Sweet Vengeances
Chapter 32: A Price to Pay

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Price to Pay

The lingering effects of violence, which lingered in the room like an unspoken truth, seemed heavy in the air. The metallic smell of blood mixed with the lingering gunpowder odor in the chilly air. Lily’s thoughts were racing as she stood in the center of the confusion. The body of Kane was spread out on the ground, a dead pile of what had once been a fierce foe. She had dreamed of this moment for months. The day she would stand up to him, destroy his empire, and bring him to account for all that he had done. Now that it was finished, though, she felt nothing but emptiness.

She was left with a hollow aching that tore at her insides instead of the joy she had anticipated, the victory of avenging the wrongs done to her. In actuality, retaliation did not bring satisfaction. After fighting for so long, putting in so much effort, and making so many sacrifices, she discovered that the victory she had long desired was considerably less satisfying than she had anticipated.

As she wiped the blood from her face, her fingers quivered a little as the truth of what she had just done set in. Was this the resolution she had been looking for? The revenge that had kept her going for so long?

With his boots hardly making a sound on the ground, Ethan came up behind her. She knew it was him without turning. Even before he spoke, the weight of his presence was always felt.

Ethan murmured, "It’s over," in a low voice, but Lily glanced at him because of something in his tone. Even though his eyes were icy and far away, there was a hint of worry that he was unable to conceal.

Lily nodded, but it was a robotic gesture. She was disengaged from the world around her as if she were standing in a dream. The finality of Kane’s death weighed heavy on her chest as her gaze shifted to his body.

She had been planning his demise for a long time, picturing what it would be like to watch him suffer and lose everything. However, now that the time had arrived, it didn’t feel as though it would. It seemed insignificant. Something inside her was still broken, lost in the rubble of everything that had brought her to this moment, even though Kane was no longer there.

Ethan’s voice, gentler now, cut through her thoughts, "You did what you had to do." "Lily, he would never have stopped."

Lily tried to stabilize herself by taking a long breath, but the tremble in her chest persisted. She had fulfilled the duty that had been imposed upon her. However, there was a price for it. That much was certain. She had to deal with the repercussions of her decisions since she had gone too far.

"What now?" she muttered to herself as well as to Ethan. The weight of the situation weighed heavily on her, and the question hung in the air, unanswered.

"We head out. We leave here before anybody else does. Soon, police enforcement will be everywhere," Ethan remarked. He was telling her what they needed to do, not recommending it. Lily knew he was correct, but it was an order disguised as an option. They needed to hurry.

Her eyes strayed to Monica and Marcus, who were already heading for the door. Monica was still tending to an earlier wound, moving slowly but resolutely. The resolution in her eyes was visible to Lily. Although the mission had been successful, there had been a cost.

Ethan paused as they made their way to the exit to glance at Kane’s body over his shoulder. Although his expression stayed neutral, Lily could tell he was tense. Even though Ethan was never one to say much, she could tell by the way he looked at the scene that he was troubled by what they had just done.

The night air outside felt chilly and abrasive against her skin. The fury that was raging inside her was not calmed by the cold. The sky was dark, and the horizon was glowed uncannily by the city lights. The black SUV’s engine roared to life as they climbed inside, breaking the quiet that had gripped them. But Lily felt even more lost as they raced through the streets.

Her only goal when she entered this circumstance was to exact revenge. But now that Kane was dead and everything they had fought for was finally happening, she wasn’t sure what to do. Although she had gotten the retribution she had sought, it did not bring her the serenity she had hoped for. In her mind, the feeling of closure that had seemed so real suddenly seemed like a far-off dream.

With his hands solid on the steering wheel and his gaze focused on the road ahead, Ethan was behind the wheel. But occasionally, Lily noticed him staring at her in the rearview mirror, as if he was waiting for her to say something to end the stillness. She was at a loss for words. How could she respond? How was she going to convey the confusion that was roiling within her?

No one seemed to be able to get rid of the tension that pervaded the automobile. Even Marcus and Monica, who are typically so composed under duress, appeared aloof, their gaze fixed on the road but their thoughts elsewhere. Even though they had achieved their objective, it was evident that something had changed between them all because they had all been through so much.

Lily moved around in her chair and gazed out the window. She was reminded by the city lights that life would go on whether or not she was prepared for it. Although she had pursued justice, she now questioned whether it would ever be sufficient.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of Ethan’s voice. "What happens now, Lily?"

His words made her heart skip a beat. The question she couldn’t bring herself to ask had been posed by him. Now what? What would happen to her next? The drive for vengeance had been the foundation of her entire existence. But what remained now that the target of that retaliation was gone?

With a trembling voice, she answered, "I don’t know." I was hoping this would calm me down, but now... I simply don’t know.

Ethan’s eyes grew softer, but they remained fixed on the road. "Vengeance is a difficult thing," he whispered softly. "You believe it will make things better, but it just leaves you feeling empty."

His words struck a deep chord inside Lily, and she gulped hard. She never thought the consequences of her choices would weigh so heavily. All she could feel was the weight of her decisions weighing down on her chest, even though she had given up so much for this moment.

Her voice could hardly be heard over the hum of the engine as she muttered, "I thought this would make everything right." However, now that it’s over... Something seems lost to me. I will never be able to get it back.

Ethan took a while to reply. He was not required to. His quiet was a powerful statement. She had fulfilled her obligation. However, the price of retaliation was much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Lily became aware that the road ahead was as uncertain as the one she had just taken as the city behind them vanished into the distance. There was no turning back now. She couldn’t reverse the decisions she had taken. She had paid the price of revenge, but it was unclear how much her soul would cost.