I wake up to him hugging me, our bodies pressed together.

When I turn around, I realise just how close we are. His eyes are still closed, and his lips are slightly parted. His hair is a mess.

I slowly run a finger over his lower lip, smiling to myself. A sense of guilt washes over me when I remember what I'm about to do.

I slowly step off the bed and freshen up without waking him. After quickly putting my clothes on, I walk out the front door.

I look at the room one last time.

I'm so sorry.

Vellara-96

The liveliest rave in NYC.

I look around at all the unfamiliar faces, trying to find the one I'm looking for.

As I walk further, I notice couples making out, friends having a few drinks together and a bunch of tough-looking men smoking, but none of them look like him.

"Hey" A male voice behind me says. I turn around, startled. A blond-haired guy in a blue T-shirt and denim jeans stares down at me happily. I glance at him, then back at the entrance.

"Looking for someone? You look like you're lost" he leans against the wall behind him and throws me a wink. I shake my head to look away from him.

"Yeah, um. I'm looking for a man named Fredrick. Have you seen him?" I hopelessly ask. He hmms in thought before looking back at me.
"Actually, I know him"

I nervously look at the entrance. Is this the only way? The last thing I would want to do is hand myself over to some human trafficker.

"So, what do you say? You wanna come?"

I almost say yes, had it not been for the voice that rings from behind him.

"No. She doesn't" He says and pushes the guy out of the way. I find myself face to face....with my dad.

No. Not my dad.

He can't be my dad.

His eyes hold the same warm effect they did twelve years back, with the same smile that made the corners of his mouth crinkle. I take a frightened step back, causing him to frown.

"Don't be scared of your own father, butterfly. I would never hurt you" He looks hurt. There's a scar above his left eyebrow. One that I don't recognise. He takes a step towards me and I flinch. He holds up his hands.

"Calm down, butterfly. It's okay. It's me. I'll explain everything"

By now, I feel the sting of tears in my eyes. I quickly rub them, hoping to stop the tears, but they keep coming. He grimaces at the sight of my tears and sighs.

"You-you lied. For twelve years" My voice shakes as I confront him. I had never, in my wildest dreams thought that my father- the most important person in my life- would not only lie to me for so long, but also do something so horrendous to Zane's mom. It crushed my soul.

"I'll explain everything. For now, we need to be back. This place isn't safe" He holds my wrist, almost delicately, and leads me away from the rave and into some sort of dark alleyway.

At the end of the alleyway lies an old, shaggy inn. I look around. There are thousands of ragged looking houses all along the street. The world seems...darker here. The group of crows flies overhead as he enter the inn. I look at the board above the door.

"Malice"

What a name for an inn! Would totally invite my children and grandchildren for a weekend here in this blissful place.

Dad- Fredrick leads us up a flight of stairs and we reach a dishevelled balcony. There are two chairs near the edge. I take a deep breath and sit down.

The air around me seems humid. My clothes start sticking to my body and I have a hard time keeping a start face when all I want to do is throw the table at his face.

"You called" I swallow, tears threatening to spill. He sighs. "I didn't have anyone else I could trust"

"How do you know you can trust me? I'm with Zane and his team. Wouldn't this be stupid?" I rest my arms on the table, palms flat to ignore the sweat. He nods and scratches his beard.

"Verily, I didn't have a choice, butterfly. I know that you are my daughter. You will help me.

I scowl at him, almost springing to my feet.
"I will not help you. Not after what you did to-"
"Zane's mother?"

I freeze, looking at his eyes. The same eyes that I thought were warm and comforting hold so much hatred, violence and turmoil. I nod. He settles his feet on the table.

He sighs, slowly, and turns his attention to me completely.
"The thrill"
I look at him, confused.
"What?"

He looks the same, yet completely different from the father I loved. His smile not longer has the same warmth and comfort, but something much scarier. It makes me sad.

"I loved your mother. I always will. But ultimately, it wasn't enough for me"
"You had two daughters, and then suddenly it wasn't enough for you?" I cross my arms.

He sighs and rubs his eyes.

"Why do you hang out with Zane and his team?" He asks me.
"Because they are-"
"Because you like the thrill. The same old life gets boring after sometime, Astraea. Marriage, children, job, and then the same repeated cycle for the rest of your days. It gets tiring. I wanted more"

"So, you decided it was a good idea to leave your daughters and your life alone? Sounds-"
"Listen to me. I loved you and your mother, but I also wanted more. I wanted a life where I didn't have to worry about my children, or my wifee. I wanted to be able to do whatever I wanted. You held me back" He points a crooked finger towards me. I have the urge to bite it.

"I needed to do it"
"No, you didn't!" I stand up. He puts his feet back down.

"You are not the man I loved. You're not my papa. I'm not helping you. You're a fucking rapi-"

He stands up, and I almost sense hesitation in his face before he speaks.

"Even if your life depended on it?"

At that, everything around me seems still. The air suddenly seems heavier, the place seems cramped and my legs like they're giving up. Gathering the last of my courage, I shout.

"If you touch me, I swear to God-"
"Oh, hush"

He waves a hand dismissively. Anger surges through every single vein and my head feels heavy. So, so heavy. Still, I don't back down.

"How can you even think of such a thing?" I manage to choke out, defeated.

"You're a tool" he says without any hesitation.
"I'm your fucking daughter, Fredrick. How could you do this to me? To Ria? To mom?" He flinches at the last word.

It takes a moment before he speaks.
"If you don't do as I say, butterfly, something terribly nasty is going to happen. You keep me updated about the ETF's plans, I spare your life. You try and tell anyone, and I'll kill both you, and your sister" his hand tightly grabs mine with bone-crushing strength, twisting it. I cry out in pain.

I shake my head.
"Stop it!" I feel hot tears sting my eyes as he smiles at me.
"Oh, but my life is more important than yours, butterfly"

There's a tight ball in my throat. Black dots are clouding my vision, and there's the man I trusted. The man I loved, smiling at me from ear to ear.

"I fucking hate you" I cry. He simply nods his head.

"Now, do we have a deal, Astraea?"

He extends his hand, waiting for me to clasp it.

Tears drip down my neck as I extend my own. No, this can't be happening. This can't be. This can't-

In a swift motion, I flip the table and make a run for the exit.

I don't make it very far, since he pulls my hair and drags me back to the now upside-down table.

"Still so brave" he smashes my head against one of the walls. I scream out in pain.

The taste of blood meets my mouth. Everything seems blurry. The balcony, the houses, the crows. Everything seems...hazy. Is it just my vision getting hazy or is this really happening?

Pain shoots through my forehead, making me scream so loud it hurts my vocal cords.

I sob, hoping this man- this vile, disgusting, monster spares me. He doesn't stop even as my arms go limp, along with my legs. He doesn't stop even when I shout weakly.

"Please" blood gathers in the corner of my eyes. My hands shake. He finally throws me to the side like a ragdoll.

What's the use of it now?

Blood travels all over my body and makes my clothes stick to my torso. Everything hurts. Moving my head, blinking, heck, even breathing.

"You know better than to test my limits, butterfly"

I lift my head, barely, and take in the person in front of me. The ball in my throat tightens as I recall our memories together.

The late-night discussion, the 3 am Mcdonald's breaks, the school assignments he helped me with. The one's I treasured and always stored in boxes below my bed.

He holds out his hand. Once again.

"Do we have a deal, Astraea?"

I weakly stare at his hand.

Extending my hand hurts more than anything. Not just physically. But mentally. It hurts. It hurts so fucking bad.

"That's a good girl. There, there. We'll take you to the hospital and get you fixed, okay? Butterfly, you know I never intended for any of this to happen. You bought this upon yourself"

I don't remember much after that, except for the feel of warm concrete under my body. The smell of smoke. The sound of an ambulance.

Screams.

I hear a scream so loud that I almost clasp my ears, had it not been for the fact that they feel broken.

The last thing I remember before blacking out is a warm, rough hand cupping my face. Tears streaming down the side.

I couldn't tell if they were mine or his.

A/N

News flash *i hate him*

Also, I don't know how to write scenes like this so excuse me :)

Anyway, be sure to vote, comment and tell me what you think!

-Author.