GENESIS
Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it was going to jump out of her chest. She was standing still, staring at her brother with gaped lips and wide eyes.
She had just met him in the estate that evening and he made it seem like he was stalling his wicked plans for her. She blamed herself, she should have known better than to believe any of those deceitful words that came out of his mouth.
“Oh, Sister.” He shook his head as he took two steps forward. “You look mortified, why? Am I no longer allowed to check up on my dear sister?”
She still could not bring herself to speak as it was hard for her to believe her eyes. This was the end for her, she felt it.
“After conniving with Gloria, you have the guts to show up in my house?” She heard Dante speak.
Rodriguez did not even look at him, his eyes were still on her. “So you have not told him who I am?” He laughed. “He still believes that I am Lorenzo?”
“Genesis, what is he talking about?” Dante sounded confused and desperate for answers. “Say something…”
“She's too dumbfounded to speak.” Rodriguez turned away from her and faced Dante. “So let me do the speaking. I'm her beloved brother, Rodriguez. I know you thought you did something by having a stupid investigator follow me and your mother about, a very stupid move if you ask me. Well, everything you thought you knew about me is false, they're only things that I wanted you to think.” He paused and moved a little bit closer to Dante. “See, you're as dense as your mother, believing everything said to you. That one believed that I was an ex trying to get Genesis back, stupid Gloria. Everything I needed to know about you, she told me. To think that I overated you and initially thought that penetrating your household would be somewhat hard is now funny to me.”
Dante looked like he was at loss for words, like he could not believe his ears.
“And this setting…” Rodriguez looked around, at all of them. “It's perfect for the drama I wanted. Once my men informed me that this old couple was on their way here, I knew this was my chance to cook up chaos.” He smiled proudly and looked at Dante's ex in-laws. “Mr and Mrs. Del Monte, I find it very odd that you do not remember me. Have I changed that much?”
Genesis was confused. Yes, she was aware that Dante's ex father-in-law was a mafia at some point in Mexico. But it did not occur to her that Rodriguez could possibly know them. How did he know them?
“Is it the facial hair and scars?” Rodriguez went on. “Is that why you can not recognize me? The son of Santiago Cruz?”
At that, the old man gasped and his eyes went wide. His hand trembled as he lifted his finger to point at Rodriguez. “I—it’s you? Rodriguez Cruz?”
“Exactly!” Rodriguez was the only one smiling in that room. “It's a pleasure to meet you again.”
“Y—your father killed our daughter.” It was Mrs. Del Monte that spoke this time and Genesis could not believe her ears.
Her father killed Evelyn? So, all along, her father was the mafia rival that killed Evelyn? This had to be a dream, some kind of vivid nightmare. It just could not be true. She looked at Dante and all the life was washed out of his eyes, he was pale and stood there in utter disbelief.
“No, no. That's where you're wrong.” Rodriguez shook his head. “I killed your daughter.”
“My goodness…” The old woman dropped to the floor and her husband bent with her, holding her and trying to comfort her as much as he could.
“See, you were being stubborn, Mr. Del Monte.” Rodriguez was looking down at the couple. “Your stupid boys cornered my men at the border and stole my goods. I gave you enough time to return them, but did you? No. Instead, you sold everything to the Spanish dealers for less than half their worth. I had to get my revenge somehow, you know? And luckily for me, your oblivious daughter was out and about in town soon enough. Her life was the payment for my stolen goods.”
Dante charged at him with a punch. But Rodriguez was quicker. He tackled Dante to the floor and pinned him down with his legs, one hand holding his throat and the other pointing a gun to his forehead.
“If I were you, I'd behave myself.” Rodriguez said to Dante. “All your men are dead and my men have surrounded this house, so you better calm down.”
He got off Dante, but he was still looking down at him. “Look, I'm not here for too much trouble. I just want to take my sister and leave here.”
“I will not be going anywhere with you.” She didn't even realize that her mouth opened until she said those words. “I will stay right here.”
“Oh, Genesis…” Rodriguez chuckled and looked at her. “You've grown bold, I'll agree. You're no longer the little, scared coward that ran away from home. But this boldness of yours will get you nowhere; at least, not against me. So just be obedient and everything will go smoothly, nobody's blood will be shed. Is that clear?”
“Kill me! I don't care! I'd rather die than go back to that hellhole with you!”
“You amuse me, really.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Who said it's you I want to kill? I'll be taking you home with me, remember?” Again, he pointed his gun at Dante. “It's your loving husband's brain I'm going to blow out, right in front of your eyes. You know me, you know I'm capable, so don't test me, Genesis. Do as I say and everyone will stay alive.”
“Don't do anything to him, please.” Genesis pleaded, holding her breath. “Don't do anything stupid, Rodriguez.”
“Then cooperate with me.” He said to Genesis. “Now,start moving.”
She looked at Dante with tears in her eyes. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you had to find out about everything like this.”
He did not say anything to her, he was only looking at her with so much pain in his eyes that she could not bear to hold his gaze any longer, so she looked away and sobbed quietly.
“This would have been cute to watch but I really do not have the time for this nonsense.” Rodriguez tapped Genesis on her shoulder. “Continue moving.”
“I'm so sorry…” She whispered to Dabte again as she slowly started to walk towards the door.
Rodriguez followed behind her, but as soon as she opened the door, Lana was right there with four police officers with her. Three of them pulled out their guns immediately they saw Rodriguez behind Genesis and one rushed to move Genesis away from him.
“You are under arrest.” One of the officers announced to Dante. “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.”
Rodriguez was sick in the head, so she was not really surprised when she saw him drop his weapon by himself and begin to laugh, a full on heartfelt laughter, like something extremely funny was happening.
“Put your hands behind you.” The officer continued. “And then around.”
Rodriguez complied and did as told, still laughing. The officer moved closer to him and bound his hands with handcuffs. And it felt like a dream as Genesis watched them guide her brother to the police car. She could not believe that he was the one being taken away, not her. She has already lost all hopes of getting out of her brother's clutches, and then this miracle happened.
She released a very heavy sigh as she looked at Lana. “Thank you…” Words could not even express the gratitude she was feeling at that moment. “Thank you so much…”
“It's nothing, Jenny…” Lana stepped forward and took her hand. “It's really nothing.”
“Ma'am, are you okay?” The police officer that was with her asked. “Was anyone harmed?”
“No, no.” Genesis shook her head. “Everyone is fine.”
“Great. Please call if any matter should arise.”
Genesis nodded at the officer with a small smile and then he walked off to join his colleagues in the car. Just before they drove off, she caught her brother's face and he still had that sick smirk on. She was more than happy to see him face his nemesis.
“You're okay now.” Lana brought her attention back to their conversation. “Everything's fine now.”
Genesis smiled even more at the lady. But a question popped in her head. “How did you know that something like this was happening here? Especially at this time of the day?”
Lana's smile dropped. Now, she was looking at Genesis with nothing but guilt. “I have something to tell you. And it'll be okay if you no longer want to see me again after you hear it.”
“What is it, Lana?” Genesis has a feeling that she was not going to like what she was about to hear.
“I've known about this the whole time.” Lana exhaled. “From the very beginning, I've known of his plans.”
“Wh—what are you saying?” Genesis staggered backwards. She could not believe her ears. It was not like she trusted Lana all that much, but this was a lot to come to terms with.
“Jenny, he planted me here.” Lana went on. “He has been watching you long before you even moved into this house. He has always had his eyes on your every move. He found me where I used to work at a school not too far from your former apartment complex when he learned about the vacancy that had popped up for Elon's homeschool teacher, and he made me apply. Jenny, he threatened me, said he was going to wipe out me, my husband, and my children. So I had no choice, I applied hoping that I would not get picked, he was not going to be able to blame me for that-
But, to my greatest nightmare, I was picked, and I had to work as his pawn. My job was to get as much information from within this household as I could. My conscience did not carry that so I mostly just cooked up basic things and told him. Remember when we went to the spa? I know you met him in the toilet that day, it was all part of his plan. Everything. But he kept demanding more and more, threatening me and my family, and conscience beat me up every time I had to tell him some things. That was why I tried to warn you the other day, I did not know how I was supposed to say it without spilling everything. But this was the last straw for me, him coming here to take you like that, I could not bear it so informed the police. They quietly surrounded the house and arrested his men as I warned them that sirens were going to alert them. We were about to break in when you opened the door and came out with him.”
Genesis was at loss for words. This woman had just saved her life, but it was her that Rodriguez had been using as a tool all along. She could not even bear to look at Lana's face anymore at that point.
“Jenny, I swear, I've grown fond of this family. I love El like my own kid. That's why I could not let him go through with his plans.” Lana sounded desperate. “I know it hurts to know these things, but please try to understand where I was coming from.”
Genesis still could not make up words. She felt a tear trail down her cheek so she lifted her hand and wiped it off. There was no point crying anymore.
Out of respect for what Lana had just done, she tried to speak softly. “Please, leave. Right now, I don't really want to look at you or speak to you.”
“Jenny—”
“Just leave…” Genesis swallowed. “Please, just leave.”
Lana breathed out and started making her way out of the premises, looking back a few times at Genesis until she was out of sight.
Now, it was time for Genesis to face her reality. And the first thing she saw once she walked back in the living room was Elon crying in Dante's arms, the old couple were seated on the other couch. She ran to Dante and Elon, only to be stopped by Dante's low voice.
“Stop.” He looked up at her with red eyes. “Just stop…”
“Dante—”
“Look, I need space right now.” Dante said. “El and I, we both need space. So let us be. At least, for a while.”
She felt weak and defeated. She had never seen such disappointment in someone's eyes, and it hurt her real bad that she was the cause of it.
She tried to maintain her composure as she walked away from them. The least she could do now was give them the space they wanted to have. But she hoped within herself, with every fiber in her, that this was not going to be the end of what she had with Dante.
She felt like she was selfish to wish that after all that she had put them through but that was just what her heart wanted.
That night, she spent hours crying and crying. Out of anger, guilt, regret, and some emotions that she could not even place her hands on. She cried until her eyes went dry. And even the last thing she remembered before her eyes shut was them filled with tears.