Christiana’s POV.
but
I jolted awake to a deafening explosion, the kind that makes your heart stop dead in your chest. My mind was slow to catch up..
my body was already moving, filled by a primal fear I hadn’t felt in years. The house shook violently, and a moment later, the smell of smoke hit me like a slap in the face.
“Oh God, no,” I gasped, throwing the covers off. I barely made it out of bed before the shrill sound of alarms filled the air.
I ran toward the door, but as soon as I stepped into the hallway, I was met with chaos. Flames were already licking up the walls, putting a hellish glow that made everything look like a scene from a nightmare. The heat was unbearable, the air thick with smoke that made it nearly impossible to breathe.
“Mommy!” Ethan’s scream cut through the noise like a knife. I sprinted towards the sound, ignoring the searing pain as I Twisted my ankle on the debris scattered across the floor. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached the kids‘ room, practically kicking the door open.
The sight of them standing there, wide–eyed and terrified, broke me. Emma was clutching her brother’s hand so tightly her knuckles were white. The room was filling with smoke fast, and I knew we didn’t have much time.
“Mommy, what’s happening? Emma cried, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m here, babies. I’m here,” I managed to say, forcing calm into my voice despite the sheer terror clawing at my throat. I grabbed their hands, pulling them towards me. “We have to get out of here. Now
But the hallway was already a blazing inferno. The fire had spread throughout the house with terrifying speed, like something out of a nightmare. The heat was so intense that it felt like my skin was burning, and every breath was a struggle against the thick, acrid smoke that clawed at my lungs. I could barely think, but I knew I had to get the kids out of here, no matter what
“Stay close to me, okay?” I told them, trying to keep my voice steady. My mind was racing, desperately searching for a way out. The main staircase was out of the question–engulfed in flames. I could hear the panicked shouts of the staff and the guards, some of them screaming in pain. This was more than a fire. It was an attack. Someone had done this on purpose.
“Mommy, I’m scared.” Ethan whimpered, his small body trembling against mine.
“I know, sweetheart. But I need you to be brave for me, okay? We’re going to get out of here.”
I spotted the back staircase–our only chance. I dragged them toward it, my injured ankle screaming in protest with every step. The kids clung to me, their faces pale and tear–streaked. I could feel their fear, their confusion, and it broke my heart that I couldn’t protect them from this.
“Mommy, why is this happening?” Emma asked, her voice trembling.
“I don’t know, baby. But we’re going to be okay. I promise,” I lied, because the truth was, I had no idea if we would make it out of this alive.
We reached the stairs, and I practically shoved them ahead of me. “Go, go! Don’t look back!”
The staircase was narrow and steep, but it wasn’t on fire–yet. I forced myself to move faster, ignoring the searing pain in my ankle. The sounds of the house collapsing around us were deafening, but I couldn’t let it distract me. The kids were my only focus.
We stumbled down the stairs, the air thick with smoke and panic. Every second felt like an eternity, but somehow, we made it to the ground floor. The door to the outside was just ahead, but flames were licking at its edges. I hesitated for just a moment, then tightened my grip on the kids‘ hands and pushed forward.
But just as we were about to reach the door, a beam from the ceiling collapsed in front of us, blocking our path. The kids screamed, and I pulled them back, frantically looking for another way out. The fire was everywhere now, roaring like a living thing, hungry and endless.
“Over here!” A guard appeared through the smoke, his face smeared with ash and blood. He grabbed the kids from me, lifting them up into his arms. “I’ll get them out! You follow me!”
I nodded, though my body felt like it was moving on autopilot. The guard led us to a small side door that wasn’t completely
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Chapter 44
engulfed yet. I limped behind them, the pain in my ankle now a dull throb. And a guard had fear etched on his face as he quickly caught me before I could fall.
“I’m fine,” I lied, wincing as the pain in my ankle intensified. I couldn’t afford to collapse now. Not with my kids still in danger.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he insisted, wrapping his arm around my waist to support me. Together, we limped out into the open air. The moment we stepped outside, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. But it was short–lived.
Emma and Ethan were huddled together, their small bodies shaking with fear. The sight of them safe, but so frightened, nearly broke me. I wanted to rush over and hold them, to tell them everything would be alright, but my body refused to cooperate. My ankle throbbed, and the adrenaline that had kept me going was rapidly fading.
“Mama!” Ethan cried, breaking away from the guard to run to me. Emma followed, tears streaming down her face.
I dropped to my knees, ignoring the searing pain as I pulled them into my arms. I’m here, I’m here,” I whispered, trying to soothe them even as my own heart raced with terror. “It’s going to be okay.”
But I wasn’t sure if that was true. The mansion–our home–was burning to the ground behind us, and everything I had gotten over the past few months felt like it was crumbling into ash.
“Mommy, what happened? Why is everything on fire?” Emma asked, her voice trembling.
“I don’t know, baby,” I said, my voice cracking. “But we’re safe now, that’s what matters.
As the guards hurried us away from the inferno, I caught sight of more staff members helping the injured, while others struggled to contain the blaze. Two bodies lay covered on the lawn, a brutal reminder of the lives that had been lost tonight. This wasn’t just an accident–it was an attack. And it had nearly destroyed everything I held dear.
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. I had to stay strong, for my kids, for everyone. But inside, I was raging. Who would do this? Who would try to take everything from me?
As the guard guided us to a waiting car, I felt a fresh wave of pain–this time in my chest. Not just from the physical injuries, but from the realization that whoever was behind this wouldn’t stop. They wanted me out of the way. They wanted to take everything from me.
But they’d failed. I wasn’t done fighting. Not by a long shot.
The kids clung to me as we got into the car, their small bodies trembling with fear. I could barely focus on anything but their safety, the heat of the fire still burning in my memory. As we sped away, I watched the flames engulf what was left of the mansion through the rearview mirror, a burning proof of everything I was going to protect, no matter what it took.
No matter who was behind this, they’d made a grave mistake. And I was going to make sure they paid for it.
