volatile

Relieved. Vindicated. Satisfied. But most importantly, happy that Constance finally gets to live her life.

Because he's seen it ever since she married into the family–-how she was constantly compared to Cerys but could never live up to her. From the very beginning, it was a venture doomed to failure. How can one possibly meet expectations they could never fulfill, when nothing was ever good enough? It was cruel. She was never going to be good enough, not for Andrew, not for the children, was she?

Texting - Johnathan.

Melissa: Hey JJ. Melissa: Are you at Adriana’s birthday? Melissa: Haven’t see you, if so. :) Melissa: Seen**

Yes.

Which one?

-

As soon as he came in, Vidal settled in the arm chair, leaning his head back and letting out a big sigh. The last few months had been exhausting, but this was something they inevitably had to always be ready for. 

“I told you this would happen.” He started, instead of giving his friend a proper greeting. They’ve kept in touch for as much as possible, but this topic came before them grabbing a beer together at spoons and reminiscing about the good old days. “The Russians retaliated, as that was always on their agenda. At the awards after party, no less. At your niece’s Yvonne’s party, mind you.” He knew how close Johnathan was to the Rutherford kids. “At first, they left a body of a French Commandant, Elaina Halévy, attached to the boat, barely conscious. It is surprising she was alive in the end.” He finally picked his head up, directing his eyes at his boss. “That obviously sent the French into.. what should we call it? Mad dog disease? Something like that, innit. They went for Aviv Kasyanenko, stabbing a couple of times. You know how those things happen in a. moment of range. Remember, the party is at a full on at that point. So imagine the screams and chaos there. I did the best I could to get people out and protect from there being more casualties. However, it got out of hand so much, that there were shots fired. We have casualties. Aurélie Parra was shot dead. Very much presumably by the Russians. So you can imagine what’s that going to do to London. What’s that doing to us, as we’re the ones who invited the Russians with a bloody golden ticket.” He cursed a few times, before frustratedly showing his fist into the wall beside him. “That’s not all, John. Amir Dawar is dead, too. He was trying to her the French boss to safety, and he got affected too.” 

He was giving the information raw, because there was no more point on keeping this hidden under a comfort blanket. 

“So tell me, what position do you think, we as Rutherfords, are taking now?”

-

“Well, shit.”

With a loud sigh, Johnathan rubbed his hand across his face and leaned back in his chair. This was exactly why he kept asking Vidal for updates, and no one else, because the man didn’t sugarcoat. He told it straight as it was, never held back with information. Most of those loyal to the Rutherfords had Johnathan’s trust--and he was sure to quickly weed out those who’d betray it--but it was Vidal’s counsel he sought continuously. Both men operated the same way, understood what was at stake. Melissa might be Johnathan’s right hand, but Vidal was his confidant.

Johnathan pushed his fingers through his hair and sat back forward. “Here’s what I’m thinking.” And it was something he had been considering for quite some time, though he was hesitant to put those he had sworn to protect in immediate danger. “Let them tear each other apart. We sit back, watch. Do the bare minimum. Enough to keep those rabid dogs pleased. There *will* be hell to pay for Aurélie, and I don’t want us to get caught up in that fucking mess.” Johnathan drummed his knuckles on his desk. “In the meantime, I’ll kick Andrew’s bloody ass. Told him from the start this was a bad fucking idea.”

Slowly, Maksim’s lips curled into a malevolent grin, fingers tracing the edge of the crystal glass in hand. The amber glint caught the dim light. Taking a step forward, the presence of the other male overpowering, suffocating. “Good to know you’ve still got a sense of humor, John,”

-

“Johnathan.”

He watched, rather unimpressed, as this puppy pranced, playing at being in his prime. Perhaps, at one point, Johnathan did harbor some shred of respect for the Kurylenko family and all they were capable of. They were, if nothing else, soldiers to be sicced at their enemies, but the most recent developments left him rather...

Livid.

Texting 📲 Johnathan.

Melissa: When you get chance could you pop by the hospital? I’d like to discuss some things, although, it’ll be me writing it on a piece of paper rather than actually telling you. Melissa: I’d just rather not do it over text.

Because she is loyal. Because she is the goat. Because she is based and gives mind-numbing head.

Allegedly.

OOC, I'm still trying to catch up on everything that has happened, so bear with me. All I know so far is that Aurélie is deadge

and it put me in depression for weeks on end. Not my girl. Not my best girl. Sobs.

No.

Which, coming from a man who has two divorces and a broken-off engagement to his track record, might be surprising. Seems like he would just keep trying and trying, til he finds 'the one', doesn't it? Alas, his time away, and the end of his relationship with Jessica, put things into perspective. Perhaps something Johnathan needed to realize years ago, but just now concluded: