Camilla paced restlessly in her room, her mind racing with thoughts of finding a way out. Being confined to the top floor of the house only fueled her determination to break free. With each step, her frustration grew, but so did her resolve.
Surveying her surroundings, Camilla’s eyes landed on the window-the only potential means of escape. With a surge of determination, she approached it, her heart pounding with anticipation.
Inspecting the lock, Camilla’s fingers worked deftly, undoing it with precision. With a soft click, the window slid open, revealing the cool night air outside.
With a steadying breath, Camilla climbed onto the narrow ledge, her pulse quickening with each step. Balancing carefully, she traversed the treacherous path with cautious determination, her eyes fixed on the ground below.
With a final leap, Camilla landed safely on the ground, relief flooding through her as she took in her surroundings. Without a backward glance, she sprinted towards her mother’s office, her heart pounding with urgency.
Breathless and determined, Camilla burst into the office, her eyes scanning the room for any clue that might lead her to the truth. Amidst the clutter of papers, she spotted a folder labeled “Phoenix.”
With trembling hands, Camilla seized the folder, her heart racing as she delved into its contents. Page by page, she searched for answers, her determination unyielding.
As Camilla delved deeper into the contents of the folder labeled “Phoenix,” she unearthed a trove of secrets that shed light on Phoenix’s troubled past.
Amongst the documents were records detailing Phoenix’s tumultuous upbringing, including the abandonment by her mother at a young age. The pain of rejection was evident in the heartbreaking accounts of her childhood, painting a picture of a young girl grappling with loss and loneliness.
But the revelations didn’t end there. Camilla’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stumbled upon evidence of Phoenix’s transgressions-details of how she had allegedly stolen her own mother’s jewelry, a cherished family heirloom. The betrayal cut deep, casting a shadow of doubt over Camilla’s perceptions of her friend.
Struggling to reconcile the image of the Phoenix she knew with the one depicted in the documents before her, Camilla’s heart ached with conflicted emotions. How could someone she considered a friend be capable of such deceit? And Phoenix didn’t even tell her anything about her past life.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a chilling discovery at the end of the folder-a stark directive that sent shivers down her spine. “ELIMINATE HER!!” The words leaped off the page, a sinister command that filled Camilla with a sense of dread.
Fear and uncertainty gripped her as she grappled with the implications of the message. Was Phoenix in danger? And who was behind this sinister plot to eliminate her friend?
It was evident that her mother, Mrs. Dante, was behind it all. Why would she want to harm Phoenix? Camilla pondered this question heavily, her thoughts weighed down by the gravity of the situation. Was this the reason Phoenix was being held for kidnapping the child? With a heavy sigh, Camilla quietly slipped out of the house.
She knew her mother likely had security posted outside her door, so she moved with caution, treading softly to avoid detection. With determination etched into her features, she made her way to her car and started the engine, wasting no time in driving away.
One thought dominated her mind: uncovering her mother’s plot to frame Phoenix for a crime she didn’t commit.
~~
? PHOENIX ?
“They said you would be discharged tomorrow,” Beatrix said to me, a smile spreading across my face as she fed me a spoonful of rice. Her cooking was a comfort I had sorely missed.
“How is Dad?” I inquired between bites.
“He’s okay,” Beatrix replied, her voice gentle as she continued to feed me.
I couldn’t bear the thought of my father seeing me in this weakened state. The disappointment in his eyes would be unbearable, a stark reminder of the person I had become.
“Oh, yeah, I wanted to tell you something,” Beatrix began tentatively.
“Okay,” I prompted, giving her the signal to continue.
“So… uhm… Mom actually went to talk to Rome about you,” Beatrix revealed, causing me to look at her with surprise.
“She didn’t have to,” I murmured, taking the spoon from her hand and starting to feed myself.
“Yeah, but thank goodness Rome is dropping all charges against you,” Beatrix continued, her words sinking in slowly.
“Seriously?” I exclaimed, disbelief coloring my tone as I looked at her.
“Yes, you’re free to go home tomorrow,” Beatrix confirmed, a smile lighting up her face as she nodded.
“Why was he doing that? I thought he despised me so much…” I mumbled to myself, the confusion evident in my voice.
“Thank God,” I murmured, a small smile breaking through my frown.
“We’ll go back to our normal life again, and I have a lot of savings that can sustain us for a whole month. Dad is also working, so you don’t have to worry about working at all,” Beatrix reassured me, her words filled with warmth and concern.
I stared at her for a moment, overwhelmed by her kindness, before the floodgates opened and tears streamed down my cheeks.
“You don’t have to use your savings to take care of me. You have college to attend,” I choked out, my voice trembling with emotion as I buried my face into her shoulder.
“College can wait,” she insisted, gently patting my back as I cried, her unwavering support a lifeline in my moment of need.
The door suddenly swung open, revealing Camilla. I hadn’t seen her in days, which left me wondering where she had been. She stood there, her gaze shifting between us.
I turned to Beatrix, silently signaling that I needed to speak with Camilla alone. Understanding my gesture, Beatrix nodded before leaving the room, leaving us alone.
Camilla remained in place for a moment, and we exchanged a silent acknowledgment, neither of us uttering a word. My only hope was that she didn’t believe the accusations against me.
“I know you were framed by my mom,” she suddenly burst out, catching me off guard. How did she know?
She approached me, wrapping me in a tight hug. I returned the embrace, relief flooding over me that she believed in my innocence and understood her mother’s cruelty.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked as we pulled away from each other.
“Yeah, I’m better now,” I replied, offering a soft smile.
She studied me for a moment before sighing.
“I don’t know why my mom hates you so much. I mean, I get that you stole her jewelry once, but…” she trailed off, a hint of confusion in her voice.
“I know you messed up, but she is planning on killing you?” she murmured the last part, causing my eyes to widen in shock.
“What?” I exclaimed, disbelief washing over me.
“Yeah, I was shocked too,” she confirmed, meeting my gaze.
Fear gripped me. Why would she want to kill me? The only thing I did wrong was stealing her jewelry, and I returned it to her. What had I done to deserve this?
“What am I gonna do?” I asked, desperation seeping into my voice. I felt lost, unsure of how to protect myself from this threat looming over me.
“We will find a way, don’t worry,” Camilla reassured me, enveloping me in another hug.
Her words offered a glimmer of hope amidst the fear and uncertainty, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of impending danger looming over me.
~~
Jess had arranged to meet Rome urgently, insisting they meet at a cafe because she had something important to tell him. As she watched him enter, his usual scowl etched on his face, she felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach.
“Hi,” she greeted, mustering a smile as he approached and took a seat across from her.
“You want coffee?” she offered, attempting to break the tension, but he shook his head in refusal.
“So…” she began, but before she could continue, Rome interjected.
“I have something to say,” he stated, cutting off her train of thought.
“Okay,” she replied, nodding in acknowledgment.
“So… since you’re due in three months, I was thinking… maybe you could stay with me so I can keep an eye on you and our daughter,” he proposed, his words catching her off guard and causing her eyes to widen in surprise.
It was what she had wanted for months, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.
She glanced at Rome, her hands instinctively moving to her baby bump, gently caressing it as she processed his offer.
“You can decline if you want to…” he trailed off, leaving the decision in her hands.
“No, no, I would love to come live with you,” she replied, a wide smile spreading across her face, her heart soaring with gratitude and relief as if she had just won a trophy.
Finally!!!!
~~
Mrs. Dante gazed at her sleeping grandson, a pang of sorrow piercing her heart as she grappled with the reality of Georgia actions. Despite her own shortcomings as a mother, she couldn’t fathom deliberately harming any of her children.
With a heavy sigh, she shifted her gaze to Sebastian, who lay on the couch, asleep, oblivious to what was happening.
Georgia had left, leaving only Mrs. Dante and Sebastian in the room. Alone with her thoughts, Mrs. Dante’s eyes returned to her grandson, his innocent slumber a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding him.
She couldn’t bear the thought of her grandson falling victim to the cruelty of his grandmother and mother. With a resolve born out of love and desperation, she made a decision.
Slowly, she approached the table where the gun lay, her movements deliberate yet hesitant. Gripping the weapon in her trembling hand, she returned to her grandson’s side, her heart heavy with the weight of her actions.
With great care, she scooped up her sleeping grandson, cradling him close to her chest as tears welled in her eyes.
As Mrs. Dante emerged from the room, her heart raced with a mixture of fear and determination. With trembling hands, she quickly activated the location sharing feature on her phone and sent it to Camilla, her daughter, praying that help would arrive in time.
Clutching her grandson tightly to her chest, she hurried down the hallway, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. But as she reached the entrance of the building, her hopes were dashed when she spotted Georgia standing just outside.
A surge of panic gripped Mrs. Dante as she realized she had been discovered. Without hesitation, she turned and fled, her grandson held close as she darted down the steps and into the street.
But her escape was short-lived. Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through her back, stealing the breath from her lungs. With a gasp, Mrs. Dante stumbled forward, her grip on her grandson faltering as she staggered to a halt.
Glancing down, she saw blood seeping through her clothes, staining her chest crimson. Shock washed over her as she realized the gravity of her situation. She had been shot. The realization hit her like a freight train, and she knew that her time was running out.
With every ounce of strength she could muster, Mrs. Dante fought to stay on her feet, clutching her grandson protectively as she struggled to move forward. But as darkness closed in around her, she knew that her final moments were upon her. She had tried to protect her grandson, but in the end, it seemed that fate had other plans.
TBC