Beguile

Chapter 74

Sheena yanked me out into the night, her grip on my wrist feeble as if she feared I might slip away. It felt more like a cautionary measure than a firm hold, as though she needed to know my every move.

"You're alive," she whispered, her eyes darting to the bruises staining my skin. "I saw Ellie."

The name hung heavy in the air, a bitter reminder of our recent loss. "Dead," I replied coldly, feeling a surge of resentment at the mere mention of her name.

"Aren't you supposed to be glad?" I challenged, my voice edged with frustration. "That one of us is dead."

"No!" Sheena exclaimed, reaching for my hands with trembling fingers. "You're not like them. Ellie is not like them."

I jerked my hand away, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. "You talk like you knew her."

"No, and that's what haunts me the most," Sheena admitted, her voice quivering with regret. "I should've reached out to her. I should've shielded her. I should've whispered in her ear, warning her not to listen to those boys' lies. But now, she's gone." Tears welled in her eyes, her brows furrowing with a mixture of anguish and anger. "T-They killed her."

"It was Cody who killed her," I retorted bitterly, unable to mask my own frustration. "And you were all in on it, weren't you? Your little circle of friends plotting behind closed doors."

Sheena's sobs grew louder, her despair palpable in the air. "You don't understand," she countered, her voice choked with grief. "None of us wanted this. We were all just pawns in their twisted game."

She paused,confessing in a hushed tone. "None of this would have happened if she hadn't been assigned that damned mission."

"Mission?" I echoed, my voice heavy with disbelief.

"They've been feeding you lies," Sheena confessed, her words laced with bitterness. "Every word, every promise, a deception."

I couldn't shake the feeling that her words were merely a guise to assuage her guilt, to justify her actions. "Oh, spare me," I scoffed, unable to contain my skepticism. "As if we didn't catch you red-handed, imprisoning and torturing Rie."

But Sheena clung to me, her desperation palpable. "Listen to me, Kennedy," she implored, her voice trembling with urgency. "I was part of their organization. Ellie, Rie, Lucas, Kurt... I knew them all. I've seen them. And I've seen you."

Her revelation left me reeling. "Me?"

"You were hardly ever present," Sheena explained, her words coming in a rush. "It's no wonder not many recognized you. But Ellie... she had her eyes on you. Just like how I couldn't bring myself to approach her, she too was drawn to you. Watching, observing... I've seen her watch you for the longest time."

As she glanced around to ensure our privacy, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. "But then, they announced the boss's death-"

"W-wait. Boss?" My voice wavered with uncertainty, the pieces of this bewildering puzzle beginning to fall into place.

Sheena's eyes widened as the weight of her words settled in, a realization dawning on her. "I shouldn't have said that," she murmured, her voice heavy with regret. "We were all just following orders in exchange for rewards. But now, with the band breaking down, I thought we couldn't be traced anymore. That's why I can finally speak freely. There are no more restrictions on what I can say... Do you understand? They've been silencing us, manipulating us. They've been deceiving you..." She locked eyes with me, her gaze unwavering. "Kennedy, your mother is dead."

Her words sent a shiver down my spine, confusion clouding my thoughts. "Then why am I still here? My mother threw me here!," I protested, struggling to comprehend her revelation.