CHAPTER 89
LILY’S POV
~ “Lily or whatever you’re called,” she called for my attention. “I’ll tell you where your kids are only on one condition: that after you find them, you’ll leave to wherever it is you came from and never come back to this city.” ~
“I can see you’re crazy beyond reason!” Noah lashed at her, his vexation evident. “She belongs in this city. There is no way she’s leaving and you or anyone else don’t have the right whatsoever to decide that.”
“You have no say in this,” Cassandra said to him and looked at me with a corner of her lips lifting to a sinister smirk. “Let the mother decide. One thing I have noticed about you Lily all that time I spent spying on you is that you’re a possessive mother. You prioritize your kids over everything else and never want to see them suffer. The ball is in your court now. You have just this one choice to make to save them. Give me your word that you’ll leave and never come back. You can fly off to another planet for all I care. I just don’t want to see you anywhere close to Noah or the company…”
Her piercing eyes bored into me, grating on my nerves. As a suspect held down and charged with multiple crimes, she was in no position to make demands. I didn’t get how the detective and officers could sit back comfortably and watch this play out like it was something normal. She should be given some sort of torturous treatment that’ll make her talk. A deadly game of Russian Roulette wouldn’t be bad. With her life flashing before her eyes like a thousand memories combined as the gun is held to her head, she’d realize we’re serious and that no one is clowning around with her.
“I know you want this Lily,” she said as if taunting me. “I could see the desperation in your eyes. Time is passing. You’ve wasted too much of it already. Don’t forget your kids are unsupervised and in an unfamiliar environment. Anything can happen. Perhaps, they might cut themselves or fracture a bone while trying to break free. You know how brittle children’s bones can be. They might even start a fire since I forgot to turn off the gas while leaving. That is if they don’t die of hunger first because I haven’t given them anything to eat since yesterday…”
“You psychotic witch…!” I wasn’t in control of myself anymore as rage overshadowed me. Growling out in frustration, I lunged forward and struck her in the face when the officer quickly stepped in to foil my attack.
I wanted to struggle, to push him away so I could get my hands on Cassandra. I wanted to break the remnants of the bones of her nose and face because I had had about enough of her. But remembering what the detective said about any act of violent behaviour not tolerated and how Noah had stepped in to apologize on my behalf, I held myself back.
Noah helped guide me away from them. My breathing was hard and shallow almost like I ran a marathon and there was this sharp pain gnawing at my chest. It was excruciating and spreading like ice to my stomach and every part of me.
“There is still time to save them!” Cassandra shouted, laughing maniacally. “Quit being a stubborn bitch and agree to my condition….”
“Shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you!” the officer barked at her, his tone icy and commanding. “That’s about enough of you. As a criminal in police custody, you’re in no position to talk anyhow.”
Cassandra merely rolled her eyes at him before shifting her gaze back to me. Her smirk grew wider, twisted with amusement and malice, as though she was relishing every second of my torment.
With her words ringing in my head, haunting my thoughts and Noah shaking his head as he kept his gaze on me, urging me not to let her words and manipulations get the best of me, I felt like I was in between a rock and a hard place. I was unable to decide. But then I realized this was a matter of life and death. If I don’t act now, my kids will bear the brunt and might end up dying on me.
Cassandra was crazier than I could ever imagine. Who knew for how long she left my kids in that dark basement with gas turned on? Any little spark could cause an explosion. Not to mention the odour which is deadly and could suffocate them in that air-tight space.
All the tears I had been holding back painfully spilt from my eyes, violating my cheeks as I floundered in agony. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to my kids so I lifted my gaze to Noah and said to him: “I’m sorry but I have to do this. I have no other choice…”
He stared at me wordlessly but fought within himself to find his voice and say something. But it wasn’t like anything he said now could change my mind. I realized that all this was happening because of him. If I hadn’t gotten a job in his company and involved myself with him, Cassandra and I wouldn’t have crossed paths. I won’t be suffering the consequences of her obsession and jealousy and my kids won’t be in danger like this. Maybe it’s time I ended things with Noah once and for all.
I looked at Cassandra with a desperately pleading gaze. “I agree to your condition. I’ll do whatever you want even move away to the depths of the sea…just please tell me where you’re keeping my babies…” I said weakly, furtively wiping my tears with the back of my hands. It would be humiliating to break down crying in front of the officer, the detective, and everyone watching from the control room.
“Good,” Cassandra’s lips curled up to a victoriously sinful smirk. “Now, all you need to do is sign a contract…”
“A contract…?” I grimaced as my jaw dropped in shock. What does a contract have to do with this?
“This is unacceptable!” Noah’s jaw tightened with fury. He was glaring at her with burning reproachful eyes as he slammed his fist on the table. “You think we’re in some kind of Joker or Harley Quinn movie? I’m fed up with your nonsense. She has already agreed to your condition, so tell her where you’re keeping her kids now!!”
“Easy there tiger or I might just change my mind,” she sneered at him before returning her attention to me. “As I was saying, we need a contract to legally seal this deal. But since I’m in no position to get one you’ll have to swear. I want you to swear on the lives of your kids that if you don’t keep up to your end of the deal then they’ll die a horrible miserable death…”
I couldn’t contain the gasp that flew out of my mouth as I stared at her with a mix of disbelief and agitation.
“There is no limit to your madness. What level of wickedness is this? There is no way I’m going to do that.” I made it clear to her.
“Fine,” she shrugged and crossed her arms smugly against her chest. “I guess we’ll just have to sit back and wait as their flesh and bones burn to crisp ashes since that’s what you want.”
“No…” My breath caught painfully in my throat as I tried to speak when the detective’s voice boomed from the speaker, interrupting me.
“Miss Jones, Mr. Hills, come to the control room immediately. We’ve got a lead. I think we might have found your kids.”