Chapter 27

OLIVIA

MY heart, as well as my pulse, were both pounding wildly as I hugged Mikael, soothing him and stopping him from crying. I could have sworn that my body was quivering so badly at the same time. I could not take Reese's picture filled with fresh blood out of my head. No matter how I tried to get rid of that thought, it haunted me severely, sending shivers up my spine. Who would send that kind of thing to Reese? Even swallowing seemed too hard to do at this point, thinking that someone out there, unscathed, was waiting for the right time to kill me.

I checked the time next to the radio, and it displayed two o'clock in the morning. Chase drove so fast, and was silent the whole time. I was well aware that he was fuming mad that he could even go to hell to protect me, and I was more shocked by his reaction than anything else. He was thinking that it was none other than Chandria, his little bitchy sister. I swore that I would never be able to forgive his sister if she was truly the one who tried to scare me.

"Chase, can you please slow down a bit? Mikael is so scared right now," I said and I was glad that I managed to utter those words clearly given how my entire body quiver so bad.

From where we were seated, I could see how Chase's jaw clenched, the veins on his arm were visible as he gripped firmly on the steering wheel, and the way he looked at the road screamed of mixed danger and cruelty. This was the first time I had ever witnessed him in such a crazed state, and I couldn't help but be concerned about what he might do while in this state.

"Chase, please!" I called his attention once more when he did not respond to my plea.

"We're near their house, Reese…" His voice sounded so intense.

"I-I know, just please slow down a bit. We have a kid here for Pete's sake…" I almost begged and hugged Mikael even more.

Chase, on the other hand, did not listen to me, and I was beginning to fear that he would not listen to anyone at this point. Mikael sobbed in my arms, and all I could do was pat his back repeatedly to keep him calm and quiet.

It took nearly an hour before we arrived at the Maxwells' home. I almost forgot what the mansion really looked like as it had been a while since the last time we went here. Chase did not waste any more time and jumped out of the car as soon as the vehicle came to a complete stop. I couldn not keep up with him because he moved at such a breakneck pace.

"Chase!" I called him when I was trying to get out of the car with Mikael in my arms but he stopped midway and looked at me warily with his eyes ablaze.

"Stay inside the fucking car, Reese!" he yelled, which made my knees go jelly.

"What? No way! We are coming with you inside!" I said firmly. "And please calm down a bit! What if it's not your sister? We might be wrong! We have no evidence that will prove that she is the one who sent that threat, Chase!"

"I know that she is capable enough to screw someone, Reese. Believe me she could do those stuff," he responded, voice was firm.

He then turned his back and made his way to the porch of the mansion. My eyes widened as I realized that my level of anxiety had more than doubled now that we were in his family's residence. I pondered whether we should follow him or whether we should remain in the car. However, as soon as I visualized the threat in my mind, I was unable to muster the willpower to remain still in the car, despite the fact that I had a child with me who needed to be taken care of. The thought that someone might have followed us all the way here made me tremble. I looked around me, peering into every crevice, and all I could see was the darkness of the night.

"Momma, I am scared…" Mikael cried on my shoulder, and I had to pat his back again to hush him. "Uncle is angry. He is scary."

"Mikael, Uncle Chase only wants to protect us," I replied and huffed out. "We will follow him inside. I need to calm him so he won't become scarier, alright?"

Mikael only nodded. I gathered all my strength and rushed toward the mansion. I hoped and prayed that nothing bad would ever happen to Chase, because that was the last thing I wanted to witness at this point in my life. However, my thoughts, as well as my prayers, were ripped out when I heard Chase's loud screams as soon as my feet stepped onto the porch. It felt like someone had smacked me in the chest with a hammer. Chase's life had devolved into a complete mess!

As soon as we walked into the mansion, I witnessed Chase yelling and the maids attempting to prevent him from walking upstairs.

"Chandria! Where the fuck are you?! Come out!" Chase screamed on top of his lungs while he stood up in the living room. "How dare you do this to us?! How could you do this to my wife?! Chandria, face me! Come on!"

I did not think twice and put Mikael down. I crouched and guided his hands to cover his ears, then I looked him in the eyes. He was on the verge of crying, but he was trying to hold it back.

"Listen to me, little buddy. Turn around and count from one to one hundred. Whatever you hear, ignore it. I will try to stop Uncle and then we will go home, sounds good?" I told him, trying my best to sound convincing despite the fact that Chase was already making a scene not far from us.

He nodded, lips quivering he answered, "Alright, Momma. Mommy told me before that I should not listen to adults' conversation. I will just count then…"

I ruffled his hair as I exhaled. "You are such a good boy. Now, turn around."

He then turned around. His hands covered his ears as he started to count. I sighed out of frustration, stood up and turned to Chase's direction.

I rushed toward him and tried to stop him from making a scene. "Chase, stop it!"

"Chandria!" He screamed once more. His face was red out of rage. His chest was turning up and down because of his ragged breathing. "Fuck, I won't let it slide. Come out now!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Uncle Ernest's voice was like thunder as he looked at us from the top of the long staircase. Beside him was Mrs. Maxwell and then Chandria appeared just behind them.

"Chandria, let's talk! Come here!" Chase was getting more enraged now that he finally saw his prime suspect for the death threat I received.

Chandria looked confused and annoyed at the same time. As she crossed her arms against her chest, she slowly walked downstairs.

"What the fuck do you want from me, Chase? I've been hearing you calling my name even in my private dreams!" She burst out.

"You!" Chase pointed his index finger at her, which made her eyes widen in shock. "Are you trying to screw my wife? Why did you send her a death threat? How dare you!"

"What did you say?!" Chandria shouted at him. "Why would I even do that to your low breed wife?!"

"You have no right to talk ill of her!"

Chase was about to run toward his sister but then I was able to grab his waist, trying to stop him from attacking Chandria. "Chase, please don't do that!"

"Did you hear Chase just now, Dad, Mom? He thinks that I am sending his wife a death threat!" Chandria laughed sarcastically. "Guess what? Even if I wanted to scare the hell out of your wife, I have no time to do that. She doesn't deserve even an ounce of my attention so you better stop pointing your finger on me! You have no right to accuse me!"

"Screw you! I know how you behave, Chan! You are the only person who can do this stuff!" Chase yelled at her. "You have done it before. You are that capable!"

"How dare you say that in my face, Chase?! Just because of that woman?" Chandria pointed her index finger at me, every word dripping off insults. "You will throw a pit here and blame me for something I didn't even do?! And how dare you bring my past to this conversation? I had my reasons why I did all that, Chase!"

"What kind of reason? Is insanity one of them?!"

"Fuck you, Chase!" Chandria screamed out loud and slapped Chase on his cheek.

My eyes widened as I did not expect such actions from her. It was only then that Chase stopped screaming, as if that slap had made him come back to his senses.

"Chase, please… let's go, I am begging you…" I told him while trying to pull him but he did not flinch at all.

"You are supposed to take my side, Chase! Not hers! But here you are, almost wanting to hurt me for something you don't even have a proof with." Chandria started crying out of frustration. "And I will tell you again just in case it never sinks in your head, I did not send death threats to your low breed wife!"

"Enough, both of you!" Uncle Ernest did not hold back anymore.

He rushed downstairs and I screamed when he punched Chase in the face, which made him fall on the ground. Even Chandria, as well as Mrs. Maxwell, frowned and instantly held Uncle Ernest in their arms.

"You have no single respect for us! How could you storm out here and accuse your sister for something she did not do? Aren't you thinking clearly anymore?!" Uncle Ernest's face reddened. It brought such terror within my chest as it was the first time I saw him screaming like that.

"Ernest, please! Do not hurt our son!"

I held Chase in the arm and helped him stand up. He licked the side of his lips as he got a bruise after what his father had done. He looked at them angrily.

"I won't let you ruin my marriage," Chase told them warily and then glanced at his sister. "And once I find out that it was you, Chan, I swear I won't let it slide. You can mark my words."

"What a baseless accusation you have, Chase. Go on! Prove it. Unless you have evidence that it was me who tried to scare your wife, you have no right to accuse and threaten me that way!" Chandria then glared at me. "I bet you are happy right now seeing our family get ruined because of you. I hate you so much, Jones. You may be Chase's wife now but you will never be part of this family. I won't accept you!"

Right after screaming those words, Chandria ran upstairs. The next thing I heard was the sound of the door slamming shut.

"I am so disappointed in you, son…" Mrs. Maxwell expressed. She was on the verge of crying, if not for Uncle Ernest who needed to be prevented from beating Chase. "Both of you can leave. I can't believe you just made a scene at my house. For God's sake, Chase. This isn't your thing!"

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Maxwell—"

"I am not talking to you, Reese." She cut my words off which made me feel embarrassed. "I heard what you did with Chandria when she visited you home. I am disappointed in you too."

"Chandria initiated that whole fiasco," Chase uttered.

"You should stop blaming your sister while I can still hold back," Uncle Ernest warned him. "You can leave."

"Chase, let's go… please, stop this now…" I begged.

"I will never let any of you hurt my wife," Chase shook his head before he gripped on my hand and dragged me to the door.

He then took Mikael and carried him in his arms. I took one last look at the mansion before I hopped into the car. There I saw Uncle Ernest, who was standing on the porch and was throwing me a deadly glare.

The way he looked at me sent chills down my spine and through my body.