Ella stood by the window of their new hideout, watching the quiet street below. The room was modest compared to the luxury apartment they once called home, but it was safe. She could hear the faint sounds of her twin boys, Leo and Liam, playing in the living room. Every now and then, their innocent giggles would break the silence, reminding her of why she had to keep them hidden.
Leo came into the room, his curious blue eyes peeking up at his mother. “Mom, why aren’t we going back to our apartment? I miss it. And why aren’t we in school anymore? I liked it there. Also we haven’t seen uncle Fabian in a while, we miss him”
Liam followed closely behind his brother, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, Mom. We miss Grace too and we’re not even doing homeschool like you said. Why?”
Ella sighed, her heart heavy with the weight of everything she was keeping from them. She knelt down to their eye level, forcing a gentle smile. “I know this is hard, boys. But it’s only for a little while. We just need to stay here for now.”
“But why?” Leo persisted. “We didn’t do anything wrong, did we?”
“No, no,” Ella said quickly, pulling both of them into a hug. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This is just something I have to take care of. And I promise, as soon as it’s safe, we’ll go back home, and you’ll be able to go back to school.”
Liam looked up at her, confused. “Safe from what, Mom?”
Ella hesitated, struggling with how much to reveal to them. How could she explain that their safety was tied to a vengeful, dangerous woman who is also their aunt Tania without terrifying them? And that their uncle Fabian will no longer be in their lives. She placed a hand on Liam’s cheek and kissed his forehead.
“Just trust me, okay? I’m doing everything I can to protect you. We’ll be home soon. Until then, we’ll have some fun here. I’ll teach you some things myself, and we’ll play lots of games.”
The boys exchanged a glance, still unsatisfied but too young to fully understand. They nodded reluctantly and went back to their toys, leaving Ella standing by the window, lost in thought.
As she watched them play, her resolve hardened. She had to bring this to an end for their sake. Tania wasn’t going to stop. Her obsession was spiraling out of control, and Ella had to stop her before she made another attempt on her life. But how?
She grabbed her notebook and sat down at the kitchen table, writing down her plans. Tania needed to be stoped. But this wasn’t just about revenge anymore. It was about survival. Tania had gone too far, and Ella need to stop her for good.
Her mind raced through the possibilities. Ella closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing thoughts. The only thing she knew for certain was that she had to act soon, before Tania made another move.