~Magnolia Knight~

When the news dropped that Grace was dead, all of our hearts sunk in the pit of our stomach. We couldn't believe it. Ethan broke down, like expected and it broke my heart to see him suffer like this. After all I went through the same thing with Jace. It hurts, rips the heart appart and we can't do anything against it.

Ethan should have been happy. After all he is, or was, the only brother to dare to have a relationship with someone and look at the results. Pain and Death.

It's so unfair.

For the hour he stayed crouched on the floor, all of us stayed in the room, supporting him as best as we could. Jace held me close, gripping me towards his body to let me know that he was there for me. This only makes me realise that can't live this again. I can't lose Jace again, I would only break me forever, to the point of no return.

I texted Elijah to let him know what happened. He didn't get to meet Grace though. He walked away, before she and Ethan came towards us at the ball to do the introductions. But something was off with him yesterday. Maybe he knew what was coming... I didn't see him, when the attack happened...

"Lia ?"

I snap out of my thoughts, when Jace calls me back to reality. I was laying in his arms on one of the couches of the waiting room and he was currently staring at my phone that was in my hands with a clenched jaw.

"What does the fucker want." He grits out between his teeth and I realise that he was reading the conversation between Elijah and me. I didn't mind though, I prefer him knowing than hiding it from him. I couldn't anyway.

"He has information on the attack. He thinks we should meet in person, so he could explain. He thinks it's safer." I explain to Jace, who only tenses at my words.

"Fuck no." He spits out like venom. "You are not going near him, Magnolia. I don't trust this guy."

"You are saying that just because he is the leader of your rival gang Jace ! I need to find out what happened yesterday." I object, but he doesn't let go.

"Let Damon handle it. I am not leaving you."

At this moment, my head snaps to the side, when I see Ethan storming out of the room, followed closely by Blake. He is devastated.

Damon stands up, and I see him tugging at his hair in frustration. This reaction doesn't happen a lot. Especially not with Damon. He is usually the calm one, never scared or never showing his feelings, always having everything under control.

I slowly tap the hand of Jace that is sneaked around my waist, to make him understand to let me go, so I could stand up. He does so, but not before giving me a kiss the on the forehead.

I make my way towards Damon and stop right next to him.

"It's not your fault Damon." I state and meet his gaze, when he looks at me with a cold look. I know it's only a facade, he is hiding his true emotions, but he shouldn't. Not with me.

"I should have known. I sweared on my grave to protect my family, but I failed. Grace is dead, because I wasn't cautious enough. Now Ethan is broken. I promised myself our family wouldn't have to go through death again, because of the fucking mafia. But here it is.

"Nobody knew ! You couldn't have done anything to prevent this. So stop messing with your head about that."

He doesn't respond. I can see the wheels turning in his mind, as he seems to search for answers to this. Then somethings clicks in his mind and turns towards me.

"You need to meet Elijah. If he has answer to why the Italian would attack a neutral ground like this, we need to know."

I didn't expect him to say this. Neither did Jace, because I feel him standing up abruptly behind me to object.

"Fuck no ! Don't let her go alone Damon !" Jace snaps harshly, earning a death glare from my eldest brother.

"You really think I am gonna leave her alone Reed ? Careful with your words." He warns Jace, who doesn't seem to take the threat to heart. But at least he backs down, knowing it's useless to fight against him.

Half an hour later, I find myself driving in my car, Rage, followed by two other cars that are for my protection. I am going towards the address Elijah messaged me, but I didn't listen when he said that I should come alone.

When I arrive at the destination, I recognise the SUV Elijah once used, when he brought me back home after the car attack. Instinctively, I take a knife that is hidden in my glove box to put it in my right boot, just in case I need it.

I watch Elijah climb out of his car, a different expression on his face than his usual strong one.

I let out a deep breath and climb out of the car to head towards Elijah, who was already walking towards me, eying carefully the two other cars that came to protect me in case of danger.

"Am I glad you're okay." He says, with a sincere look. "I told you to come alone though, it's safer." He finishes and I stop in my tracks, leaving a few meters between us.

"I didn't have a choice Elijah. It's not safe, with the Italians killing people around, as if it was all a game. And like I told you Grace died, which is a reason more to have protection. My brothers can't lose someone else right now." I explain, watching him closely, as he doesn't answer and just looks down. "Why me ?"

"What do you mean ?" He questions. "You have to be more specific Magnolia."

"Why did you want to see me and not Damon or Leo or even Greyson ?" I watch a grin appear on his face, but it soon disappears, as if realisation hits him in the face. He runs a hand over his face, as if he was trying to suck the stress out of his system.

It's just now that I notice that he doesn't have his usual suits on. He is wearing a simple black t-shirt, exposing his arms to my eyes for the first time. I freeze, when I see a very familiar symbol inked on his forearm. It's small, but noticeable.

Tears start to fill my eyes, as I take a stumbling step back. It's the same symbol I saw on Nick's arm and Steve's rib cage. The skull... they work together... this is all a trap.

My blurry eyes meet the ones of Elijah and I can see the regret and guilt in his feature. He knows that I know, about the tattoo. Why ? What did he do ? I see him look behind me, as if he was giving a sign to someone, and just when I am about to run to my car, the two protection cars explode.

By pure shock, I fall to the ground, but try to stand up on my shaky legs, and as I am about to enter my car, a familiar voice stops me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you sweetheart."

I can't believe it. This can't be happening. How could I have been so oblivious ?

I slowly turn around to face the person, and on the way I carefully sneak a hand in my pocket to grab my phone. I need to tell my brothers. But my hand is too shaky and I get noticed immediately, so in less than a second a gun is pointed at my face.

The person holding it is no other than Abigail fucking Thompson. She betrayed me. She was a fake all along... just like Elijah.

"Give me the phone Magnolia." Abigail snears and walks towards me, without letting the gun down for a split second. My eyes divert towards Elijah, who mouths a sorry, which means that I am alone.

As I hand my phone to her, I try to think quickly and understand, how and why I could have been betrayed, by people I called my friends.

"You are probably wondering why ? Am I right ?" Abigail mocks, as she walks towards Elijah to give him my phone and order him to turn off all of my locations. He does so, and I watch as she kisses him passionately on the lips.

Of course.

They are together. It was planned all along, they were both playing with me to get... to get to my family. They want to steal the motherfucking keys Blake told me about. But how could Elijah do this to Blake, he is his best friend.

"It was all a joke to you, right ? Since the beginning" I say, nearly whisper, as I feel the betrayal burning my heart down. Abigail burst out laughing, like it was the funniest joke ever. "Abigail is probably not even your fucking name."

"Correct darling ! Wow you finally figured something out." She jokes and places an other kiss on Elijah's lips, before walking towards me with an evil grin. "You see... I never cared about you. I knew who you and your brothers were since the beginning. So let me introduce myself. My name is Valentina Mariano, daughter of the Italian Mafia Leader."

I can't believe it, our enemy was under our noses the whole time, trashing everything around us. Fucking everything up since the beginning. I have to stop myself from throwing up.

"Surprise, I killed your friend ! Wait what's her name again ? Gwen ? Gael ? Or was it-"

"You mother fucking stupid bitch !" I yell out, anger flooding my inner self, leaving no self control, but as I am about to jump on her, she pulls her gun out and points it at my head. She hushed me, and cocks her gun.

"I am not done with you bitch !" She snaps back, and I literally tremble in anger and devastation. I look at Elijah and ask myself why he did this. Blake is his best friend, what is his motive for destroying us like this.

"You see the necklace around your neck there. It has some big fucking value and we need it. So Elijah here, helped me plan to get three of them, just what it takes to open the vault. First it was Blake, at the his party, when he fucked me, that was easy to change the real with a fake one." She chuckles evilly and sneaks a hand around Elijah's waist like a psychopath.

"Then it was his twin Ethan, right after we shot his poor little girlfriend. Poor thing was devastated and didn't even notice a difference. And now... it's you. You are the last piece. It was easy to get to you thanks to Elijah."

I continue to let silent tears fall down my cheeks, and I see as Elijah doesn't even dare to look me in the eyes, he knows what he did is wrong, but why do it ?

"Okay enough chatting ! I am done, darling get her into the van, I am driving. You know what to do." She says and starts walking towards a van I hadn't notice before that is hidden behind some trees. Elijah walks towards me and I flinch back, ready to run, but he shows me his gun and fear paralysis me.

He grabs my arm and starts making me walk towards the black van and I take it as my opportunity to ask him question.

"Why are you doing this ?" I question with a trembling voice. "Please don't let them hurt me."

"I don't have a choice. I am sorry. I really am, and if I had an escape I would take it and get you out of here, but I don't hold the cards in my hands" he whispers, so Abigail, or Valentina wouldn't hear.

"You have a choice ! Let my brothers help you, please." I beg as he shoves me in the back of the van and climbs behind me to tie me to some ropes. The trahison hurts the most, I... I thought he was my friend.

"They have my fucking twin sister Magnolia ! The Italians took her when we were 10 and when I found out she was still alive, I promised I would do anything to get her out of this hell. She is my other half, please understand. I need to do everything in my power to save her and I won't hesitate to kill everyone who is in the way. I am sorry." He explains, and as the words leave his mouths I can see the pain that goes with those words.

He never had a choice. This has to happen and he is stuck. Just like me.

He is about to ties my hands together, but stops, when he sees my self harm scars. They are now uncovered from the make up, because of all my crying.

"Magnolia..." he whispers and slowly traces the healing scars with his fingers, but I tug my wrist away, feeling more tears fall down my cheeks. "Why do this to yourself ?" I keep quiet, not answering his question. He is dead to me.

"Are you fucking done Babe !?" Valentina screams from the drivers side, which is separate from the back with a wall.

"Be there in a sec." Elijah responds, but still tries to search for my gaze to let me know how sorry he is. I don't want his pity, this is over for me now.

And that is exactly what happens when he sticks a needle in my arm, injecting an unknown substance, which happens to make me black out a minute later.

How could everything turn into chaos in so little time ?

wow. That was an atomic chapter.

My feelings are all over the place to be honest. I feel so betrayed by Elijah, even if I created this character myself.

Magnolia is broken and in some serious danger, my veins are flooding with fear and excitement on what will happen next.

If you want me to clear up some things, because you don't understand, please let me know and I will do my best to respond !