CHAPTER FOUR

In pain, I withdrew my hand as my chest ached. 

"You... you made me think it was a mistake all these years? You made me think that my mother was taken from me without cause?"

He couldn't look up at me, so he glanced down. 

"Elah, I believed it was best."

I was torn apart inside by anger and confusion as well as the misery I was experiencing. 

"So, Dad, what do we do now? How do we handle Ethan and all of this?"

His shoulders sagged as he moaned. "I'm not sure, Elah. But we must stop this cycle of retaliation. We cannot allow more lives to be lost as a result of this."

Ethan had to meet me at home before he returned, so I left. 

"What are you doing here, Elah?" I was sitting on Ethan's bed when a voice from behind me drew my attention away from my thoughts.

Thomas was staring at me with worried eyes as I turned around. Thomas, who at one point seemed to be a buddy, suddenly held the key to something more significant and risky.

He is an aura of peace in my life, always ready to provide a hand or a smile of comfort. Because he is Ethan's closest friend, he has access to the luxurious home, which is full of mysteries and shadows. 

He never allowed such connections, however, to affect our relationship. He would give me a call to see how I was doing, providing his sympathetic ear and a loving heart. 

Thomas was the one who was able to see beyond my difficulties, and in his presence, I was able to find comfort and sight of the goodness that persisted despite the difficulties of my circumstance.

My voice trembled as I said, "I... I found something." "Something that connects Mr. Jakes and my father."

Thomas' eyes widened, and I could see a glimmer of concern in them.  

"Elah, you must exercise caution. You are playing with fire."

But when I faced my father and revealed the truth about the conflict that had caused my mother's murder, the fire became more intense and consumed me completely. I couldn't let the past happen again. not with my family.

It was that night when Ethan's plan to kill my father was put into action. But Thomas, who had always been in the background, moved into the limelight. 

With his assistance, we were able to hide my father, and at that point, Thomas admitted his affection for me. A confession that made my heart flutter was one I hadn't anticipated.

But just when I believed I had a chance to win, Ethan discovered my suspicious actions.

I lay on the bed while I awaited word from his bodyguards, whom he had sent to look for my father. 

His eyes were filled with fury and despair as he cornered me. The next thing I experienced was Ethan slapping me. 

He gave me another loud smack before I could respond. My lips began to bleed as a result.

He screamed, forcefully clutching my arm, "You thought you could outwit me, Elah. Do you think you could rescue your brother and father? I am in complete control."

The sorrow of the decision I had to make and my love for my family caused my heart to speed. Then a glimmer of hope started to burn within me. A strategy or risky maneuver that just could tilt the scales.

I was able to break free of his hold and made a secret call to my father. But he arrived with anger written all over his face before I could tell him about Ethan's intentions.

As I dialed the number, I blinked at my phone while shaking my fingers. I had come to this point out of a pure desire to speak to my father. 

However, the phone was jerked out of my hand before I could dial his number. I gasped as I glanced up to find Ethan's icy eyes glaring down at me.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" He spits while holding my wrist in a vice-like grasp.

I finally choked out, "Nothing," my voice trembling with a mix of dread and rage.

Ethan snorted as his face became stern. "Are you trying to call Daddy to come save you?"

His bodyguard approached, his presence threatening. Ethan gave him the command, "Trace the number," in a firm voice.

My phone was given over to the bodyguard, who started doing his technical magic while I watched helplessly in disgust. My pulse was racing, and a heaviness of impending dread descended over me.

With a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips, Ethan mockingly said, "Let's see who you're trying to contact."

The bodyguard moved his fingers over the screen before looking up with a gleam in his eyes. 

"Got it."

Everything appeared to happen out of the blue and in a blur. I was restrained, had a cloth put on my face, and had my arms tied behind my back. After the world began to spin, I was engulfed in darkness.

As soon as I heard gunshots echoing in the background, I awoke from my unconsciousness. I quickly cut my knot with the knife I found in the trunk.

"I've finally got you; I promised I'd get back at you for what you did to my father." Indignantly, Ethan's voice resonated. 

Now aiming his weapon toward my father.

"I would never act in such a way, Ethan. Your Dad was..." All I heard was a shot and my Dad fell to the ground. 

When a man in disguise suddenly appeared from the bush, I was going to scream and get out of the car. 

With floods of tears streaming down my cheeks, I covered my lips. The last thing I could have felt at that time was helplessness. 

I had to make a difficult decision when my father was in critical condition. 

I said to myself, my voice wavering in shock, "No... no, it can't be,"

My vision became clouded as tears began to pour down from my eyes as the reality of the situation hit me hard. My father, my rock in this life, was gone.

I rocked back and forth while holding my knees close to my chest and wiping the tears from my face. My father's face suddenly appeared before my eyes, and I felt a burning ache inside of me alongside his smile, laughing, and unwavering love.