The Manipulated Villainess

Aston recalled the time he heard that Nicole was admitted to a hospital. The moment he heard the word \'hospital\', his haunting past resurfaced. The time his mother dragged him up the mountains. Though he survived, he was hospitalized for months, which leads to his separation from Aria. 

"I wasn\'t okay but... I brace myself to come here. I would never leave you in this condition just because of my fears and trauma." He forced a little smile, looking at Nicole. "I will be fine as long as you\'re with me."

"I will also be fine after a few days. You don\'t have to push yourself so hard." Nicole calmly said.

"Even the last time I was hospitalized, I was fine. Don\'t worry." Aston assured her.

"What do you hate the most? I mean, about hospitals." Nicole asked. She knew his story but... she wasn\'t sure of the answer to this question.

Aston recalled his past experience and said, "It\'s not tormenting to come here but... it\'s the aftereffects. I am always reminded of that traumatic event and... it will affect my sleep."

"Nightmares." She muttered. She also knew it from experience.

"Yes." He nodded. "Nightmares. Whenever I\'m reminded of those events in my childhood, the most tormenting one is nightmares. That\'s why I avoided hospitals. The smell always reminded me of those events right away as if it was an alarm to wake up my trauma."

Nicole narrowed her eyes, thinking about how tormenting the nights would be for Aston. Nightmares were the worst and she was well aware of that!

"Do you know why I tell you this despite knowing that it will make you worried? I don\'t want to lie to you or act all strong." He paused and holds her hand. "It\'s fine even if there are things that you cannot tell me. I\'m quite patient but... no lying. I can\'t tolerate that."

"No matter what people said about you; strong, powerful, wicked, villainess; I don\'t care about any of that. I only want you to be real in front of me. What\'s more, I will only believe what you said, not others." He calmly added.

Nicole finally smiled again at his words. "I will do that but... " Her smile slowly faded again when she recalled something. "I\'m not that innocent. Though I was just following orders, it was still me who destroyed many people and... even drove some to death."

"I understand what you said but keep this in mind. You know my past. I\'m not innocent too, so far from that. So, let\'s just focus on the present and refrain from making the same mistakes. Maybe our lives will start to be better that way." He said to her patiently.

Nicole nodded but still, something bothered her. "I know that you\'re up to something these days. Is it what I shouldn\'t know?"

Aston\'s eyes widened a bit and he let out a breath. "I can tell you some but not all. As I said before, I don\'t want to lie to you but know this. You are not that safe these days. Most of it is my fault. I have a few enemies from my past."

"You mean, some gangsters?" Nicole asked.

Aston slightly smiled at her reaction and nodded. "That\'s why I want to provide you with good security as fast as possible. As soon as you\'re discharged, I will arrange that. Your stepmother might bring up about this but tell her that you already arrange everything."

"Alright. Then what about Nathan and his men?"

"Don\'t worry. They are all fine. We can meet them once you recovered." Aston assured her.

* * *

In one coffee shop which wasn\'t that far from the hospital where Nicole was admitted, Nathan was sitting opposite Cassandra, trying to fulfil the promise that he made to his friend.

"Aston told me that you meet him again. I already warned you not to do that. Stop hurting the people around me, Cassandra." The Boss of the Reyon Gang was firm and unyielding. Though the woman he talked to was the only woman whom he had ever loved, things had changed.

Cassandra Lim only looked at him without saying anything and he turned away. "Aston also said that you have something to say. I only came here for his sake. I will hear you out but... stop bothering my friend and don\'t even think about making use of his lover."

Nathan briefly recalled the things that happened last night. Then he said, "I have met the woman and she\'s a kind-hearted and loyal one, unlike you."

Unlike you? These two simple words stabbed Cassandra right in the heart! Who would have thought that the heart of the notorious Boss of the Moyan Gang would be able to break by just two simple words?! But still, she didn\'t argue and maintained a calm face.

"All these years, I always wanted to tell you this but... you never give me the chance. Besides, I was convinced that you won\'t believe me but I understand. If I were you, I would do the same." Cassandra muttered.

Nathan still refused to face her and maintained his silence too. Cassandra thought that she would already be getting used to him giving her the cold shoulder but... she was wrong. Many years had passed but it still hurts! However, she braced herself and continue.

"That day, I had an argument with my father. As you know, it\'s always hard to deal with him."

Nathan slowly turned to her and his face showed how uncomfortable he was. "Are you here to tell me about the man who killed my father?"

Cassandra shook her head. "That\'s not the case. Hear me out first."

Nathan felt a strong urge of reluctance. However, he had said that he would hear her out. He was always a man of his word. So, he remained quiet, holding back himself.

"The argument was heated than any other days. That\'s why I called you nonstop that day. Though I know that you hate me, I thought that I will be feeling better if I just see your face." Cassandra said.

Nathan could never forget that day. Because she was so persistent, he finally went to her and meet her. When he saw her so downhearted, he even spent a little time with her rather than going back right away. However, it became the thing he regretted the most as his father was killed during that time!

"I was supposed to accompany my father that day." He finally spoke up. "But because of your persistence, I leave him and came to you that day. I suffered an assassination attempt a month before, that\'s why my father told me not to go alone and take some of our skilled men with me. But he was killed at that time as I wasn\'t there to protect him." He slightly sneered and glance at Cassandra. "It turns out that I was tricked by you again. To separate me from my father, you plan everything with your father."

"No," Cassandra argued and put both her hands on the table. "I don\'t do that. I have no idea about my father plan. I don\'t even know that he was targeting your father!"

"Don\'t lie to me, Cassandra." Nathan snapped. "One of the men who was with my father at his last moment told me everything. Your father said that his daughter did a great job. He told my father that he planned everything with you. What\'s more, the bullet that killed my father... was fired by your father himself."

Cassandra desperately shook her head. "No, it\'s not that. That\'s not the truth. My father tricked me too. He knows that I will surely call you after that argument. He did everything on purpose. He made use of me."

"That\'s nonsense. He\'s your father, Cassandra Lim." Nathan uttered. He was trying so hard to keep himself under control!

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at the table. The always calm and composed woman was gone and in her place was a woman who struggled to prove her innocence to the man she loved! Nathan was the only one who could bring out this side of the female Boss!

"He wanted to draw a wedge between us because he thought that I was being weak because of you. He raised me to be tough and heartless. He won\'t care about my feelings. He\'s not my biological father." She finally spilled out the secret which she kept for years. "I\'m his adopted daughter and for him, I\'m only a tool to satisfy his greed."

The secret was so unexpected for Nathan and he didn\'t even know how to react. However, a part of him still finds it hard to believe her. Was it because he had fallen to her plan in the past? Maybe. Once trust was broken, it was like impossible to mend it.

"Only a few know this secret, Nathan. My father never allowed to bring up this matter." Cassandra observed Nathan\'s face and understood him. "I know you don\'t believe me but right now... for the first time since we met, I\'m telling you only the truth stained by no lies."