Ariana walked back and forth anxiously by the entrance of the hall. The girl's eyes repeatedly shifted to the clock as her mother's surgery room departure time neared.
"Is it better for me to return to the hospital?" Ariana exhaled forcefully and gnawed on her lip. "Ugh!" - expressing frustration or annoyance. The crucial point is that I have presented my nose to Mr. Anthony, so he won't dismiss me, correct?
Right as Ariana decided to depart the office, the entrance to the spacious main hall abruptly swung open. There was a sudden rush of people running outside with expressions of panic and fear on their faces.
Ariana moved aside the door and saw the corridor was already filled with gray smoke. The fire alarm's ringing alerted the firefighters to enter the building immediately.
Oh my goodness! "What has occurred?" Ariana simply stared at the crowd, unaware of the events that had occurred in the hallway.
In the midst of the crowded hustle and bustle, Ariana felt her cell phone vibrate in her hand. She hastily answered the phone call, only to discover it was from the hospital. "Hello there?"
[Nurse Brianne]: "Miss Ariana, can you tell me where you are? Simply go quickly to the hospital. We are sorry to inform you that ... your mother has died."
The hand that lifted the phone to the ear now hung down. Ariana gazed ahead with a blank expression, her body becoming limp as well.
The noise of the running crowd had faded, giving way to a piercing ringing that drowned out her ability to hear.
This will be the most distressing event she has ever faced in her lifetime. Each inhalation she took felt extremely painful and suffocating.
***
At that afternoon, the funeral home was filled with active mourners and flower arrangements offering condolences were lined up in the aisle.
Ariana Rosalee, clothed entirely in black, sat thoughtfully beside her mother's soon-to-be interred body. Tears have dried on the cheeks already and it's uncertain how much was shed in the past few hours.
Her little brother, Kairaf, is still crying with puffy eyes. The high school graduate was greatly surprised when he received the news of his mother's death right after completing the university entrance exam, which happened to be during her surgery.
Presently, the siblings are now officially without parents. They suffered the loss of their father, who passed away while on duty as a soldier in Rusia. Both of them were brought up solely by their mother since a young age, and now the only angel without wings has departed to be with her husband.
The bodies were interred before nightfall arrived. It is impossible to convey the emptiness of the atmosphere in the siblings' small house at the city's corner. That same evening, Kairaf was promptly taken by a distant relative to evacuate until the situation improved. Ariana remains in this city because she has a job.
Ariana, a young woman of 23 years old, is currently gazing at the empty wall in her dimly lit room. I am constantly haunted by feelings of loss, emptiness, and guilt.
She muttered angrily, pounding her chest with a fist, "Ariana, you didn't even stay with your mom before she died." Just picture how lonely her mother must feel, not being able to see her daughter's face one last time.
She struggled to catch her breath, feeling as though something heavy was pressing on her both in the front and from behind. I regret leaving the hospital. I regret not staying with my mother! The girl started tousling her hair.
"Why did you not stand by her in her final moments, stupid!" she yelled with a regretful shriek. Emotionally shattered and delicate.
No matter what item she touches, it always gets tossed in various directions. Her self-rage was so intense that she couldn't contain it, causing her room to be in disarray.
She murmured while seated on the room floor that she will have time to see her Mom's smile if she doesn't obey Zero Ethics' CEO's orders. "If that jerk Anthony displays even a hint of compassion and permits me to depart, I will definitely cling to Mama's hand until she takes her final breath."
Ariana stood up after inhaling deeply with emotion. She now has a strong commitment firmly rooted in her heart.
She growled that Anthony needs to take responsibility for everything.
A plan of revenge that she believed could temporarily appease her claustrophobic soul. "I couldn't care less! I plan to resign from the company and settle scores with that arrogant man!"
Ariana, acting on impulse, quickly moved. The girl, filled with rage and a desire for revenge, retrieved a hammer from the shed's toolbox.
Tonight, the only aim is reaching the villa where Anthony spends his weekends.
Anthony Bree selected a vinyl record from the rack and placed it onto the turntable. He used a steady finger to adjust the dial on the gramophone, playing the music he loved. An upscale villa is where the man seeks solace every weekend by enjoying classical music and Western acoustics.
Anthony reflected on yesterday morning's events while enjoying a glass of wine.
"Charity gathering, laser show and firework display," whispered the man after consuming the deep red liquid in his mouth. Anthony has requested Keenan to promptly take over and look into this matter alongside the police.
The pandemonium at the donation handover in the office building's hall yesterday confirmed to him that the endless string of terrors he had endured for the past year would not cease until he uncovered the identity of the mastermind responsible.
Anthony has experienced a variety of terrors. Receiving a variety of disturbing items such as dead cats, pig's blood, and monthly subscriptions to anonymous letters filled with curses and death threats.
Anthony is aware that holding the top position in this large company comes with a lot of risk. Numerous foes and pairs of eyes from every direction are ready for his downfall and destruction.
Anthony was uncertain about how long he would remain safe and how much danger the threats would escalate to, whether they came from individuals or groups.
Anthony's wet lips sometimes displayed a slight smile following a sip of wine. He grumbled that he would observe how much longer they would continue to play hide and seek and perform in these shows.
The man went to shower and prepare for bed since it was already midnight according to the villa's clock.
While rubbing his wet hair with the towel, Anthony gazed out the glass window. After showering, he wore only a navy bathrobe that concealed his toned physique.
"Pretty good!" Anthony murmured as he made his way to his room, "at least tonight I'll get a good night's sleep."
As Anthony was about to lay on his plush bed, he heard faint noises of objects being moved and footsteps coming from outside the room. The sound was so near that it roused him from sleep.
He furrowed his brow upon realizing the sound was incredibly lifelike. The man neared the entrance and gently pushed it ajar.
Anthony was on the verge of screaming when he saw a woman in a white knee-length dress standing before him, leaving him breathless in surprise. The room appears spooky as the only source of light comes from the outside terrace, casting a dark ambiance.
"Who are you?" Anthony moved back a couple of steps. If Anthony had not been too busy to look at the girl's feet in high black boots, he would have mistaken her for a ghost at the villa.
"How did you manage to enter this place?" Anthony attempted to catch a glimpse of the girl's face, partially obscured by a dark cap.
The man felt anxious as he stared at the hammer held by the woman with blank eyes. He had a moment to ponder if the fear that had been haunting him had finally materialized.
However, when the girl removed her hat, Anthony was taken aback to see that the person with the mysterious demeanor was none other than "Ariana Rose?"
*****