Page 44 of Villainous Greed

I swallowed nervously as I held his dark stare. “This could very well prove you abandoned us that day. Then what?” I whispered as my stomach knotted. “I’ll truly kill you for putting me through it twice.”

“I would never abandon you. See me for what I am. I am yours.”

Unable to withstand his gaze, I drank the potion. The scenery shifted immediately as August tipped his head back and drank his. Seconds later, we were in the barren woods I had spent my youth.I turned, and August moved with me.There was nothing around us. I saw no one. Not even the kids—

“There you are.” August pointed toward our left.

My breath rushed out as I saw Sofia and the others climbing the tree. The one I ordered them to hide in while I went to meet August that day. There I was, too. A younger me, peeking up at them from the ground. My heart felt like it could burst right out of me at seeing those young kids. Seeing them again hurt and made me happy simultaneously. I was a fool to think they’d be safe as I left them there, running through the woods to find August.

August and I ran after the younger version of myself. When I tripped over my feet, he scooped me up. I pushed at his chest. “Put me down!”

“August.”

August and I froze at the sound of my younger voice. We watched me approach Young August as he turned, but already something was just not right. A black essence spiraled around the younger version of August as he looked down at thirteen-year-old me like I didn’t differ from the dirt beneath his shoe. I hadn’t recalled seeing that blackness before. August’s aura was a yellowish hue. What was I seeing?

The past made no sense, and my chest ached at seeing him stare at me like that again. The interaction was as I remembered.

“Nova…” August carried us closer while the Young Me called out for Young August again. August’s breath heated my neck as he uttered, “My little star, that isnotme.”

Tears dripped down my cheeks as I peeked up at August instead of the mean man about to rip out my young heart. August didn’t notice me staring, though, because he watched Young Me. Young Me hesitantly approached the twisted version of him. I turned away, refusing to see more, but I still remembered the hopefulness of that day despite the fear.

August’s eyes watered as his grip on me tightened. “Look at you. Fuck. You trusted me here. I can see it on your face. You’re looking at me like I’m about to give you a new world. Like I promised.”

He sniffed, and I still refused to watchthemthe way he did.

“I can’t believe you actually came.” I stiffened at Young August’s voice. He sounded detached and cold.

“We need to hurry. When we remove the bands, it will alert Derrick. Sofia and the boys—”

Young August laughed abruptly. “Did you think I’d actually help you and your brats?”

“What do you mean?”

“If I take off those bands, that’s unnecessary trouble for me,” he explained.

My heart sank all over again, and I covered my ears. “August—”

“That’s not me,” August said beside me. “Look at me, Nova.” I opened my eyes to see tears slipping down his cheeks. “I would never treat or gaze upon you like that.”

“Please, look at you, then me. Isn’t that answer enough?” Young August said, pulling my attention back to the past.

“That’s not my essence!” August shouted. “I’ve seen enough of yours. Come to mine, okay?”

I nodded, unable to stomach hearing Young August’s bitter words again. Their conversation stopped, and I looked back to see the younger versions of us gone. When a branch snapped, August and I followed the sound. A few feet away from us, a Young August paced back and forth, gripping his hair tightly as he searched around frantically. The black aura around him was gone. He plopped down on the ground, twisting the hair ties I made on his wrist. My stomach cramped the longer I watched him. He seemed so anxious as he waited.

This one…I thought. That one was different.Already, I know this August is mine.He had no yellow essence around him, but the black one was gone.

When Young Me stepped into the clearing, Young August jumped up and rushed forward. My lips parted. The black aura clung to Young Me in August’s memory. Not-Me smiled eerily at Young August.

“Are the others safe?” Young August asked her.

“Oh, yes. Safe.” She nodded her head.

“Are you?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m glad you’ve decided to let me free you.”