BlackPine Country, Cole's Mansion

A week had passed since Cherry Lin's confinement and Robert Krisnov's hospitalization. Evangeline found herself summoned by Marcos Cole. She expected it but not too soon. She was actually summoned just after Cherry Lin's explosive news of being locked in jail. But she was too busy and mentally exhausted to respond to their callings.

She already knew what it was. But after a week, she could no longer ignore their summons.

"We want to let you know that we will take Cherry Lin into our custody," Marcos said.

Sitting in his wheelchair, Marcos Cole's invincible overpowering air didn't lessen one bit. Instead, the intensity in his eyes was burning, burning with hatred.

Evangeline inwardly sighed. That was why she didn't want to deal with him. She knew what 'custody' meant in Cole's language.

"Considering what she had done to my sister, I think it's only fair. I know that you also want revenge," Alex said. His fatherly vibes were gone, and the usual smile on his face when he was facing her was nowhere to be seen.

"I say we burn the bitch. Or better yet, put her in an eternity of torture," Asher spat.

"Egh . . . eternity is a stretch . . . but not impossible. We just have to extract her brain, preserved it and then . . . blah . . . blah . . . ," Alexis murmured at the side.

"Now. Now." Alvaro stepped in, "let's not be hot-blooded, everyone. Let's ask for Evangeline's permission first. After all . . ."

Alvaro's smile was on his face when he faced Evangeline, but his eyes were turning to slit. "My dear cousin Eva was the one who cracked the puzzle."

Everyone's eyes twitched except for Álvaro.

Evangeline sighed once more.

"I refused," she said simply.

"We are not asking for your permission. We are just informing you," Marcos said.

Evangeline wanted to laugh. "Funny, the last time I checked, you disowned my mother. You didn't even give a damn when she was suffering. And now that she is dead, you act like you cared."

Marcos's lips pressed in one line, but he couldn't retort.

"Eva, no one expected that my sister would die," Alex said.

"So it's okay that she is suffering as long as she is not dead?" Evangeline's voice rose as well as her anger. Her mother's death was painful but not as painful when she watched her suffered every day.

. . .

. . .

"It was already too late when we found out . . . ," Marcos finally said.

Evangeline laughed as she blinked away the brimming tears in her eyes. "No . . . you just wanted to save your pride. You're too prideful to forgive her, and that's why she died. You know that you don't have any right to extract punishment on my mother's murderer when you . . . all of you are responsible for her death."

. . .

. . .

Evangeline knew the conversation was over. She turned and bid her final words.

"No one touches Cherry Lin. She will rot in jail, reflecting on her sins. That is her punishment. And you will watch her till her last breath not doing anything even if it's eating you alive . . . that is your punishment."

. . .

. . .

It felt like an hour when Evangeline left, but everyone still watched the closed door where she disappeared.

The silence was awkward and brutal, but no one wanted to break it.

Eventually, Marcos sighed and shook his head. He wanted to be angry, but all he felt was helplessness. "Just like her mother."

"What do we do now?" Alex asked. "We couldn't possibly just let that woman go."

Marcos stole a peek at his son. "Then do you want your niece to hate us forever?"

Alex's lips clamped tight.

"Then I guess this meeting is adjourned." Alvaro slipped past the people and went out of the door but was halted by his father's call.

"Alvaro, there must be something we could do to convince Eva."

Alvaro was silent for a moment before he faced his father with a sarcastic smile. "Dad, I know that you are angry. Mostly at yourself. But like what Evangeline said, we don't have that right."

Álvaro then left with a final word.

"Because in the first place, we are the ones who pushed Aunt Emerald to her death."

And the door closed.

The silence was heavy and unbearable.

Eventually, Marcos sighed once more and slumped into his wheelchair.

"I don't know if leaving the Cole to your eldest son is a good idea. I'm starting to fear the Cole's future in his hands," Marcos said, shaking his head.

Alex's brows flinched. "Then who do you want to leave the clan to? Asher and Alexis?"

Both older men looked at the two youngsters. Asher was mumbling at the side, and Alexis was poking his nose, flicking his booger to who knows where.

Marco's sighed again and shook his head. "Forget it."

After a short silence, Marcos snatched a looked at his son and said, "I'm tired. I'm old and had a few days left in my life. All I want is to live the remainder of my few days enjoying what I can do. So . . . I won't stop you anymore."

Alex's stoic face crumpled, and his head snapped at his father. "F-father . . . you . . ."

Marcos waved his hand. "I want to rest. Do what you must."

----

"Where are we?" Evangeline asked when instead of the airport, the driver drove on some farm.

"I asked him to drive us here. Since we are in BlackPine, we might as well relax and see some places, right?" Eric said. He was with Evangeline traveling to BlackPine though he was made to sit in the guest room the whole meeting. He was not allowed to, but a one-day trip was exempted. Mostly because he was going to his second brother's place.

Evangeline was too exhausted to argue and just waved her hand. They got out, and a gigantic gate blocked her view.

Blinking as her mind blank out, Evangeline's eyes whipped at Eric. Was this his idea of a date? Starring at the vast expanse of grassland on the other side and viewing the huge wall on the front?

"Where are we?" she asked.

"You'll see." Eric just smiled before he led her near the entrance.

"Is there something inside this wall?"

"Yes. Something pleasant and . . . unpleasant," Eric said through his breath.

"Huh?"

Before Evangeline could ask further, the gate opened, and a shining man, posing of what seemed to be stylish but only turned awkward, came into view. His hand was on his waist and the other on a peace sign on his eyes while his body skewed to one side, balancing everything in one foot.

"Yo!" he said with a wink.

. . .

. . .

Eric sighed, "Unpleasant."