CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

R I O N A

He's dead?

Thalia grabbed my arm and burst into tears while I didn't know what to feel. I wanted to also cry but I just couldn't.

We walked out of the doctor’s office and into the waiting room where Leonardo and my mother waited for us.

Leonardo looked up at me with hopeful eyes, but I shook my head slightly and he released a depressed sigh.

Thalia stayed glued to me and couldn't control her sobs; I didn't know how I could comfort her because I was also in pain.

A while later, Leonardo came back with three cups of coffee in his hand and gave Thalia and I ours then one to my mother and then he held the last one in his hand.

"I'm really sorry." Leonardo told us both before Thalia hugged him.

As we sat down my phone buzzed and it was a call from boss, I excused myself and walked far away so they couldn't hear what I was saying.

"You let the victim escape, how dare you?!" He thundered from the other end of the phone.

"I had no idea that she—"

"No excuses Davis! I have information that you have been meeting up with the victim's son secretly for a while now. Is he more important to you than your siblings?" He questioned.

"He helped me a lot and I thought of talking to you about something tomorrow, but I'll do it right now," I paused. "Did you lie to me all these years about my mom?" I continued.

"What difference would it make? Don't tell me you suddenly want a happy family?" He laughed at the other end.

"My father just died! I've hated my mom for years! You ruined my family!"

"I don't care about what you have to say, I've paid you for your services and if you failed me once I'm sure you can do it again. I have had mercy on your family once but not anymore, so I suggest you keep an eye on your sisters," he threatened before hanging up the phone.

Where is Iris at right now though? I controlled my facial expression before I walked back to everyone, but my phone buzzed again but this time it was a text.

Keith. What does he want?

I opened the message, and it was a photo of him which was captioned, "You should really teach your siblings not to trust people so easily."

"Where did you leave the girls?" I yelled at Thalia who looked confused at first before processing what I said.

"They are at the neighbors," she answered.

I dialed Iris's number and after ringing twice she answered and so I relaxed.

"How are you?" I asked her.

"I'm alright Rie but why do you sound worried?"

"Nothing, just ignore me, and put Cassidy on."

"Cassidy? She went out with Keith. Didn't you ask Keith to bring her somewhere?"

"Why would I ever do that?! How could Cassidy just leave with him?!" I yelled at Iris who didn't talk for a bit.

"Rie what's wrong?!" Thalia shook my arm, but I didn't answer.

"He said it was urgent and had to do with dad," she muttered.

That lying bastard!

I hung up the phone and dialed Keith's number, but it didn't go through.

Where would I even start from?

"Riona what's wrong!"

"What happened to Cassidy?"

"What's going on?"

Everyone asked me at the same time and so many things kept running through my mind, so I didn't answer anyone.

My phone chimed and the screen came alive as a text came from Keith: You have ten minutes to find your sister or let her die because I don't think she has same willpower you do. Here's a hint, she's in the school.

As soon as I read the last words I immediately ran out of the hospital as fast as I could while everyone stayed yelling my name and running after me but as soon as I got into my car I locked it and zoomed off.

When I get my hands on Keith, I'm so going to kill him.

It took me about eight minutes to get to our school as my mind tried to think about places were Cassidy could be.

I put my hand under the passenger car seat and took out an extra dagger which I kept there for emergencies.

My first instinct was to check the janitor’s closet because it's usually quiet, but she wasn't there. I checked the classrooms, and she wasn't there either. My heart kept racing because it had been almost eleven minutes. Different things were running through my mind.

As I ran through the hallway I perceived the faint smell of smoke and the smell got stronger as I reached the gym, but the door was jammed.

I peeked into a small spot that was transparent, but I could barely see anything because of all the smoke.

I took out my dagger and tried to pick the lock, but it took a lot of time and patience before the smoke hit my face and I started coughing.

After using my hand to lessen the smoke, I caught a glimpse of Cassidy who was tied to a chair and unconscious.

As I ran towards her I noticed the fire was spreading rapidly and was only a few steps away from her.

I held my dagger tight and cut through the ropes and freed Cassidy from the chair and then carried her from the center of the circle to outside the gym.

"Cass!" I shook her body, but she didn't answer me.

"Riona!" Leonardo’s voice echoed in the hallway and never have I felt so hopeful all my life.

"Leo! Cassidy needs to go to the hospital; can you please take her there?" I asked.

"Sure but why aren't you coming with us?"

"I need to find him," I answered with bloodshot eyes.

"What are you gonna do when you find him?"

I lifted the dagger in my hand. "I'll kill him," I answered.

"Don't do anything you'd regr—"

"Don't worry. Just get her to the hospital."

He carried Cassidy bridal-style and went towards the exit while I played with the tip of the dagger in my hand until it cut me.

He's going to beg me for his life.

"Thinking about what you're going to do to me?"

Keith's voice filled the air and I scoffed.

"You sick bastard," I scoffed with a hint of bitterness in my voice. "How could you involve Cassidy in this when you know she trusted you?" I asked.

"Big mistake on her part." He walked closer to me.

"You watched the whole scene of me panicking right?" I questioned.

"How did you guess? It's really nice to watch you scared and panic until Leo came to your rescue."

"I can't believe I doubted Leo so many times."

"Bigger mistake." He laughed.

"You really shouldn't be laughing right now you know." I got serious.

"Why not?"

"You kidnapped and almost killed my sister." I shook my head and walked towards him. "You almost tried to make me kill Leo's mom and then made me doubt him." I marked off all the terrible things on my fingers.

"So are you and Leo like a thing now?"

"He's the only friend I've ever had."

"But he's totally in love with you."

"I know, but can you focus on me here?!"

"Oh yeah?" He tilted his head a bit and looked at my hand. "Seems like we both had the same idea." He took out a carving knife from his back.

I scoffed and held on to my dagger tighter.

"What?" He asked before he continued. "I really want to watch you bleed till you die," he confessed.

"Enough talking!" I yelled and charged towards him, but he successfully dodged my attack.

"Try harder."

I charged towards him again, but he ended up cutting my arm.

"Attack me, bastard!" I yelled at him.

"If you say so," he answered me before attacking me.

We both started giving it our all as we both swung our knives in different directions. After I managed to cut him, he kicked the dagger from my hand, and it fell away. I saw how distracted he was, so I kicked his away from him and he chuckled as we both stared at each other.

I curled my hand into a fist and aimed for his nose. My fist hit the bridge of his nose. His blood splattered all over the ground of the smooth hallway.

His hands reached up to his nose and he felt his blood before looking at me and swinging his leg to my waist making me lose my balance.

He hit me again and this time in my jaw and I taste blood. He grabs my head, his fingers digging into my scalp, and lifts me until I'm dangling on the tips of my toes. He slams his hand into my ribs, and I wince. The pain ripples across my chest.

Come on, Riona. Focus.

I lock my eyes on the dead, black holes in his head and jab my palm under his chin. He reels back, releasing his grip.

When he sees me trying to get up he tightens his grip and I wince. I move until I see his hand and I went in and bit him hard.

He groans in pain, and I rush to get my dagger.

After getting my hands on it, I rush towards him to end it, but he held my arm and we both struggle. After a while I managed to stab the dagger hard into his stomach.

He gasped as the dagger entered, and I pushed it further inside. Then he fell on the floor.

"Riona!" Leonardo's voice echoed through the halls.

He paused when he saw how bloody the floor was and rushed towards me with concern all over his face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked me.

"No, I'm fine. Where's Cassidy? How is she? Why did you come back?"

"She's in the intensive care unit and is getting treatment."

"I'm n—"

I paused when I felt a strong pain from behind me and turned to see Keith plunging a knife into me and then immediately did it again, but this time I coughed up blood and fell to the floor.

My vision grew extremely blurry, and I was in a lot of pain.

Leonardo didn't hesitate to pick me up and the next things I saw was the interior of his car.

L E O N A R D O

Everything happened so fast that my first instinct was to take Riona to the car, she was losing way too much blood.

"Leo," she called from behind while we were on our way to the hospital.

"Shhh. Don't talk. Save your strength and breathe slowly. Don't fall asleep," I warned but she chuckled.

"Where did you learn that from?" she asked weakly.

"Stop talking."

"I know I've never told you this before, but I really consider you a friend. I don't know if I consider you more than that because I've never felt this way before. Tell my mo—"

"You'll tell her on your own when you're all better," I said to her with a shaky voice and on the verge of tears.

"Don't cry. Stay strong. Tell my mom to take care of my sisters and also you too, please be there for them."

"You telling me to not cry makes me want to cry more, so please just stop talking okay?!" I yelled at her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't apologize, just stay quiet!" I yelled, but this time there was no answer.

"Riona?" I called but no response.

"Riona!" I called again and I turned back to see that she was now unconscious.

"Fucking hell! Riona!" I shouted and marched the accelerator and drove as fast as I could to the hospital.

I parked at the emergency entrance and two nurses came to take her in a stretcher while one nurse told me to fill out some forms.

After doing that, I went to the hospital waiting room where Thalia and her mom waited for me.

"Why is there blood on you? Where’s Riona? You promised you'd bring her back. Where is she?" Thalia questioned me and by the looks of it she could already feel something was wrong.

"Riona is in the intensive care unit," I weakly announced.

"No..." Thalia shook her head in disbelief and ran towards that unit while I jogged behind her with her mom.

When we got there, the doctor came out of the room, and we looked at him with hopeful eyes but he looked down.

"I'm sorry, she died even before she got here."