song:
Meet you at the graveyard by Cleffy

THE UNSTEADY steps to a huge success always lead to endless streams of downfall. I am a man with sheer determination but when it comes to love, I falter away.

Watching Aurora squeezing my body tightly right in front of Caterina is just the unsteady step I had taken earlier. My body is betraying any sort of energy I have after killing Maxim. So, I give half of my weight upon Aurora but as my eyes linger on Caterina to find any surprised expression, blank is the only answer I get from her.

"Caterina." I wince holding my rib cage area as I remember the powerful punch made by Maxim. Aurora soon tries to soothe me but she isn't the one I need now, the one I want is right in front of me with bare hands.

She looks at our joined hands and then at me. "Aristide." I wince when she uses my real name instead of her given one. Why isn't she calling me Leone? Is it because of Aurora? I take a few steps back from her and look at Caterina as if waiting for her approval but she doesn't speak.

I sigh turning to look at Aurora who has a hurt expression. "What are you doing here?"

She glances behind and then at me. "We had an anonymous call and the one offered the location. So, we soon traced it and found you." She turns back and goes to hug Caterina. "Thank you so much for saving him. We all owe you."

Caterina's hands form a fist but don't hug back. She stands stiff and looks lost. "Aurora-"

She turns back with that usual glint of knowingly. "Yes?"

"Did you come alone? Where are the others?" I search around.

She kisses my lips and says, "They are already here."

I take a step back, "Don't kiss me." Just when I am about to finish the rest, the troops arrived. One after the other hugs me and comments to me to come back.

How fast the three months passed by, no one knew. Others asked me about my mother and the rest about my whereabouts. While the group hugged me to the bone, the only warmth I wanted was from my love but she still stood at the corner of the platform.

One of my mates asks, "By the way, what is the scene? Feels like brutal."

I turn and watch the scene with a cold expression. Maxim finally deserved what he got. I turn and tell them, I went on a mission where I met Caterina as my partner-in-crime. We both performed a good job tracking Maxim and listed every dirty job done by him. He was in search of which no one knows about it and I was tagged as kidnapped. Few went and asked Caterina about it but all she does was stand.

Why the fuck is she not talking? Speak, shout or even scream. I just want to listen to your voice. I sigh as I watch how hollow her eyes look. The purpose of leaving me and coming here was a job of suicide. And fuck, don't tell me she was going to commit suicide.

Killian appears with long strides where others bow to him. "Got your report and the profiling. Good job, Aristide. Your father must be so proud of you."

I clench my jaws as I watch him with dead eyes. "I have one more job to be done."

His smile diminishes and confusion takes place all over his expression. "What is left now?"

"My father's justice."

He sighs, "Listen, I am telling you this again your father was killed by -"

"You," I speak.

Officers around me halt their talk and listen. "What are you saying, Aristide?"

I retell everything and even give the copy file of Killian's dirty works. "Now, tell me, Chief, what will you do?"

Just when he is about to pull out the gun to shoot me, gunshot fires and he drops the gun throwing us a glance at Caterina behind. I smile in gratitude but she doesn't deter a bit.

I will talk to her.

Soon, Killian gets arrested and is sent to an investigation team of a higher position to him leaving Caterina and me, and the other investigating team for the current situation and my whereabouts.

We both take a seat in a different room but impatience can be seen on my face. So, when the section gets finished, I leap into another cabin only to find an empty chair. I turn and ask the officer where she is and he replies that she went five minutes ago.

I run out of the building only to find her walking into her limo. "Caterina," I call her name making her turn back. "Are are leaving without me ?"

"I am not leaving you. Your expired date has arrived as per the agreement and now there's no way that I will bring you with me."

Hurt stabs me in the gut. "Why are suddenly acting like there's nothing between us?"

"Cause there is nothing!" She exclaims. "Nothing, Aristide. You belong t-"

"Leone," I mutter making her pause.

"What?"

I straighten my position. "You call me Leone."

"Well not anymore."

"What's the matter, then? Is it because of Aurora? I know I forgot to say that we w-" She pushes me.

"I am not interested in listening shit from you. You got your freedom. Your mother is safe. You got everything you ever need."

"Well, not you!" I exclaim.

"What?" She fucking acts like she is confused. Didn't she hear me shouting at top of my voice that I love her? Well, no issue, I will do it again.

"Because I love you." I sigh. "I love you to the point of turning myself into a villain so that we both get on the same page. Loving you is not an option, it's a choice I made and I am intended to tell you this again, tell me to kill myself, and I will happily do it. But what about the heart that is beating and bleeding your name?"

There is a huge pause and after a minute or so, she calmly says, "Stockholm Syndrome doesn't suit you. Better luck next time. Also, don't search for me."

Just when she turns her face, I bring it in front of me and kiss her. My fingers round her neck from backside as I force myself into an animated Disney movie of finally getting the princess, but I got queen. I pull back and see for the third time tears rolling down her eyes.

She looks down and finds my pearl necklace unknown of what is to come I hopelessly stand as if I am a muse to her idea. Her fingers glide on the pearls and with a strong tug the chain breaks and the pearls clink on the pavement.

My entire body stiffens at her act. "I am freeing you from my clutches, Aristide. Live your life to the fullest. Sorry." With that, she enters her limo. I run behind her car for a long time, slamming the vehicle to stop it.

"If it's Aurora, I am telling you I don't love her, I only love you. If it's anything tell me, if it's about my food, then I will improve my skills. Anything, just tell me, Caterina!" The car speeds up leaving me lonely in the street with my heart on the floor and her stamping on it.

My feet pulls me back to the area where the pearls form an invisible barrier to the scene that happened not too long ago. I bend to pick the pearls one by one keeping them safe in my pocket.

I bite my lips to prevent myself from crying. It might have been the fifth time to break into tears. Several minutes pass by when my body felt its time to pack everything and take a U-turn to my home but then I realized my home left me with no shelter to rest.

I turn back to walk to the office when I receive a phone call. I furrow my brows receiving the call, "Hel-"

"I love you too, Aristide." And then I hear the unmistakable sound of a car crashing and bursting into flames.

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let's just say, it's the end I imagined and finally plotting it into reality.