The shower Ethan took was a lengthy one, filled with contemplation about the past and the future.
Even as warm water washed over his skin, Ethan's mind took the journey across the time to examine keystone moments of his eventful life.
How he had first met Mia all the way back in college - there was hardly love at first sight there - they hadn't even spoken to each for the first year beyond some basic greetings and farewells. Unsurprising, really, as she was easily counted among the college's elite - stylish, beautiful, with almost perfect grades and from a rich family to boot. And who was he? A perfectly ordinary dude, with absolutely nothing special going for him.
Nevertheless, a small measure of mutual attraction has sparked soon enough despite the difference in their social standings, even if both of them had initially been afraid to act on it. Eventually, however, Ethan had amassed enough courage to ask her out and was shocked to hear her accept.
Drunk on the feeling of such unexpected success, Ethan had followed Mia around like a loyal puppy since that day. Ignoring the snickering of her stuck-up friends, Ethan did his best to prove himself worthy of his future wife's affection. And that had worked out for Mia herself just fine - as if she was truly testing whether he deserved her. In that initial period of their relationship, even though they were going out, Mia treated him with a poorly-concealed sense of superiority.
Ethan did not let that get to him as he pursued the affection of the girl of his dreams - that's how he saw Mia in those days, anyway. Eventually, his caring and genuine nature got through Mia's cold outer shell and a much more genuine romance bloomed between them, even persevering through the end of their college days, despite the first major trial that the duo had to overcome.
Mia's admission that her initial agreement to date him stemmed from a dare made by one of her stuck-up friends, who had less than benign intent for him down the line, hit him hard. Her admission was followed by a swift reassurance that the feelings between were real now and that was all that mattered were accepted begrudgingly, but it was the fact that this nasty friend of Mia grew distant from the young woman in the last year of college was one thing Ethan took as a sign of her sincerity. Beyond that, he had still yet to outgrow his love-struck young man persona by then and would've likely forgiven her anything anyway.
After that point, the dynamic in their relationship shifted in a healthier direction, in which both partners had more or less equal rights and responsibilities to maintain it. Mia was finally able to drop her smoking habit while Ethan agreed to leave Texas behind to settle in California. They were supportive of each other, both encouraging the other to pursue their respective careers in software engineering and international trade.
In this period of mutual understanding, compromises and support, their youthful infatuation steadily progressed into full-blown love.
Nevertheless, though he'd like to pretend otherwise, even during this rather carefree period Ethan knew deep inside of him that they did not exactly have equal say when it came to occasional disputes.
The financial aspect hung like a specter over their relationship, invisible to the naked eye but always there to put Ethan in his place when prompted to do so by Mia. It was something that was present right from the start, but Mia's lucrative position as a valuable employee in an international trading organization widened the abyss with every passing year.
Naturally, she was not shamelessly flaunting her ever-increasing wealth in his face, but she was also not above hinting at it in more subtle and run-around ways, therefore ensuring that she always had the last word in any given argument.
Years passed and eventually they had their marriage in 2011. It was a rather quaint one, with only good friends and close relatives of either partner being invited.
Afterwards, there was yet another shift in dynamic, with Mia growing possessive beyond what would be considered healthy by some. She did seemingly everything in her power to integrate herself in every aspect of Ethan's life - adopting his hobbies, getting between his friends, steadily limiting the contact he had with his parents, even. Without even realizing it, Ethan swiftly developed a certain dependency on his wife and would grow somewhat despondent during her occasional work trips - particularly once they started to take weeks rather than days.
In turn, when it came to her personal life that did not concern him, and especially her career, Mia was adamant on keeping him at an arm's length, much to Ethan's chagrin. He knew nothing but the basics about her job and her co-workers, though she would occasionally name drop them, usually in a negative and condescending light, with one exception. Though he had never meant the man, he couldn't help but grit his teeth whenever Mia would mention a certain Alan Droney.
It was a peculiar state of affairs all in all, yet their relationship endured and they were even mostly happy in it, barring an occasional onset of separation anxiety, which seemingly affected both partners, if Mia's loving video and voice-calls were any indication.
Perhaps their relationship could not last in the long term even without outside interference but fate clearly had no patience to wait it out.
In 2014, Mia vanished and a different period started in Ethan's life, one of despondency and depression. Now that he looked back at it, he couldn't help but wonder if that had been genuine heartbreak or merely a nurtured dependency that caused it. Perhaps a bit of both?
Regardless, he knew that his feelings towards Mia were more absolutely real, as he had proved just that in 2017, when a message from his missing wife caused him to drop everything - even the newest relationship he had started to pursue as he had finally tried to move on (Sorry, Amy) - and rush into the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana, where his life took the sharpest turn yet.
A truly nightmarish experience that still kept him up at night. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had made it through.
Against all odds, both of them emerged alive from that unholy mess and soon enough resumed their relationship and continued their mundane lives under the aegis of B.S.A.A. witness protection program. Something had changed between them in this period, with Ethan spending much more time away from Mia and the woman herself being notably more considerate about invading his personal space.
Did they still love each other at that point? Even as he reflected on it now, Ethan would say that they definitely did, though he would begrudgingly admit that their relationship had lost some of its prior splendor. The scars they both earned changed them forever.
Rosemary, who was born in 2020 was the living proof that the vows of eternal love between them still held true, but like any good self-fulfilling prophecy, that precious new soul herself was someone who consistently added the much needed fuel to the waning bonfire of their marriage, without even being aware of it herself.
Of course, it wasn't the end of hurdles life would throw his way. Though a more fitting description for what came next would be bottomless abyss rather than a mere hurdle.
As if fate didn't get enough kick out of his misery, his devotion to his family was put to the most cruel test imaginable once again in 2021, when that crazy bitch Miranda enacted her insane scheme. Now that he thought about it, Ethan realized that there might have been some differences in the ways he approached these two horrifying incidents.
He had gone after Mia more out of the force of habit, though love was also indubiously involved there. But then, besieged by mutated Bakers and their mindless minions - and even Mia herself - and completely outside of his element, Ethan's only true goal was to survive himself and rescuing either Mia or Zoe was more like a bonus, regardless of how cold that might have sounded.
In comparison, his foray into Miranda's domain was fueled by desperation and rage, two distinct states of mind that eventually merged to become a singular purpose for which everything - even his own life - could be sacrificed without a shadow of a doubt. To save Rose.
Beating all conceivable odds once again in a display of foolhardy perseverance, Ethan triumphed over the mad priestess and even managed to survive himself, in part thanks to a certain Dimitrescu's daughter.
Not for the first time, whenever his thoughts would sway Daniela's way, a small but genuine smile started to play on his lips, though Ethan paid it no mind as his thoughts were directed towards concluding his journey so far.
His reward for all the pain and suffering was his own family, unbroken by the trials and tribulation it went through. Some passion was seemingly forever gone between him and Mia, but at that point one could hardly imagine their own life without the other. They had both invested far too much into the other.
And all that eventually lead them to today, where Rose was growing into a fine young lady while the marriage, and, to an extent, the feelings of warm affection between her parents endured.
Back in the present, Ethan finished his shower even as he realized that all these musings brought him no closer to the solution to his conundrum. Instead, they filled his head with further doubts. That said, there was exactly one thing the man was now absolutely certain about.
He emerged from the cabin with the realization that going forth honesty was paramount. Honesty with Daniela and with Mia.
When he encountered Daniela in his room, he did not fail to note the way she was looking at him. Lust and desire were hardly unknown to him.
Unlike most of the others, the physical aspect of his relationship with Mia had barely changed over the long years. Sex was always plentiful and intense, but there was more to any relationship than that.
That notion might be rich coming from him, seeing as he was lusting after Daniela's body so recently himself - and, in fact was undoubtedly becoming moderately aroused even now, but it was far more than just the physical aspect that drew him to her.
There was this irrational and intangible spark that glued him to her as surely as a lit lantern attracts a curious moth. He could not resist the pull he felt towards Daniela Dimitrescu - that truly unique creature that went through indescribable trials of her own, only to emerge as that loving and genuine person she was today.
That's why, when she made a motion to move past him, eyes downcast, Ethan inexplicably felt a spike of raw terror being driven through his heart. He could not possibly rationalize that dread, but in that moment of time he was certain that she would leave his life forever unless he acted quickly to prevent it.
The very concept of it was unbearable. Regardless, or maybe precisely because of the short time they had spent together, Ethan could simply not abide the idea of Daniela vanishing from his life, like Mia did in 2014. It filled his mind with such terrible panic that he could not help himself but make a grab for her slender wrist.
"Wait…"
He mumbled in desperation, unsure about what exactly he was doing right now.
Daniela paused and arched her head slightly, just barely enough to establish eye contact. Their comparable heights ensured its potency, nevertheless.
Again, bypassing his conscious mind entirely, this slightest of connections was enough to shockingly fill the man with solace. Even if his life depended on it, Ethan would not be able to explain just from where he was getting this notion, but he was absolutely sure that Daniela would not leave his life unless he himself would push her away.
That was what he was able to glimpse in these soulful amber orbs of hers, in which he could lose himself seemingly for eternity.
It truly felt like time stopped. Ethan found himself desperate to use this priceless opportunity to proclaim his true feelings to Daniela right here and now. There was this monumental difference between Mia and Daniela that suddenly became strikingly apparent to him as it etched itself into the forefront of his mind - the lack of need for deception of any kind, the true transparency and unconditional love that would stem from it. The need to act on this impulse was so great that Ethan felt as if his innards were on fire…
But that was just a single instant in time and it has passed. Ethan realized that he must have looked beyond silly at this moment and if he tried to say something right now, he'd probably fumble all over the words.
"...never mind. Sorry."
He let go. Daniela looked at him with what seemed to him as disappointment, but said nothing and resumed her walk out of the bedroom.
Seeing her out, Ethan purposefully took his time, lazily rummaging through his wardrobe in a half-hearted search of something appropriate to dress into. As he did so, the man prepared for a serious conversation with his redheaded guest downstairs.
He was determined to come clean about his feelings, even if he was still unsure about them himself.
Around ten minutes passed and Ethan moved downstairs after getting dressed for the day, only to spot Daniela sitting on the couch with Roxy in her arms. The woman sat with her back straight and a look of despondency in her eyes. She was lost in the recollections of her own.
Though they were vastly different people from incomparable walks of life, Ethan couldn't help but note how striking the resemblance between Daniela and Mia was in this particular moment of time. Exactly the same pose and lifeless gaze made the likeness uncanny, causing a shudder to pass through Ethan's body.
Nevertheless, there was something very important Ethan wanted to say, so he pushed through the awkwardness of the situation and sat next to the redhead. She barely reacted, though the brief motion of her eyes informed Ethan that at least she was aware of his presence.
Despite the fact that Ethan occupied his place next to the woman with the intent to strike a conversation, Daniela herself managed to beat him to the punch.
"I am sorry, Ethan."
She suddenly turned her head to look at him, softly scratching Roxy's mane with her fingers all the while.
The man was surprised, in part because that was almost exactly what he wanted to say himself, but he was still able to retain his composure.
"About what, Dani?"
Daniela sighed and turned her gaze away. This was not going to be a pleasant topic for her, that much was clear.
"For what I did at the beach." She finally said a few moments later. The man did not need any clarifications - though it felt like an eternity had passed since that moment from two days ago, every detail about that incident was ingrained into his memory with remarkable vividness. The passionate kiss they shared, followed by him having second thoughts and Daniela's distress-fueled flight.
Ethan immediately opened his mouth in a bid to protest any notion that Daniela needed to apologize for anything, but she gave him no chance to do so with the flat side of her palm extended in his direction.
"You've hurt me, Ethan - I am not going to lie or sugarcoat it - but that still did not excuse my horrid behavior after the fact." She took a deep breath, then let it out and continued, "I can't forsake reason entirely and let emotions and desires alone rule my actions. I just can't. That's not the kind of a person I want to be, not the kind of a person I need to be."
Daniela's breathing quickened at the end of her little monologue and Ethan knew better than to argue with her or even to verbally acknowledge her statements. Still, he fully understood the vital importance of being a better version of herself to Daniela, so he gave a silent nod as a way of expressing his accord.
A couple minutes passed as they sat in silence, each stewing in their own thoughts and worries, before Ethan finally decided to continue this difficult conversation. He also had an apology and a confession of his own to deliver.
"Listen, Dani…" Ethan started, unsure how to broach such a sensitive topic. He did not want to upset her, after all.
She said nothing, but turned to look at him, while tilting her head a little bit sideways as if to indicate that she was, in fact, listening.
Ethan's lips suddenly felt awfully dry, so he wet them with the tip of his tongue before speaking about that dark moment that acted as a catalyst for the bloody events to follow.
"I also want to - no, I need to apologize for what I did at the beach."
He lowered his head in shame.
"Forgive me."
Her expressive eyes flashed with anticipation, but what came after was something Ethan could not decipher no matter how long he gazed into them. She did not respond for what felt like an eternity, only staring back into his own gray eyes. Ethan had absolutely no idea what was going through her head at this moment.
Just as he was starting to get mildly worried, Daniela graced him with a sad smile before finally responding.
"The kiss? I understand… It was a mistake - you have a wife and a child, after all…Of course I forgive you…"
Ethan felt his heart shattering into pieces from the way she was looking at him now, as if she was resigned to become some disposable piece of old junk, when the truth could not possibly be further from that. More than that, however, she was also patently wrong with her assessment and the man found himself determined to show her just that.
Scoffing with bemusement, Ethan spoke his next words with a surprising amount of resolve.
"You misunderstood, Daniela. I was not apologizing for the kiss - I do not regret it in the slightest." His palm came to cover her slightly smaller hand - the one that was still steadily petting Roxy. It stopped dead in its motions from his touch, while at the same time her eyes flashed with surprise and life alike.
"What I regret the most - and what I want to apologize for - is toying with your feelings like that, Daniela." Ethan did not break eye contact, doing his best to convey the depth of his remorse through his words and eyes alike. "You deserve better than that. So much better."
Ethan could tell that his genuine outpouring had a stunning effect on the redhead. Even Roxy at her lap looked at him in confusion.
"Ethan, what are you saying..?" Finally mumbled Daniela, looking at him with uncertainty in her eyes. "How can you not regret our kiss? What about your wife? What about your marriage to Mia?"
Ethan let out a sigh.
What he was about to say next could very well cause nothing but upheaval for the both of them, but Ethan's mind was made, for better or worse. He could not hold it in himself anymore. Even with that in mind though, he still needed to select his words carefully in order to avoid repeating exactly what he was just apologizing for - toying with Daniela's feelings.
He took a deep breath.
"...Mia is my wife and she will forever own a piece of my heart. We've been together for a long time, in joy and in sorrow, and I've gone out on a limb for her sake more than once. My feelings for her are what any good husband should feel for his wife, maybe even more so."
Ethan spoke the words that he knew would hurt Daniela, but there was no way around them. She deserved the bittersweet truth - there could be no hope for their relationship if it was based on anything but raw honesty - outright deception or even a mere omission of truth would make for a rotten foundation that could never withstand the test of time. Ethan believed as much, though it was increasingly difficult to give voice to his lofty ideals.
"Mia is the mother of my child. I love her. She deserves to know about whatever it is we got going here."
Ethan laid out the groundwork of his misguided confession, though, shockingly, the words he spoke and repeated felt a little unnatural even to him - he paid that no mind for the time being, however. In turn, Daniela stared at him with that same resignation in her eyes, though the spark of hope had yet to die in them. She could feel that he wasn't yet done with what he had to say.
Still, Ethan's gaze fell, unable to withstand her inquisitive gaze. The man indeed wasn't done. What he was about to say was probably selfish in the extreme, infantile even, in its ridiculous desire to to remain rooted in both worlds, but it was also something that came directly from his heart. Maybe one day his feelings would change, or shift decisively in one direction or the other, but for now they were as they were and Daniela deserved to know them.
"But even despite all of that, I know something else to be completely true, regardless of how wrong it may seem from the outside…"
Ethan paused for a second. How could he claim something outrageous like what he was about to say next? They had spent together what, a bit over two weeks, yet he was already about to confess to her? A married man with a young child, forsaking his loyal wife of many years for this redheaded stranger that so rapidly embedded herself within his heart and life alike?
It was messed up, insane even - no other way to describe it. But his mind was made up. Maybe going through several life-changing events in his life imbued him with extraordinary boldness when it came to expressing his emotions or maybe he was always like this. The end result was that a very dangerous sentiment was about to escape his lips.
He gazed straight at Daniela's beautiful face and the complex soul that hid behind it.
"I love you, Daniela Dimitrescu."
Daniela's eyes widened and her entire body ceased all motions. She just sat there, Roxy still on her lap; her expressive amber orbs never leaving his own gray eyes.
Did this confession make him a cowardly piece of filth? A greedy bastard? An indecisive scumbag? Most likely. All these things were acceptable to Ethan at this juncture, as at that moment he firmly believed that being honest - truly honest, even to the point of causing his partner(s) pain, was the only recourse. That was his hope, anyway. Maybe the three of them, dealing with this challenging situation together as reasonable adults, could find a way to move forward with the least amount of grief for everyone involved.
Seconds passed and Ethan just kept staring at her face, waiting for any indication that she was done processing his confession.
Her visage was frozen in the expression of abject shock, though Ethan could not blame her for that after the revelation he had unleashed upon her. That was probably not how she imagined her love confessing to her would go like. That was certainly not how he imagined it.
Several minutes had to have passed, but they felt more like an eternity to Ethan. Even Roxy must have sensed the suffocatingly tense atmosphere that had settled around them and decided to leap from Daniela's lap and to go elsewhere, leaving the two of them completely alone.
Feeling the pressure of this moment, Ethan could not help but completely avert his eyes in shame as he awaited her judgment. He knew he was being unfair to Daniela and to Mia alike - they were both possessive women who would not even entertain the idea of 'sharing' - even if it was something he could stomach himself.
He wondered if there was something he could've said in a different way; something he could've done that would make all this smoother and eliminate all the unnecessary pain.
But he had said all that he could.
Now the only question lay in how the redhead herself would receive his foolish confession. Would she grow enraged as soon as she finishes processing it? Hysterical, perhaps? What shape would her retaliation take?
Daniela's mind worked on overdrive one second, only to fall into deadened stupor the next one. These opposing frames of mind cycled incessantly, swiftly conjuring seemingly productive thoughts, but not allowing them to be retained or refined.
That unenviable state of affair lasted for over a minute. Thankfully, Daniela was able to regain a modicum of control over her own mind.
He loves me?
…
He loves Mia?
It still didn't make a whole lot of sense to her initially, as this whole mess was nothing but a binary choice in her mind.
A part of her wanted to get angry, furious even. It demanded of her to let out an indignant shriek of a woman scorned. It ordered her to convert all the pent-up pain and confusion into physical violence, to teach him a lesson he would not soon forget.
In the past, Daniela would not have hesitated in allowing her vicious impulses to take full control, but now all it took was a coherent thought that violence had never helped her to reign them in, at least somewhat. A sense of bitter resentment still lingered within, even as she continued to dwell on Ethan's words.
She could not comprehend it, no matter how hard she thought and eventually Daniela decided to settle her mind on a slightly different subject.
Why did Ethan decide to tell her all that? Just what was the reason behind this outpouring of bittersweet truths? Why would he unleash such an overwhelming surge of blinding colors against her?
And then it struck her - an epiphany of such potency that she couldn't help but cling to it with all that she had. Every single thought process in her head invariably came to orbit around it as she considered it further.
It was not just Ethan's natural drive for transparency that compelled him to deliver such a perplexing confession, though it had definitely played its part.
It was a plea for aid.
Without spelling it out, Ethan has asked her to help him make the choice. It would've been easy to do so if not for the fact that Daniela understood that the choice had to be his - she couldn't simply make it for him by say, forcing herself on him right now.
She needed to give him a push, and she happened to have just the tool for the job. She also tried to convince her that she was doing this for his sake, not just because of her own selfish desires and wants, but then the bitter anger she felt from his confession resurfaced again.
The petulant child in her took the reins, if only for a moment.
So what if I am doing this for my sake? Haven't I suffered enough? Don't I deserve a slice of happiness? If Mia isn't here to defend herself, how is that my problem?
Daniela took a deep breath, suddenly feeling the sense of purpose returning to her. It is almost as if Ethan himself knew that Daniela possessed this tantalizing bit of information and was simply too squeamish to share it herself, so he decided to give her a prompt to do so. And in turn, Daniela decided that she was not above using arguably underhanded methods to get what she wanted.
All is fair in love and war, after all.
She was going to fight for his love, and not just a mere sliver of it he'd just offered her.
No, such a diluted confession was not good enough for her, it could never be good enough - she wanted it all - to be his singular partner and to share his heart with no other woman, Rose being the sole exception, for not even she would ever come between a father and his daughter. But Mia? Mia was fair game - her foe, her nemesis even.
Step by step, she would force Mia out of Ethan's heart… and what a decisive step did the redhead have in mind for her next move.
A wicked but short-lived smirk played on Daniela's lips, giving life to an otherwise expressionless grimace she wore. Ethan could not catch it, however, what with his eyes cast down.
Well, Ethan. You asked for it. If you appreciate honesty so much, I hope you won't blame me for returning it to you in kind.
The silence and the stillness of motion reigned supreme in the living room, until Daniela herself broke it with a particularly deep breath.
Ethan's own breath caught in his throat.
What was Daniela's verdict?
"I see."
There was no emotion in her laconic response, as if she had inquired about the weather today and Ethan said that it would be cloudy with a chance of rain.
His eyes jumped to her face in surprise. In turn, she looked at him with an indecipherable expression of perfect neutrality that betrayed nothing of what was going on through her head. A second later, she apparently lost interest in him altogether and shifted her gaze to the living room's window. On their own volition, Ethan's eyes followed hers, though his heart was beating a mile a minute even as he begrudgingly took in nature's splendor.
Morning sunlight was pouring through the window. The birds were joyously chirping outside. The pleasant breeze was softly caressing their skin even all the way in the house.
It felt as if the weather was purposefully blind to the suffocating atmosphere that settled inside the Winters' household and Ethan found himself wishing for a thunderstorm to break out, so at least something out there could mirror what he was feeling inside of him.
There must have been a full minute spent with two of them frozen in time, both lost in their own thoughts, though Ethan couldn't help but wonder just what exactly was going on in Daniela's mind after the bomb he had dropped on her.
Suddenly, Daniela's head turned his way and a small smile adorned her expression. It seemed sweet, but at same time there was a sinister shade to it and Ethan felt a shudder go down his spine from seeing it.
"I appreciate your honesty, and that goes doubly so for your professed love, Ethan."
The smile died down a little.
"...Even though it does put us in a difficult position."
She made a step to be a little closer to him.
"For what it's worth, I don't blame you for remaining loyal to Mia - the two of you did go through a great deal together, after all. I absolutely get that you're confused and your feelings right now are a mess - you don't know what is right and wrong. Heck, I'd be the last one fit to judge you for something like that…"
Surprised by her seemingly unoffended and even conciliatory demeanor, Ethan was able to grunt only a single, "Huh?"
Daniela stood up and walked towards the fridge before casually opening its door and grabbing a pack of Capri Sun's Fruit Punch - a drink that both Rose and Daniela could not get enough of, therefore his fridge was always stocked with them.
The way Daniela fiddled with it for a bit before starting to sip on its contents through the straw appeared so disjointed from reality of their situation that Ethan felt a migraine coming in. A human mind was never meant to properly process such dissonant serenity, after all.
After unhurriedly sucking the entire pack clean, Daniela casually discarded it into the nearby bin before turning around to once again stare at the window, with Ethan just dumbly gazing at her back.
"You know, it's funny, though," Daniela murmured in an enigmatic voice, causing goosebumps of anticipation to appear on Ethan's skin.
"You seem to be putting a great deal of importance on honesty…" Daniela swirled around and gave him a disarming smile, though her eyes betrayed it with a spark of coldness in them, "...which is an admirable trait, don't get me wrong…" she turned her back on him again as she continued, her voice adopting hints of frustration.
"But I do wonder if your dearest Mia reciprocates this honesty of yours, Ethan."
That statement was as loaded as it was unexpected and Ethan found himself shooting to his feet. A dozen questions danced through his mind, stumbling over each other and therefore robbing the man of his ability to form coherent sentences for the moment.
"Mia… what?"
Daniela snickered at his admittedly sad attempt at a response and Ethan was suddenly struck by her expression as she turned to face him again. Though she had hardly changed in any notable way from several minutes ago, Ethan couldn't help but wonder if he was facing a darker aspect of this redheaded woman. Was it the same Daniela the terrified maids faced after failing to meet her expectations?
Her typically soft expression seemed now to be composed of nothing but sharp, unforgiving lines and her narrowed eyes glinted with the hint of malice. Even her lips were curled into something that visualized impending danger. Ethan involuntarily made a step back to the couch as more damning words escaped them.
"All I am questioning is whether Mia is as truthful to you as you seem to think." She took a step forward and Ethan found himself surprisingly uncomfortable with the proximity. "Just how much do you know about her, really?"
The implications were beyond merely unpleasant, a fact that Ethan could not hide from his tone, "What the hell are you talking about, Dani? I'd like to think that I know my own goddamn wife quite well!"
Ethan realized too late this onset of frustration originated from his deeper insecurities about so many aspects of Mia's life being concealed from him all throughout their lengthy relationship.
As if reading his mind, Daniela scoffed derisively. She must have realized that she had hit a sore spot and like a true predator, did not fail to deliver a follow-up attack into that same weak spot.
"Just who is Mia Winters, Ethan? What does she do for a living?"
Though Ethan long since harbored suspicions about Mia's occupation, he still responded bitterly with what he had been supplied with by the loving wife herself.
"Mia is just a senior manager for some international trading organization. She flies around to oversee important deals."
"Uh-huh." Daniela appeared unimpressed as she gazed at Ethan with a modicum of scorn. The man was not enjoying that withering look whatsoever, so he briskly walked around her and towards the jug of water that rested near the kitchen's sink. His throat suddenly felt extremely dry.
"I guess that's technically true." Daniela continued from behind him, seemingly unbothered. "Though I do wonder if you're aware of the nature of these trade deals of hers."
Naturally, Mia had at some point mentioned all manners of goods and services her corporation provided, but at that particular moment in time, Ethan was drawing a complete blank. Could be spaceship rockets or baby diapers for all he knew. Even the name of her corporation or her exact title there suddenly vacated his mind.
Gulping the water greedily, Ethan found himself growing angrier with all the parties involved, with Daniela for bringing it up, with Mia for always changing subject whenever he would dig too deep, as well as with himself for his willful ignorance. What exactly stopped him from properly investigating it on his own all these years? He could not answer that question he posed to himself. Pent-up rage surged forth.
Slamming the jug down, Ethan rotated around to face Daniela.
"And what exactly could someone like you know about Mia's business practices?" No sooner than these harsh words left his mouth did Ethan want to apologize for addressing Daniela in such a manner. Still, the fact that she had lived her whole life in an isolated and oppressive household stood - there should've been no way she would be more aware of anything Mia-related than he was, was there?
Confronted with his accusing gaze and words alike, Daniela shrunk on herself a little, some of her snide and confidence evaporating in an instant.
"Not much, admittedly."
That lackluster response made Ethan want to push his offense aimed at forcing Daniela to apologize for dragging Mia's good name through the mud with her baseless implications. He felt understandable anger from having his partner's background being questioned like that and if that was anyone but Daniela doing that, he might have exploded into a raging tirade or even initiated a physical confrontation.
The fact that it was Daniela who was giving him a hard time about all this made him pause, however. The warm feelings he had towards this woman - regardless of her currently belligerent attitude - prevented him from blurting out more words he could regret.
A part of him - the one that remained utterly loyal to Mia regardless of anything that had happened so far - that same little puppy that would eagerly follow her around during their college days - felt disgusted by his indecision to defend his wife's good name, but Ethan shushed it down as he considered a more diplomatic approach.
Several seconds passed and just as he was about to open his mouth to amicably but decisively demand more information, however, Daniela looked at him with newfound defiance as she beat him to the punch.
"What I do know, however, is that when Mother and Miranda mentioned Mia in their conversation, they most certainly did not think of her as some innocent trader."
It seemed like Daniela was eager to return the bomb Ethan dropped on her previously, as now it was the blonde man's turn to be stunned into silence.
A moment passed, then another and only then did Ethan amass enough self-control to march towards Daniela and grab her by the shoulders, their noses all but touching from the newly imposed proximity. She made no effort to pull back or to push him away.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
She held his gaze, but displayed no further signs of wishing to antagonize him in any way. Daniela looked at him in a manner that was indicative of her desire to de-escalate this situation, though not without finishing what she had to say first.
"All I am saying is that both my mother and Miranda knew Mia from before. I honestly didn't think all that much about that until today, but now, with your talks of truth and honesty," Daniela paused and grinned at him, displaying her pearly white teeth, "I couldn't help but recall that peculiar conversation that happened to touch upon your wife."
Ethan's brain lacked the capacity to formulate an immediate response, allowing Daniela to finish her monologue in a distinctly non-aggressive tone that bordered on contemplative.
"Don't you think it's a little odd that your wife was not a stranger to either Miranda or Mother, given how incredibly secluded our little settlement was?"
Again, Ethan felt the cold dread creeping up his spine. Somehow he just knew that he would be stepping into something overwhelming if he seriously entertained this conversation. Though it was clear that Daniela did not know all that much about Mia herself - it seemed like she had merely eavesdropped on one of conversations Alcina had with Miranda, which also happened to include his wife - what she did know was enough to make the man seriously reconsider all the inconsistencies and half-truths that permeated his long relationship with Mia.
"Maybe she was just selling you guys some stuff… traded with the Duke or something…" Ethan's arms returned to his sides as he let out that theory that sounded pathetic even to him. He deflated visibly. All the anger he felt towards Daniela evaporated.
Daniela looked at him with a measure of sorrow in her expressive eyes. Despite the fact that she was likely aiming for it in the first place with her revelation, it did not appear that she was enjoying driving a wedge in between him and Mia. The cold and manipulating aspect of her persona, which Ethan did not like one bit, departed as quickly as it arrived. Still, she pressed on with her interrogation, but she did so in a soft tone that brought him a measure of comfort despite the sensitive topic in question.
"Maybe. But did she ever mention that to you?"
Ethan struggled to recall any relevant details about Mia's work that she would deign to grace him with. She had certainly never mentioned ever dealing with any Romanian B.O.W.s.
Suddenly, Ethan couldn't help but recall Eveline and he shuddered in fright as he did so. There was an unspoken agreement with Mia to never discuss the events that transpired in Louisiana, but now Ethan could no longer deny all the inconsistencies that lead up to that particular mess. Why would Mia be saddled with a caretaker gig, given that she was supposedly a high-ranking employee in her organization? Her own flimsy excuse that Eveline was the boss' daughter seemed utterly laughable in light of Eveline's true nature. Was Mia really unaware of it?
Of course such musings were not a novelty for Ethan, but before today he did his best to suppress them in the interests of the continued stability in his life. Now, however…?
Gazing into Daniela's amber orbs, Ethan searched through them in desperation, hoping for any kind of definitive answer to this resurfaced conundrum. Soon, however, he realized that there was little else to be found there on this subject, and if he wanted to discover the truth, he'd have to go to the source. He'd have to confront Mia about it.
Suddenly feeling exhausted spiritually, Ethan crashed on the couch and shut his weary eyes. A single tear trickled down his cheek.
Soft steps, followed by the weight of a person gently landing on the couch next to him alerted the man to the fact that Daniela had joined him on it.
Though in many ways it was Daniela herself who had brought such uncertainty and chaos into his little world, her presence now brought him nothing but comfort, even despite the fact that this latest onset of gloom could also be blamed on her. A large part of him wished for little else than to simply lean into her; to take her into his arms and to hold her close to his chest, perhaps even to cry into her loving embrace. He wondered if she felt the same right now.
In a way it was even funny. He knew that Daniela sought a measure of stability to glue together her chaotic life; while he himself was desperate for a slice of mayhem to splice up his otherwise tedious existence in these last four years. He sure got more than what he'd bargained for, while Daniela's desires were not entirely fulfilled, yet it truly felt like they had managed to complete each other's pictures perfectly.
A couple more minutes were spent in silent contemplation, though Ethan would lie if he claimed that he was not feeling at least somewhat better after their weird-ass conversation. If he dug deep in himself, he would find the unconscious core of his being as utterly unsurprised by any accusations hurled Mia's way, even if it did pain him greatly.
Humans are creatures of habit - there is really no way around it, and there are few things that form a habit as well as a decade-long marriage does. He had a great many questions about aspects of Mia's life that were perpetually concealed from him, but he had long ago formed a habit that precluded him from thoroughly investigating them.
Therefore, now that the veil was partially lifted by Daniela's words, some discomfort was inevitable as that keystone habit of his relationship with his wife came into direct conflict with his natural curiosity. The secrets he sought were not only appearing to be tantalizingly close, but also essential for him to find a way forward.
Nevertheless and against all odds, Ethan felt his mood shifting to better match the sunny weather outside. Sure, he was still nervous and somewhat apprehensive about all this stuff, but he was also excited about the potential of finally learning about the inner workings of his own relationship and the enigmatic processes concealed within its shadow. Moreover, with the individual sitting next to him by his side, Ethan was certain that no mountain would be insurmountable for them to climb, no matter how steep or tall.
It was strange, but he also felt a measure of weight being lifted off his shoulders, though much remained pressing down on them.
He opened his eyes and looked at Daniela, a freshly formed spark of life glimmering in them. She caught the motion and edged her own head a little to gaze at him in turn.
"What happens now, Ethan?" Daniela looked at him with uncertainty, even some fear in her eyes, though she perked up a little after she caught that aforementioned spark in his gaze with her keen perception.
He did not answer immediately, as there was truly much for him to consider, but though this whole conversation evoked no shortage of negative feelings in Ethan, at his core his overall attitude towards Daniela herself did not change whatsoever.
Ethan offered her the bittersweet pill of truth about his complicated feelings, and she responded with a hearty dose of her own honesty, dug out from the past she likely wanted to forget in the first place. Perhaps he even saw a darker aspect of her personality - pettiness of a petulant child, maybe even the cold cruelty of a spoiled brat, but he knew better than to judge her for that. It'd be silly to assume that Daniela's unique upbringing failed to leave an unsightly mark or two on her.
Nobody had just one face to them after all; everyone lived with a multifaceted personality that was carefully assembled from a lifetime of memories and experiences, unique for each individual.
The blonde man let out a sigh, rubbing his palms with some nervousness. He understood that there was nothing to do but stay the course he had locked in.
Therefore, he offered Daniela a small smile that did not conceal the maelstrom of thoughts that was dancing through his head, yet it still must have granted her a measure of reassurance and comfort, as she immediately reciprocated.
"Nothing changed, Dani. You're still welcome under my roof and I still need to have a serious conversation with Mia." Only the contents of that conversation would experience a shift from what Ethan had originally envisioned, but Daniela did not need to know that now.
He grabbed her palms with his own as he gazed into her bottomless eyes. He allowed his hands to rest on top of her knees and that position just felt right to him.
"I've meant what I said about my feelings for you."
"Mhmm…" Daniela murmured contentedly, her expression relaxing somewhat, though remaining quite somber overall - not that Ethan could blame her for that. It would be quite impossible for them to return to the previous atmosphere of carefree joy. Difficult, but not impossible, the man corrected himself as he recalled how quickly they had bounced back from their previous ordeals. Therefore, it was not unfathomable to imagine that even this difficult situation would prove to be nothing more than a temporary setback.
Moreover, though his ill-conceived love confession was not exactly a picture-perfect example of romance, it served its purpose in bridging them even closer together, if in an unfortunately twisted sort of way.
Sensing that the most difficult topic was already behind them, Daniela relaxed onto the couch and graced him with a smile that was just a little bit guarded.
"So, in that case…" she started speaking without any hints of distress and anger that she had displayed so recently, "what are we going to do today?"
Funnily, it was this not-entirely-appropriate question, considering the situation, that helped ground Ethan back to reality. Regardless of the deeper intricacies of his peculiar relationship with Daniela or the extent of Mia's deception, life moved on and he'd do well to move along with it, or risk being left behind.
There was still plenty of everyday issues to tackle and if there was anything that remained unwavering in Ethan's mind it was his desire to protect and shelter those that were close to him - and that number of people certainly included this capricious redhead that was now looking up at him with her big eyes; a small smile gracing her soft features.
In fact, performing some casual activity might be just the trick to help them get over this whole mess. He smirked.
"I have something in mind that you may appreciate, I think."
That little smile quickly turned into a full-blown grin of joy and Ethan couldn't help but grin in turn as he considered just how quickly this strange woman was able to set his heart at ease, regardless of all the crazy shit that just kept happening around them.
Though outwardly Daniela seemed to be nothing but the harbinger of chaos, she proved to be shockingly adept at providing a measure of stability to him in these times of uncertainty.
As he considered her alluring visage, there was no doubt in Ethan's mind that Daniela was his most stalwart ally in this entire mess. Though capricious and tempestuous by nature, she was also remarkably steadfast in her convictions and loyalties, which meant that as long as he treated her with the respect and consideration she deserved, she would not leave his side.
That notion gave Ethan all the strength he needed to make the next step in confronting the ghosts of his past, as well as facing what would come next.
Chief Inspector Ignacio Vázquez worked through the multitude of reports with unerring focus, whether they were actual documents that were stacked on his desk or their digital counterparts on his personal computer.
The last 24 hours have seen the already-overworked department explode into a flurry of frenetic activity, with many of its officers working overtime; some even all the way through the night and into the morning - like Ignacio himself.
Sure, he wasn't a young man anymore with a spring in his step and an infinite reservoir of energy to draw upon, but that same drive which made him join the force decades ago - the earnest desire to help keep the streets of his beloved city safe and clear of human trash - still burned bright within his chest.
It was that very sense of duty - misplaced, as his wife of thirty years would sometimes bitterly mention, considering how he quite literally put his life on the line on more than one occasion for a mediocre salary and middling benefits - that kept him working through the night despite the protests from his aged body. That and a plentiful supply of strong black coffee.
Taking a sip from his steaming cup, the man felt yet another wave of indignation radiate through him as his mind returned to the scene of that grizzly crime.
To Ignacio, the savage massacre that took place on Sunday night was personal. The way he saw it, the murderer might as well have laid these three mutilated bodies out on his own front porch in an act of open challenge to the established social order and in defiance of peace.
Such inhuman violence could not be tolerated - even if it was directed at no-good thugs. Ignacio simply could not abide such a deranged murderer on the loose in his fair city, therefore, he could find no rest until at least some progress would be made in locating - or, at the very least, identifying the culprit.
That's why he was working so hard in checking and double-checking every possible clue and lead that was presented to him.
Unfortunately, there was nothing that would immediately reveal the culprit - no I.D.s, no witnesses, no mugshots.
The house itself where the incident took place was quite suspicious, especially when the extensive collection of paintings was located within, but it turned out to be a dead end from a legal standpoint. The paintings were not stolen from anywhere; the house was owned by a local entrepreneur and leased to some foreign eccentric - while it all raised a number of eyebrows, taxes were being paid and no illegal activity was associated with that house until the night of the massacre.
Though it would not assist with locating the culprit, the nature of the crime was also something to ponder on, if only briefly. It would hardly be considered jumping to conclusions to assume that this whole event was nothing more than a robbery gone wrong, judging by the deceased's backgrounds and outfits.
To complicate that straightforward theory, both the local owner and the foreign renter denied any notions about anyone actually living in the house, though the latter did not forget to inquire about the state of the collection of paintings and ask just when he could send his people to recover it.
Ignacio was nearly certain that they were not entirely honest with their claims of the house being unoccupied, but he could hardly prove their duplicity at this juncture.
After all, this part of the neighborhood where the crime took place was still under construction, which happened to be frozen due to the construction company responsible for it declaring bankruptcy a month ago. Therefore, there was no CCTV there at all, almost no residents and few passersby.
So far, any questioning related to that cursed house or the incident in question turned up nothing solid despite the professionalism and experience of the officers conducting them. Nobody saw anything, nobody heard anything, nobody knew anything.
With the search around it proving fruitless, the officer's thoughts returned to the scene of crime again.
The house had clear signs of recent habitation, but the local entrepreneur merely shrugged his shoulders and mockingly assumed that some vagabond must have been squatting there. For now, Ignacio could do nothing but grit his teeth at such an obvious lie - as if someone would just leave a fully furnished house, with an expensive collection of paintings to boot with no oversight whatsoever and allow random people to squat in there!
There was a ruined husk of a smartphone lying in the house's second floor bedroom, but its data storage was ruined beyond recovery - another dead end.
Of course, the house itself contained a veritable treasure trove of fresh DNA samples and fingerprints, though the forensics managed to identify only two individuals other than the three dead thugs. Individual #1 had left traces all over the house and most of the items within it, while Individual #2 had a much more limited, but still notable presence.
That second individual was quickly identified as Ethan Winters, an American living in the finished part of this very same neighborhood. He had already been questioned by Marina and provided a believable explanation for his presence at the scene of crime.
Ignacio certainly wouldn't mind asking this Ethan a couple of questions himself down the line, but for now he was more interested in identifying the Individual #1.
After all, the murder weapons: chef knife, cast iron hat stand and an engraved dagger all bore the fingerprints of the mysterious Individual #1, not Ethan's. And what a mysterious individual that was indeed - a veritable phantom utterly unknown to Europol's or even Interpol's databases.
Less scrupulous detectives in this day and age might have given into complacency from such a disheartening result and awaited further bits and pieces of evidence to array themselves on their own, but Ignacio was from a different stock entirely.
His body might have been long past his prime, but the neurons in his head, fortified by constant exercise, endured the test of time. Even more than that - in a way, like a good wine, his mind aged particularly well. Sharpened by decades of first-hand experience, it was capable of juggling multiple seemingly-unrelated cases around and perceiving patterns many others would miss.
Showcasing just that, Ignacio was able to connect an ephemeral sensation that he already had all the evidence he needed with a tangible reality.
Though hundreds of cases passed his desk over the last month, a particular one suddenly sprung to his mind, as if spurred by certain, seemingly minor similarities.
When was it? February 23rd? No, 24th.
Immediately recalling the incident in question, Ignacio quickly brought up the relevant files on his computer.
What initially seemed destined to become a cold case suddenly played with new colors as the chief inspector refreshed his memory on the peculiar details of that unusual event. A laughable 'vampire' attack, with the supposed victim left alive and well, if with a minor bite wound and a case of hemorrhage - the young man awkwardly filled a police report after getting out of the hospital and moved on with his life.
Still, as he reacquainted himself with the report, Ignacio couldn't help but frown in frustration and annoyance alike once it became clear that the officer responsible for it demonstrated gross negligence. Not only was it obvious that any efforts to follow up on the case had been promptly abandoned, but even the attached DNA samples and facial composite have not been uploaded into their system.
Though a part of him wanted to give Marina Amado hell for failing to follow such basic procedures, he remembered how overworked their understaffed department had been in that period, what with local drug dealers having a shoot-out in broad daylight against their rivals - the foreign smugglers. No wonder that an objectively minor case like that 'vampire attack' fell through the cracks in all the chaos of that week.
Now, however, Ignacio couldn't help but let his curiosity take the reins. There were three similarities between the bloody triple murder and the comparatively minor 'vampire attack'.
First was the fact that neither culprit's DNA samples yielded any matches in their database. By itself, that was not that strange, considering the limited scope of their registry.
Second was the presence of thin strands of red hair left at both scenes - an unusual but hardly non-existent coloration in Valencia.
Finally there were the bite marks on both the assault victim in El Cabanyal district as well as on one of the deceased in the house. The difference was that in the former case, the 'vampire' had satisfied itself with gnawing a little on the boy's wrist, while in the latter case it went straight for the jugular with the full intent to kill.
By themselves, none of these similarities would've been particularly noteworthy. After all, around 1% of the city's population - thousands of people - had red hair; plenty of tourists from outside the Eurozone and even some less-than-scrupulous locals were not present in the police database; a great many violent encounters included a victim or an assailant employing their teeth in a desperate attempt to harm the other.
All of these innocuous details together, however, seemed like too much of a coincidence, and could not be ignored.
That's why Ignacio didn't waste another moment. He took a quick but greedy gulp from his cup with now lukewarm coffee with one hand while his other one quickly reached for his telephone and he promptly dialed a colleague that could hopefully help move the case forward.
"Morning, Diego. I need you to match the DNA samples found in…" Ignacio double checked the relevant crime report before spelling out its ID. "...against that found in that triple murder from yesterday's night."
A bored yawn was his response, followed by a begrudging acknowledgement, "Alright. Give me an hour." The line went dead. Diego wasn't the most verbose of people, nor was he particularly fond of formalities, but Ignacio did not hold that against him, given that the man had to spend most of his work hours staring at corpses - that hardly encouraged a cheerful and social personality, after all.
An abundance of work unrelated to the triple murder case ensured that the next hour passed relatively quickly, though not without a measure of tedium and anticipation both. After all, Ignacio couldn't suppress the feeling that he was onto something big here.
Punctual to the point of mild frustration for those who dealt with him, Diego got back to Ignacio exactly 60 minutes later.
"It's a perfect match. I can say, with a very high degree of certainty, that both samples originated from the same individual."
Ignacio was barely able to grant the man on the other side of the line a single word of gratitude before ending the call and frantically rushing towards the physical case file storage in search of the next clue.
Thankfully, most officers at the station knew and respected him, so he didn't have to push through them in the cramped environment of their office since they helpfully made the way.
Still, it took him two frustratingly long minutes to get to the case file storage and three minutes more to locate the file in question.
The inspector breathed a sigh of relief the moment his experienced eyes glanced over the composite drawing that was attached to the file - his worst fear being that even that basic procedure had been ignored.
In the very next second, however, the man couldn't help but frown at the laughable quality of that sketch - it was barely a step above a stick-figure drawn by a child.
Ugh, Marina sure ain't the next Michelangelo…
Nevertheless, regardless of Marina's lackluster artistic ability, the sketch did not fail to display several peculiar traits of the perpetrator behind the crimes that concerned Ignacio today.
Red hair.
Yellow eyes.
Gray skin.
Black forehead tattoo.
All in all, that was a rather handy description that would nevertheless cause most to part their lips in mild surprise, but Ignacio had a different reaction.
Unconsciously, Ignacio's hand went down to scratch the scar on the left side of his abdomen. It was a parting gift from over a decade ago, when he had a more active role in apprehending criminals. He still had shudders whenever he recalled that particular incident in which he had led a heavily-armed unit of police to raid a suspected smuggler hideout in one of the seaside warehouses.
These had been smugglers alright, but they were not smuggling drugs or guns.
Instead, it had been a shipment of inert bioweapons for their clients - one of the splinter cells of Los Illuminados, as it later turned out. Of course, the bioweapons in question themselves did not stay inert long once the police moved in to apprehend the smugglers.
One moment everything had been going fine as they were lining up surrendering smugglers on the warehouse's floor and the next all hell broke loose as one of the criminals realized that life in prison was not for him and decided to go out in a blaze of glory by shooting one of the containers with his sidearm.
It had been a massacre. Lickers, Hunters and Crimson Heads awoke seemingly all at once only to swiftly break out of their flimsy containers and rush the humans from all sides.
The men from Grupo Especial de Operaciones were well-trained and equipped for combat and that was the only reason Ignacio still stood today. But the memories of that bloody day still kept him up at night: ferocious screeches of monsters melding with resolute cries of his comrades; deafening noises of gunfire in an enclosed environment intermingled with beastial claws grinding against metal; the smell of gunpowder mixed with the fresh scent of death; concrete floor and fading green coating of containers painted crimson. The agony caused by a licker's tongue shooting around his tactical vest to violate his vulnerable innards.
None of the smugglers had escaped that warehouse with their lives that day - slain by their own 'merchandise', but a lot of good men of his unit also had to pay the ultimate price for humanity's boundless greed.
Out of twenty men in his unit, nine would not be coming home to their mothers, girlfriends, wives or children. Three more would come as cripples, invalids for life.
Compared to them, Ignacio was the fortunate one - his injury being nothing more than a flesh wound that would leave behind a mere scar. As long as he did not overly exert his body, an occasional itch is all he had to deal with, at least on the physical side of things.
Nightmares still haunted him. Even during the day, his whole body would still shudder whenever he'd recall that grizzly day.
Back in the present, that very same shudder that had been frequenting him for fifteen years made itself known once again and Chief Inspector Ignacio realized two things.
A monster was roaming the streets of his city and that he would do everything in his power to hunt it down.
Author's Note:
This chapter sure was a complicated one to write for me, but I really hope it was an enjoyable piece of writing, nevertheless! At the very least, I have a pretty good idea about the direction I want to take this story next, so you can look forward to what I have in store for our dearest Ethie and Dani :P
As always, feel free to leave any thoughts you may wish to share in the comments! Your feedback is always appreciated, my dear readers! Don't forget to give this work a kudos if you're enjoying it so far. Regardless of that, wishing all of you a wonderful week!