Chapter 22: Some Doors Should Stay Shut... Forever!

It's has been a week since Ivan's Will. Anna and Carlos returned back to the mansion.

Anna was completely lost in her thoughts, it was like she was there but also she wasn't at the same time. She was on autopilot mode.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, Anna didn't respond but the door opened after a while anyway.

- It's time to talk as I promised you.

Anna turned to look at the person who had just come into her room.

- Brooke? (ANNA)

- I'm glad to see that you still remember me. (BROOKE)

- Why are you here? (ANNA)

- Well, you kept your promise, so now it's my turn to keep mine. (BROOKE)

- My promise? (ANNA)

- WOW, girl. Were you so depressed that you haven't realized the arrest of the century? (BROOKE)

So Brooke's parents were already arrested? She didn't do anything yet since she was busy with the issue with Ivan

Then who?

- You have a man who cares a lot about you and takes care of your duties since you are not mentally good right now. (BROOKE)

- You mean... Carlos did this? (ANNA)

- You have people that you can rely on, you are not alone anymore. (BROOKE)

There was a pause for a while

- Are you perhaps talking about someone who is not... alive anymore? (ANNA)

Another pause.

- I think deep down... you always knew... didn't you? (BROOKE)

- Did I? (ANNA)

- Actions speak louder than words. So what are his actions telling you? (BROOKE)

- That he was a good soldier who knew how to take orders from my grandfather. (ANNA)

- And why would your grandfather do that? Wasn't it to make you stronger? Knowledgeable, more mature, with wisdom? Didn't you survive because of his guardians? (BROOKE)

- It wasn't for free. (ANNA)

- He wanted to protect both of you just in case one of you turned on each other. Emilio was his brother and you were his daughter whom raised for so many years. How could he accept that you two turned against each other for your unfortunate circumstances? (BROOKE)

- But why did I have to pay the price for other people's actions? (ANNA)

- I know, it's not fair. What Tyron did to you was not fair. (BROOKE)

- What do you mean? (ANNA - FROWNING)

- Ivan knew. He knew that Tyron was training you since you were only three. He was also his business partner since he thought that he didn't like his brother, Emilio. (BROOKE)

- So, you mean... I see. (ANNA)

- Ivan had a theory that Tyrone's training was so harsh that was no different from abuse. He was the one who taught you 'Show no fear, no weakness, and no mercy' after all. (BROOKE)

- "Ivan knew? Did he know... everything?" (ANNA)

- This is the reason you couldn't fully trust him. Isn't it? Because you were remembering everything but you didn't want to remember. (BROOKE)

- How do you even know this stuff? (ANNA)

- Ivan couldn't stop talking about you. I admit that at some point I was so jealous of you because I was feeling that he was always comparing me with you. But later I realized that he was telling all this stuff to me because he wanted you to know his feelings. He knew that you would never believe his words. He was always proud of you, even more from his son, Antony! (BROOKE)

- So was he really his son? (ANNA)

- He wasn't sure, to be honest. Ivan realized that Antony's mother wouldn't be the best influence on the kid, that's why in the end he accepted him as his son. (BROOKE)

- " But Antony just wanted his father's approval and to be proud of him but ended up comparing me all the time. Ivan always loved to test people, and that was also a test of character for all of us, but they haven't seen through it. No wonder Antony failed." (ANNA)

- *Sigh* We all failed Ivan's tests, you were the only one who saw through it. No wonder you were his favorite after all. Unfortunately, I found out when it was too late. (BROOKE)

- He also trusted you for his feelings and motives, so if you had really failed he wouldn't open up to you. That's the proof that you have passed his test, he was having different ones for each one of us. (ANNA)

- Hmm, I guess it makes sense. Since he was testing us for different subjects, so of course the tests had to be different too. (BROOKE - SMILE)

- Ivan trusted you, maybe that was his test for you. BTW I always wanted to know if you know how Ivan and your father knew each other. (ANNA)

- I'm afraid I don't know that. (BROOKE)

- I see. Thanks for visiting me. (ANNA)

- Feel free to ask me if you want to know more. (BROOKE)

Anna nodded and Brooke exited from the room.

While Brooke was still in front of the closed door was thinking about something Ivan had told her before he died.

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- "Our lives are like an endless hallway with closed doors. There are some doors that we can open and there are some doors that we can't because they are locked. There are doors that will help us in the future and we have to find the key to open them, however... some doors should stay shut... FOREVER!" (IVAN)

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- " I wonder if Anna is in the process to keep some doors shut... or if she is trying to close some doors that she opened." (BROOKE)

A soft smile was formed on Brooke's face while thinking of Anna.

- " She is indeed a strong character, just like Ivan said." (BROOKE)

Brooke left from the second floor to the first floor to greet Carlos who accepted her into his home. While she was close to the living room she ended up hearing a conversation that he had with some people.

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*Inside the Living Room*

Carlos was with Tom and Henry along with the rest of the 'Top 5', Kristy and Jessy.

- It's been a week, is Dr. Wilson really ok? (JESSY)

- I'm talking with her therapist Nicolas Robinson every day. He told me that, this is what Anna needs right now. Time for herself, she needs to think about her life to move on. (CARLOS)

- *Sigh* It's true, Anna was focusing on her survival for years and didn't have time for anything else. (KRISTY)

- To be locked in her room all day is also not healthy either. (ALYSSA)

- Aly, this is something she needs. I know that you are worried about her, but this is something that must be done at some point. (ISSAC)

- In order to find yourself, you have to lose it first. And Anna had lost it when she was very young when she was only six years old. (QUINN)

- Or she may have never found it in the first place. (KRISTY)

- What the hell are you even talking about? Are we just going to sit there and do nothing? (ALYSSA)

- The only thing we can do right now is to support her the best way we can. (CARLOS)

- If this is what she needs, then this is what we should do. Even a professional said that is necessary for her mental health. (HENRY)

- I also agree, even though I'm scared of her because she is the devil, she is not that bad. (TOM)

- TOM! Why are you calling Dr. Wilson a devil? She had done nothing wrong. (JESSY)

- Jess, she is the TOP 1 the assassin, known as the chameleon, she has killed a lot of people. Besides her eyes glow like the devil. Have you really didn't notice that? (TOM)

- Oh, so you also saw it? (ISSAC)

- She is really scary when that happens, like a monster. (ALYSSA)

- And let's not forget the spark too that looks like a predator. (QUINN)

- Oh come on guys, I think you're exaggerating. (KRISTY - ROLLS HER EYES)

- What's wrong being a strong and independent woman? It's a way to show her strong personality. (JESSY)

- I think that's her charm too. (CARLOS)

- Wait, WHAT? Boss, you also saw them too? (TOM)

- Of course, I saw them too. Only a blind person wouldn't see them. (CARLOS)

Before anyone had a chance to reply to Carlos there was a knock on the living room door. Everyone focussed on the door hoping deep down that it was Anna who decided to have a small walk, but at the same time, they were a little nervous if she also heard their conversation too.

- Come in. (CARLOS)

The person who came in was of course Brooke, not Anna. After hearing their conversation about Anna, Brooke decided to talk to them about the stuff she knew from Ivan. Everyone was listening to her completely focussed on her words. When she finished talking there was a deadly silence among them.

- I ended up listening to your conversation, and I've also realized that you really care about Anna. That's why I decided to tell you what I have known so far. (BROOKE)

- Oh my god! It's so complicated story. Dr. Wilson has definitely been through a lot. (JESSY)

- *Sigh* It's really a fucked up story. No wonder Anna needs time for herself. (KRISTY)

- Do you have any idea if Emilio will try to go after Anna? (QUINN)

- But she may be his daughter, do you really think he will do something to her? (ALYSSA)

- We don't know if she is Emilio's daughter, besides we also don't know if Anna would want to go after Emilio too. It's been years since the incident. (ISSAC)

- He is also married now, so he might move on. That doesn't mean he won't want revenge for his brother's death, and Anna killed his brother. (TOM)

- Anna would might also want revenge since Emilio was the mastermind behind her family's murder. Well, technically it was a rescue mission that ended up wrong, but no one was punished for the crime and Anna ended up paying the price. (HENRY)

- It could also be John Dragon's intention all along. (CARLOS)

- Why would he kill his daughter and grandson? (TOM)

- John requested from Ivan to train the last descendant, not descendants. It was like he knew the outcome. (CARLOS)

- Maybe he wasn't trusting Emilio about the rescue being successful, back then Emilio wasn't strong and experienced as he is now. (TOM)

- It's still kinda suspicious that he didn't mention anything about Anna's brother. But how could he know that only Anna would survive? (HENRY)

- It's true! Not even Ivan could understand John Dragon's thinking and actions. However, Ivan told me that there was someone else who was even more suspicious to him. (BROOKE)

Everyone's attention was once again on Brooke's words.

- Who? (EVERYONE)

- Barbara Fox! (BROOKE)

- WHAT? (EVERYONE)

- She is just a trophy wife, how the hell can she be any threat at all? (CARLOS)

- Ivan had told me that, 'quiet people are the ones you should be more worried about the most.' Besides, just because the river is quiet and calm, that doesn't mean it can't drown you. (BROOKE)

- Hmm, to be honest, I didn't even know that Fox was married until we met her. (CARLOS)

- So he was hiding her? Why? Is it because he didn't get over Anna's mother? Or for protection? (TOM)

- It looks like we should be alert for these two. (HENRY)

- Ivan had told me that Barbara was also Emilio's childhood friend and Tyron's too. (BROOKE)

- So she definitely knows more about Anna's mother. (CARLOS)

- He also told me that Barbara was always in love with Emilio since she was young. (BROOKE)

Everyone nodded for understanding what Brooke was trying to say.

If Barbara was in love with Emilio since childhood doesn't that mean that she also had a motive to get rid of the woman Emilio loves?

But having a motive wasn't enough, did she even have the connections and means to do it under Emilio's nose?

If she was somehow involved wouldn't Ivan have found out? But even if she wasn't involved that doesn't mean she doesn't know something that the others don't, or if she was somehow involved in what happened to Anna's family back then. Otherwise why Ivan would suspect her in the first place?

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*A week later*

Carlos was walking towards the big fancy building, entering the elevator and waiting to move to his destination. The elevator stopped, and the door opened, soon after Carlos exited and was walking towards the door.

He opened the door and took a sit in the waiting room, however soon after he heard loud voices of arguing.

At first, he wasn't interested in the argument because it had nothing to do with him. But soon later he heard a familiar name and started paying attention to the arguing.

The arguing and the yelling were going on for almost 30 minutes. When Carlos realized that it was time for one of the people to exit from the room and see him there, he decided to hide in the bathroom.

- "It looks like I made the right decision to stop by at the last minute. Who would have thought that I would find out something interesting in the office of Mr. Robinson." (CARLOS)

Soon enough the door busted opened with force and someone who clearly was angry exited the place. A couple of seconds later someone else appeared in the waiting room, and it was none other than Nicolas Robinson.

Carlos opened the door of the bathroom and Nicolas noticed him almost immediately, and of course, there was a big surprised expression on his face. Before Nicolas had a chance to respond to his uninvited guest Carlos responded first with a calm but irritated voice.

- Are you really going to arrest Anna? (CARLOS)

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*Nicolas the therapist is based on a real person who is also a therapist and helps me with the psychology of the characters and their development.*

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