Anastasia
As I descended the stairs, the eerie silence of the mansion enveloped me. Nora's greeting was laced with a hint of trepidation.
"Good morning, ma'am." Her eyes darted around, as if searching for an escape from the tension.
"Where are your colleagues?" I asked, my instincts sensing something was amiss.
Nora's voice barely rose above a whisper. "Sir Kelvin fired them all this morning. Except for me and one other."
My heart raced as I processed the news. "He said he had no use for a full house since you would be leaving soon." Nora's eyes pleaded for reassurance. "Is that true, ma'am?"
I bit back a curse, my mind reeling from Kelvin's audacity. "No, it isn't true," I whispered, my voice trembling with rage. "Go ahead, Nora. Thank you for informing me."
I hastily retreated to my bedroom, fear gripping my heart. What other sinister plans did Kelvin have in store for me? The silence of the mansion seemed to be closing in, and I knew I had to act fast to protect myself from his wrath.
I hastened to get ready, eager to escape the mansion and seek answers from my father, who had told Kelvin that my grandfather left Kelvin a trust fund.
But, as I attempted to leave, I found Kelvin's father sitting in my living room, sipping coffee. Nora hovered nearby, her eyes apologetic for not warning me of his presence. I gestured for her to leave, my mind racing with questions. Why was he here? Had Kelvin sent him to plead his case?
"Thanks for the coffee," he said, his appreciation a mere courtesy. I nodded curtly, my patience wearing thin.
"Please, state your purpose. Why have you come?"
He set the cup down, his eyes locked on mine. "I heard about the incident between you and my stepson, Kelvin. I must say, I'm concerned."
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Concerned? Why? Did Kelvin send you to persuade me to divorce him? And did he also tell you what had really happened? How I saw him sleeping with my best friend and how I am not going to give into a divorce."
He shook his head. "No, child. He doesn't know I'm here and he really told me everything. I came because I know Kelvin better than you do. You may have been married for three years, but I've lived with him since his mother passed away. I've seen the way he operates."
His words piqued my interest, and I leaned in, my guard still up. "Go on."
"He came to my house, sharing his troubles with me, which was unusual. But I listened, and I believe you're in danger, trapped in this marriage if you don't divorce him immediately."
As he spoke, I listened intently, weighing the truth in his words. Was he genuinely concerned for my well-being, or was this another ploy to manipulate me? I searched his eyes, seeking answers, but only found a deep sincerity that left me wondering.
"Ma'am." Nora called out
"Nora, what's wrong?" I asked, turning to face her, but my question was met with a chilling sight. Two masked men held her hostage, a gun pressed to her head. My heart raced as I froze, Kelvin's father and I exchanging a shocked glance.
"Get on the ground," the armed man barked, his voice cold and detached. I obeyed, my mind racing with thoughts of escape and survival.
But what happened next left me reeling. Kelvin's father stood up, a sly smile spreading across his face as he approached the armed men.
"I guess my work here is done," he said, his tone dripping with deceit.
"You wretched being. Like father, like son," I spat, my words laced with venom and pain. "He laughed, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Kelvin was right about you. You're a naive lady, indeed. My payment, please," he said, stretching out his hands to collect his reward for betraying me.
But before he could receive it, one of the armed men turned the gun on him. "Sir Kelvin had a change of plan," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
"What do you mean?" Kelvin's father asked, his tone laced with annoyance.
"This," the man replied, pulling the trigger. Kelvin's father crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood spreading from his lifeless body. I screamed, Nora's terrified cry echoing mine.
I was paralyzed with fear, my eyes fixed on the ruthless men. "Please, don't kill me," I begged, my voice trembling.
"I'll give you anything, double what Kelvin paid you. Just spare my life."
The men laughed, their cold, mirthless laughter sending chills down my spine. One of them approached me, his gun trained on me, while the other held Nora in a chokehold. I was at their mercy, and I knew I had to think fast if I wanted to survive.
"Why hasn't she collapsed yet?" the man growled, yanking my hair back to reveal the other maid, who had been standing silently beside Nora.
"Did you serve her the coffee?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her.
The maid nodded, her eyes cold and detached. "Yes, I did. The sleeping pills should take effect any moment now."
I felt a surge of anger and disgust, my face twisted in pain. But tears refused to come, my eyes dry and burning. The maid's betrayal was a sting I couldn't shake off.
"Give her the payment," the man instructed, his grip on my hair tightening.
The other man handed her an envelope, and for a moment, she smiled, her eyes gleaming with greed. But before she could even open it, a bullet struck her head, and she crumpled to the ground.
"Stop, please!" I begged, my eyes closed tight, my voice shaking. Two innocent lives had been taken in front of me, and I was next. The silence that followed was deafening, and I knew pondered if this was the end of me.
"We can't afford to wait any longer for her to pass out," the man growled, his grip on my hair tightening. "We'll just have to do this the easy way."
Before I could even process his words, a searing pain exploded in my head as he struck me with a brutal force.
I crumpled to the ground, my vision blurring, and my senses reeling. As I struggled to focus, the man ripped off his mask, revealing his face, but my gaze was too hazy to make out his features.
Nora's terrified scream pierced the air, "Ma'am Anastasia!" But before I could respond, a gunshot rang out, silencing her cry, and everything went black.