Things change around the 11-year-old orphans from Grace Field as they approach their twelfth year of life.
✦ Will these four eldest children, who have placed so much faith in their sole guardian, Isabella, be able to betray that trust after learnin...
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Chapter Twenty-Five | Hidden Plan
[Narrator]
Isabella meticulously struck a line through the date of January 14th, the pen's ink leaving behind a deliberate mark of erasure. Beside it, the 15th of January stood out, encircled with care, and adorned with the name "Ray" meticulously written beside it. The message was clear – the 15th marked the impending departure of Ray.
"Happy birthday and goodbye," Isabella whispered to herself, a bittersweet mixture of emotions hanging in her voice.
But her sentiments swiftly shifted as her gaze turned to Emma. The vibrant smile that had graced her lips seconds ago vanished, replaced by an air of concern, as Emma's anguished cry reverberated through the dining area.
Urgency spurred Isabella into action. She bolted from her spot, her feet carrying her swiftly towards the radiant glow that emanated from the dining room. The room was transformed into an inferno, flames dancing with an almost malevolent energy.
A foreign aroma filled the air, its pungency assaulting Isabella's senses. "What is this stench?" she wondered aloud, her voice barely audible above the crackling flames.
Isabella pushed the doors open, a surge of heat and smoky haze billowing outward. The scene that greeted her was heart-wrenching – Emma, her tear-stained face etched with despair, huddled on the ground, the fiery chaos casting eerie shadows upon her form.
"Ray...Ray!" Emma's cries were desperate, carried by a heartrending intensity that echoed in the cavernous room.
Isabella's heart raced, anxiety knotting in her chest. "Ray?" she questioned, her voice trembling as she approached Emma, her hand offering a comforting pat on Emma's trembling back. "Emma!"
Fear clung to Emma's voice as she choked out words amidst her sobs. "Help, Mama! Ray..." Her trembling finger pointed towards the heart of the conflagration. "Ray's in there!"
"Did he set himself on fire?" Isabella's thoughts raced as she weighed her options, her mind galvanized into action.
Isabella's gaze snapped to the fire, horror etched across her features. A quick glance at her tracker confirmed Ray's presence amidst the flames – a green dot amidst the sea of red. Determination surged through her veins. She turned on her heels, racing down the hallway to evacuate the children, her voice a firm command as Gilda materialized from the shadows.
"Gilda! Get everyone outside! The kids in my room, too!"
"Got it!"Gilda's voice was a steady reassurance amid the chaos.
