Nightfall.
The Luthor mansion loomed in tense silence, a thick atmosphere pressing down like a weighty secret. The dining room chandelier flickered ominously above a solitary place setting. Andrew was at the head, fingers drumming against the polished oak, brows furrowed in frustration. His steak lay cold and untouched. Suddenly, a maid appeared. “Sir,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. “The young madam hasn’t come down.” “Why?” His voice cut through the air, sharp and brittle. “She’s refused dinner. She won’t touch anything from the kitchen.” A scoff escaped him. “So she’s on a hunger strike?” Without waiting for more, Andrew stood, chair scraping under him, his footsteps echoing like a countdown to confrontation. He didn’t knock. The door was ajar, so he pushed it open. Inside, Sarah sat on the bed, bathed inBack to present:The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Carmelita's eyes burned with an intensity that could have melted steel as she fixed her gaze on Lena. There was no warmth left in those dark eyes - only pure, undiluted disgust that made the air between them crackle with hostility.Lena shifted uncomfortably under that withering stare, her perfectly manicured fingers fidgeting with the hem of her designer dress. She tried to maintain her composure, but something in Carmelita's expression told her this wasn't going to be just another family disagreement."I would give you one piece of advice, Lena," Carmelita's voice was deceptively calm, each word measured and deliberate. The older woman's posture was rigid, her hands clasped tightly in front of her as if she was physically restraining herself from doing something she might regret.The silence stretched between them like a taut wire. Mia and Sarah exchanged glances from their spots near the window, both sen
Lena just stood there, frozen like someone had dumped ice water all over her. Her mouth hung open a little and her eyes went wide, staring at Carmelita like she'd seen a ghost or something worse.Carmelita wasn't backing down though. She had that look in her eyes - the kind that said she was done playing games. Her jaw was set tight and her hands were clenched into fists at her sides."You really got the nerve to keep lying to my face like that," Carmelita said, her voice getting sharper with each word. "After everything you did, you're still gonna stand there and act innocent?"Lena's face went pale. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something but nothing came out. Just stood there looking guilty as hell."How about I show this evidence I got not just to Andrew, but to the cops too?" Carmelita continued, pulling out her phone. "You got any idea what happens to people who make false rape accusations? The kind of trouble you're
Lena stared at Carmelita, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The words just wouldn't come. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy, filling up the small living room until it felt like the walls were pressing in on her."Mother..." she finally managed to whisper."Don't call me that," Carmelita snapped, her voice sharp as a blade cutting through the air. Her eyes were cold, colder than Lena had ever seen them. The woman who used to smooth her hair and call her daughter was gone, replaced by someone who looked at her like she was something dirty on the bottom of her shoe.Lena flinched back, her shoulders hunching up around her ears. She could feel Mia and Sarah watching from the corner. "You ruined the bond between two friends," Carmelita continued, her voice getting louder with each word. "So what exactly do you want to explain to me again? What excuse are you going to give me this time?"Lena bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting blood. She turned
"I better start getting ready and prepare to come over," Carmelita said, her tone excited. "Alright mother, see you soon," Sarah and Mia said almost in unison, their voices carrying a mixture of anticipation and excitement. "You too, ladies," Carmelita said before hanging up, her fingers trembling slightly as she placed the phone down on the marble side table. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.---LENA'S APARTMENTThe small apartment felt suffocating in the late afternoon heat. Lena sat curled up on her worn leather couch in the cramped sitting room, her legs tucked beneath her as she mindlessly scrolled through her phone. The device's blue light illuminated her face in the dim room, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes and the tension lines that had become permanent fixtures around her mouth.She wore an oversized sweater that hung loosely on her thin frame, trying to hide the bandage wrapp
Mia let out a long, shaky breath . "It's not that I don't trust him anymore," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's just... some part of me still trembles when I think about what could have happened if that stranger hadn't shown up when he did."Sarah reached over and squeezed her friend's hand. She could see the way Mia's fingers still trembled slightly, the way her eyes would dart toward the door every few minutes as if expecting danger to walk through it."I know," Sarah said softly. "But you're safe now. Mia nodded, though her grip on Sarah's hand remained tight. "Speaking of that red-haired guy... I can't stop thinking about it. How does he know William and Andrew so well? I mean, the way he talked to them, it was like they were old friends or something.""Maybe they are friends," Sarah suggested, settling back into her chair. "He definitely spoke to them casually enough. Like he'd known them for years.""And that name... Anthony." Mia frowned, pressing her
ANDREW'S MANSIONThe morning light filtered through the grand windows of Andrew's mansion, casting long shadows across the polished marble floors. Sarah and Mia descended the ornate staircase together, their soft footsteps echoing in the spacious foyer. The elegant clicks of their heels against the cold stone created a rhythmic melody that suddenly came to an abrupt halt.There, standing awkwardly in the center of the sitting room, was a figure they hadn't expected to see so early in the morning. William's tall frame seemed diminished somehow, his usually confident posture replaced by something more hesitant, more vulnerable.The sitting room, with its cream-colored walls adorned with expensive artwork and plush velvet furniture arranged in perfect symmetry, felt suddenly charged with tension. The morning sunlight streaming through the bay windows highlighted the dust particles dancing in the air, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the heavy emotional