*Kiara*
Both Alexander and Desmond stepped out of the house, and I followed behind them, planning to escort Desmond to the car.
Ever since Amelia has been missing, this place has become Desmond's second house. He has arrived since this morning but leaving now after a lot of discussions, majorly on how to find Amelia again.
Just before reaching where his car was parking, Desmond's cell phone rang in his suit pant, and he quickly retrieved it without any resistance.
However, instead of touching the phone screen and answering the call, he was gazing at the screen.
“It's an unknown caller,” he mumbled out, and we all exchanged a hoping glance. With that, he answered the call and put it on the loudspeaker.
“Hello, Desmond. It's me, Amelia. You need to start coming to the uptown of the city right away. Please hurry and if possible, you can bring along the police. Please…”
“Oh my goodness, Amelia!” I screamed in excitement upon hearing her voice and then attempted to rush into the house to share the good news, but Alexander had pulled me back.
“Will you calm down now? Did you even hear the rest of her words?” he said with a slight scowl. I blinked my eyes twice and turned to look at Desmond, “Where is she, Desmond?” I asked him.
“I think we need to start going there now. She sounded alarmed as if something bad would soon arise” Desmond said, not hiding his anxious expression now.
I held my chest, which was now heading up and down, “Oh my God,”
“I think we should forward the number to the Police Department. They should be able to track down the line before we even arrived in the uptown,” Alexander suggested, and Desmond and I both nodded curtly in agreement.
“Let's start going now,” Desmond announced, turning to the driver's side, “No, Desmond. I'll drive” Alexander's words halted his pace. He didn't argue but turned back to the passenger side and I also aimed at the back seat, holding the door handle.
“No, Kiara, you can't come with, just go back,” said Alexander plainly.
“And what should I be doing, Alexander? No, don't tell me to stay back. I'm coming with you,” I said calmly as I could, hoping he wouldn't say disagree.
He stared at my face for some moment and finally nodded and then hop into the driver's seat. I pushed the car door quickly and also got into the car.
Seconds later, the car was now speeding on the highway. I couldn't help my anxiety, I would lean on my back and in the next moment, I would be sitting upright.
Accidentally, my gaze collided with Alexander's in the rearview mirror, “You know this is exactly why I didn't want to bring you along,” his voice was neither too low nor high.
I didn't respond to him, but took my gaze out the window, praying earnestly inwardly that nothing should go wrong.
All this time, Desmond was just pressing his phone non-stop, “I've forwarded the number to the police and their head of department had said he would look into it right away”
“Have you told them to start coming already?” I leaned over and asked.
“Yeah, they will start coming as soon as they traced the line,” he answered after sparing me a glance.
Several moments later. Looking out the window, it's obvious that we've left the city completely, and all I could see now was a grange.
“Yes, sir” Desmond suddenly spoke into the phone, “Then should we stop and wait for you?”
After hearing this, Alexander slow down as we waited patiently for Desmond to speak finish.
“Fortunately, the police could track the number, and they said they are on their way now, coming in large numbers” Desmond conveyed, and I breathed out in relief.
“So, we need to stop driving now. We are now in the uptown, isn't it?”
Alexander pulled up to a halt immediately at the roadside.
The atmosphere was quiet, and I just shut my eyes, “Lord, don't let any harm come to my twin sister,” I prayed in silence and then opened my eyes to look out the window again.
My eyes stopped at the farmhouse in front of the plantation our car was staying and for some reason, I suddenly feel connected to the house.
“Guys, let's go inside that farmhouse,” I informed, never taking my gaze away from the house.
“What are you saying, Kiara?” Alexander challenged, and I withdrew my gaze from the house to look at him.
“You've got to believe me, Alexander, I feel positive, I feel we're going to find a clue when we go into that house,” I said persuasively, stealing a glance at Desmond too.
“The police are already coming, so let's wait,” Alexander said flatly, but I wasn't satisfied with his response.
Without any further ado, I pushed the car door open and came down.
“What are you doing, Kiara? Get back here,”
I didn't even stop to spare him a glance as walked in a fast stride toward the farmhouse.
By now, I could sense that both of them were following me already.
“Stop now, Kiara!” Alexander yelled behind me, but I didn't listen, only stopping in front of the place.
I turned around to face them, catching my breath slowly.
As if believing in my instinct, Desmond didn't utter a word and with the look on his face, he would follow me inside.
“Let's go in, Desmond,” I told him and looked over at Alexander directly, “If you want, you can wait outside for us”
“Don't tell me you're going inside with her, Desmond,” he talked to Desmond instead, a flicker of irritation flashing across his face.
“Let's just satisfy her instinct,” Desmond said calmly, and I almost applaud him. Thereafter, we both climbed the small staircase and then strode to the front door, leaving Alexander behind.
We both glanced at each other, not knowing how to knock on the door.
“You bastard! Why did you kill him?”
Hearing this from inside, my lung seemed to shut down completely. That was Amelia's voice.
Desmond and I didn't look at each other this time, he twisted the doorknob, but it has been bolted from inside.
“Damn!”
I immediately scurried to where Alexander was standing, “Amelia is inside. I just heard her voice,” I delivered, and his eyes dilated. He looked over at Desmond and he nodded quickly.
“Then what are we still waiting for? Let's go inside,” he said impatiently while moving forward.
“The door is locked, we can't get in,” I told him, feeling my tears gathering slowly.
I could smell that something terrible is going to happen soon.
“Please, hurry. Where are you now?” Desmond spoke into his phone while Alexander left where he was standing and turned to a corner of the house, and I followed behind him.
We found a tiny space that would barely occupy me, let alone someone as huge as Alexander.
“I'll go. This space might lead to the main place,” I told him, Desmond too was now there.
“We're coming with you,”
I looked from his face to the space, having no time to argue, I squeezed myself into the space and passed into the house. Looking around the place, it was more like a store.
I hurried out of the place and found myself in the kitchen. Good.
I followed the entrance of the kitchen, and the scene playing before me almost prompted me to collapse.
There crouched Amelia before a man, swimming in his pool of blood, while Nicholas was pointing a gun at her.
“If you hadn't fallen in love with Alexander in the first place, do you think I would be doing this to you?” he yelled, still aiming the gun at Amelia, who was just sobbing and holding the dead body.
I peeked in the direction I had come through, but there was no sign of Alexander.
No, I would never allow Amelia to be punished for my mistakes.
“You better don't shoot, Nicholas,” I spoke up, putting on a brave and confident look.
They both swiftly turned in my direction, Amelia's face lit up while Nicholas furrowed his brows in confusion. He stared at my face for a long time and then switched his gaze back to Amelia.
“You're twins?” he mumbled out.
Amelia had stood up and made to run to me, but he clasped her large shirt and drew her onto his chest, wrapping his hand around her neck and putting the gun to her head.
Panic gripped me as I peeked out at the place from the corner of my eyes, still, no sign of them.
“You moron! Put that gun down,” I shrieked.
“Why should I put it down when I'm very much aware that police have surrounded this place?” he sneered relentlessly, and I gulped hard.
“The police are not here, believe me, just put the gun away and face me instead,” I told him in a calm voice now.
“Amelia!”
“Kiara!”
Both Alexander and Desmond called out frantically as they rushed to the scene.
“Whoa, Alexander, thank goodness you're here too. You just made my job a lot easier,” Nicholas said with a slow smirk arising on his lips.
“You rascal! Just let her go and face me squarely,” Alexander slammed back, walking closer to him.
He aimed the gun at Alexander, but still holding Amelia.
“You want me to face you instead, isn't it?”
“Yes, face me and kill me if that would make you feel better, but you've got to let my family go first,” Alexander said with a growl and I became more scared.
“What are you saying, Alexander? Just move back already. Don't worry, I can take care of him,” I said persuasively, hoping he would listen and not take a drastic step.
“You don't worry, Kiara, I'll take care of him,” he responded without sparing me a glance.
“I can see you're both hungry for death, I was going to kill you anyway,” his eyes glistening as he spoke.
He suddenly cocked the trigger and a soft gasp fell out of my mouth and I quickly shut my eyes.
“Please, don't shoot,” Desmond spoke up for the first time, I slowly opened my eyes and saw the way Amelia bites the hand that was holding her, and he reflexly let go of her.
She attempted to stride toward me, but the sound of the gun ceased her pace.
She stood rooted in that spot, her eyes became bloodshot and hot tears dribbled down her head.
“Amelia!” Desmond and I called out in unison, as we strode forward to hold her, but she plunged and fell into Desmond's chest and that was when we realized she had been shot in the back.
“Amelia!” I cried out hysterically, tapping her face in an attempt to stop her from closing her eyes.
“You bastard!” with tears streaming out of my eyes uncontrollably, I looked up to see how Alexander grabbed a nearby stool and flung it at him, causing him to lose balance and fall to the floor helplessly and the gun was also tossed out of his grip. Alexander jumped on him immediately and began to punch his face repeatedly.
“Let's take Amelia to the hospital now,” Desmond announced, standing up with Amelia in his chest.
“Yeah, please hurry, I'll take care of him until the police arrive,” Alexander said, still slapping his face very hard.
I nodded and quickly moved to the door and unbolted it
In the hospital.
Desmond and I were unable to stand still as we kept pacing the length of the reception, waiting impatiently for the doctor's feedback.
Shortly, the entrance door opened and Granny, Miss Marian, Amelia's foster parents, and her sisters, Uncle Samuel all rushed in at once.
Granny soon spotted me, but I ran up to her and hugged her tightly, “I'm sorry, Granny. I couldn't protect her,” I wept bitterly, knowing I'm the cause behind everything.
“What happened to Amelia? Where's my daughter?” her foster mom nearly shrieked, looking at everyone's faces,
“How's she now?” Granny asked, her sight gradually becoming wet.
“The Doctor hasn't come out yet,”
Shortly thereafter, Amelia's foster mom and Granny were both sitting on the waiting chair. I was standing beside Granny and holding her, while one of Amelia's sisters too held her mom.
Desmond, Miss Marian, and Uncle Sam were leaning against the wall while the other lady was sitting with her father on the waiting chair opposite us.
Except for the men, the rest of us were just weeping softly.
Soon, I saw the male Doctor who had attended to us earlier approaching us.
“How's my sister?” I walked over to him and asked impatiently, and I could feel everyone was now standing behind me.
“We need an O-negative blood as soon as possible, the patient is losing a lot of blood,” the doctor proclaimed.
“I'm an O negative,” Both Amelia's foster mom and Miss. Marian chorused, and we all looked over at their faces.
“Please doctor, take the blood from me, as much as possible, I don't care, please hurry” Miss. Marian begged earnestly, more tears rolling down from her cheeks.
“What do you mean, take the blood from you? The last time I checked, you are just an ordinary maid,” Amelia's foster mom flared up, glaring right into Miss. Marian eyes.
“Why are you insisting on donating your blood, Marian?” Granny asked
suspiciously.
“Because she's my daughter! Both Kiara and Amelia are my daughter,” after saying this, she burst into another fresh wave of tears.
However, it was only her tears that could be heard as the atmosphere fell silent immediately with everyone watching her face, including the doctor.
I just scoffed in disbelief while shoving my fingers into my hair.
“What are you saying, Miss. Marian?