Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love

"Her own father and brother?" When Andrew mentioned that something awful had happened to Janet, she didn't expect it to be something so inhuman and terrible.

Andrew sighed and nodded. "Yes, it happened three years ago in their own house."

Rachael tightened her grip around Andrew. She couldn't find the right words to express how she was feeling. How can some people be so cruel and horrible?

Just then something struck her. "Wait, her brother—Riftan?" She gulped in nervousness, waiting for his reply. If Riftan was the brother who raped her, what was she still doing with him?"

He shook his head. "No, not Riftan. It was their youngest one, Harry." Pausing for a while, he added, "Riftan was the one who saved her."

"I don't understand—"

"Janet is the adopted daughter of the Genovesse family," he explained. "When Riftan's parents couldn't conceive for five years into their marriage, they adopted Janet from an agency. I think she was three years old at that time. But a couple of months after the whole adoption thing, Riftan's mother got pregnant with him."

Keeping quiet for a while, he added, "Riftan's dad wasn't a good man. He had been charged for molestation and rape several times. He had several mistresses who were half his age. From what I had heard, he had a thing for young women."

"So he ended up raping his own daughter?" The mere thought of it disgusted her.

Andrew sighed. "From what I have heard, the inappropriate touches started the moment Janet turned eighteen. Some people even said that they had seen him touching her inappropriately during events and parties. I don't know if she tried telling anyone or not."

"Anyway, five years after having Riftan, Harry was born and rumours have it that he was just like his father. As he grew up, he ended up following his father's footsteps and had a similar record as him."
"Is Riftan also the same?" Rachael was very worried about Janet's safety. One feels safest when they are at home with their family but that wasn't the case for Janet.

He shook his head. "He is not. Though I don't like him, it's fair to say that he is the most decent of all the Genovesse."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "He seems to really care about his sister. I saw it at the mall that day when he came to pick her up." It wasn't hard for her to see how protective Riftan was of his sister.

"If there is anyone Riftan cares about it is Janet," Andrew remarked. "He has done everything in his power to ensure her safety after what happened to her in his absence."

"What did he do?"

He hesitated for a while before telling her the truth. "He killed his entire family."

Rachael widened her eyes in shock and looked at him. "He killed his father and brother?"

"And his mother." He ran his finger through her hair. "If I was in his place, I would have done the same thing. There is no point turning them to the police. Filthy people like them deserve to die. That is the only way we can ensure justice and safety."


She gulped in nervousness. "I-I don't know what to say." She buried her face on his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and sighed, "This is how things work in our world. We don't always follow the rules."

"Even you?" He nodded. "Have you—" She paused for a while. "Have you killed someone?"

Before Andrew could answer, she interrupted him. "Leave, don't answer that question." She hugged him tightly. By now she had an idea of the kind of business the Volkov family was into. Andrew being a part of the family was definitely involved in it.

Rachael did not know much about the world he was a part of but she knew enough to understand that it wasn't white or a simple one. It was stained, corrupted, cruel and black.

Did Andrew being a part of it bothered her? Yes, it bothered her. But that didn't mean she loved him any less. For her, he would always be the man she would love and cherish her entire life no matter what he did.

Andrew did not say anything. He understood the conflict she was feeling. All of this and the information she received was new for her. Rachael was never a part of his world. She was used to living a normal life but that changed when she married him.

With things stirring up slowly, he figured that it would be best if he slowly told her bits and pieces about everything that was happening around them. He wanted her to be aware of her surroundings and stay alert all the time.

"I don't think Riftan did anything wrong." Rachael looked at him. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Of course not." He cupped his cheeks. "People like them don't deserve any form of mercy."

"I feel bad for Janet." she sighed. "That day when I met her at the store, she looked very lonely."

"She disappeared for a couple of years after that incident," he answered. "Rumours have it that Riftan took her to the States where she underwent several therapy sessions. She was under severe depression. He brought her back to Russia only last year."

"She doesn't socialise or make any friends anymore," he added. "She has been by herself since then."

Rachael's heart clenched for Janet. Why was she the one suffering when it wasn't even her fault? Why is life so unfair at times?

"But Riftan is taking good care of her. He is a very good brother." Even though they were old enemies, Andrew always appreciated this side of Riftan. The things he had done for his sister and to make sure she is always safe was remarkable.

"Janet is lucky to have a brother like him."

"Hmm, she is." He kissed the top of her head. "I know after hearing this story you think Riftan is a good man but that isn't the case. He might be a good person for his sister but that isn't the same for everyone."

….