Chapter 31 - Come Midnight, She will be Sold

💄❤️👠

She wanted to scream Valerie's name as she stormed towards their side of the building but she remained quiet, folding her hands in balls so Cross wouldn't find out what was going on. 

Wasn't it time to let him know? She questioned herself as she knocked on the door. 

Valerie stepped out on the second knock, a triumphant look on her face.

"Where's my sister?" Meredith asked 

"Your sister? What do you mean?"

"You know what happened to her! You know!" Meredith breathed heavily, dragging by the neck of her dress. 

"Let me go! You fool! You will never find her again! She's going to take your place and this time they would make more money off her virginity. I'm sure she's one"

"Shut up!" Meredith gave Valerie a dirty slap. 

Valerie was stunned by it but she didn't retaliate. They had won! She won! Meredith will never have that beautiful and luxurious life that was supposed to be hers! She would never be happy, not when she knew that her sister was suffering the same fate she escaped from. 

No matter how many times you scream and hit me, you will never get your sister back. You know what's funny about all this? You're right in the midst of the Siren Home, and you don't even know it. You think you can escape them, but you're one of them..."

Before Valerie could finish her sentence, Marc appeared suddenly behind her. Filled with fear and disappointment, Meredith rushed back into the house, her mind in a whirlwind of confusion. How could she keep her problems hidden from Cross?

Breathing in and out, she vowed to surrender herself to the Siren Home so the owners would let her sister go. It wasn't such a sound plan but it was her only hope. But what did Valerie mean by she was right in their mist? 

She thought about it but couldn't make any sense of the cryptic message. She sat alone in the sitting room, rocking herself as she pictured her sister going through all the crazy things she had faced! No! That can't be Zarah's life she wept! 

"Meredith, why are you in here, all alone?" Cross asked, clad in his pajamas 

"Nothing… I was just trying to think about things"

"What things?"

"What you said to me about loving me"

"You don't need to worry about that. I didn't…"

"Mean it?"

Cross paused for a second. He looked at her and all he wanted to do was protect her and keep her with him forever. 

"It doesn't matter if you don't love me, Meredith, I will take care of you. Just don't worry yourself. Is there anything else you want to talk about?" He asked and she shook her head. 

"Come then… you know I sleep better when you are right by my side" he smiled, and she suddenly felt hugging him and spilling everything. But she didn't. She would find her sister herself or die trying. 

He guided her into the room and they laid on the bed like it was just another ordinary day. But deep down her heart was in turmoil and she wanted to tell Cross but couldn't bring herself to. The next morning, she will go to the Home to surrender herself in place of her innocent sister. 

She hugged Cross as a form of goodbye but he didn't understand the reason behind it. He held her tighter, kissing her braided hair. 

———-

The morning came and Cross left for work while Meredith remained at home since she lied about not feeling too well. But her purpose for staying home was to finally leave to the Home. Cross watched her as he left, sensing that something was amiss but he said nothing. He wasn't going to say anything, he would only monitor her to find her if she was planning another escape. 

As soon as he was out, Meredith took a stroll towards the front yard to take a final look at the house before she left and that was when Marc caught her from behind. 

"You little bitch!" He grabbed her hair. 

"What do you want? Let me go" she panicked while he held her arms tight. 

"I know you've heard of the new development right? Since I can't have you, maybe I will finally have your little sister!"

"Don't hurt her! Don't you dare!" She screamed but he squeezed her mouth then and threatened her: 

"You don't get to tell anyone what to do. For so long my cousin has protected yiu but can he protect your sister too? He can't! Not when he doesn't even know she's here. And you have to keep it that way if you don't want to lose her forever!"

"Please don't hurt her! I will do anything!" She pleaded

"Shut up! And listen, you are to keep everything a secret from Cross. Not a word of what happened to your sister or else!"

"Or else what?" Someone said from behind, tightening his grip on Marc's neck. It was Cross and Meredith couldn't believe he was so powerful. She had a mixture of joy and shame because she hadn't told Cross the truth and because he had found out all on his own. 

"I warned you never to speak or touch her. Didn't I?" He screamed, tightening his grip on his neck, almost choking the life from him. 

"Yes! Come on Cross don't do this!" Said from a strained voice. 

"Where did you take her sister to? And who is behind the Siren Home? You better say the truth or you may lose your life! Don't play with me! You may be my blood but I detest bullies! I never knew you had ties with that evil place"

"You don't want to know, man!" 

"Talk!" He pressed harder, causing panic to rise in Meredith's throat. She was seeing a totally different Cross. He applied more pressure on the neck, causing Marc to cough while he watched her, a menacing look in his eyes. 

"It's your father!"

"What?" Cross loosened his grip on his cousin, letting him go while he fell to the floor. The revelation caught Cross off guard, and Marc saw it as an opportunity to kick him, but Cross grasped his leg, sitting on him and twisting it while he yelled in pain. Meredith was still reeling from Marc's confession. Now she understood what Valerie meant when she said she had been right in the mouth of the Siren Home and had never realized it. So it was Cross's father who was ruining the lives of some girls while living a lavish lifestyle off of their sorrow.

"I am not surprised. He killed my mother! I know it even if no one believes, I know he's responsible and it is high time I get my revenge"

"Where is my father now?" Cross demanded, delivering a fierce blow to Marc's face. "I need all the information on my father and the home immediately!"

It was as if the sweet Cross was gone and a new one filled with anger and pain had replaced him. Meredith was afraid of even speaking to him because of how terrifying he looked. 

"He would kill me if he found out I told you. I promised him I would never tell you he is the owner of the home. Come on Cross, your father is not someone to mess with. He would kill you once you threaten his business even if you are his son" Marc answered with bloodied lips. 

"Shut up and tell me where he is! Where does he operate from and where will I find him? I am not afraid of him!" He screamed, delivering some more blows on Marc.

Due to the tortures he had endured and Cross's ever growing anger, Marc had no choice but to give out all the information he could. 

Cross immediately instructed Meredith to fetch a masking tape, which they used to bind Marc, all the while he pleaded desperately. They silenced him by covering his mouth with masking tape, and then Cross dragged him inside the house.

The time had come to confront his father. In their exotic sitting room, Cross and Meredith readied themselves for the impending battle against the Home and Cross's father.

"What's our next move?" Meredith inquired, but Cross responded with a stern look that prompted her to fall silent.

"You should have had faith in me! I promised to protect you. Have you ever considered what would become of me if you were in danger or if I never saw you again?" Cross spoke with a pained voice. 

"I am sorry… I thought you would never understand. I wanted to send Zarah home before you found out she was even here because I didn't want you thinking I wanted to run away from you"

"I'm truly sorry. But would you have let me leave with my sister?" Meredith asked. He said nothing, the moment for questions was gone. Instead, he reached for a concealed pistol from behind a safe in the sitting room, intensifying Meredith's fear of him.

"What are you planning to do with that?" she inquired, her voice trembling.

"To protect you, just as I promised," he replied.

"But by doing that, you'll be going up against your own father. Plus, the place is swarming with bodyguards; we'll never get in," Meredith pointed out.

He sat down with frustration, realizing she was right. They needed time to strategize, and his cousin seemed to be their key to entering the home without complications.

"If I can expose my father and the Home at the same time, it'll all be over," he contemplated.

"Where's the girl staying with Marc?" Cross inquired.

"Valerie."

"We should pay her a visit. Then, tonight, we can devise our plan and put it into action. You must follow my lead and not be afraid. We'll locate your sister and put an end to all of this," Cross assured her.

Meredith nodded, her heart filled with hope for Zarah's safety. Meanwhile, Valerie remained blissfully unaware of the impending turmoil outside, listening to loud music while enjoying a relaxing honey bath. She had no idea that an enraged Cross was heading her way.

——-

While they made their plans to destroy the home, Zarah was being cleaned up, her wounds taken care of in preparation for her own auction. Unlike her sister's own, they had no plan of wasting any time at all. This would be a very great lesson to M, the nun thought as she watched the weepy little sister of Meredith. 

Come midnight and she would be sold to the highest bidder.