DESPERATE

41

Kenzo's face was visibly marked by concern as he understood just how serious Cyrie's situation was. The lines on his forehead were like deep grooves, showing anyone who looked just how worried he was. He was about to exit the car quickly when Randall caught his hand with a strong grip. "Wait," Randall said in a deep, earnest tone. "Cyrie shouldn't find out about me right now. Make sure she's alright first, then come and see me. Our conversation isn't over."

Annoyance flared in Kenzo as he faced Randall. He had hoped to never see him again, to be free of his manipulative ways. But here was Randall, once more pulling strings in his life like some puppet master. "Cyrie needs me right now!" Kenzo snapped, yanking his hand away and darting out of the car.

"She needs both of us, Kenzo, not just you!" Randall responded in a quiet but strong voice, watching closely as Kenzo disappeared into the house, his expression a mix of concern and calculation. Though Randall had been deceived by Kenzo in the past, circumstances now forced him to extend a cautious thread of trust. With a cautious step, he left the car and tiptoed closer, peering through windows to catch a glimpse of the scene inside.

In the corner of the living room, Cyrie was engulfed in worry, her figure barely visible in the dim light. She clutched her knees to her chest, her body rocking in a steady rhythm, trying to comfort herself. The melody she hummed—a tune that once brought her peace—now seemed just a whisper in the overwhelming silence, unable to calm the storm of anxiety within her.

Her breaths came in rapid, shallow gasps, each one a desperate scrape against the tightening vice of her chest. The world spun—a dizzying, relentless carousel—and the wooden floor beneath her seemed to tilt and sway. She clawed at the polished planks, fingers scrabbling for purchase, for stability that eluded her. Her heart was a frenzied drummer, pounding out an erratic rhythm that thundered in her ears, drowning out all else.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, each droplet a testament to the silent battle raging within her. The walls closed in, the air thickened, and a thousand whispered fears hissed in the shadows, each one a serpent coiling tighter around her thoughts. She tried to call out, but her voice was a prisoner, trapped behind the bars of her rapidly constricting throat.

Colors bled into one another, a watercolor world melting into chaos. The edges of her vision fringed with encroaching darkness, a creeping void that promised oblivion. And then, as if the strings holding her to consciousness were snipped one by one, she felt herself slipping, falling away from the world of light and sound and into the silent depths of unconsciousness.

Abbey watched with a cold detachment, her eyes devoid of warmth. "Oh, please," she said, her voice dripping with disdain as she stepped between Kenzo and Cyrie. "It's not a heart attack, just a panic attack. She's not dying, she's just overreacting as usual." Her grip on Kenzo's arm was firm, not out of concern, but to steer him away, to prevent any further fuss over Cyrie's dramatics.

Todd and Kenzo shot Abbey looks of sheer disbelief, as if she were the most insensitive person on earth. Abbey simply rolled her eyes in response and released Kenzo's arm. "You're exaggerating the situation," she declared.

"Are you kidding me, Abbey? She's lying there motionless!" Kenzo snapped, his frustration boiling over as he pushed past her. The usual respect he had for his boss's girlfriend was absent. He swiftly picked up Cyrie and carried her to the bedroom. With a back kick, he shut the door behind them.

Abbey's voice was filled with exasperation. "Todd! He just shoved me aside. Are you going to let him get away with that?" she demanded, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

Todd just shrugged. "You can be a bitch, Abbey. It's no secret you're not exactly everyone's cup of tea," he said bluntly, heading to the kitchen. His mind wasn't on the beer he was about to grab but on a more pressing concern: disposing of the two bodies hidden away before they started to decompose and smell up the place.