Mr. & Mrs. Saison-Monsour: The Mafia & The Slayer Married Life

Skylar carefully watched Monica like she was reading her, not her expression or gesture, but the flow of her aura. She may not realize it and may think it was just her sensitivity that she had long before she went dark. However, she could see them like crystals. She watched how it swirled and changed colors whenever the person changed too.

"A kind of turmoil she could not control," Skylar mumbled flatly to herself when she read Monica's uneven aura.

Monica faced her with emptiness. Skylar could remember how beautiful Monica's eyes were once, but now it was gone. If it was the old Skylar, she would have softened and held her protectively, but this time, it was different. She pitied her. Monica may not realize how her eyes reflected the sorrow she had been carrying as she searched for a piece of softness in Skylar's heart; sadly, there was nothing left for her to look at. Skylar could mask everything perfectly, and Monica was not even close to it.

"You won this time…" Defeated, Monica admitted, but her darkness took over and added. "…but I'll give you worse if he leaves me."

"Trust me, he won't…" Amused, Skylar sinisterly chuckled but taunted softly. "…but you will."

Monica stared deeply into Skylar, trying to read beneath the dark eyeglasses. The more she does, the more she gets tangled, forcing her to gasp for air. Skylar's strange familiarity convinces Monica of one thing she won't admit. However, Skylar's intimidating coldness makes it hard for her. She was enchanted, lured, and warmed. Skylar quickly noticed them. Monica's captivation clicked an old sleeping string inside that she thought was long gone, making her lean in close enough to leave a phantom kiss.

"See you whenever," Skylar whispered dangerously and was about to leave when a tingle of a familiar hand touched her, making her halt and glance at whose hand was holding her—Monica, the old Monica Johnson.

"Sky, can you see me in my darkness?" A sudden soft voice from an old Monica asked, catching Skylar a little off guard.

"Like Gregory mentioned earlier…but it held much deeper meaning as she asked me this." Skylar thought sincerely before smiling and saying, "How can I not when I'm much deeper in darkness than you are?"

Skylar didn't wait for Monica's remarks and pulled away before approaching her husband, linking her hands with his. Yet, she could not deny a sudden shift there. However, she was still a significant prey in Skylar's game that may change a little after what she discovered.

"It seems my game plan with you is about to change, and it will be fun. You better wait for it, Monica." Skylar thought sinisterly as she sweetly clung to Vincencio.

"See you next week, Greg. Keep this resort moving." Vincencio said farewell to Gregory, who ignored the catfight earlier.

"Of course, and thanks for listening and helping me around here." Gregory thanked the couple for the help they'd given him.

"Keep your kind heart well, and we'll help you," Skylar said, but there was a message that Gregory quickly understood.

"Oh, thanks. I appreciated it." Gregory smiled genuinely as he watched them leave his resort.

The couple noticed the tension between the Sterling couple but in respect, they didn't question it and let them deal with it. However, Skylar was thrilled by something she learned and saw about her precious prey, which did not escape her attentive husband.

"Okay, Wifey, spill the tea. You've been smiling like you won the lottery," Vincencio teased as he couldn't hold his curiosity anymore and asked what his wife's winning smile was about. "Are we millionaires?"

"Silly." Skylar chuckled as she slapped his arm before correcting him with sweetness. "Hubby, you're married to a billionaire. Also, there's no point in winning a lottery when I'm married to you."

"So, now you're flirting, but I love that better than your ex-friend." Vincencio chuckled teasingly, making Skylar smile. "But how did your friendship fall apart? I mean, aside from Gregory's involvement."

"I don't know what the real cause behind it… but I can remember and still feel was about the mistreated trust. Gregory added to the building conspiracy until we fell apart." Skylar replied, shrugging her shoulders as they entered their car, where Joey was their driver.

"I see, but I hope you two will make up one day," Vincencio said, hoping for a better outcome.

"What made you say that?" Curiosity, Skylar wondered when she heard them.

"Hm, it's because of what I could see in Monica's eyes. They became filled with light and warmth whenever she picked a catfight with you. She's like alive or something." Vincencio shared what he observed during their verbal catfight.

"Observant hubby. I like that," Skylar thought amusingly before commenting defensively. "Seriously, you're observing her?"

"Not her, but everything that concerns you." Giggling, he winked teasingly, making Skylar punch his arm playfully. "But setting that aside, I am sincerely hoping your friendship will build up again."

"Why are you hoping for it?" Skylar curiously wondered about his hope for their reconciliation.

"Aside from her flirtatious advances that you warned me about, and based on what I observed whenever she's interacting with you, there's a yearning lost child beneath the storm where she was drowning." He answered honestly what he noticed, which Skylar was already considering.

"Perhaps somewhere in the future, but now, I still can't." With a defeated sigh, Skylar responded before glancing at Joey, who was checking her out too from the rearview mirror.

"She seriously hurt you better than Gregory." He noticed with an understanding tone.

"Pretty much." She sighed with a sad smile before leaning on his shoulder.

"Well, if you're ready to be healed from it, it will," Vincencio said coolly, making Skylar kiss his chin before snuggling more.

"I better get something before I fully change the plan against her," Skylar thought carefully before letting herself rest in Vincencio's arms.

However, Skylar was well aware that it was far from done. Monica might give up on dealing with her, but it doesn't mean her actions would stop. Monica couldn't stop now she saw how far she had fallen, but for Skylar, it was just the beginning of an end. And Skylar stood at the center of an approaching dangerous storm.

***

"Did you get it?" Skylar coldly asked, standing by the window in her office, gazing deeply into the vast orange sky in the late afternoon.

Earlier, as soon as they returned to the company, Vincencio headed back to his department while Skylar quickly shared with Medina what she learned from Gregory. She also left an instruction to check on Monica Johnson Sterling's profile. Upon arriving at her office, Medina entered with the information she requested.

"It's confirmed. Everything he said was all true." Medina approached her boss and placed the document she gathered before continuing, "After two years of what happened to you, he married Monica Johnson, and in two months, she got abducted. Badly tortured and raped, causing her miscarriage. The SR Federation found her almost dead and took her into their custody, which Gregory was very grateful for. They saved her."

"SR Federation saved her…" Skylar muttered, clear enough for Medina to hear them.

"Yes, and that's weird since SRF never helps anyone unless they want something from someone," Medina answered, making Skylar nod and head back to her desk.

"Find their reason why they need to be involved in her case, and Medina, be careful about doing that. I don't want them to sense us snooping around." She commanded and warned her secretary, making Medina nod.

"I will, since I also need Josh's knowledge about them," Medina agreed.

"Be careful, both of you. I don't want my men to get hurt because of me." She sincerely warned her, making Medina record it, and Skylar frowned.

"Oh please, we're not going to die for you. We're living because of you." She replied, chuckling warily as she tucked her phone back.

"Fair enough." Skylar smiled dismissively before returning to their topic. "Going back, whose baby was she carrying before she lost it?"

"It's Gregory's. Based on her medical records, she has been two months pregnant, but due to the incident she got caught up in, she won't be able to have a baby anymore." Her secretary answered before giving the copy to her boss. "I think she wanted to surprise him when she got abducted."

"Anything else about her?" Skylar wondered coldly while checking the file thoroughly.

"I do. Due to what you asked, I got curious about her background and checked something." Medina answered sternly, catching Skylar's attention, and let her proceed. "Monica Johnson came from a wealthy family, but because of the behavior of her parents' recklessness and involvement with the gangs, the family cut ties with them. Monica became an orphan when her parents messed with the wrong people and drowned in debt. Since they were out of the family, Monica grew up a good child at the Avalon Orphanage Medical Clinic."

"She was born and grew up there?" she curiously asked, making Medina nod.

"Yes, she was left when she was two. Luckily, her grandparents took her in. They took her as their child and away from the family ties. Meaning, she didn't know she came from a wealthy family or even know her adoptive grandparents were her real relatives—her grandparents." Medina answered, sharing what she got about Monica's profile.

"Who was she before her grandparents found and adopted her?" She curiously wondered and read the next file Medina gave to her.

"During her life at the orphanage, she was outstanding and adored, but when she was adopted and started schooling—high school—bad records started piling up. She became one of the bullies with addictions such as alcohol and smoking. Luckily, her grandparents loved her and kept her from losing her way. However, it didn't leave her, and based on what I've read about her records, I think she attracted the wrong people." She answered her boss, who was sighing and putting the file down.

"Like what happened to her parents, and now she can't get away from it," she concluded, making Medina sigh.

"Worse, Sky, she's involved with mafias." She added, making Skylar pinch the bridge of her nose.

"I know, and by hearing that, I want you to dig something about her parents' recklessness. We might connect their past deeds to why the SRF took her so suddenly." Skylar firmly commanded Medina, making her frown.

"Are you saying SRF is collecting her parents' debts by using her, that's why they took her into their custody?" She guessed, making Skylar nod.

"That's my hypothesis, and I want to clarify it." She responded coldly, tossing the file on her desk before warning her. "So, you and Josh must be careful about digging that, are we clear, Beta?"

"Affirmative." Median saluted firmly before wondering, "Would it affect your plan against her?"

"Greatly, so please, Med, find it for me. Don't get caught," she answered honestly.

"Since when did I get caught?" Medina felt offended since she was good at gathering information and being her second-in-command.

"I did." Skylar grinned teasingly, making Medina frown.

"Aside from you," she refuted, making Skylar chuckle.

"No one. But be careful since she's involved with a big fish," she reminded her. Medina understood that worried tone in her boss. Then Skylar changed the subject. "Good, so any meeting this afternoon?"

"Nothing much except dealing with this piled paperwork." She responded and looked over the side of her boss's desk, filled with untouched documents she skipped earlier.

"Oh, come on," Skylar whined with a pout.

"I'll ask Vincencio to help you up," she suggested teasingly.

"Don't. Let him do his job." With a defeated sigh, she said not wanting to disturb her husband during working hours.

"Okay, if you say so. Excuse me then, boss." Amusingly, Medina excused herself to do her boss's off-the-job request.

***

After tiring paperwork, Skylar surprisingly finished them when a mischievous idea came into her mind. She dragged Medina in with her idea—a surprise home-cooked meal.

"SKYLAR! TURN DOWN THE HEAT! YOU'LL BURN THE VEGETABLES!" Medina shouted when she saw the stove was on high heat and Skylar wasn't paying attention since she was cutting meat on the side.

"Sorry." Skylar apologized as she turned down the heat, making Medina sigh and shake her head.

However, frying vegetables was meant to be a simple recipe, but it seemed forever when Skylar was the one who was preparing. Medina had to step in whenever Skylar made mistakes, and they had spent over three hours cooking when Vincencio arrived. But upon entering, the burned smell made him panic and run immediately to the kitchen. He was unsure how he felt when he saw Skylar in the kitchen, with tired Medina on the side.

"W-welcome home, hubby." Skylar skeptically greeted him while fidgeting. "I-I made these for you."

"I thought you were creating fire." Touched, Vincencio teased, making Skylar frown.

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