Chapter Seventy-Three – Breakdown.
There was a crash on the gate. Arya and Connor flew from where they were seated. What was that? It sounded like something struck the gate, attempting to pull it down.
“Arya! Junior!!”
They heard Damien’s voice. Arya tried running to the gate but stopped when Connor didn’t follow. “Come on…”
He leaned on a wall, covering his face. “Thank goodness.”
For a minute, Arya stood in silence, watching him. He looked so relieved like he had been holding in his fear all the while.
Why didn’t she think of it? He might have been acting brave for her sake. She already had her own mental breakdown while he was just a kid.
A kid who nearly died from explosion and then was harassed by a crazy bitch. His mental health would be shattered.
The gate was broken into and a car drove in. Arya ran out to show Damien where they were. “We are here! Connor is…”
Damien pulled her to himself immediately. “You’re safe.”
Arya froze, nearly not breathing from his tight embrace. Heat rose to her cheeks and she wanted to pull away but it felt nice and she was quite cold herself. “Yeah, I am.” She replied.
Her eyes went to where Connor was and she tapped Damien. “Connor too. He’s in there.”
Damien let go of her and handed her a bandage before running towards the house. Arya looked at the bandage.
Why was she given this? It was when she glanced down that she realized she had a visible injury. It didn’t sting or anything.
“Damien saw it when he just came but I’ve not even felt it.” She sighed. “By senses are leaving me. This is proof that my soul nearly left my body.”
When she went back to Connor, she found him wrapped around Damien who was consoling him. She took a step back.
Since he was strong for her, she didn’t want to see his weak part. He didn’t want him to see her see his weak part either.
Her eyes took in the environment that was so messed up. The house would become a desolate uncompleted building now. Home to the homeless, if possible.
The two came out of the building. Connor’s eyes were dried and he smiled. “I didn’t know my arm was dislocated.”
Arya’s jaw dropped. “Eh?! Dislocated?! And how are you saying it so casually… this is my fault.”
If she had never left the house, this trauma they just experienced would never had happened.
“Don’t blame yourself. Your aunt did a good number on you by using your father to get you here.” Damien told her.
Even if Arya was surprised he knew, she didn’t question how, and assumed Connor had told him while they were in there.
Damien had actually known this by listening to the voice note of Arya’s call with Aunt Jenna.
“Even I would come if my family member was in trouble whether I suspected it was a trap or not.” Damien smiled.
His wife gave a big nod, fighting the tears wanting to come out again. “Sure. Even then, I’d be more careful from now on.”
Connor nearly passed out on his cousins shoulders. He didn’t complain when he was carried on Damien’s back to the car, as long as he was leaving the hell hole, he was good.
It felt like a miracle to Damien that the two survived the explosion when they were obviously within it. He had noticed the door to the living room was jammed, from the other side.
Meaning they didn’t have a way of leaving except if they had noticed the explosion before it happened and went far away.
That would be impressive. But then the smoke from the explosion must be toxic. How had they survived that?
Perhaps they were knocked out before the explosion as well. He didn’t want to ask more details and hope they forgot all the experiences at once.
He had been on his way to plan a response to Debby over her attacking his project, but he never knew she would attack again while he was busy.
It must have been her plan, all along. She must have known he’d focus more time on his business than on Arya.
“Is she trying to imply I care more about my business than Arya?” he muttered to himself.
He glimpsed at Arya at his right. She was already fast asleep. Connor was behind him, asleep or passed out. They had gone through a heck of a day.
“I won’t take them to a hospital. Debby could be anywhere. I’d just bring a doctor to them instead.” He said again. He patted Arya’s head. “You must have been so scared.”
(At an Uncompleted Building)
Aunt Jenna stomped haughtily into the building, her hair bouncing with her as she walked. What was the meaning of that? That wasn’t part of their plan at all.
She wasn’t even worried about how Arya now knew she was siding with her enemy. That was dangerous on it’s own but she didn’t care what Arya thought of her.
Though if Arya decides to expose that, it would be very detrimental to her and to her beloved daughter, Lucy, who Arya’s husband helped get a job.
“I never should have agreed to this in the first place! This is preposterous! That little girl…”
“What little girl?” someone jumped on her shoulders immediately. She felt the tip of a knife on her neck.
She stood straight, even if her legs wanted to wobble from the weight of the boy on her. “Who are you?”
“Chen. I’m with Debby, your boss. Pleased to meet you, though I’m sure you’re not pleased to see me.” He cackled then fell from her shoulders.
Aunt Jenna stared at him backflip from her shoulders in awe. He must be an assassin from the same mafia Debby worked with. Was she in trouble? Did they want to silence her?
“She’s my partner. I don’t see her as a boss or anything. I have millions of complaints to give…”
“Then start.” Chen raised his knife. “I’d kill you if it doesn’t get to a million. And don’t worry, I have all day.”
Aunt Jenna went backwards. He’d kill her? How could he say it so easily? “What’s the meaning of this? That girl said nothing about blowing up the house! That’s my man’s…”
The knife was pointed at her. “That girl? Little girl? You better watch your mouth, bastard! I won’t hesitate to kill you!”
The sheer authority with which he said it made the old lady know he wasn’t joking around.
Her legs finally gave way and she wobbled to the ground. What had she put herself into? What menace has she summoned upon herself?