. "But from what everyone has said about him, I would be a fool to try and convince myself that he was a good man."

"You were a child, Ana," Harvey whispered, shaking his head. "If you don't remember, it's your mind trying to protect itself. I would let the past stay where it is."

"Falcone said he killed my mom," Anastasia mumbled, feeling the tears sting her eyes. It never got any easier to say, especially since she missed her mother. She would have still been alive if it hadn't been for him.

"I heard," he added, reaching out to take her hand. His hand burned, providing Anastasia some comfort from the cold she felt. He squeezed, running a thumb over the top of her hand. "I wouldn't trust a thing that Falcone said."

"But, it just makes sense..." Anastasia confessed, clasping her hands together as she met his eyes. "I have been having these dreams... More like nightmares, if I'm being honest. It isn't the first time I have had these dreams, but it is the only time that I have remembered it so clearly. I saw my father killing my mother."

"Is it a memory?"

"I think so, yeah."

"It'll be okay, I promise," Harvey reassured, squeezing her hand again. And, Anastasia couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like Harvey. He had always been there to lend a listening ear. Sometimes, it was easier to talk to him than Bruce.

"Thank you for always being here for me, Harvey."

It was quiet between them for a moment. In Anastasia's exhaustion, she didn't notice the way that Harvey's gaze softened as he regarded her. She stared off at nothing, wondering how the debate was going to go. It was all up to Harvey now, considering he needed to put Hill out of office. Harvey leaned forward, causing her to frown as he placed his lips against hers. It took a moment for her to process what was happening. His hand had found her cheek, being very gentle as he kept her close. Very faintly, she could taste the frosting of the donuts.

Once her mind had caught up, Anastasia immediately pulled away from the man as she stood to her feet. She created a space of several feet between them as she wiped her lips against the back of her hand. "Harvey!" Anastasia gritted out, sending him a glare. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh, my God," Harvey muttered, covering the right side of his face with his hand. He let out a heavy breath, standing to his feet too. "Ana, please, I am so sorry. That was a mistake and I promise to never do anything like that again!"

"Why did you do that?" Anastasia asked, taking another step back as he approached. She didn't want to be near him anymore, wanting to keep the distance between them. Why hadn't she seen the signs before? It should have been obvious how Harvey had felt. "Harvey, I don't know if I had been sending any mixed signals, but let's get one thing very straight. We are only friends, okay? I love Bruce more than anything. He's my husband and I would never betray him like that."

"No, I know, Ana," Harvey sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he clenched his jaw. "I am so sorry, I swear I'm so stupid for doing something like that. This is all my fault."

"I should go..." Anastasia said, hesitantly facing him. "I need to get ready for the debate tonight."

"Ana, please, don't tell Bruce this happened," Harvey pleaded, clasping his hands together. "He won't understand and I... I don't want him being angry at either of us."

She felt some form of pity toward Harvey, but she also knew that Bruce would only be angry at him if she told him. But, with the campaign and all the stress that Bruce was already under, she didn't want to add more to his plate. "Fine," Anastasia whispered, crossing her arms. "I won't tell him what happened. But, it is for his sake. Not yours."

"Okay, okay, that's fine," Harvey nodded, not attempting to approach her again. He wore a saddened expression and Anastasia knew she had broken his heart, but her feelings for Harvey didn't exist. She would always only see him as a friend.

"I'll see you at the debate, Harvey," she sighed, collecting her jacket and purse.

He waved slightly, forcing a smile on his face. "I'll see you there, Ana."

Anastasia left the apartment, feeling tears sting at her eyes again. She sniffled, shivering against the cold air as she made it onto the street where she had parked her car. The only light came from the street lights, considering the sun had already set. She frowned, seeing someone leaned against her car. Upon closer inspection, she noticed their trench coat and flask that they drank out of. "Oswald?" she cautiously called out. "Is that you?"

"Ah, there you are, love!" Oswald exclaimed, holding up his hands as he grinned. She approached, standing a few feet away as she regarded him. "I've been waiting out here for a while. What are you doing here? At Harvey Dent's apartment?"

"I was helping Harvey prepare for the debate tonight," Anastasia explained, wrapping her arms around herself to stay warm. It seemed as if the cold didn't bother Oswald.

He only smiled knowingly, shrugging his shoulders. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Excuse me?" Anastasia asked, scoffing as she stood tall. It seemed as if everyone was against her today and she no longer wanted to deal with it.

"Speaking about the debate," Oswald said, changing the subject as he pushed himself off the car. "I see that you and Bruce are huge supporters of Dent."

"Better than Hill."

"I agree with that," Oswald continued, taking a step closer as he looked down at her. "Heard Falcone's dead, shot at the GCPD. Now, it's just Hill and Wayne left. The three have run Gotham for decades, controlling every aspect of the city."

"Even if they had," Anastasia started, shrugging her shoulders, "Bruce and I have nothing to do with the strings they were pulling in the background. They've all dead now, except Hill. So, just... Let it go, Oswald."

"Let it go? They destroyed my family," Oswald scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Anastasia. His anger radiated off him, making her uncomfortable as she watched him closely. "I thought you would care more about taking them down, considering what they've done to your family. I wouldn't be surprised if Bruce has been lending a helping hand without telling you."

"He wouldn't..."

"The Waynes have hurt the Lovejoys," Oswald continued, circling around Anastasia as he grinned. It made her hold her bag tighter as she kept her car keys in her hand. "They took your father's company. They conspired to have your mother killed! I bet Falcone is the reason your father is dead too. What have they ever done for you? They don't deserve you by their side."

Anastasia shook her head, holding her ground. "Bruce had nothing to do with that."

"Join me. Join us. Join the revolution!" Oswald laughed, clapping his hands. It only made Anastasia wrinkle her nose as she watched him. He smelt strongly of liquor. "Bruce will only hurt you in the end. It's just what the Waynes do. We're planning on changing Gotham for the better. We'll ruin everyone who dared to hurt us."

"Oswald..."

"You could avenge your parents," Oswald whispered, tilting his head as he smiled. "Join us. Make Wayne pay for what his family has done."

She shook her head. "Get off my car, Mr. Cobblepot."

"You're making a mistake," Oswald said, taking a step back. His demeanor had changed completely, void of any emotion as he watched her with cold eyes. "If you refuse, then you'll go down with Wayne."

She said nothing, getting into her car. All she wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible, finding his threats extremely frightening. It was the second time he had threatened them and she was prepared to go to the police if he continued.

Oswald shrugged, patting the hood of her car as she turned it on. He began to walk down the street, sparing a glance back at her as he winked. "Don't say I didn't warn you, love."

♡

I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO GET ANOTHER CHAPTER OUT IN JUNE! I strangely get withdrawals now when I don't update this book because I put too much pressure on myself to update regularly. But, I was able to get this chapter finished! It's not my favorite tbh, but here it is! Sometimes, we need slow chapters to set up the plot. The next chapter will be the debate and things will take a turn for the worst. I am super excited to write that chapter, but I honestly don't know when it will be out. I hope some time next month, but I don't know. Motivation has been kind of low and I feel like I might disappear for a few weeks to give myself a break. I just don't know yet. I just feel so stressed. I do enjoy writing for this book a lot, but writing is hard honestly!

Anyways, quick rundown of the chapter! Eric Sato is a familiar name if you've read Identity Crisis! He is Erina's younger brother who has no idea what happened to his sister. He is super smart and I adore him because he is such a kind soul. Even in Identity Crisis, he's still looking for his sister. I might have a reunion in this book, but I am not sure yet! But, he'll be making appearances in that book! Again, if I actually found the motivation to work on it. Originally, I wanted the Ana and Eric scene to happen with Batman instead. But, it worked better to have Eric there! Batman will show up later. :)

ALSO, HARVEY KISSED ANA?? He needs to learn how to read the room because Ana was talking about her struggles and well, Harvey mostly ignored her. I feel bad because I completely destroyed their friendship, but it was going to happen when he became Two-Face anyway. I just realized Bruce isn't in this chapter and I miss him. He'll be in the next one though! Then, chapter eleven is from Bruce's POV. But, I am not too sure.

Last but not least, I want to thank you all for the engagement on the last chapter! I was in shock to see all the comments and support. It means a lot to me because I started this book as a guilty pleasure and I wasn't sure if anyone was going to read since I didn't know a lot of people who had played the Telltale version. But, it means a lot to me that you guys are supporting and I see so many of you coming back with each chapter. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the loving support. ❤️

AMARA.
[ PUBLISH DATE ━━ 06.20.2022 ]