Soifon arrived at the cemetery and parked her car before stepping out. She held a small bouquet of flowers that she had obtained earlier and walked towards Julie's grave, releasing a sigh. Upon reaching her sister's resting place, she bent down to place the flowers on top of the grave.
"Apologies for my absence, Jewels," she whispered to the stone. "Things have been quite chaotic." Soifon gazed up at the clear sky, blinking back a few tears that threatened to fall, and let out another sigh before speaking once more.
"There are times when I wish I could have taken your place, but then I considered that I wouldn't be able to be with Erin if I had done so. She means a lot to me." She whispered as she felt the wind pick up slightly.
"I still blame myself every day for what transpired. I shouldn't have allowed you to pick me up that day. If only I had been strong enough to put a stop to Ace much earlier." Tears streamed down her face as she uttered those words.
She adjusted her sleeve to clear her teary eyes upon hearing a voice. 'Are you alright?' queried Kelly, approaching with a display of concern in his eyes.
Soifon composed herself and took a deep breath. 'Yes, I am alright,' she responded. Soifon observed as Kelly acknowledged her reply and turned his attention towards Julie's grave. 'Is she your sister?' he inquired, directing his gaze back at Soifon.
'Indeed, she is my adopted sister,' Soifon acknowledged, her eyes fixed on Julie's tombstone. Suddenly, Kelly tapped her shoulder, commanding her attention. 'I understand how you feel; I lost my best friend a few years ago,' he revealed. Soifon expressed her condolences, saying, 'I am sincerely sorry to hear that.'
Kelly nodded and let out a sigh. 'It has been quite some time, but the pain of her loss still lingers. However, I know Shay would probably reprimand me if I continue blaming myself for her untimely demise,' he confessed.
"I agree," Soifon affirmed, exhaling with a sense of weariness. "Had I not requested Julie to pick me up at the airport last year, her untimely demise might have been prevented."
Proceeding to walk towards a nearby bench, situated a short distance from her sister's grave, she was joined by Kelly, who settled down beside her. "If you don't mind me asking," he inquired, "could you please enlighten me on what transpired?"
Fixing her gaze upon him, the woman with raven-colored locks emitted a sigh. "No, it's quite alright. Sharing the details may serve as a temporary diversion from my current preoccupations," she replied, as Kelly tenderly patted her back. A faint smile adorned his face as he uttered, "Take your time."
Unbeknownst to either of them, they were under the scrutiny of two individuals positioned a mere few feet away.
Soifon reciprocated with a smile, offering a nod of acknowledgement before taking a deep breath. Despite her limited acquaintance with Kelly, she perceived him as someone capable of lending a compassionate ear.
"I had just returned from residing in Florida for a span of five years, endeavoring to escape the presence of an individual whom I wished to avoid at all costs. However, it appears that he managed to pursue me back to this location," she commenced her narrative.
· Flashback*
Soifon stood patiently outside the airport, awaiting her sister's arrival. She couldn't help but scan her surroundings occasionally, ensuring that the person she was trying to escape hadn't followed her from Florida. Her gaze shifted towards the rain, watching as drops fell relentlessly.
As she stood there, she noticed the headlights of a car approaching, which eventually pulled up in front of her. Soifon's face lit up with a smile when she saw a fair-skinned brunette stepping out of the vehicle and approaching her.
"Apologies for the delay, Soifon. The traffic was heavy due to the storm," the woman said, enveloping the younger sister in a warm embrace. Soifon returned the hug and reassured, "It's alright, Julie. You're here now."
After their embrace, Soifon retrieved her suitcase and placed it in Julie's trunk. Most of her belongings had already been delivered by a U-haul, so she didn't have to worry about them. With her bag safely stowed away, Soifon closed the trunk and took her place in the passenger seat, while her sister assumed the driver's seat.
"So, have you finally departed from that individual?" Julie inquired, as she maneuvered the vehicle away from the curb and embarked on the journey towards her farmhouse, where Soifon was to reside for a few days.
Soifon, concealing the visible bruise by adjusting her sleeves, nodded and responded, "Indeed, and I sincerely hope to avoid any future encounters with him." She made a deliberate effort to dismiss his hurtful words from her thoughts, while they continued their drive through the increasingly heavy rain.
Unaware of the presence of a trailing truck, due to the darkness impeding visibility, the two women pressed on, their headlights struggling to illuminate the road ahead. "This relentless rain needs to subside," Julie commented, leaning forward to clear the fogged-up windshield.
Agreeing with a nod, Soifon gazed out the window, realizing they had been driving for over an hour as Julie resided in a rural area. In an attempt to assess the situation, she glanced at the rearview mirror, hoping to catch a glimpse of their pursuer.
After a few minutes, the rainfall gradually decreased, albeit not significantly." At least it lessened slightly," remarked Julie as they approached the nearby lake. Soifon nodded, unable to resist glancing in the rearview mirror once again. She couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed as though they were being followed.
Soifon unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around to gain a better view. She noticed a truck directly behind them, its lights dimly visible from the driver's seat.
"Hey, Soifon, is something wrong?" Julie inquired, stealing a glance at her sister who quickly resumed her seat, wearing a startled expression.
Looking Julie in the eye, the younger woman replied, "We are being followed, and I suspect we have been ever since we left the airport." She squirmed in her seat, clearly anxious.
"Are you certain?" Julie questioned, checking her side mirror to confirm the truck's presence, including a man behind the wheel.
"Yes, I am certain. Given the inclement weather, it's unlikely that anyone other than us would be foolish enough to drive in these conditions."
Julie was on the verge of informing Soifon that her worries were likely unfounded when the truck unexpectedly collided with their vehicle, causing both passengers to jerk forward.
Soifon swiftly grasped the handle on the car roof as it began to veer erratically, a result of the truck's repeated impacts. 'This is frustrating,' Soifon muttered, finding solace in her firm grip while Julie accelerated to put distance between them and the truck.
'I thought he wasn't pursuing you,' Julie commented, increasing their speed and glancing behind to find that the truck had retreated. 'I thought I had shaken him off. I apologize, Julie,' Soifon replied remorsefully, also checking behind to ensure their safety.
'Where did he disappear to?' she inquired. Julie shrugged, keeping her focus on the road but felt a shiver when she glanced at her side to see Ace, and her eyes widened as Soifon turned just in time to witness Ace pulling the trigger.
"No," Soifon could only manage to utter as the bullet struck Julie in the neck and Ace forcefully collided the truck with their car, causing it to slide off the road and crash into a tree, bringing it to a halt.
Soifon winced as the car collided with the large tree, causing her head to fall forward, along with Julie's, whose head rested against the steering wheel.
Struggling to catch her breath, Soifon looked at her sister with wide eyes, observing blood streaming down Julie's neck and forehead, while the brunette's blue eyes slowly lost their focus.
"No, Julie, I implore you, do not succumb to unconsciousness," Soifon whispered, attempting to shake her sister by moving her arm, but before she could act further, her door swung open, and she was abruptly dragged out of the car and thrown onto the ground.
"You have behaved poorly, Soifon," Soifon's eyes widened as Ace's voice echoed above her. She glanced up to find him peering down at her, and before she could utter a word, he bent down and lifted her up by her hair.
Soifon was unable to prevent her tears from falling as she attempted to resist, but experienced pain throughout her body due to the whiplash caused by the collision with the tree.
"Look at what you've brought upon yourself," Ace declared, his voice filled with blame. He forcefully pushed her against the car, resulting in her crying out in pain.
Soifon fought against Ace's grasp, her voice strained as she pleaded, "Please… release me." She attempted to strike his chest with her free arm, but he swiftly seized it and held it above her head.
Leaning in close to her ear, he caused her tears to flow even more as he placed his hand around her throat and began to apply pressure.
"I will say this once," Ace's stern words resonated through the rain. Soifon trembled with fear in her eyes, attempting to resist his hold, but he maintained his grip on her arm and tightened his grasp around her throat.
Soifon perceived movement inside the car, indicating that Julie was still alive, at least for the time being, Ace ordered, disregarding her sister. "Pay attention to me when I'm speaking to you." He proceeded to knee her in the stomach, causing Soifon to let out a whimper and nod as best she could.
"Now listen carefully, I will say this once: feel free to run and hide," Ace began, leaning in close to her ear and whispering the last part, "but rest assured that I will track you down, and this game of cat and mouse will come to an end." He whispered as he released his grip on her throat.
Soifon collapsed onto the ground, gasping and laying her cheek in the mud, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to breathe. She whimpered as Ace kicked her in the side to force her to look at him.
He bent down, his cold blue eyes locking with her fearful blue ones. "And I assure you, you will eventually stop running from me," he stated. Soifon desperately tried to make out his words, but all she could manage was a nod of her head.
"Good," Ace remarked as he leaned in towards Soifon's lips for a kiss. However, she averted her head, prompting Ace to forcefully grab her chin and redirect her face towards him. "Refrain from turning your face away from me," he growled, striking her across the face before proceeding with the kissed.
"Until our next encounter, do not forget that Julie's demise rests solely on your shoulders," Ace taunted before departing, leaving Soifon to collapse on the rain-soaked ground, trembling.
After a few minutes, Soifon regained her composure and returned to the car to check on Julie. Disregarding the approaching sirens, signifying that Ace had summoned the authorities and an ambulance prior to his departure, she found Julie with partially open eyes, attempting to communicate with her through subtle mouth movements.
"I apologize, Julie. I should have ensured that Ace had not trailed me," Soifon confessed tearfully, receiving a weak touch from Julie's hand against her bruised cheek.
Julie expectorated blood as she commenced to succumb to the battle. "Please do not hold yourself accountable, Soi," she uttered, her respiration gradually decelerating.
"I would have refrained from coming had you instructed me not to," her eyes started to shut. "No, no Julie, I implore you not to depart from me," Soifon sobbed, witnessing her sister's gradual cessation of breath.
"You will thrive in my absence, I love you," Julie whispered her final words before finally closing her eyes and ceasing to breathe.
Soifon observed Julie's head droop forward, while tears streamed down her face. "Julie, please I.." she whispered. She glanced up just in time to hear footsteps approaching the wreckage of the car.
The woman with raven hair disregarded the individuals nearing and attempted to rouse Julie from her slumber. She despised herself for what had ensued.
· Flashback over*
Soifon concluded the story and glanced at Kelly, who returned her gaze without interruption until she was done. She wiped her face with the back of her hand to compose herself.
"Did this miscreant ever face consequences?" Kelly inquired, his hand clenching involuntarily as he pondered what Soifon had revealed. He found it difficult to fathom that someone would engage in such actions.
Soifon shook her head solemnly. "No," she replied, swallowing and taking a deep breath. "Ace eventually found my whereabouts five months later and kidnapped me and Erin." She winced as distressing memories resurfaced. "He had assistance from Jack, my adopted brother, and Julie's younger brother."
Kelly comfortingly patted her back. "You don't have to explain anything," he reassured her, prompting a smile from Soifon. "Thank you," she murmured, determined not to dwell on what Jack had done to Erin and unwilling to disclose it to Kelly.
Soifon stood up gradually and flinched as her stomach started to protest. "Be cautious, as you've just undergone surgery and should not exert yourself," cautioned Kelly as he assisted her.
"I appreciate your help. I should go and check on Erin," she responded, giving Julie a smile before heading to her car.
"If you ever feel the need to talk, don't hesitate to come to station 51. I'll be there to support you and Erin to the best of my abilities," offered Kelly, causing Soifon to nod. "Thank you," she whispered, getting into her car and exiting the parking lot.