Chapter 7: Delusion

Chapter 7: Delusion

Audrey's tears spilled freely. "You're insane. Izo is gone. I was there when..."

"When what?" Tennessee interrupted sharply. "When he fell? When the world thought his body hit the ground? You think that was an accident? You think he just... slipped? So how come you were framed for it and sent to jail so quickly?"

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. "Then what are you saying? That everything, the fall, the funeral, the police, the charges are all fake?"

Audrey shook her head. "You're trying to mess with me. You hate me. You want me to suffer."

"Oh, I don't want you to suffer," Tennessee said quietly, his tone chilling. "That's exactly what my father wants, but I don't know you enough to hate you."

Her eyes met his, wide and glistening with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Tennessee leaned back in his chair. "You ever heard of a man named Darey Hepburn? Ring any bells?"

Her lips trembled. "That was... my father's name. Why? Why are you bringing him up?"

Tennessee's gaze hardened. "Because this isn't about love or accidents or tragedy, Audrey. This..." he gestured between them, between the invisible ghosts of her pain and his fury..."is about vengeance."

Audrey's breath caught in her throat. "Vengeance?"

He nodded slowly, pushing his plate aside. "Years ago, long before you were even old enough to tie your shoes your father, Darey Hepburn, scammed my father. Back then, Izo wasn't rich. He was young, ambitious, and stupid enough to trust the wrong man. Darey conned him out of everything, his savings, his land, his dignity. Left him with nothing but debts and humiliation."

Audrey's mind whirled. "That's impossible. My father wasn't like that..."

"Oh, he was," Tennessee cut in coldly. "A charming liar. My father told me how he smiled while stealing from him, how he swore they were partners, brothers, friends." He laughed bitterly. "And then he vanished with the money, the documents, everything. Left my father to drown in debt and mockery."

Audrey pressed her palms against her face, shaking her head. "No. No, that's not true. My father died when I was little. He was kind and honest."

Tennessee's voice lowered. "People die. Lies don't."

She looked up at him, her eyes glassy. "So... you're saying Izo did all this because of something that happened decades ago? That he killed himself just to get revenge on my family? That doesn't make any sense!"

Tennessee smirked. "He didn't kill himself. He faked it. You don't understand my father's obsession, Audrey. When Darey Hepburn scammed him, he swore to the grave of his own father that he'd have revenge. Not on Darey alone, but on everything that belonged to him. Everything that carried his name or his blood."

Audrey felt her world tilt. "So... me?"

"Yes," Tennessee said simply. "You."

Her body went still. For a long moment, the only sound was the faint rumble of thunder outside, echoing like the heartbeat of the sea. "No," she whispered. "No, you're lying."

Tennessee smiled faintly, his expression cruel and tired all at once. "I wish I was."

He leaned back, the chair creaking beneath him. "You really think a man like Izo would just marry you, out of love? You think he didn't know who you were, whose daughter you were?"

Audrey's hands trembled. "He... he loved me. He told me he loved me."

"He did," Tennessee said, his tone almost gentle. "That's the thing about my father, he was capable of loving his prey. But love doesn't erase hatred, Audrey. It just makes vengeance taste sweeter."

Her tears fell silently now, her whole body shaking. "No, no, this isn't real. You're just trying to destroy me."

Tennessee shrugged, tearing into his fish, the bones cracking softly under his fingers. "He's alive, Audrey. Somewhere out there, my father is watching you. Laughing. Maybe even celebrating. Because his plan worked."

She covered her mouth, her sobs spilling free. "Why would he do that to me? To us? We were married. We were happy. We had plans, dreams...he told me I was his everything."

Tennessee's eyes flicked to her sharply. "He told me the same thing about revenge. That it was his everything. That the sweetest victory is when your enemy falls in love with you first. And your sister isn't safe either."

Audrey gasped. "Stop it!" she cried, slamming her hand on the table. "Stop saying that! You're lying! Izo isn't that kind of man!"

Tennessee grinned, though his eyes stayed cold. "You think I didn't see the signs? The secret calls, the trips, the letters he hid from you? You really believed his business meetings were about construction?"

Her heart pounded. "He said he was working on a new project in France..."

"And he was," Tennessee said. "Just not the kind you think. He was building his freedom, his exit, his new life. You were just a chapter he had to finish, a punishment he had to deliver before walking away."

Audrey covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. "You're lying," she whispered through her tears. "You're lying."

Tennessee watched her for a moment, the flicker of something human crossing his face, pity, perhaps. Then it was gone. He picked up another bite of bread and chewed, his eyes never leaving her.

"You know what the funny part is?" he said quietly. "You still love him. Even after all this, you're sitting there crying for a man who buried your life with his lies."

Audrey's voice broke. "Because I can't stop. I can't stop loving him and I know you are lying."

Tennessee chuckled darkly. "Then congratulations. You're exactly where he wanted you to be."

She looked up, her face streaked with tears, her eyes swollen and desperate. "Why are you telling me this?”

Tennessee shrugged. "Because I'm not my father and I simply hate him."

Audrey stared at him, broken, her lips trembling. "You're cruel."

He smirked faintly. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just my father's son."

Audrey pressed her hands against her chest, sobbing so hard her shoulders shook. "If he's alive... if this is true... I have to find him. I have to know why."

Tennessee laughed softly, shaking his head. "You'll never find him. He made sure of that. My father doesn't leave loose ends."

Audrey's breath hitched. "Then why am I still alive?"

Tennessee's eyes glinted as he looked up from his plate. "Because you still have one more part to play."

She froze, staring at him in horror. "What do you mean?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached for his cup of water, took a slow sip, and smiled faintly. "Eat something," he said quietly. "You'll need your strength."

Audrey didn't move. The tears kept falling, each one heavier than the last. Her heart was a storm of disbelief and pain.

Tennessee looked at her one last time, then tore off another piece of bread and laughed as Audrey buried her face in her hands and cried.

"They sentenced you to life imprisonment without the option of parole...and your sister is his next target."

Audrey slowly raised her head. "I do not believe you."