Chapter 90 Love....Ly Fear
During the past two years, John had truly accepted his father's doctrine of 'love'. He did start fooling around with one of his seniors, Kendra. John was sure that the only reason Kendra liked him was because of his familial roots, still John let himself be swept up by 'love'.
But the fun stopped as she got pregnant.....John ended their relationship and with his father's help, yet another incident was swept under the rug.
After the whole Kendra disaster, John felt lost....he felt that without love his life had no meaning. It was then that his eyes fell on another girl, this time from his classroom.
But...just like stupid old Jessica, this girl also rejected him. But John had learned his lesson...he wouldn't hurt the girl....instead this time he decided to isolate her.
That week, that girl's entire family was crushed to death by a truck as they were driving away somewhere. John enjoyed seeing the agony the girl suffered.
He didn't feel guilt...because it was only right to punish girl who's been bad right ?
John's father agreed with his son...but he wanted his son to cool down a bit. If his son made a mistake and got caught in the middle of his 'endeavors' that meant the end of the company. The press would kill them.
That was the reason why John's father had bought him a pet.
If only he knew better.
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"Wow...thank you so much, papa !", John said admiring the panther.
John's father flashes a smug smile and said,
" I'm glad you liked it...a person will come today to help you familiarize yourself with it."
John nods his head and continues to admire the panther, which observed the family of three silently.
John's father had apparently gotten the panther at a very low price which was rare for an animal adapted to mana...but the previous owner was a close friend of his.
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" Eh?...so do you have any questions ?", the man who had come later that day asked John.
John frowned at the man, the man who had introduced himself as 'The Ringmaster' looked hideous.
But John let go of his misgivings about the man and asked him,
" Can she talk....like us ?"
"Well, of course !...that's a given for any animal adapted to mana."
Hearing the man, John couldn't help but feel excited, but his excitement dies down as the man continues to speak.
" But there's a catch to it, young man."
"What is it ?", John asked eager to begin.
" Panther's are a bit unique in a sense....they're proud animals."
The Ringmaster smirks at the panther before continuing on,
" They won't talk unless they think you're their equal....and also trust you."
John scoffs hearing the man drone on about this and that.
Making an animal trust him was an easy task.
Forget trust...he was going to make her love him.
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A year and half later
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'Huff' 'Huff' 'Huff'
An out of breath John screams out in frustration....
The whip slips out of his hand and he falls to his knees.
Before him, a bloodied panther lay silently watching him....without even making a whimper.
"Bad girl.....you're a.....A bad girl !!", John said getting back up and kicking the panther.
At first he tried to get closer to the panther but the panther didn't even look his way.....the panther didn't care for him at all.
So he started punishing her bit...by bit, but seeing that the panther had little to no reaction only furthered his anger.
John didn't have to worry about it turning against him since it had a chip put inside her that made her listen to his orders absolutely.
Seeing it laying there like a doll....John felt his anger spiral out of control.
A cruel smile flashes across his face as he thought,
' Will you talk to me.... if I prove that I love you.....'
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'Slap'
" You sick freak !", John's father slaps him.
John was confused.....was what he did so bad ?
He just taught that bad girl a lesson...he didn't even think it was possible for a lowly thing like that to accept his....seed.
John slowly falls down on the floor as his father punches him, but before he can hurt John even further, Marilyn stops him.
John had never seen his mother look so determined before.
Strangely, his father listens to his mother and leaves the two of them alone.
John managed to stand up and make it to his bed, his mother sits beside him and gently embraced him...
" I'm sorry.....I'm sorry.....I'm sorry.... for not doing anything to help you till now.", his mother sobbed out.
John was even more confused now....
But he's even more shocked to find tears running down his face for some unknown reason...
He wasn't sad...so why was he crying ?
~~~~
After three weeks, the Levinson household changed considerably.
For one thing, John barely saw his father since that 'incident'.
It was his mother that took care of him, even though she herself was sick....she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
She was going through chemo now and John wanted to help his mother through it, so he shaved all the hair on his head.
John's mother had made him realize that there was something wrong with him...mentally. So, he was seeing a therapist now as well.
As for the panther....John had no idea where it was.
The day after the 'incident' his father had taken it away...
Things were starting to look good.
~~~~
John was nervous...
Today was the first day of the midterms....it was only reasonable that he was nervous.
But all feelings of fear went away as his eyes met with the most beautiful person in the entire world...
Black hair that reminded him of his pet and eyes that were like rubies that sparkled only for him.....No.....No.
John shakes his head to get rid of these unnecessary thoughts....his therapist warned him not to fixate on anyone.
But as the person sat beside him and smiled at him...he knew that he had to make this person his own....
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Two weeks later
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John gently caressed Adam's face.
John had managed to get outside Unity without any issue....it was a good thing nobody checked inside the car he was in.
Even though he had promised his mother that he would stop..one last time couldn't hurt right ?
This time....it was real.
He knew that the 'love' he felt for Adam was real....
They were going to his private 'playhouse' in the middle of nowhere.
Once they reached there...John had his bodyguards help him bound Adam using a mana chain. The bodyguards were hired using his pocket money, so their skill was a little lacking but they kept their mouths shut.
"Wakey wakey..my dear", John whispered into Adam's ear.
Seeing that Adam hadn't woken up...John sighed but brightens up in the next minute as he remembers that he had forgotten to take a picture of Adam.
It was a tradition for John to take a photo of all the people he loved....how else would he preserve his 'love' ?
He runs out of his play house and goes inside the shed beside it to take his scrapbook and camera.
But as he returned, strangely enough the playroom which was previously well lit, had gone dark.....he was sure that he had switched the light on..
'Did one of the guards do this ?', he thought as he walked inside the room.
John couldn't see anything.....
"Che.."
He walks forward but stops when he almost trips over something....
He quickly opens up his phone and gasped when he saw the head of one of his guards on the floor..
He uses his phone to look around the room....somebody had slaughtered everybody mercilessly...
He knew who it was....
'It can't be.', he thought scared beyond reason.
" I've been waiting for you...."
A voice startled John, he turned around and started backing away to the walls of the room...on the way...he falls down on the chair where Adam had previously sat...
John looked up at the red eyes that gazed down upon at him coldly.
Ever since he met Adam, all he wanted was for those eyes of his to notice his love for him...now that he did....what John felt wasn't happiness....
It was fear.
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