REBORN FOR REVENGE

ASHVILLE CITY

EVE SANCHEZ POV

"Eve! Eve! You better come out from wherever you are hiding right now!" Margo screamed, the veins on her neck standing out as her eyes darted around the room. "If I find you myself, I'll make you regret it" she yelled, her footsteps stomping around the room.

I burrowed deeper into the closet that I'd hid in, sweat dripping down my neck as my pulse raced. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe right as the terror bubbling up my chest threatened to suffocate me. At least this time she wasn't holding any object.

If there was one thing I have learned from Margo's countless attacks, it was that; it was better to hide from her and hope she didn't find me whenever she got into her fit of rage, because if I got caught, it always ended in a disaster, for me.

The closet door flung open and my eyes widened, almost bursting out of its socket from the shock.

Margo's eyes zeroed in on mine and her hands reached for me like a flash, her hand gripping me by the hair and twisting hard as she yanked me to my feet and out of the closet.

I yelped in pain, my head smarting from the pressure on my hair.

"Let go of me" I yelled, trying to escape her hold, but she just dragged me like a woman possessed and she didn't even stop to let go as she got to the stairs.

A hard push from her sent me tumbling down the stairs. I screamed, my stomach dropping as I hit the railing, my vision getting blurry from the panic that bubbled up my chest as I rolled, Then it all stopped and I lay still, my breathing coming out in sharp painful gasps.

Margo stomped down the stairs toward me at the same time her mother walked into the living room. I managed to raise my head in her direction, my whole body aching but I could tell that I hadn't broken any bones.

"What the hell is going on here Margo" my stepmother- Amore- yelled and Margo jumped back, her hands clenching and unclenching.

"She stole my watch. It was on my desk this morning and after she cleaned my room it was gone"

"I did no such thing" I managed to cry out, but a glare from Amore had me biting back my words.

"Is that why you pushed her off the stairs?" she asked, her voice sounding bored.

"I didn't push her. I was just talking to her and she slipped and fell" she lied, her gaze cutting viciously in my direction, daring me to say otherwise, before she looked back at her mother.

Amore rubbed at her head, sighing tiredly and moving towards Margo. "How many times do I have to tell you to rein in that temper of yours until the lawyer's visit" she gritted out, grabbing Margo by her wrist, her vice-like grip cutting off her circulation. "Do you want us to lose everything! If they find a mark on her skin before we get our hands on everything, do you know what that would cost us".

"But she's so annoying" Margo yelled, then jerked her hand from Amore's grip. "Why do I have to be nice to her now her father isn't here anymore... You promised me that I could do whatever the hell I want to her after he died".

"Watch your tone, Margo! What is wrong with you" Amore snapped, her gaze cutting to me. "Until the will is read, do not hurt our poor little Eve here... Once we have everything, you can do whatever you want with her"

"You both are monsters" I got out, sitting up to look at them, and hoping they saw just how much I hated them. They both burst out laughing and my gut clenched tighter, my heart twisting in pain. "My Dad loved you so much, he brought you into our lives and gave you everything you ever wanted and this is how you choose to repay his kindness" I spat, and Amore's palm struck against my cheek jolting and pulling a shocked gasp out of me. She'd never hit me before. I stared at her, holding onto my stinging cheek as she glared down at me.

"Be happy I let you live, or else you'd have been dead with your pathetic excuse of a father. He gave me all I ever wanted?" She laughed. "That is so ludicrous it's not even funny. I wanted my own family but what did he give me instead, the ugly daughter of his dead wife"

Tears dropped down my cheeks and she scoffed. "You're just as pathetic as he was." She leaned forward. "Once the lawyers read the will, I am going to give you away then I'll have all I ever truly wanted"

"You won't have your way" I got out bravely and braced myself for another hit but she just chuckled.

"We'll see about that, but you better pray it turns out just the way I want it to because if it doesn't, I'll make you wish you died when your father did. Return Margo's watch"

"I didn't take her watch. I am not a thief"

"Are you calling me a liar" Margo roared, rushing toward me, but Amore stopped her, then called for security.

I trembled where I sat on the floor knowing what was going to come next.

"What are you going to do," I asked fearing the worst.

"What do you think I am going to do Eve, since I can't beat the truth out of you, I guess I'm left with no choice but to lock you away".

My heart stopped beating for a second. "If you put me in there again, I am going to tell the lawyers, I'll tell them about all that you and your daughter have been doing to me ever since dad died" I got out bravely and Amore grinned.

"And you think anyone will believe your words against mine?" She said, then leaned towards me. "You better keep your mouth shut when the lawyers get here or else I am going to give you to the guards to play with... Do you understand what I am trying to tell you"

My heart broke into a million pieces because I did know what she was trying to tell me and that scared me even more than the dark room. This wasn't the first time that she had threatened to do that. Amore had changed our old workers and had them replaced with new ones she selected herself. The new staff didn't know my father and literally did whatever Amore told them to, so I was sure that she just wasn't saying it. She could do it if she wanted.

Footsteps registered and my gaze snapped to those of the Gaius, Amore's favorite bodyguard and just the sight of him sent my heart spiraling out of control. They were going to lock me up in the dark room, and I was going to feel suffocated, and I'd beg but no one would come to rescue me. They never did.

Gaius's gaze landed on me as soon as he entered the room and a grin touched his crocked lips.

"Take her to the dark room," she told him, then turned to face me. "You'll stay there until you learn to stop being a thief and a liar"

"No! You can't" I screamed as Gaius reached for me and lifted me from the floor.

I trashed in his hold, screaming at the top of my lungs for help, and it drew some of the staff's attention but they all pretended not to see me, or they just didn't care.

Gaius soon stopped walking and he dropped me on my feet, his grip on my shoulder like iron. He pushed open the door to the room- it was pitch black- and shoved me inside, then locked the door plunging me into total darkness.

My heart drummed in my ear, the panic in my chest rising as darkness closed in on me from all sides. Something touched my feet and I gave a bloody scream, stepping further into the room, my hands reaching out in front of me to feel for the wall.

I was getting dizzy, my breath coming out in sharp painful gasps. I couldn't faint, not when I did not know what lay on the floor.

My hand suddenly touched something solid and I jerked back, screaming and dropping to the floor and then I felt things crawling all over me.

"Dad. Help me! Help me please" I screamed, frantically brushing the stuff that was climbing me off.

In my panic, I got up from the floor and rushed forward then flew back as I smacked my head right into the wall.

I reached up to feel the bump and felt something sticky on my finger. My eyes rolled back, and I fell to the floor, the darkness enveloping me.

EVE SANCHEZ POV

"What happened to her head and why does she look so groggy" The lawyer's voice reached my ears, his words sounding a bit fuzzy. He also looked really weird and I felt a giggle bubbling up my throat. My memory was a bit hazy, but the spot where Amore had jammed the syringe into my neck still throbbed. I wondered what she had injected me with but I couldn't keep up with the line of thought, because my brain kept firing off in different directions. Was I dying? Why was the room flashing so many colors? Did Amore change the light bulbs?

"Eve came down with the flu and is reacting to the medication that was prescribed by her doctor..." Amore told Oregon, snapping me out of my haze for a bit.

"As for the cut on her head, Eve is quite playful and doesn't always watch where she is going even though I have warned her countless times, but you know teenagers, they don't really listen to anyone, and you already know that Eve doesn't like me all that much since she thinks I stole her father from her, so she always brushes my warnings off", she paused, shaking her head. "I wouldn't have let her attend this meeting not when she's so sick but You insisted that she should be here for the readings and that's why she's here... "

"I am not sick" I slurred, my words coming out a garbled mess.

"See. Does she really need to be here"

"Yes she does, but since she doesn't seem to be in her right frame of mind, don't you think we should postpone the reading until she's all better".

I could tell the suggestion didn't sit well with Amore from the twist of her expression and the way her hand clenched beside her lap.

Her expression made the laughter that had been bubbling within my chest burst out of me, and I giggled, the sound spilling into the air unrestrained until Margo shook me a bit with a glare. "Get it together dimwit" she whispered in my ear viciously, the sickening smile that was on her face firmly in place.

Amore's gaze cut in my direction and I stopped laughing, the dark look in her eyes freezing the blood in my veins despite my drug-induced state.

She exhaled, then turned back to face the lawyer with a look of resolution "I think We have waited long enough Mr. Oregon. Sanchez had been dead for a whole month and we still haven't read his will. I have been patient but the board members are starting to talk and raise objections whenever I try to make any decision concerning the company... I need to know where I stand once and for all, so please let's not delay this further".

Mr. Oregon looked at me, then at Margo who flashed him a sweet smile. She was so freaking annoying, it gave me a headache. "You are right and I apologize for the inconvenience. We should get this over with so that everything runs more smoothly from now on".

Amore inhaled, then smiled brightly. "I am happy to hear that, Mr. Oregon. How about we start now" she urged and the man gave an exasperated sigh and whipped out the documents from his file case.

I could see the excitement dancing in Amore's and Margo's eyes as they eagerly awaited the reading of the will.

"Well, they will Sanchez left is very simple. I read; To my wife, the love of my life, I leave the mansion and the estate at the province" he said and Amore's grin stretched.

"Well, go on, I am sure there's still more"

Mr. Oregon cleared his throat. "To Margo, my sweet daughter I leave twenty percent of my company shares. And to my beautiful sunshine, Eve, I will all of my remaining assets, 80 percent of the company's shares, and a mansion I built for her that should only be disclosed to her on her twenty-first birthday. That is all" the man finished with a flourish and snapped the file shut.

Then there was silence, and it was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"I don't understand... Sanchez left everything to her" Amore yelled incredulously, standing abruptly, the finger she pointed in my direction trembling just like her lips were. "And I only got a measly mansion and a stupid estate in the province. What the hell am I supposed to do with that!"

Mr. Oregon stood up and stepped toward her. "When you got married to Sanchez, you said you weren't interested in his money, so why the indignation at being given what you term so little"

Amore tried to breathe and rein in her anger but she failed miserably. "What the hell are you insinuating right now Mr. Oregon... Are you trying to tell me something..."

"I am merely making a statement Mrs. Amore, but I apologize if you found my question offensive. Well you're still legally in charge of running the company until Eve turns eighteen and is capable of running everything herself"

"So I'm literally her slave until she's ready to take the company from me and you expect me to just accept that... "

"I could always appoint a temporary manager if you're not up to the task, but I hope you realize Margo has twenty percent of the shares... "

"What is she supposed to do with such a share... Eve can literally put her out of the company"

"Eve is your daughter too" Mr. Oregon started and the look Amore gave him could kill. "I mean she's your stepdaughter, but all the same, she looks up to you and considers you family, so I am sure there would never be a reason for her to buy out Margo's shares"

"That's enough! I do not want to hear anything you have to say to me right now" Amore got out, her chest heaving. "You read the will, and despite my indignation, there's really nothing I can do about what Sanchez wanted to do with his money and his company... Do you require us to sign any documents"

"Yes, there are some documents... "

"Then let's get it over with" she snapped and Oregon sighed tiredly.

"I only came to read the will. The documents will be ready for signing tomorrow".

Amore crossed her arms. "We are done here then, so please, take your leave, Mr. Oregon. You have overstayed your welcome" she delivered grimly.

The man exhaled, then turned to me. "Take care of yourself, Eve. Get well soon" he said, and patted my hair, his hands grazing the cut on my head a bit. "If you're ever experiencing any trouble, do not hesitate to give me a call," he said and I laughed because his face was becoming more distorted the longer I stared at him. What the hell had Amore injected me with?

He pulled back, and both he and Amore just stood staring at each other. "I'll take my leave then," he said, clasping his case harder than was necessary, then he turned and walked out of the house.

It didn't take a second after the door closed after the man for Amore to lose her shit.

She screamed at the same time Margo stood up in indignation.

It was a surprise that she'd been quiet for so long. Did Amore drug her too?

"How dare he. Even after his death, he's still finding ways to fuck me over. How could he do this to me after all my sacrifices"

I giggled and she whirled to face me.

"You dare laugh" Margo got out shakily before Amore could shout the house down with her fury. "You fucking thief. That company is mine. How dare you do this to me" she yelled, grabbing me and shaking me furiously.

My head hurt a lot and my movements felt like they were being performed in slow motion even though I was really struggling to push her off.

"You're going to regret this. I am going to make sure you do. I will never let you have that company" Margo yelled, shaking me harder until she was pulled by Amore away from me.

"Let her go, or Mr. Oregon will be here suing us for abuse."

"But mom!" She cried out.

"Don't worry Margo, everything will go according to plan no matter what happens. Everything will be ours. Everything!".

EVE SANCHEZ POV

"Turn around" I whispered, my hand gripping the edge of the door harder. "Look at me, even if it is just once."

But it was pointless, and I knew that no matter how hard I wished for just his gaze to land on me, it would never happen. Miguel was a work of art, and just staring at him had the effect of calming me and making me forget about everything that wasn't working quite well in my life. Right now, he was focused on painting and every stroke of the brush he held against the canvas stilled the anxiety that prickled within my chest. But our dynamic was all one-sided. I wasn't brave enough to confess... The fear of being rejected or hurt made me hold back, choosing rather to watch and pine over him from afar.

Three months had gone by since the will was read and I became a heiress overnight. And despite Amore's threat to make my life miserable, for some reason, I was still in one piece.

Of course, Amore took any chance she got to hurt me, but like a divine intervention, Margo was no longer on her side and she even went as far as defending me whenever Amore tried to take it too far.

The feeling of finally having a sister that was on my side was both exhilarating and frightening. I'd been skeptical at first about the whole thing, but as the days rolled by into weeks, and weeks into months, I couldn't help but be happy about the change.

I prayed and hoped with all of my heart that going forward, things would only get better.

"You're staring at him again" Margo whispered into my ear and I jumped, barely managing to hold back the scream that bubbled up my throat from the fright she gave me as I turned to face her, my hand clenching at my chest.

Margo giggled, her dark eyes twinkling. "I got you good this time" she laughed and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I wasn't staring at him. I just love his paintings, that's why I'm watching him" I brushed off, stepping away from the door.

Margo rolled her eyes, then groaned. "You are so annoying. Do you know how many girls are dying to date, Miguel... And here you are lying to yourself that you only care for his paintings"

I exhaled, raising my shoulders, before letting them drop dramatically. "Fine! You are right Margo, but what can I do? I am sure he doesn't even know I exist"

"What you can do is confess your feelings. I mean everyone knows you are a rich heiress now, who would dare turn you down"

"I don't want that type of love, Margo. I want him to love me for me and not because I have a lot of money"

Margo grimaced, then smiled. "Does it really matter? Even if he is with you for the money, at least he's with you, and let's face it, you'll never find out if things can work out between you two if you keep watching him like a creep from outside the door without saying anything" she hissed and my gaze widened because her tone had gotten a little louder, but Miguel didn't turn, his gaze fixed on the picture he was drawing.

"Keep your voice down, Margo. Are you trying to out me or something.... also what can I do... there's Mom's curfew, and Miguel is always surrounded... "

"Miguel's throwing a party on Saturday night and I got an invite. You should come with me. I'll tell Mom we're going for a study session"

A party? I'd never been to a party before even though I'd be seventeen in a month. Would Amore allow me to go, or would it end in a disaster? I'd contemplated calling Mr. Oregon a bunch of times to report Amore's abuse, but thinking about how that would hurt Margo stopped me. If I went to a party and Amore found out about it, it was going to end with me getting hit. "I don't think..."

"Just trust me OK. I won't let my Mom hurt you again" she said and took my hand. "I know you tell me not to apologize anymore but I am so sorry Eve. I hate what Mom's doing to you and I really want to stop her but I can't, so just bear with her for a few more months... I am going to make everything right okay" Margo assured, tears springing in her eyes.

"That's enough. It's ok. I am doing fine anyway"

"No, you're not, but that will all change at this party. You'll get to have fun and also get a chance to confess to the love of your life. You have to take this chance Eve or you're going to regret it" she urged and I nodded even though I could feel a ball of anxiety tightening around my air pipe.

Margo squealed, drawing attention to us. "Great. I'm going to get you the most perfect dress, you're going to totally scream when you see it"

I smiled, the pain in my chest lessening bit by bit. "That would be really nice"

"I'll do anything for you Eve. It's us against the world now" She smiled and squeezed my finger a bit. "Let's go to the hilltop later... I need more pictures for my project"

"You are not paying me enough to be your model" I grinned and she laughed.

"Fine I'll pay for this session then, but you'll have to give your very best OK"

I nodded, feeling enthusiastic that we were going on a hike together. It was a routine of ours and anytime we went, Margo had me pose for her while she took pictures. It was for her project and I felt honored that she chose me despite having a gorgeous group of friends that she could have easily chosen from.

As we climbed the steep hill, I couldn't help but wonder how the party was going to turn out, and when I finally confessed to Miguel, would I be accepted or rejected?

But I needed to practice first if I wanted to avoid making a complete utter fool of myself.

It would be mortifying if I got tongue-tied right when I needed my voice the most.

"You are so quiet" Margo interrupted my thoughts and I jerked to face her.

"What?"

"What are you thinking about? Is it Miguel, you must really like him if you can't get him off your mind."

"It's nothing. Let's just take the pictures and get back home... Mom won't be happy If we return late like we did the last time"

"You don't have to worry about her... I told her we were having a study session after class so she won't mind if we come late."

"Ok then, but it's really cold here and I've been feeling sick lately, so how about after the pictures we go get a bite to eat"

"That's an awesome idea, I am totally starving anyway," she said and then positioned me at the very edge of the hill.

I glanced down, my stomach dropping at the height and the river that flowed furiously underneath the dangerous slope of the hill.

"Isn't this too close to the edge?" I asked nervously and Margo just giggled.

"Don't tell me you are scared of heights"

"I might be," I said and she just gave me an incredulous look, then sighed.

"Don't worry, you won't fall off. You're not totally at the edge anyway. This time I want you to look sad for me like you're sick of life or something" she instructed and I nodded.

The last picture she'd taken was me being extremely happy, so I guess she was exploring the spectrum of human emotions.

I didn't have to try hard to give her what she needed. My life was sad anyway but once I turned eighteen, it would be all over. I'll move out and live the life I want and maybe Margo might even choose to come with me.

"Wow, you are such a natural, Eve... These are some really cool shots.

"Is that all you'll be needing?" I asked and she frowned, her brows wrinkling as she clicked through the photos she'd taken.

"Let's just take a few more then. This time, act like you're thinking about jumping off the cliff" she said, her gaze clashing with mine. "Don't jump though" she quickly added as if she thought that I was contemplating it.

I laughed. "Don't worry I won't" I grinned then posed like she wanted me to.

I couldn't die, not when I had so much to do. I had a love to confess, I had a company to manage and I had a party to prepare for.

I had to be optimistic. I just hoped Miguel didn't reject me. It would be too devastating, but even if he did, I'd continue. Margo was with me. I had a sister who loved me and that was enough.