Chapter 6: CHAPTER FIVE

R I O N A

"Rie, you don't have to be so violent you know?" Thalia frowned.

"Why are you sad?" I questioned her.

"Kids are scared of me because my sister is a body breaker! The jock in the basketball team and those girls you singlehandedly thrashed." She shook her head in distaste.

"He was trying to force himself on me and I didn't beat those to a pulp, they tried to spread a rumor so I could be expelled,” I defended myself.

"Let's just go get Cass and Iris." She changed the subject and looked out the window.

So glad I hid that file under the seat so she wouldn't see them.

I started the car and immediately, Thalia turned up the radio probably to avoid talking to me.

My heart breaks when she treats me this way.

I took a deep breath and drove to my siblings’ school to get them.

"Hey!" Cassidy cheerfully chirped as soon as she got into the car and Iris followed after her.

"How was school, girls?" Talia questioned with a grin.

"So-so." Iris rolled her eyes.

"What happened to you?" I asked after observing Iris's body language.

"Don't pay attention to her Rie. She's like this because she met a boy today." Cassie snickered and put an emphasis on the boy.

"Shut up Cassidy!" Iris retorted with a blush staining her cheeks.

Talia let out a small laugh watching the girls argue and I let out a light laugh because I'm seeing the happiness on Talia's face again.

"What are we eating when we get home?" Cassidy asked no one in particular.

"What? Snitching makes you hungry?" Iris taunted but Cassidy paid her no mind.

"If you're hungry we could order a pizza when we get home okay?" I told her, not turning my head.

Talia ordered the pizza immediately we got home because a hungry Iris is a very annoying one.

I took a bath and came out to put on a loose shirt and shorts. After falling on my bed with my eyes closed, It opened almost immediately when I remember I left my file in the car.

Shit. When did I become this careless?

I rushed downstairs and grabbed my keys from the counter to hurry to the car. I opened the door and took out the file from under the passenger seat.

A sigh of relief escaped me as I held the file in my hands. I locked the car and went straight to my room, ignoring the stares I got from my siblings.

I entered my room and locked the door from the inside, with a sigh, I walked to my bed and emptied the file contents on the bed.

I read the papers about the lady to understand her as much as possible and observed the photo as well as I could.

Turned out she was a retired twenty-seven-year-old teacher who made a living by selling her body to whoever wanted it. Retired at twenty though?

Maybe she had fun with the wrong man and now his wife was out to get her? Who cares though? I was getting paid.

I could call in sick tomorrow and figure out how to take her out. I didn't want to drag this out; instant death was always the best option, no?

She acquired men at a bar downtown. I could easily slip poison into her drink and watch her die before my very eyes.

But that could backfire because then everyone would suspect the bartender, which would be me. So that wasn’t an option.

There was probably a blind spot in the camera in the bathroom, so I could include that in my plans.

"Well seems it's decided how I'll send you to hell, Douren Sav," I whispered to myself, and a smile crept onto my lips.

I didn't need to call in sick anymore since I had already made my plans. I skipped dinner and went straight to bed. I needed enough mental and physical rest for everything that was going to happen tomorrow.

••

"Riona!" I heard a voice faintly call.

I opened my eyes to see my father running towards me. I turned in the opposite direction and saw a slender figure pointing a knife at me.

My father was able to pull me away from the woman's clutches before she connected the knife to any part of my body.

"Take your siblings and leave here!" my father ordered with a coarse voice.

I saw my siblings sitting on the floor trembling in fear. I ran over and held them all close, watching what would happen next.

After much struggling between the woman and my father, she pushed the knife into my father's stomach while I shielded my sister's eyes.

Tears spilled without control and my heart shattered. I couldn't move.

"Dad..." I weakly called out, but the woman just pushed him away and left the house, but not without giving me a cynical smirk first.

"Dad…" I called out again. My arms fell from my siblings’ backs to the wooden floor. Blood gushed out of him, but I could only watch.

"Dad…" I called out again without moving from my position.

"Dad…"

"Da—"

"Riona!"

"Riona!"

A voice yelled my name. My eyes widened and I jumped out of bed. My face was moist from tears and sweat drenched my shirt.

"Riona! Are you okay?" Talia's voice echoed in my room from outside.

I took off my shirt, wiped away my tears, and opened my door with a smile.

Talia and Iris pushed the door open and gave me a hug, but I pulled away.

"Are you okay?"

"We heard you scream, and your door was locked."

They questioned me at the same time, but my smile remained intact. I had to be strong.

"I'm fine guys! It was only a nightmare,” I reassured them and they exchanged looks.

"Are you sure?" Iris asked and I placed my hand on her shoulders.

"Yes, you don't have to worry. Although I apologize for waking you both up,” I sincerely apologized.

"I'll go back to Cassidy then." Iris smiled at me and gave Talia a weird look before making her way back to her room.

"Was it about that day?" Talia questioned, but I shook my head.

"Go to bed Talia, we've got school in a couple of hours." I tried to scoot her out, but she didn't move.

Her eyes moved from my face to my bed as she made her way to my bed and made herself comfortable.

"Come on, let's go to sleep." She tapped the empty side of the bed.

"Talia there's no need fo—"

"You know I'm not easily persuaded, just come here," she interrupted me.

My heart melted at the gesture. The smile on my face widened, and I went to bed while Talia held me, and stroked my hair.

"You don't always have to be strong Rie. It's okay to let us take care of you every once in a while," she whispered to me.