The Story of Blood and Roses

"I can't even hate you for it." His hands gripped his hair. "You won't even deny it!" he screamed out in frustration. "Do you love him?" he asked. It sounded more like a plea. He wanted me to deny. I didn't answer him. I just turned and walked away.

The door slid open once more, and the faces turned to look at me.

"I hope that all of you don't mind. I found it rather embarrassing to go in front of the other employees in my attire. I can't quite say that they've caught me in such a state before. I have a reputation to uphold, and my disheveled state will only tarnish my image." They nodded and ushered me in. Some of them smiled, some stared at me critically; there was one face—a critical one that furiously gauged my every move. The chief was judgmental and disgusted by the turn of events. If I ever accomplished what I aspired to, I would be thrown out of the organization on the grounds of being fickle minded.

I didn't have it in me to care.

I had two goals in mind.

The first was Michael, the man who possessed my every flaw and love. On the other hand, there was Luke Darcy, the man whom I had idealized as the perfect criminal. I have been obsessed with these two for the majority of my teenage life, and I could still see my grown-up version pining for them. This was my only chance to have them both in my grasp at the same time.

"Mia," I heard the chief speak up. "We have had an extensive discussion on the turn of events in your mission. We have mutually agreed that you are indeed unsuitable to pursue Anthony Murray because you are excessively invested in the man personally. We understand that you thrive to get your revenge from the man who murdered your mother, but that is no proper reason to pursue someone in a professional atmosphere." It was his way of subtly reminding me that Anthony had killed the most precious person in this world. I didn't have the strength to give in to his manipulation. I had had enough of his little games.

"I will justify myself by saying that we only learn from our mistakes." I quipped. His eyes narrowed, but before any of the others present in the room could catch the tension in the conversation, he schooled his expression into a calm and cold facade. I could see the rage swirling in his eyes, his jaws ticked every now and then to punctuate his true intentions.

"Agent Vincent, we believe that it was honorable of you to come to us personally and let us know that you could not carry out the mission any longer. We fully understand that you can't extract yourself from the system you have sneaked your way into, and respect that you are using this connection as a stepping stone to pursue someone much more valuable." Someone else spoke. I spared them a passing glance, offering them a measured smile before staring back at the Chief.

"We would like to know as to what you plan on doing after this."

"Is this just some fantasy that you have cooked up in your head about bringing Luke Darcy under our thumb?"

"You all will be pleased to hear that none of this is a fantasy and that I fully intend on carrying out the mission myself. I have found myself in a position where I have valuable internal information about conflicts raging in the world of criminals. As it turns out, Anthony Murray is an active part of this feud and is on the path of curbing Darcy's powers. This is the weakest we will get Luke and I fully intend on exploiting the situation." They all nodded, seeming impressed by the peculiarity and practicality of the plan. I felt pride bubbling in my chest when I thought about how Michael had taught me to manipulate the situation to my advantage. It was a lesson that I had learned a lot from and used thoroughly.

"Then you have our permission to go forward with the mission," another of them spoke up. I bowed my head in curtsy and then turned to look at the Chief again. His eyes had hardened further and his schooled features had been abandoned.

"Agent Vincent, you might forfeit yourself from the mission, but we demand that you provide all the information that you have gained while you were invested in the mission." That stopped me for a moment. The members of the board conceded, much to my distaste.

"That would be no problem," I assured them. The lie slipped through my lips as easily as taking a breath. "The full information will be submitted with a detailed report about the events up until today," I announced firmly. It was their time to grumble.

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen." I tipped my head for one last time and hastily moved out of the room. Jacob stared at me as I passed him in the hall. His silent gaze burned into me. I tried to ignore him and his words but felt them seeping into my bones. I shook it off and got in the car.

It was time to admit to myself.

Anthony loved me.

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