Jonah stormed in, his face contorted in fury. His men followed closely behind.
A scream shattered the silence.
"Mom!"
Nadia shoved past them, her wail piercing. She collapsed beside her mother's limp body, hands shaking as she tried to rouse her.
"Mom, what happened to you? Don't scare me like this!"
Her cries were raw, filled with hysteria. Then, as if suddenly remembering my presence, she turned on me, her eyes blazing with accusation.
"Arabelle!" she shrieked. "What have I ever done to you? How could you be so cruel? My mom barely has any time left to live and you—"
She choked on a sob, her body trembling.
Jonah stood frozen, his usual composure cracking at the sight of so much blood. His hemophobia was well-known—he could hardly look, yet he forced himself to act.
Jaw clenched, he grabbed his phone, dialing emergency services. But that didn't stop him from lashing out. With unbridled fury, he sent a vicious kick to my chest. Pain exploded through me, knocking the breath from my lungs.
"Arabelle, you've really disappointed me!" he spat.
As I struggled to breathe, Nadia latched onto his arm, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Jonah, forget it," she pleaded. "This is all my fault. I never should have asked for your help. Right now, I just want my mom to be safe..."
Her voice broke on the last word.
Jonah's anger flared anew. He turned sharply to Zane, his glare lethal.
"Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her? To make sure she didn't cause trouble?"
Zane and the two bodyguards stiffened, exchanging quick glances before responding in unison.
"Miss Arabelle was driving too fast. We couldn't keep up."
It was a well-crafted excuse and Jonah didn't even question it. After all, before I met him, I had a reputation for street racing. It was enough to make their lie believable.
Suppressing his discomfort, Jonah crouched down beside Nadia, his attention fully on her.
"Nadia, your mom's strong. She'll be okay."
The woman on the ground trembled slightly. But she didn't dare to open her eyes.
I let out a bitter laugh, the taste of blood thick on my tongue.
"Stop crying already," I muttered, voice hoarse. "Or your mom won't be able to keep up the act."
The moment the words left my mouth, Nadia snapped.
With a wild, furious cry, she grabbed the blood-stained knife from the floor and lunged at me.