Chapter 41
Maura knew that Caleb and the others were completely done for. There was no one left to save her.
Aurora, who was slowly approaching, suddenly felt something under her foot. She bent down and picked up a syringe, curiously asking, “What’s this?” In this split second, Maura’s fear hit an all–time high.
T–that’s just some mud water from the road.” Maura forced a smile that looked worse than crying, her hands hidden behind her back as she dug her nails deep into her palms, blood dripping down her fingers and mixing with the dirt to form small clumps.
“Oh, really?” Aurora smirked as she brushed the dust off the syringe and tilted her head, looking at Maura with an innocent yet serious expression. “Do you think I’ll believe you?”
Maura’s heart was pounding like a drum, cold sweat forming instantly as she swallowed nervously, desperately trying to convince her. “It’s true. I was just trying to scare you. Aurora, I was wrong. I really was. I won’t ever do it again. I swear.”
Aurora mockingly thought, ‘Since when did the proud little princess of the Crawford family admit her mistakes so easily? Just now, I hit her hard enough to break her head, and she still had the nerve to talk back. And now, one little syringe of ‘mud water‘ has her apologizing so quickly? This ‘mud water‘ must be something special.
With that thought in mind, her gaze settled on the trembling Maura. She slowly backed Maura into a corner and softly asked, “Where were we, Maura?”
Maura backed away from the syringe in Aurora’s hand, unsure of what she planned to do. Terrified of making Aurora angry, Maura scrambled to remember what they had been talking about, but her mind was a total fog. She couldn’t think of anything.
“S–Something about…” Maura stammered, her lips trembling, her gaze darting to the syringe. It was obvious how scared she was.
Aurora placed a hand on Maura’s shoulder and graciously said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. If you can’t remember, then don’t bother. How could I ever bear to trouble you?”
As she spoke, she sneered inwardly, ‘Oh, now you’re scared? Weren’t you just thinking about using this syringe on me?‘
Aurora then said, “I’d like to borrow something from you.”
In her mind, Maura was shouting, ‘For heaven’s sake, just take that damn thing away from me! But she didn’t have the guts to speak up. She knew that if Aurora guessed what was really inside, she’d be done for.
Maura’s teeth were chattering in fear, her attention glued to the syringe. Pressed tightly against the wall, she stammered, “W–what is it?” At this point, she was willing to do anything as long as that thing wasn’t injected into her.
Aurora glanced at the syringe in her hand, freeing one to run through Maura’s hair. She subtly used her legs to block all of Maura’s escape routes, saying, “I’ve been thinking, and I’m a little curious to know what’s inside this…”
Then, she spoke the words that made Maura’s scalp tingle with fear. “So, I was thinking, I’d borrow your body to test it out–see what happens when this ‘mud water‘ gets injected into someone.”
Maura shook her head violently, her eyes filled with pleading, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. “No… Not know I was wrong. I won’t ever do it again. I swear.”
Aurora, I was wrong. I really
Filled with dread, Maura thought, ‘I shouldn’t have stayed to see what happened to Aurora. I should’ve left the second I woke up. Dad, Mom, someone, anyone, please save me!‘
Aurora’s smile widened a little, her voice soft and gentle. “You’re always so considerate. You wouldn’t turn me down, would you?”
Maura’s breath hitched, and the fear on her face grew even more intense. She tried desperately to push Aurora away, but her body was drenched in sweat, and her limbs felt weak. If she weren’t leaning against the wall, she wouldn’t have been able to stay on her feet.
“I’m just a country girl that hasn’t seen much of the world. So why don’t you show me a thing or two today?” Aurora asked, her grip tightening on Maura’s feeble resistance as she plunged the needle into her shoulder and emptied the remaining liquid into her body.
As the brown liquid in the syringe drained into Maura, Aurora yanked the needle out, tossed it on the floor, and crushed it under her foot. She then stood to the side, quietly watching Maura’s reaction.
To be honest, Aurora didn’t really care what was inside the syringe.
In her mind, since Stacy had been the one to find it, letting her daughter have a taste seemed more than fair. It was the perfect example of giving someone a dose of their own medicine.
Maura slid down the wall, her body limp as she collapsed to the floor, a raspy sound escaping from her throat. “Hah… Hah…” Her nails tore through the fabric of her shirt, scratching at the spot where the needle had pierced her shoulder, leaving it bloody and raw.
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Chapter 41
Little by little, a burning sensation spread from deep within her body. She felt like she was going to explode, her insides churning violently, pain cutting into her bones like knives.
Moments later, Maura was thrashing on the ground in agony, her screams tearing through the air. “Ah!”
Aurora’s eyelid twitched at the sight. For a brief second, she felt a twinge of pity, but she quickly pushed it down.
Aurora realized that if she hadn’t overheard Stacy and Rocco’s conversation in the hospital, she would be the one lying on the ground, writhing in pain. If their roles were reversed, Maura wouldn’t have the slightest bit of sympathy for her.
She then mused that Maura ending up like this was nothing more than a case of getting what she deserved–what goes around comes around.
Just then, Maura’s screams were interrupted by the sudden ringing of a phone. “Ring ring ring.” Everyone turned toward the sound and saw that it was Caleb’s phone going off.
At a time like this, it had to be a call from his boss. With that in mind, Aurora stepped closer, bent down to pick up the phone, and noticed the word “Boss” flashing on the screen. She paused for a second before pressing the answer button.
Once the call connected, a man’s voice came through immediately after. “Are you done over there, Caleb? Hmm. I think I heard a woman. screaming. Is it over?”
Before Aurora could speak, the excited voice continued from the phone, “If it’s done, send me a video. That little bitch Aurora dared to mess with Maura without even considering who she’s up against. One move from me, and I could end her life!”
The mention of Maura’s name instantly revealed the identity of the boss. It was Rocco.
Rocco rambled on for a while, but then, as if realizing something was off, he suddenly stopped. Not hearing Caleb’s voice, he asked, “Caleb? Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you still want the rest of your payment?”
The next moment, a sweet, tinkling laugh rang out from the phone. Rocco’s furrowed brows relaxed as he recognized the sound. “Oh, Maura, it’s you. How’s it going? Do you like the gift I sent you? If Aurora dares to mess with you again, just let me know, and I’ll have someone take care of her!”
“Guess who I am, Aurora responded, a playful smile in her voice as, she spoke to Rocco on the other end of the line.
When he realized that the voice wasn’t Maura’s, a sharp look crossed his face, and an uneasy feeling began to creep up on him. “You’re not Maura. Who are you?”
Aurora leaned closer to Maura, holding out the phone and watching her with amused interest. “Hey, your uncle’s calling. Why don’t you have a little chat with him?”
At the same time, Rocco’s urgent voice sounded from the phone. “Who are you? Where’s Caleb? Put Caleb on the phone!”
