Chapter 197
Chapter 197
But the men didn’t even blink.
They simply sat there, vacant eyes, as if she weren’t there. As if her baby weren’t dying in front of them.
Emma’s breath was caught.
No.
She couldn’t lose her.
She wouldn’t lose her.
Hugging Emily, she crawled to the nearest armed man to herself, dragging herself to one of the men. She kept in front of him, her fingers grasping his pants as if he were the only thing between her and destruction.
“Please,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “Save my children. I’ll do anything. You can do whatever you like to me, hurt me, kill me, I don’t care. Just let them go.”
Silence.
Then.
Asarcastic, slow clap echoed around the room.
Emma tensed.
A voice of amusement echoed from beyond the shadows.
“God, Emma, the voice was languid. “That was the most terrible performance anyone has ever done. Even a one–year–old would not have found that believable.”
Emma turned sharply, her heart jumping further as a figure emerged from beyond the shadows.
It was Annie.
She was cat walking and dressed in an extravagant silk dress, her hair styled, her lipstick a rich, blood red color.
Emma gazed at her with tear–stained face.
Annie mocked.
“Oh, don’t cry so much, Emma.” Her voice was sugary sweet, but her eyes flicked with anger. “Did you really expect to get
with this one?”
away
Emma wrapped herself around Emily even tighter as she got up. Ethan a little closer to her.
“For old times‘ sake, Annie,” Emma pleaded, her pride eating. “I beg of you–please let my children go. Do what you want with me, but spare them. Please.”
Ethan’s hands shook and his eyes were brimming, but he held his ground. He was no longer sobbing. He was no longer blaming his mother or backing away from the show. He was standing beside her, prepared to face whatever came next.
But Annie merely laughed.
“This wouldn’t have happened in the first place.” she said while examining her perfectly manicured nails, “if you’d obeyed
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Chapter 197
me in the first place.”
Emma trembled with fear.
Annie’s gaze was filled with hatred and venom.
“I begged you Emma.” she sneered. “I warned you. I asked you to leave my Alexander alone, but you simply could not resist, could you?” Her voice was sharp like razor, trembling with anger “You stabbed me in the back first, Emma! You did this! So do not even look at me like I’m the bad one when you requested this yourself!”
Emma flinched at the raw contempt in Annie’s voice.
But before she could utter a word, Annie faced the gun–toting men, her lips curling up into a vile grin.
“Take her away.”
Emma barely had time to respond before clothes were ripped off her and she was dragged from her children.
“No–NO!”
She fought with all her might. But she was a lone, weak woman
the grasp of men.
“Mommy!” Ethan screamed, reaching out for her, but another set of hands held him back.
Let me go!” Emma wept, her fingernails scraping wildly across the floor. “Please, don’t do this! Not my babies!”
Her pleas were futile.
The men propelled her through a heavy metal door, and before she could re–grasp it, it crashed shut behind her.
She was in total darkness.
Emma pounded on the door, slapping it with every ounce of strength she possessed.
“Oh! No! Don’t hurt them! Hurt me instead!” she shrieked, her throat searing with pain. “Please!”
She screamed until she was hoarse, until her fists ached, until tears blurred before her eyes.
But there was no answer.
No mercy.
Only silence.
