From Lucas' perspective
With pain burning behind my eyes, I stared at Sebastian's bruised face, twisted in suffering. I had done this to him in a fit of rage when he admitted he was the one who helped Felix and Selena escape. Part of me wanted to kill him right there, but something held me back—a strange, reluctant care for this bastard.
He had been my most trusted man, my right hand since I took him in, gave him work, food, and shelter. He had everything because of me, and he stabbed me in the back.
I wanted to punish him, but I couldn't kill him. Watching his pain, seeing him barely conscious and hanging by his wrists in the basement, stirred something I didn't understand—regret.
I sank into the chair opposite him, the dim light casting harsh shadows across his swollen eyes.
"Did I treat you badly before, Sebastian?" I asked, my voice rough. "Why did you do this to me? Why betray me? You know that's the one thing I hate more than anything... it's because of Felix. Because of him, I lost my home when I was a kid."
Sebastian's one good eye met mine, the other eye so swollen it was blacked out.
"I'm grateful for everything you did for me," he rasped. "But I couldn't stand to see Selena suffer. I did it for her. Before she was hit on by her friend, she was my crush—the first girl I ever liked."
A bitter laugh tore from my throat.
"Seriously? Hannah was right. Everyone's obsessed with Selena. But she chose my little brother."
He breathed heavily, pain and regret clear in his voice. "Even after all these years, she still loves Felix. I know she'd do anything for him. I had to help them run away so they could be happy—because you would never let them."
My face hardened. I pressed my lips together, anger flaring behind my eyes as I looked at the broken boy.
"Do you really think they can be happy together? That's insane. They're poison to each other. She left him in a psychiatric hospital. She stopped knowing him when she realized he was seriously ill. And now, after he's recovered—thanks to me—she suddenly wants him again? I won't let her ruin Felix like that again, not this time."
Sebastian's voice wavered. "Boss, you're doing it too. You're hurting him by locking him up and controlling him. You're not helping."
I sneered. "Don't try to sound like a psychiatrist. I know what I'm doing."
"You don't. You cling to Felix because he's the only person close to you. Besides him, you have no one. You're afraid to lose him. Selena is your competition—that's why you hate her."
His words hit me like a sharp arrow, piercing deep into my left chest. For the first time, I felt the sting of real pain.
"You're right. I won't deny it. I'm scared of losing my brother, because aside from him, I have no one. He's my only family. And loneliness terrifies me."
"You just admitted your fear," Sebastian said softly. "You're afraid of being alone, after Felix's parents kicked you out as a teenager."
"Yes!" I screamed, unable to stop the flood of tears in my eyes. "You don't know what it was like, living with my father—a monster. My life was a nightmare. His methods were cruel and brutal because he wanted me to be just like him—an emotionless bastard."
Sebastian's voice was calm but cutting. "You should realize you're behaving just like him. Felix is your victim. You love him, but you're hurting him because you're selfish."
I pushed myself up and stormed over to Sebastian. I grabbed a handful of his hair and forced his head to the side.
"Stop pretending you understand me."
"Who else is supposed to know your feelings better than your right hand, boss?" he said quietly, meeting my gaze steadily.
*
From Selena's perspective
Days slipped by in a blur. We were trapped in a house miles from anywhere, locked away by our own choice. Surprisingly, Lucas hadn't come looking for us yet. I didn't know what he was planning, but the uncertainty was far worse than if he had simply shown up and torn through our hiding place in a storm of rage.
It was late evening. Outside, a fierce storm battered the windows. Felix was asleep on the couch, and I sat cross-legged on the cold carpet beside him, staring out into the dark woods beyond our home. Every flash of lightning made me imagine a shadowy figure standing among the trees, watching, waiting.
The rain hammered against the glass, trees bowed and swayed in the howling wind, and we were alone—trapped, but by our own choice.
Anxiety gnawed at me, and I glanced down at Felix just as a crack of thunder rumbled through the night. He stirred, mumbling in his sleep.
"Mom, Dad... I'll never forgive myself for being the monster who killed you."
I brushed my hand softly over his cheek, my heart aching for him. Even after all these years, he was still haunted by the tragedy that had shattered his life—the loss of his parents, a weight of guilt he carried like a shackle. Now that he was healthy again, the remorse seemed to eat away at him even more.
"You're not a monster, Felix," I whispered gently. "No one chooses illness. It comes from the scars of our childhoods. It's not you—it's the people around you who failed you, who made you feel weak. You can't keep blaming yourself."
At that moment, the sharp ring of a landline cut through the quiet—unexpected and chilling.
It was midnight. The only person who knew that number was Mike. Why would he call at this hour?
Felix stirred awake as I rose and walked to the cabinet, my fingers trembling as I reached for the receiver.
"Is someone calling?" he asked hoarsely.
Heart pounding, I lifted the handset to my ear.
"Don't trust Felix… mentally ill, even after treatment, will never be well again."
The line went dead with a click. My hand shook so badly I almost dropped the phone.
"Who was it?" Felix asked.
"Just a prank call," I said, forcing calm. But I could see the worry reflected in Felix's eyes. His face was pale and tense in the flickering light.
"Do you think it's Lucas? Has he found us?"
"You said he wouldn't look for us—that he wanted us to come back on our own," I reminded him, sitting back down on the couch.
Felix put his arm around me and rested his head on my shoulder.
"I don't know anymore. It's too quiet. That phone call… it feels wrong."
I stared into the darkness outside the window, trying to imagine who the voice might belong to.
It was a woman's voice—one I didn't recognize.
"How long do you think we should keep hiding?" I asked him quietly.
"I'm starting to think it's pointless," he replied. "That call wasn't random. Someone else knows where we are—besides Mike and Eve."
"So where do we run now?" I whispered.
Felix hesitated, brows furrowed. "I'm beginning to question if hiding is even a good idea. Sooner or later, he'll find us."
My heart sank. "So you want to face him? Go back to Lucas?"
He looked away. "I told you, he wants us to come back."
I felt a surge of anger and desperation. "So we're just going to give up? I gave up everything for you, Felix!" I raised my voice, stepping away from him, my eyes burning with confusion and hurt. "I did all this because I wanted you to be happy!"
"But being with you, hiding, living in constant fear—it doesn't make me happy. I'm scared every day that Lucas will find you and hurt you if we don't return."
"What's happening to you?" I demanded. "You're losing courage. You're slipping back into who you were as a scared child... Is Lucas poisoning your mind?"
Felix's voice was small and broken. "I've become weak again. I'm sorry."
A flash of lightning illuminated the room, and in its brief glare, I saw the fear reflected in his eyes—fear of Lucas, fear of the past, fear of what the future might bring.
*
From Sebastian's perspective
The wounds on my face were fading, the bruises no longer black and blue but dull reminders of what I'd done. I had been expecting betrayal to come full circle, and yet—I didn't regret it. Selena deserved happiness. Felix deserved freedom.
I still couldn't believe Lucas had given me a second chance. I was still his right-hand man, but now I had to prove I was worthy again, to earn back his trust brick by brick.
I might seem like a monster, but when he had beaten me so brutally, I realized—I still wanted to live. I'm too young to die yet. Maybe that sounds selfish, but it's the truth.
Thanks to Lucas, I had everything I needed. If I obeyed him, I could live comfortably—like a king in butter. These days, you had to be selfish to get anywhere.
I sat on a park bench, watching people pass by. A smile tugged at my lips when I spotted who I was waiting for.
A blonde woman walked along the path, holding her daughter's hand. Both were eating ice cream. The mother wiped her face, laughing as the little girl licked her cone with innocent delight.
She looked happy—even though her friend was still in danger.
"Beautiful weather we have today, isn't it?" I said, making her stop mid-step. Her eyes widened, as if she couldn't quite believe it was me.
"Sebastian," she whispered.
Her daughter glanced up at me, curiosity sparkling in her eyes as she continued eating.
"It's strange meeting on a normal day, just walking in the park," I said, standing. "Mind if I join you?"
She nodded hesitantly.
"I never had a chance to thank you—for helping Selena and Felix escape. You deserve most of the credit," the blonde woman said, concern flickering in her eyes. I wondered if she saw me differently now that she knew I was still Lucas's right hand.
"I got a good deal for my betrayal," I replied, smirking slightly. "It's a miracle I'm still alive. Lucas spared me, but I was left with nothing. Now, I have to fend for myself."
"How are you holding up?"
"Somehow, I keep moving forward. Everyone has dark clouds—waiting for the sun to break through. I hope Selena and Felix find their sunlight soon. Have you been in touch with them? Are they okay?"
"Yes, Mike and I spoke to them a while back, but yesterday when we called, no one answered."
"You don't sound too worried," I said, maybe a little too sharply. "I had to remind her."
Eve looked confused.
"I'm worried," she admitted softly, "but I try not to show it—for the baby's sake."
She glanced down at Lily, the little girl clutching her ice cream cone.
"You have a beautiful daughter," I said, crouching to her level. Lily looked up at me with wide eyes—such a mirror image of her father.
"Mom, who is this? Do you know him?" the girl asked, narrowing her eyes. "Isn't this man a villain? He has a bruised face."
"Don't worry, sweetie," Eve said, smiling gently. "This gentleman is definitely not a villain."
Some people never believe that a person can change so completely—that the villain they once feared might become something else entirely over time.