Hate Loving You | COMPLETED

Ch:43 Revelations

(Lea's P.O.V)

"Miranda...."

I felt my throat dry up as she smiled at me. But there was nothing loving in that smile. No trace of my cousin. Or even the friend I'd grown to care for at Westwood.

Sam took a step closer to me, his eyes narrowed when she addressed him.

"Sam. Been a while, no?" She taunted and I realized I needed to get my shit together.

"What are you doing here, Miranda?"

He was flashed a smile but left unanswered.

Tyson was still aiming his gun at Luke who had slowly stood up. My cousin's gun was solely trained on me but the shadows from around us had now come into plain view, Sam was being aimed at too.

And it was clear as day that we were surrounded.

"Maggie, was it?" Luke's voice held an edge.

"Like my dear cousin pointed out, its Miranda. Not Maggie." The brunette dismissively waved the gun and I was afraid she'd fire it.

Jumping down from the tree trunk, her familiar eyes made contact with mine and I felt my heart ache.

"But you died...." As much as it hurt me to accept it, I couldn't just wrap my head around what was happening.

"Mmm. Actually, I was just a missing agent. Not a dead one." Her eyes grew colder and her voice harsher.

"The Agency couldn't find me and my trainer when our mission went awry and our plane crashed on an Island in the Caribbean."

I furrowed my brows. What?

"But the bodies--"

Miranda clenched her jaw and cut me off. "--Were fake." Then she humorlessly chuckled. "But you couldn't even make that much out, hm?"

Her tone was accusing and I gulped tightly.

"The bodies were mauled badly. To the point of no recognition, Miranda. I-I had no idea--"

"Oh, no worries. What happened is in the past. Do you know who saved me though?"

She smiled bitterly when I shook my head, already dreading the answer to come.

"The Red Blade. The syndicate has been saving all of us abandoned agents. It gave me a new life."

Sam's arm slipped around my waist when I felt like my knees would give way. He was there like a boulder. Instant comfort reached me.

"But that means you will kill innocents?" I hissed.

"It is what it is." She carelessly shrugged and my eyes burned.

This was not the girl I'd known. Not as the old Miranda. Not as Maggie.

This was a member of the Red Blade.

Heartless. Broken.

Reshaped. Brainwashed.

Luke took a step forward and the sound of many other guns being cocked and aimed was heard so he raised his arms.

"Okay, okay, guys, chill." He licked his lips. "Question is why are you here?"

I agreed internally and let out a breath as I saw Tyson line up with Miranda. 

"Well....see, your father had long lost control of the business. Someone else was already using it for their own benefit."

The two boys froze, narrowing their eyes. I was still trying to trample down the surging emotions of seeing my dead cousin.