The last bit of panic in my heart dissipated, and I turned off my phone.
But Leo seized my arm.
"Have her 'escorted' to a room!"
"Watch her. We're going in to negotiate now!"
Two tall men stepped forward, dragged me into a side room, and locked the door.
I struggled desperately, panic rising in me again.
"Leo, let me go!"
"I don't trust you!"
"You'll get our daughter killed! You'll fail, and every child in that school will die because of you!"
I screamed, my wrists chafing raw and bloody.
Leo's face was grim, but his voice dripped with arrogance.
"Julia, I will bring our daughter back. Just you wait here!"
With that, he turned and left.
Rosalie followed close behind, casting a triumphant smile in my direction.
The door was shut and locked from the outside. I scrambled to my feet.
But it was no use, no matter how much I struggled.
A few minutes later, I was drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest.
Just then, my phone rang.
"Mama?"
My daughter's soft whisper came over the line.
"Is Papa here to save me?"
"Mama, the bad men took all our watches. I hid mine, so they don't know."
"Mama, am I smart?"
Tears streamed down my face as I listened to her sweet, innocent voice.
"Angie, don't let the bad men see you. Hide in a corner, and stay away from those explosives!"
I frantically tried to soothe my daughter, my mind a vortex of fear.
Suddenly, my daughter's voice on the other end went silent.
Then, the sound of a child crying came through.
"Angie?!"
"Angie, what's happening over there?!"
My heart felt like it would burst from my chest as I screamed her name.
A few minutes later, my daughter's trembling voice returned.
"Mama... a teacher was shot by one of the bad men..."
"It's because Crystal called the man a 'dirty rat' and a criminal. Then the man just went crazy."
"Mama, Papa is talking to the man. The first thing he asked was, 'Where is Crystal?'..."
"Why didn't Papa ask for me first?"
My daughter's innocent question left me speechless.
Ever since Rosalie's daughter had transferred to this school, Leo had changed.
On the school's family day, he abandoned Angela and me to accompany Rosalie and her daughter.
He’d skip our daughter's school activities to attend events with Rosalie and her daughter.
I had fought with him, questioned him.
Leo's response was always dismissive.
"Rosalie and her daughter have no one else in New York. It's my duty to help them."
The memories assaulted me. I bit down hard and forced myself to stand.
"Angie, don't worry. Your uncle is on his way to save you..."
I murmured words of comfort to my daughter, and then the door was suddenly thrown open.
"That's her!"
"It's her arrogance that got your family member killed!"
Rosalie's ally pointed a trembling finger at me, her voice a shriek.
Outside the door, several people with tear-streaked faces rushed in—they were the family of the teacher who'd been murdered.
"Bitch! You killed him!"
"Why don't you just die?!"
"You should have died in his place!"
One man roared, kicking me hard in the stomach.
The people behind him surged forward, their faces twisted with a murderous hatred.
"I'll kill you!"
"Go join him in hell!"
The man slapped me across the face, and I slammed against the wall, nearly blacking out.
"What are you doing?!"
"All of you, get out!"
"Someone, pull them off!"
Just as I was about to black out from the pain, Leo's men rushed in and dragged my attackers away.
I lay on the floor, barely breathing, every inhale a wave of nausea and agony.
