The Moment of Truth

You open the door to the study. You see Natali just standing in the middle of the room for some reason, her fearful eyes shoot to you.

"Get out of here!" She cries.

"NO!" You hear Melanie shout. "Get in here, all of you. Close the door!"

Looking to your left you see Melanie holding a shiny nickel plated revolver on Natali! Tears were streaming down her face and she still wore her workout gear from earlier with the addition of a short robe that hung open. She was shaking.

"Okay...okay...calm down Melanie...we're doing what you want...calm down okay?" You direct the others in and close the door.

You knew this had something to do with what happened earlier that day. Your mind was desperately trying to find something to grab onto, something to say. Louis fades into the corner, wanting to stay as far away from what was happening as possible. Soo-yin steps forward to stand at your side and just in front of you.

"Let's just calm down. You don't want to do this Melanie." You say soothingly.

"Shut up Daddy! How do you know what I want!? I thought you understood...but you don't!" Her voice was quavering. "I thought you would understand..."

"Melanie...I know you can't hurt anyone...just give me the gun sweetie." You say as you take half a step forward. "You aren't a criminal, you are better than this."

"Boss..." You hear Louis' meek voice. "...there's something you should know."

"Shut up Louis!" You snap.

"Boss...she was the one to take the hit out on you!"

"Louis...I said shut up...that is ridiculous..." You pause. Melanie was looking at you with a pained expression. You realize it is true, she had put out the contract on Vincent Calabrese! Vincent's one good and pure thing in his life had had him killed! "Melanie?"

"...you...you killed Mama!" Her lip is trembling and her voice faltering. The gun shakes but stays trained on Natali, the trigger tightening a bit more. "I love you Daddy! But you killed her! I couldn't let you get away with it!" She sobs. "But...these last few days...I thought I'd made such a mistake...I was so happy...but I couldn't stop it once it started..."

Louis, trying to hide behind a shelf, confirms it. "It's true boss. It was this crazy double blind set up. None of the players knew who the others were, once the money was out there it was permanent." He mutters under his breath. "It was fucking brilliant."

"None of that matters now." You hold your hands forward, palms out. "Just...give me the gun sweetie. Give me the gun Laney. My little Laney."

Her shaking actually stops and something like grim determination sets into her young pretty face. OH SHIT!

"Wait! Wait! Melanie...there is something I really need to tell you!" You weren't sure if the truth would help, but it was time to try.

You suddenly feel Soo-yin's vice like grip on you shoulder, she grabs you by the arm and forces you into the middle of the room.

"What the fuck are you doing?" You bark.

Soo-yin looks at you, her ice cold black eyes revealing no emotion. She says. "You did this Vincent."

Melanie stands there, determined but confused.

"Soo-yin, back off! What are you doing?" Turning back to Melanie you say. "Melanie, listen to me carefully, I am not really...."

Stars burst across your vision as the assassin's fist makes brutal contact with your jaw. "You did this Vincent!" She says once more. You crumple down to one knee. You spit blood and a molar out onto the carpet.

Grabbing you roughly she wrenches your arm and forces you up and to the right...right into the sights of Melanie's pistol!

Melanie looks at Soo-yin then back to you. Soo-yin turns to the teen. "All of this was Vincent's fault."

Melanie nods, agreeing with her.

"He's the one you wanted dead from the beginning. Now is your chance." Soo-yin states in her silky cool tone. "Now is the time to avenge your mother Melanie."

Melanie stares at you, rage and betrayal etched across her face. She grits her teeth and steadies the gun, her eyes widen. You swallow hard and straighten up. You take a deep breath. So this is how it ends... Your mind goes to Natali, at least you had found true love before the end.

Soo-yin begins to glide toward Melanie. She slowly takes a knife from a hidden sheath.

In her smooth frosty tone the assassin continues. "But...you're not going do anything are you?"

Melanie glances nervously at the slowly approaching black clad woman, but she keeps the gun trained on you. "Wha..what are you doing?" Melanie stutters.

"I'm going to kill you." Soo-yin informs her. There was absolutely no doubt of the complete sincerity that statement was uttered in.

"I...I'll shoot!" Melanie whimpers, tears coming once more.

"No." Soo-yin states as she gets right up next to the young blonde. "No...you don't hire an assassin if you could do it yourself... You could never kill your father with your own hand."

She desperately tries to think of a comeback, or tries to summon the courage to pull the trigger. But instead you see Melanie's face crack. In that moment she looked so fragile...so helpless...so utterly defeated... She didn't lower the pistol however.

"Soo-yin...back away from Melanie...get away from her..." You order. "Mel, please put the gun down!"

Soo-yin puts her arm around Melanie, sidling up close against her side. She places the knife over the girl's heart.

Glancing a sideways look at the assassin, but doing nothing to get away or stop her, Melanie just nods. "Okay. Okay." She looks back at you as she lowers the gun. "I love you Daddy...thank you for..."

Her eyes widen as the blade sinks deep into her chest.

"NO!" You scream as you rush forward. You push the Korean away from her and grab Melanie in your arms.

She looks at you, the lively twinkle of those remarkable blue-green eyes fading quickly. "...thank you...for..." And she is gone.

You hold her close a long quiet moment. Gently you lay her to the floor. Her beautiful youthful face at peace. You turn to Soo-yin, your fists clenched.

"Get...out..."

She studies you closely, her eyes ever watching and calculating. You realize in that moment just how different the two of you really were. She really did exist in a different reality from you. You knew she had probably just saved your life by stopping you from spilling the truth, and Natali's too, but you didn't care.

"Get out!" You shout.

She simply nods then leaves the room.

You are shaking as Natali comes to you and holds you. You look at your true love and realize you had to be strong. Your work wasn't done yet. You turn to Louis.

"Okay...let's talk..."