75: THE SOUND OF FEAR
ARIEL’S POV
“Who said the two of you could carry out this nonsense in my kitchen?” Mariam snapped at my mom, and I.
“Your kitchen?” I raised an eyebrow. “You barely even be here. And by the
house.”
“It’s just about a matter of time before I throw you out.”
I chuckled. “Impossible.”
“The both of you can leave now!” She snarled.
way,
this is my
My mother entered the conversation with a calm tone, “I’m sorry miss, but we’re preparing…..
“No one said you can talk!” Mariam barked at her.
“Don’t you dare raise your voice at her!” I gave Mariam a dark look.
She returned the expression. “Just look at this little rat, raising her voice at me like I was her puppet, or something.”
“If you want respect. Then you got to be respectful,” I told her. “Don’t think people are going to be smiling at you when you got that disgusting attitude.”
“Disgusting attitude?” Mariam laughed. “You went ahead to poison yourself, and put the blame on me. Now you’re saying I got a disgusting attitude?”
“You poisoned yourself?” My mom uttered softly, and looked at me. “Ariel, is this true?”
“Come on now mother. Why in the world would I do such a thing? Poisoning myself? Hell no.”
“Oh shut up now. Enough with the lies,” Mariam spat.
“Hey, you need to have some manners,” my mom told Mariam.
Mariam burst into laughter. “You’re telling me to have manners? When your daughter right here has none.”
“I won’t let you insult my daughter like that, do you hear me?!” My mom’s anger was awakened.
“What are you going to do?” Mariam moved closer to my mother. “Your daughter is nothing but a worthless piece of trash,” she said in huhsed tones.
My mom, brimming with rage, surprised Mariam with a tight slap. And as Mariam held her face in shock, she received another slap. Then my mom gave her the third one on a different cheek.
Mariam gaped at my mother who did nothing but glare at her. She couldn’t believe what just happened.
“That is what you get for being disrespectful to my daughter.” My mom picked a knife. “If you try to talk nonsense again, I won’t hesitate to stab you with this.”
15 THE SOUND OF FEAR
“Okay mom, you got to calm down. That’s enough, that’s enough,” I said, lowering the knife she was holding.
After that, we heard a the thunderous sound of a bullet released in the air.
the three of us exchanged fearful glances, my
as I could
bullet,” my mom said
vanished when I heard more gunshots, one after another, growing louder and closer. Panic gripped me immediately. I wasn’t going to lie, I was submerging in
voice quivering with urgency. “Mom, we need to get
to relax. Everything will be fine,” my mom
think so,” Mariam spoke, and I looked
have time for a beef right now,”
rolled her eyes. “You
knew something was definitely
grabbed my mom’s hand, and began to tread at a fast pace. Mariam moved behind
rushed through the elegant hallways. I could hear our footsteps echoing in the mansion. Each step brought us closer to one of the rooms where
the cacophony of
stomach, fueling
we reached the sanctuary of the dark room, my mom and I. I slammed the door shut behind us, just as Mariam was about to join us
was that for?” My mom questioned me
like I
that door right now and let her
“But mom..”
mode was serious, and her
eventually shifted backwards, opening the
door from downstairs. And at this point, I
moment.
THE CHANG
trembled as she fixed her hands around her chest. “What’s happening out
know, but we need to stay calm and stay hidden until it’s safe. We have to trust that help will come.”
“But we can’t just keep standing here like
huh?” Mariam aksed. Her irritating tone caused
her.
darted around the room, as I was searching for anything that could offer a sense
large wardrobe in the corner of the room. I had
the wardrobe. It’s our best chance to stay out
going to fit into that?” Mariam
an irritated look. “If you don’t want to hide in it. That’s your own cup of tea. Maybe you can find
I exhaled deeply, before
pressed against each other. The scent of old clothes filled the air, mingling with the fear. I even wondered who these clothes used to
but my fear compounded the moment I heard some maids screaming. The gunshots
had to realize that Riley was still in the house, and her life could be in danger. I quickly burst out of the
mom asked me, she
worry about me. Just keep yourself safe,” I answered, leaving
ARIEL’S POV
of gunshots reverberated through the mansion. Panic gripped her as I had a conscience of the danger that lurked just
cautiously stepped through the corridor, my footsteps muffled by the plush carpet beneath my feet. The air was thick with tension, and I was filled with terror. But I needed to gather the courage. I was not going to
the air. Accompanied by the desperate screams coming from downstairs, my
couldn’t bear to imagine what was happening below, but I knew I
was too late. The chaos and terror surrounding me was suffocating, and I could
emanating from downstairs was overwhelming. My heart raced and my hands shook as I tried to steady myself. But I knew I couldn’t let fear consume me. I
LUKE’S POV
working my way through a stack of documents, when suddenly my phone began to ring. At first, I tried to ignore
and my mind told me it was that guy who kept
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!