OLIVIA’S POV


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    65 vaticherz


    My eyes darted desperately around the kitchen, my heart hammering so loudly in my chest that it drowned out every other sound. The moment my gazended on a knife lying on the shelf, a flicker of hope lit inside me. If she was truly here alone, then maybe I could defend myself. I wasn’t looking to kill anyone today, but if she intended to end my life, then I had no choice. It was either her or me.


    I lunged forward, my hand curling around the knife’s handle, but before I could secure it<b>, </b>a sharp, stinging pain shot through my wrist. My breath caught in my throat as my hand involuntarily opened, the de slipping from my grasp and ttering loudly against the tiled floor. My eyes widened in disbelief. She <b>was </b>already beside me, so close that I could smell her perfume mixed with the coppery tang of tension in the air. Isadora had struck me with her elbow, so quick and precise that I hadn’t even seen her move.


    How? How did she close the distance that fast? My mind screamed at me to grab something else, anything, but my eyes snapped back to the knife now lying between us. A weapon that could decide everything in the next few seconds.


    We both looked at it at the same time. The room seemed to narrow to just that one object<b>, </b>sitting there between us, mocking us both. I could almost hear time ticking away, each second pressing on my chest like a stone. Whoever grabbed it first would have the upper hand.


    She moved. Fast. Too fast.


    But instead of fighting her for it, I let instinct take over. I raised my leg and kicked her as hard as I could. My foot connected with her face, right across the bridge of her nose. There was a sickening crack as the force knocked her back. She stumbled, her hands flying up instinctively, and blood gushed instantly from her nose.


    She staggered a few steps, the blood dripping down her lips and chin, but instead of slowing her, it only seemed to ignite something darker in her. Her eyes zed with fury, and the sight of her bloodied face sent a shiver of dread crawling down my spine.


    The next moment, her fist connected with my midsection. The blow was so powerful, so precise, that I doubled over immediately. My breath rushed out of me in a single gasp, leaving my lungs empty and my vision blurry. My knees buckled as I staggered back, clutching the shelf behind me for support. A fiery ache burned in my stomach, and I bit down hard on my lip to keep from crying out.


    Her voice slithered into my ears, sharp and venomous. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, Olivia. And soon… soon you’ll answer to all my requests.”


    Her words twisted my insides even more than the punch had. What did she mean by requests? What could she possibly want from me beyond my suffering, my ruin? My head spun with the weight of it, but I didn’t have time to dwell. She was moving again, her hand rising, ready to smash another punch directly into my face.


    This time I was ready. I ducked, her fist slicing past my cheek, and seized a handful of her hair. She shrieked, the sound raw and furious, as I yanked her forward with all the strength I could muster. My hand trembled, but desperation gave me power. With one swift motion, I shoved her toward the stove.


    Her arm struck the frying pan, tipping it over. In an instant, hot oil cascaded down, sttering onto her face


    <b>11:48 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep 27 </b>M…


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    and neck. The steak hissed as it fell to the floor, the scent of burnt meat filling the air, but all I could hear was


    her scream.


    It was a sound I would never forget


    high, piercing, filled with agony. She dropped to her knees, clutching


    her face, rocking back and forth as though that could somehow lessen the pain.


    My eyes widened in shock. My heart thumped wildly. I hadn’t meant for it to happen. I only wanted to push her back, only wanted space to breathe. But now.


    “My eyes! It hurts!” she shrieked, her voice tearing at my cars.


    Blood rushed through my veins like ice. Did the oil get in her eyes too? My stomach twisted at the thought. Her skin was already peeling in angry red patches, her features distorted by burns. The sight alone made me shiver.


    Then she pulled her hands away, and my heart sank even lower. Her eyes were bloodshot, streaming, and when she blinked or tried to, the redness seemed to spread.


    “I can’t see!” she screamed, staggering blindly as she scrambled to her feet. “I can’t see! You bitch, you got me blind!” Her hands iled in the air, swinging wildly, desperate to hit something, anything, but they only struck empty space.


    Blind.


    The word echoed inside my head, mingling with the thundering of my pulse. This was my chance. I fumbled for my phone with shaky hands, pulling it out of my pocket. My fingers trembled against the screen as I quickly dialed themissioner, my voice low but urgent as I informed him that Isadora was here.


    I didn’t wait for his response. I bolted from the kitchen, mming the door shut behind me and twisting the lock tight. My chest heaved as I pressed my back against the door, the cool wood firm against my damp clothes. My mind spun in circles, trying to calm itself. For now, she was trapped. For now, I was safe.


    Or so I thought.


    I hurried toward the front door, intent on calling the gateman for help, only to freeze when I spotted <i>a </i>familiar figure already standing there.


    Uncle Jose.


    Relief washed over me for a brief second, and I rushed toward him. “Uncle Jose, I need your help! Someone is trying to kill me!” My words tumbled out in a frantic rush, my voice breaking.


    But then… nothing. No concern. No rm. Just his face, eerily calm, as a small, cold smile curled at the edges of his lips.


    The world seemed to tilt. My breath caught, my stomach twisting. And in that instant, the pieces aligned. He wasn’t surprised to see me distressed. He wasn’t here by ident. He was with her. He had apanied Isadora here. They were working together.


    But how? How could they possibly know each other?


    27 CD


    I took a cautious step back, my eyes flickering between him and the front door. My mind raced, calcting if I turned and ran back inside, would I make it before he closed the distance?


    His voice cut through my thoughts, steady andced with bitter anger. “I told you, niece. You should have just given me the CEO position from the very start.”


    <b>AD </b>