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This is chap 8. :)

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For just one split second, Vincent wanted to give in to the idea of being free. His whole life, he had to keep his anger in control. When he was a little boy, his grandmother and Calinico brought him and Yorgos to the best doctors in the world. They thought at first, that it was a disease. A genetic one, but no matter what the doctors did to them. It didn't help at all. When they both were 10 years old, they had been injected with all kinds of serums and medicine.

The day Vincent almost died after being injected with a 'medicine', his grandmother decided to stop it all. She couldn't handle seeing the 2 boys suffer again and again. They were so young and already had to endure pain of that magnitude.

Vincent asked her countless times."Grandma, will the medicine work this time?"

It pained her so much to hear the hope in his voice, expecting a positive outcome. But the doctors never gave them good news. She didn't want the 2 boys to suffer anymore and have false hope, so that day she accepted the fact that Vincent and Yorgos would never be 'cured'.

Calinico and Vincent's grandmother, decided to teach the two boys to control their anger and rage. By the time Vincent was 11, he had mastered to control his temper. Since that time, he was always friendly, polite, in control and very calm. No matter what happened or how much someone tested him, he stayed always, always calm and polite. In his whole life, he could count how many times he had let his anger get the best of him. And every time that happened, he felt like he was on top of the world and felt like no one was able to touch him. But the aftermath of him losing control was devastating!

So that's why he always, always had to be IN CONTROL. When Demetrios died, he had lost control and almost harmed Alexia. But luckily the others had kept him at bay. If they weren't there, he was pretty sure that the consequences would've been disastrous for her and Vincent.

That day Vincent filed for divorce and gave her a big amount of money. Calinico gave her the message and from that day, he hadn't seen her again.

Vincent wanted out. He didn't want to be a prisoner anymore in his own body, but… But getting to know Catherine, even if he had just met her, made him feel a lot of things that were so new to him. With Alexia, he never felt this way. He 'thought' that he once loved his ex- wife, but he sure was mistaken. But with Cat, he felt a connection. A very strong one. With her, he felt comfortable. With her, he felt like he could tell her anything. Like he could tell his deepest, darkest secret.

Even if he had just met her, he felt protective of her. He would never, never do as Yorgos wanted. He could never use her in any way. So even though he wanted to be free, he decided that she deserved a life of her own choice. He could never deceive her in any way. Vincent could never have the heart to ask her to give up everything for him. Even though it meant that he was going to live like a prisoner till the day he died…

"No! No, Yorgos. I will not do it. I will not drag her in our messed up life! Get out of my house now. And don't you dare come near her!" Vincent shouted.

The thought of Yorgos trying to get near Catherine was making him feel sick in his stomach. He began to feel a sharp pain in his fingers and around the gums in his mouth. His head felt like it was about to explode… No.. he had to control himself! Taking deep breaths and thinking about Cat's pretty, pretty dimples, made him relax. The sharp pain he felt, slowly faded till it was gone completely.

Vincent then opened his eyes and locked eyes with his cousin.

In an instant, Yorgos' mood changed. His sadness changed instantly into desperation and rage. He couldn't believe that his own flesh and blood, his own cousin, would choose 'her' over him! At that moment, Yorgos felt his control slipping away…

Vincent was on full alert, but wasn't afraid of Yorgos. Vincent had always been the stronger one and Yorgos knew it too. He was no match for Vincent.

"I will break the curse, Vincent! I will find a way, even if I have to force your precious Catherine!" he shouted.

"You cannot force her, cousin. It won't work. You know that. Now leave and don't you dare try to touch one hair on Catherine's head." Vincent said calmly, but still on full alert.

Yorgos threw Vincent one last deadly glare and in minutes he was gone.

Vincent sank onto the couch and sighed deeply. He knew that he hasn't seen the last of Yorgos. Vincent still had to protect her from his own cousin. But he was planning to do so without her knowing.

()

Thirty minutes after Yorgos had left, Cat and her father arrived with Calinico. Vincent made sure that two bedrooms were ready for his two guests. The maids had cleaned the rooms and made the beds. When Calinico showed Catherine her room, she gasped softly. It was huge and very tidy. She felt like a princess in a castle, being surrounded by maids and the other staff.

Vincent invited her and her dad to have dinner later in the evening. Catherine decided to shower and take a look around the villa. Her father was resting, while she walked out her bedroom door. She was wearing a dark blue summer dress with her hair down. She wore matching slippers and had on a charm bracelet with a matching necklace that belonged to her mother.

Walking through the halls, she greeted Vincent's employees. She asked where Vincent was and heard that he was resting also. She was too excited to be able to take a nap, so she asked Calinico if she may go to the library. He smiled and gave her permission.

But before she reached the library, she came across a bedroom. The door was painted sky blue.

"This was Mr. Demetrios' room." She heard a voice behind her say.

She was startled and yelped. It was one of the maids.

"Sorry, miss. I didn't mean to startle you." She apologized.

"No. It's okay. Uhummm.. who's room is this?" she asked curiously.

"Demetrios. Mr. Vincent's son… he died almost 3 years ago." she whispered sadly, her voice trembling.

Cat saw that her eyes were welling up, but the woman avoided her gaze and muttered a 'sorry' and walked away.

Cat did not expect this at all. Vincent had a son?! And he died? Her throat closed up, knowing how it felt to lose a loved one. God! The man that she was beginning to like very much, had lost a child? She couldn't even imagine how he must've felt. She couldn't imagine how he was able to live with such a big loss. No wonder he acted that way, when she held the toy in her hand. It must have belonged to Vincent's son. God! Why did she go to that room? The look in his eyes was full of pain, when he saw her with the toy. She wished that she could take away his sorrow and pain. Maybe one day, she could ask Vincent about it. Maybe, just maybe he would confide in her.

Calinico was right. Life had been very cruel to Vincent…

()

After she had collected herself, she decided to walk further to the library. With aching heart, she thought about this nice and calm man. How did he do it? How was he able to stay so calm at all times? She on the other hand had the temperament of her mother. Full of life, but usually stressed about the smallest things.

Vincent… Why was she drawn to him? He was so mysterious, like he had deep, dark secrets. But still, he was able to make her feel that she was safe with him. Utterly and completely safe… Strange..

She went up the stairs and finally reached the library. Stepping inside, made her heart speed up. There it was. The painting of Agathe. Catherine went closer and studied the painting. It amazed her how much she looked like Agathe…

She grabbed 'the book' Vincent had read and took a seat in a chair. She looked at the contents of it. Cat wasn't the kind of girl who believed in curses, but she was so curious. Vincent was right, she did think about 'the curse' a lot. There were pictures of Vincent's ancestors. Page after page did she look at the pics until she reached page 118.

There she was. A pic of Agathe… and in the picture she was wearing, she was wearing…

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" Catherine exclaimed.

Her heart was beating erratically, while her hands trembled. What is this? How?

Cat was still shocked, when the library door opened. Calinico walked inside and asked how she was doing. Catherine got up and mumbled something he couldn't make out, walking out of the library. He frowned and grabbed the book. Calinico wondered what had made her act so strangely. What was she looking at?

He saw that she was looking at the pic of Agathe. Okay, she already has seen the painting. So why did Catherine act... oh! But then he remembered seeing something small that Catherine was wearing.

What she was wearing just now, was the same what Agathe was wearing in the picture…

So... what was it? What was Agathe wearing?

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Ruby.

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