Camilia was in the midst of her bedtime routine when her father, Hex, entered her room abruptly. "Dad, do you need something?" she asked, startled by his presence.

"Yes. When were you planning to tell me you're pregnant with a Sarrington's child?" Hex countered, his tone icy. 

Shocked, Camilia leaped out of bed, "How did you find out?!" she demanded.

"A little birdie told me," Hex replied cryptically. "Do you remember what happened to your brother when I found out he was dating a Sarrington?"

Camilia shook her head in denial, her heart pounding with fear.

"I had my men rough him up, broke his spirit until he agreed to follow my rules," Hex revealed, causing a chill to run down Camilia's spine. "But you're my daughter, I won't resort to such measures. However, you're not allowed to leave this house, or even this room. William will provide you with food and drink, nothing more," Hex declared, heading towards the door.

"Wait! You can't just keep me in here like a prisoner!" Camilia protested.

"I can, and I will," Hex affirmed, his voice devoid of any sympathy. "But I'm your daughter!" Camilia pleaded, desperation tingeing her voice.

"You should have thought about that before you slept with a Sarrington. Oh, and let me take this," Hex said, snatching her phone from her before exiting the room, leaving a distraught Camilia behind.

Meanwhile, her brothers, Psycho and Aaron, had overheard the entire exchange. "Dad, we heard everything. Why are you treating our sister like a prisoner?" Psycho questioned, his anger evident.

"She's carrying a Sarrington's child. That's unacceptable. By confining her, I'm preventing her from running off to them," Hex justified.

Aaron, indifferent, shrugged, "I don't see a problem with it."

"Aaron, that's our little sister! It shouldn't matter who the father of her baby is!" Psycho argued, his voice filled with frustration.

Hex turned to Psycho with a stern look, "If you're so concerned about her, you can join her in confinement. And you know I won't hesitate when it comes to you."

Psycho fell silent, glaring at his father. Hex continued, unfazed by his son's resentment, "The Sarrington's gala is in a month. Let's start preparing," he said before sauntering off, leaving his sons in a state of shock and anger.

A month had passed since the tumultuous family dinner. Tensions still ran high within the Sarrington household. The sisters, unable to engage in a conversation without resorting to arguments, had resorted to avoiding each other entirely. 

Meanwhile, the romantic relationships within the family had also seen significant shifts. Ralph and Eliza had decided to put an end to their romantic relationship and remain just friends. Ralph, however, was visibly worried about Camilia, who had been unresponsive to his calls and texts for the entire month. 

Katherine, on the other hand, had been trying to reconcile with both Aspen and Toby, but her attempts had been met with cold silences. On the bright side, BJ and Carson's relationship was flourishing. And Dan and Laxmi seemed to be wondering why they were even part of this intricate story. 

"Don't worry, Dan and Laxmi, season 2 of 'Two Flames' is coming out this Friday," the narrator reassured them. 

However, today was the day of the gala, and everyone hoped that they could leave their personal tensions behind, at least for the night. Well, almost everyone. True to his nature, BJ was secretly hoping for some drama to spice up the evening.

"Alright, kids, come on. The limo is here," Kate announced. She was impeccably dressed in a sparkly green gown that shimmered under the lights. 

"You look beautiful, honey," Greg complimented, donning a matching green tuxedo. He planted a loving kiss on her cheek.

Oklahoma and Ralph were next to descend the stairs. Oklahoma looked elegant in her blue and white dress, her hair cascading down her shoulders. Ralph, on the other hand, looked dapper in a red tuxedo. 

BJ soon joined them, looking sharp in a black tuxedo adorned with a blue tie. Katherine then made her appearance, looking stunning in a pink dress.

"All of you look perfect. Let me take a picture," Kate gushed, reaching for her camera.

"Really, mom? We said don't do this," Oklahoma protested, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I know, but all of you look so great! Let your mother take your picture!" Kate pleaded, her excitement contagious. The siblings reluctantly huddled together, striking poses for the camera. 

Kate captured the moment, her face lighting up in satisfaction. "Beautiful! I will definitely frame this," she declared.

"Okay, you guys know the plan with Hex," Greg began, his tone suddenly serious. "But other than that, I do want us to enjoy the night and have fun. Let the tension go away; we are family, remember."

Oklahoma and Katherine exchanged glances but remained silent. 

"Alright, let's get in the limo," Greg finally said, leading the way towards an evening filled with potential excitement and drama.

At the Gala

"Alright, BJ and Oklahoma are at their posts, and they'll give us updates via the earpieces. Now, go have fun, but stay on guard," Greg instructed his team.

Just then, Jay approached Ralph. "So I heard you're about to be a father. Kinda sad I'm the last one to know, considering I'm your best friend," Jay remarked.

"Well, you haven't been around since Chapter 1 for even a second, so that's probably why," Ralph replied, trying to lighten the mood. "Hopefully, I’ll have more screen time in Season 2. But anyways, how are you and Camilia planning to handle this?" Jay said.

"We're trying to work it out, but I haven't heard from her in a month. I'm worried," Ralph admitted, his concern evident in his voice.

"Do you think her dad found out?" Jay suggested, aware of the potential implications.

"Maybe he did. I just don't want to think negatively right now," Ralph responded, hoping to steer the conversation away from his worries.

Switching topics, Jay asked, "On another note, how are things between you and Eliza?"

"I don't even want to talk about that. We're not seeing each other anymore; we've decided to just stay friends," Ralph disclosed, his tone indicating he had already closed that chapter of his life.

"Wow, I never thought that would happen," Jay admitted, surprised by the turn of events.

"Yeah, I always knew one day it would come, but anyway, let's stay alert," Ralph said, eager to shift his focus back to the task at hand and avoid any further discussions about Eliza or Camilia for the time being.

Oklahoma and BJ were on guard duty at the door. "I never thought my little brother BJ would ever get into a relationship," Oklahoma mused.

"I know, but it's surprisingly nice. Carson and I are just..." BJ began, but was cut off by Oklahoma.

"Perfect," she finished for him. 

"Yeah, we are perfect together," BJ agreed, laughing. "I better be invited to the wedding," Oklahoma demanded playfully.

"As if you wouldn't be," BJ retorted, both siblings sharing a moment of camaraderie.

Meanwhile, Katherine spotted Toby. "Toby!" she called out, approaching him. "Hey," she greeted, trying to keep her tone light.

Toby responded with a curt "Hey," his cold demeanor indicating his lingering resentment.

"I know you're mad. I should have been honest about my feelings instead of leading you on. I'm sorry, Toby," Katherine apologized, her eyes filled with regret.

"I know you're sorry, and I accept your apology," Toby replied. "I've already informed my father about canceling the wedding plans and the whole deal. It's just not right for us."

"Thank you," Katherine responded, relief washing over her. "I hope we can go back to being friends."

"Maybe. I still need some time, but I do forgive you," Toby admitted, offering a glimmer of hope for their friendship.

"Okay, I understand," Katherine said, accepting his need for space. Just then, Kate called out, "Kat! Come here, your aunt, uncle, and cousin are here."

"Well, I got to go. Talk to you whenever," Katherine said, excusing herself to join her mother.

"And that's how you strike a pose, Danny boy," Kendall boasted, reveling in her ability to provoke her cousin. "I hate you. I hate that you're my cousin," Dan responded, his frustration evident.

"I know, and that's what boosts my ego even more," Kendall retorted, her mischievous grin never fading. "You're still as mean as ever," Ralph chimed in. 

"And that's never going to change," Kendall responded, unabashed. "So, when am I going to get my own story? Dan has his, and the four of you have yours. When am I going to have mine?" Kendall queried, eager for her own spotlight. 

"I want one too," Diana echoed, voicing her desire to be a central character. "Ask the author, she might give you two your own stories," Katherine suggested, joining in their banter.

On the other hand, Aaron approached his father, Hex, with a question. "Alright, Dad, do you want us to go in as we always do?" Aaron asked, ready to execute the usual plan.

"Actually, we're not taking their things this time," Hex announced, deviating from their typical strategy. 

"What do you mean? We do that every year," Aaron pointed out, baffled by this sudden change of plans. "Have you gone soft, Dad? Because if you have, I can take over the company," he challenged, pushing his father's buttons.

Hex, in response, grabbed Aaron's shirt, pulling him close. "How about you shut up?" he growled, his patience wearing thin. "And for your information, I've got something that will hurt the family more than just taking their things. Just trust me. Now, where is your brother? I told him we were leaving now!"

"I don't know," Aaron replied, taken aback by his father's intensity.

In the house,

"Hey, William, do you mind if I talk to my sister?" Psycho asked, his voice carrying an odd sense of urgency.

"I don't know... Hex told me I can't let you in," William replied, torn between his loyalty to Hex and his camaraderie with Psycho.

Without wasting another moment, Psycho knocked William out, swiftly retrieving the key from his pocket. He unlocked the door, revealing his sister on the other side. 

"Psycho?!" Camilia exclaimed, rushing towards him for a hug.

"Hey, lil sis," Psycho replied, returning the embrace. 

"What are you doing?" Camilia asked, her confusion evident.

"I'm getting you out of here," Psycho explained. "I don't have much time; Dad will be looking for me soon. But I need you to run away and never come back, okay? I'll text you when we leave so you can grab your things and go. I want you and the baby to have a better life than this."

"Thank you. But what about you? I know you don't want to be here either," Camilia expressed her concern for her brother.

"Oh, I'm getting out of here too, I just need to do something first. But I need to go. I'll text you when we leave. Here's the key to your car. Be safe," Psycho said, handing her the key before leaving to meet his father.

Back at the gala,

"Hmm, no sign of Hex or his group," Oklahoma observed, her brows furrowed in confusion. "This is weird; they would usually show up around this time. Something's not right. I'm going to see Dad. Will you be okay here?" BJ proposed, ready to share his concerns with their father.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Oklahoma assured him, allowing BJ to leave his post.

As BJ made his way back into the gala, Eliza intercepted him. "Hey you!" she greeted him. "Oh, hey," BJ responded, slightly taken aback.

"Is everything okay?" Eliza inquired, noticing his unsettled demeanor. 

"Yeah, no, I don't know, maybe?" BJ answered, his uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Hex hasn't shown up yet, and I suspect he's planning something big. I just want to give my dad and the rest of the gang a heads up."

"Okay, you tell your parents, and I'll inform the gang," Eliza suggested, ready to help spread the word.

"Okay," BJ agreed. He then approached his father, who was engaged in a conversation with a few guests. "Dad, can I talk to you for a minute? I need to tell you something," BJ requested, hoping to alert his father about the impending threat.

Oklahoma was still on high alert, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Hex or his crew, but to no avail. Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth and dragged her into a closet. 

"What the fuck," she spluttered, reeling from the shock. "Shh, it's just me," a familiar voice reassured her. Psycho.

"You are ten times worse," Oklahoma retorted, punching his arm in frustration. 

"Okay, I deserved that," Psycho conceded, rubbing his arm where she had struck him. "Why are you here? Are you here to distract me so your father can do what he does?" Oklahoma accused, suspicion clouding her voice.

"No. My dad is here, but I snuck up here to talk to you," Psycho clarified, his voice heavy with emotions she couldn't quite decipher. 

"If this is about us - I don't want to hear it," Oklahoma interjected, not ready to revisit their complicated past.

"I know, I know. But Oak, I love you and it hurts me to death that I hurt you that night," Psycho confessed, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "You know, I was figuring out what to get you for Valentine's until my brother told me my father wanted to see me. He lectured me about our relationship, and when I talked back, he ordered his men to beat me up right in front of him."

"What?" Oklahoma gasped, shocked by the revelation. Psycho was now crying, the memories of his father's indifference too much to bear. 

"Eugene," Oklahoma murmured, pulling him into a comforting embrace. 

"That Valentine's, I made you this necklace," Psycho admitted, producing a silver necklace from his pocket. It had a heart-shaped pendant with the engraving 'O + E forever'. Oklahoma shed a tear as she read the inscription.

"I wanted to tell you that whatever happens to us, we will never let our love for each other go," Psycho told her, his voice filled with determination. "Oklahoma, I'm done being with my dad and suffering his abuse. I want to be with you. I want to spend my whole life with you."

Oklahoma responded by kissing him, their lips meeting in a sweet, soft kiss that stirred memories of happier times. When they finally broke apart, Oklahoma said, "I never stopped loving you. But if we're going to do this, you really have to leave your dad. I just don't want to get hurt again."

"I am leaving. And based on how tonight goes, I know how to do it," Psycho promised, slipping the necklace onto Oklahoma. She blushed and touched the pendant, the weight of his words sinking in. 

"Wait, you said your dad is here. What's his plan?" Oklahoma asked, her mind quickly shifting back to the present threat. "He said something about not stealing things this time. He has a different way that's going to hurt your family more," Psycho revealed.

"We need to get in there. You should go meet up with your dad, so it doesn't look suspicious," Oklahoma instructed, her focus now on the imminent danger. 

"Okay. Can I get another kiss?" Psycho asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes. Oklahoma obliged, kissing him once again before taking her leave.

Back at the gala, "What is it, BJ? Why aren't you guarding with Oklahoma?" Greg questioned his son, noticing his absence from his post.

"Hex hasn't made an appearance yet. I think he's got a different pla-" BJ began, but his sentence was abruptly cut off. The doors to the gala swung open, and Hex strolled in, his men trailing behind him, guns drawn.

"Hex!" Greg cried out, instantly on high alert.

"Hey, Greg, and the family. Miss me?" Hex greeted with a smirk.

Just then, Oklahoma entered the room. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She quickly ran over to her father. "What do you want us to do?" she asked, ready to take action.

"All of you, get your guns out," Greg ordered. Oklahoma and BJ swiftly signaled the rest of the gang, and they all drew their weapons.

"What do you want, Hex? Do you want our money? Take it," Greg offered, hoping to defuse the situation.

"You think I want your money?! I've got enough, even though more would be great. But that's not why I'm here," Hex retorted.

"Then why are you here?" Greg demanded, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm here to ask why you and Kate never told your family the truth," Hex announced, his voice carrying throughout the room.

"What?" Greg stuttered, taken aback. "What is he talking about?" BJ asked, his confusion mirrored on the faces of everyone present.

"You know, the truth about your daughter Katherine," Hex continued, his gaze fixed on Greg.

Greg's face turned ashen while Kate fell silent, both of them gripped by shock. "Dad, Mom, what is Hex talking about?" Katherine asked, her voice trembling.

"Nothing, he's just trying to make stuff up," Greg quickly dismissed Hex's claim.

"Why would I make up that Katherine is my daughter?" Hex retorted, his declaration rendering the gala silent. All eyes were on Katherine.

"Wait, what?" Katherine blurted out, her world spinning. "He's got to be lying. Mom never cheated on Dad! Especially not with you of all people," Ralph defended, his voice filled with disbelief.

"But you're wrong. Because Kate and I had a fling in July 2000, and nine months later, in March 2001, Katherine was born," Hex revealed, his words hitting everyone like a punch to the gut.

"Mom wouldn't hook up with you! Right, Mom?" BJ asked, his eyes pleading with his mother for a denial.

"I... Your father and I were going through a rough patch in our relationship, and I made a mistake-" Kate began, but was cut off as the reality of the situation sank in.

"So, Hex is telling the truth?" Katherine asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Your mother and I moved past it. When she told me she was pregnant with you, I accepted it and took you as my own," Greg confessed, his gaze never leaving his daughter.

"You guys lied to me. For years," Katherine accused, tears streaming down her face.

"Wait, that means Katherine is our sister?!" Aaron exclaimed, turning to Psycho in disbelief.

Feeling betrayed, Katherine announced, "I can't be here anymore," before running out of the gala. "Katherine, wait!" Greg and Kate shouted, chasing after their daughter. Oklahoma, BJ, and Ralph were quick to follow.

"Katherine, let us explain," Kate pleaded, but Katherine was already getting into her car.

"No!" she shouted, driving away, leaving her family behind.

Hex stepped outside, a satisfied grin on his face. "Looks like my work here is done. Guys, let's go," he ordered his men.

"You will pay for this," Greg threatened, but Hex just shrugged.

"Maybe, but I think you should be focusing on your family and the lies you've told them for years," Hex retorted before leaving.

"He's right," Ralph acknowledged, his voice filled with resignation. Meanwhile, Kate broke down in tears, and Oklahoma moved to comfort her, the weight of the night's revelations hanging heavy in the air.

At the Blackwood house,"A win, feels good, doesn't it?" Hex gloated, stepping into his house after the havoc he'd wreaked upon the Sarringtons.

"Yeah... So how long have you known about this?" Aaron asked, curious about the bombshell Hex had dropped at the gala.

"I had my suspicions for a while, all I needed was for Kate and Greg to confirm it. And what a confirmation it was! You two want some?" Hex offered, pouring a glass of scotch.

"I'm good," Psycho declined, his mind elsewhere.

"I'll take one," Aaron accepted, extending his glass.

"Sir, you are finally back! Camilia is gone!" William announced, his voice fraught with panic.

"What?! How could you let that happen?!" Hex thundered, his initial satisfaction evaporating.

"Well, because Psycho knocked me out, and when I woke up, she was gone. All the clothes in her room were gone too," William explained, his voice trembling.

"Did you let her go, Psycho?!" Hex demanded, turning his glare onto his son.

"I did," Psycho admitted, standing his ground.

"Why would you do that?!" Hex roared, his anger palpable.

"Because you locked my sister up like she was a prisoner, and I didn’t want her to go through the abuse I had to endure for years! So yeah, I let my sister go, and I am leaving too!" Psycho declared, his voice echoing throughout the room.

Hex burst into laughter, "Leaving?! Like hell you're not! You will be running my company soon, and you're not leaving."

"Like hell I want to run your company and become like you! Aaron is already like you, pick him or whatever. I'm done. I'm leaving," Psycho retorted, his decision final.

"If you're doing this because of that Oklah-" Hex began, only to be cut off by Psycho.

"Don’t you dare say her name!" Psycho yelled, visibly enraged. "This is not because of her, this is because you're an awful father, and I'm tired of being abused here. So I am leaving," Psycho declared, striding towards the door.

"Psycho, you know if you leave, I'm cutting off all your bank cards," Hex warned, a final attempt to maintain control.

"I would rather have no money than continue to suffer abuse here. And the name is not Psycho anymore. It's Eugene. It's always been, and it always will be," Eugene stated defiantly before exiting the house.

Hex, left alone, hurled his glass to the floor and screamed, his fury resonating through the empty house.

Meanwhile, at the Sarringtons', Oklahoma walked into the dining room where the family was gathered. "She isn’t answering the calls," she reported, her voice filled with worry.

"I texted her too, it shows delivered," BJ added, his face a mask of concern.

"We messed up. I thought we were doing the right thing keeping it from her, but it got worse," Kate confessed, her tears flowing freely. Greg comforted his wife, his own guilt evident.

Just then, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Ralph volunteered, rising from his seat. He opened the door to find Camilia standing there, looking lost.

"Hey... Can I stay here?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

End of Volume 1

 

Author Note

Hope you enjoyed the volume! Two Flames start back this Friday! The Sarrington’s won’t return until volume two of TF is finish!