Chaos erupted. Amidst the somber atmosphere of the funeral, a sudden shriek shattered the silence as William's lifeless body collapsed onto the ground. His blood stained the grass, mingling with the soil near Dora's freshly filled grave. "Oh, my God!" The cry echoed through the cemetery.
"She shot her own father!" Accusations flew as mourners scattered like leaves in a gale.
Avery stood there, her face contorted with rage; her gun was still pointed at Cathleen. William took a shot for Cathleen because he couldn't let her die; she was the only good one in the family. William's body is now a barrier to Avery's twisted desires. People swarmed between them, their panic a living wall blocking Avery's line of fire.
"Move!" Avery's scream lashed out, raw and violent. But the crowd surged, oblivious to her fury. She spat venom at Cathleen, her voice a snarl. "You fucking bitch, I will make sure I finish what I started, and I will never stop until Xavier is mine!"
Cathleen refused to let the cold, hard surface of the gun in front of her intimidate her. Her father's unmoving body served as a reminder of why she needed to stay strong and composed, even in this terrifying moment. She wouldn't allow herself to break down-not in this place, not at this time.
Xavier noticed that Cathleen couldn't leave William, so he took her hand in his and rushed her and Bella into the car. In the car, silence loomed as Cathleen's gaze fixed on Xavier. Her fingers trembled against her wedding ring, the symbol of a union marred by treachery and fear. Slowly, with a deliberation that felt like defeat, she began to slide it off.
Xavier's confusion cut through the thick air. "Why are you removing your ring?" His voice was a low growl, demanding answers.
Tears were strangers to Cathleen's eyes, yet one betrayed her now, carving a path down her cheek. "I don't think this, us, is worth me losing my life and myself, Xavier." Her words were half-whisper, half-choked sob.
Xavier's response was explosive, his voice booming in the confined space. "We've been getting to know each other, I know what I need to know about you, Cathleen," he barked, his words fueled by a desperation Cathleen had never heard before. "You are my life. I live for you and Bella; without the two of you, I'm nothing!"
Cathleen's heart clenched. Xavier's declaration, raw and unguarded, stripped away layers of doubt. Yet the shadow of death lingered, a specter that whispered danger with every heartbeat.
The air in the car hung heavy; each breath shared a silent battle, a tether straining against the chaos that sought to unravel their fragile world.
Xavier's hand shot out, fingers closing around Cathleen's wrist with an iron grip. "I'll be damned if I let you take that ring off. I didn't fucking marry you to divorce you, woman!" His voice was a thunderclap in the confined space, and his words edged with a raw intensity that Cathleen had never witnessed before.
A single tear fought its way down Xavier's cheek-an anomaly on the battlefield of his stoic face. Cathleen's breath hitched. This man, this statue, now showed a crack.
"Xavier, look around us!" Her voice pitched high, strung tight with disbelief and fear as she gestured frantically toward the commotion outside. "My dad is lying lifeless, and I can't help because if I fucking go there, it would be the end of me. Someone wants me dead because of you." The words spilled out, a torrent of icy dread. "Fuck! What am I even saying? My sister wants me dead because of you, and you are still asking me to stay."
"Help is on the way for your father, Cat." Xavier's tone softened, seeking reason amid chaos. "In the meantime, let's head back home. We have done our part here."
Cathleen's eyes blazed, her body shaking from a rage that threatened to consume her. "You want me to leave here with this car, not knowing if my father is okay?" She hurled the question at him like a slap. "Are you fucking serious, Xavier?"
He sighed, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of the world. "That's my father-in-law, we might have our differences, but I am not leaving this place knowing what just happened." He then heaved a sigh and went on, "Cat, look at the cemetery. Tell me what you see." Xavier's command was gentle, almost a plea.
She spun her head, her gaze cutting through the pandemonium. An ambulance. Paramedics sprinting toward William, her father. Her heart stuttered, a flicker of hope igniting within the darkness.
"When did you call them?" Cathleen's voice was barely a whisper, disbelief painting every syllable.
"I asked Caleb to call them while trying to make sure you and Bella were safe." His answer came steady, his presence a fortress against the storm.
In that moment, something shifted. The taut lines of tension eased from Cathleen's shoulders as relief, subtle but unmistakable, washed over her. She turned back to Xavier, her eyes meeting his. No words passed between them, only a silent exchange of gratitude and understanding.
She leaned into him, her embrace a silent thank you, her body pressing against his as if to absorb a fraction of his strength. In the eye of the tempest, Xavier held her, his arms wrapping around her with a possessive tenderness that belied the chaos of their lives.
The scent of him, woodsy and warm, filled her senses, a stark contrast to the cold bite of death that lingered just beyond the safety of their cocoon. For a fleeting second, Cathleen allowed herself to forget-to be just a woman held by her husband, surrounded by the storm yet untouched within their embrace.
A few hours later, after they had rested, Cathleen's silk robe whispered against her skin as she descended the staircase, the fabric cool and light-a stark contrast to the day's heaviness. Her mind was a tempest, thoughts swirling like leaves in a storm. But the sight that greeted her at the bottom of the stairs cut through the chaos with the precision of a knife.
Avery stood there, her presence a violation of sanctuary. The door hung open behind her, a silent testament to the forcefulness of her entry. She was smiling-no, not smiling. Laughing. A cackle sharp enough to slice the tension hanging thick in the air.
"Thought you could just fucking waltz in and claim it all, didn't you, Cathy?" Avery's voice dripped with venom, her words punctuated by the mad laughter that bubbled up from her throat.
Cathleen's gaze locked onto Avery's, steel meeting fire. "You've lost your damn mind," she spat back, her voice steady despite the adrenaline-laced tremble she felt within.
"Living my life," Avery hissed, stepping closer. The gun in her hand was casual, almost an afterthought as she ran it along Cathleen's hair-a lover's caress twisted into a threat. "You took my toy."
"Your toy?" Cathleen's eyebrow arched, challenging. Not a flinch, not a step back. She stood her ground, defiant.
"Xavy," Avery sneered the name, savored it as if it were a delicacy. "You stole him. You should've been stuck with Finn-the loser."
"Riddles again, Avery?" Cathleen's tongue was a whip, lashing out even as her brain raced. "Finn?"
"That idiot was supposed to be yours; you were supposed to marry a no body!" Avery continued, the circles of her logic tight and dizzying. "But now... I'll have to silence you. When I'm done with you, Bella follows." The glint in her eye was feral, hungry.
Cathleen's blood ran cold, a river of ice. Yet her face betrayed nothing. She tapped her phone screen, a lifeline to Xavier. The call connected silently.
Upstairs, Xavier cradled Bella, hushing her to sleep. His phone vibrated-a warning. As he listened, horror seeped through him, cold and insidious. How? Their home was a fortress, yet Avery was inside, spewing threats like venom.
Xavier moved. Downstairs. Now.
In the living room, the air was electric, charged with unspoken violence. Avery's laugh echoed, a taunt that clawed at the edges of Cathleen's control. But Cathleen West was no one's victim. She would endure. Survive.
"Speak all you want, Avery," Cathleen said, her voice a blade honed on years of courtroom battles. "It won't change a damn thing."
"Change?" Avery's eyes narrowed. "I'm here to end things, not change them."
The game was deadly, the players set. And as Xavier rushed downstairs, every second became a countdown to an inevitable, violent conclusion.