657: Testing Nobility

Testing Nobility

Caroline's eyes landed on her mother who was strapped to a chair in the middle of the room. Her lips parted in a horrified expression, and she dashed forward, falling to her knees in front of Deborah. "Mom! You're bleeding!" And without looking around, she yelled, "How could you tie her up like this? Let her go!!!"2

Deborah, on the other hand, was so deep in thought, that she didn't even look at her daughter—or more like, she was ashamed to look at her, judging by how she had averted her stare. Despite Caroline trying to call for her mother, Deborah remained unresponsive, her lips tight and her expression grim.

While the young woman was hysterical, trying to untie her mother from the chair helplessly, Katherine let go of Mr. Higgins and the old man fell to the floor, his face bloody and banged up.

Exchanging glances with Damien and Amelia, Katherine moved to a huddle with them. "I can move them out of here through the woods," Amelia offered.

"Where will you take them?" Damien asked while giving his men to untie Deborah from the chair. The police sirens got closer and closer, its wail a haunting sound around them.

"There's a clearing about a mile ahead," said Katherine. "We'll handle the police while you get them away from here."

Amelia nodded and led the group out of the church. The men moved Deborah and Higgins, and Caroline protested, cursing at Maverick Security men for manhandling her mother, but they all ignored her. Damien and Katherine followed behind.

"Woah! What the hell!" Styles gasped and everyone turned their attention to him. They found Caroline pointing a swiss knife to his neck while tears streamed down her blotchy face. "Leave my mom alone!" she cried.

"Caroline, put the knife down," Katherine hissed.

For the first time since Caroline arrived, Deborah looked up to see her daughter taking Styles hostage. "Carol…" she whispered, her eyes widening in horror.

"No! You let go of my mother first!" Caroline stomped her foot and pressed the tip of the knife to Styles's throat, making him grunt.

"You know I'm stronger than you, right?" Styles held her hand that was holding the knife, stopping it from poking his neck. "I can easily throw you down. Don't make me do it."

"Sh-shut up, n-nerd! I'm the one with the knife!"

"That's not a toy, little girl."

"I know, dumbass!" Caroline darted her stare back to Katherine, her eyes shining with tears. "Please let my mom go, please! I don't want to do this."

Despite her annoyance, Katherine's eyes stung and it felt like something large squeezed her chest as she watched her cousin. It didn't matter that she was Deborah's daughter. She felt sorry that Caroline had that kind of mother. "Put it down, Caroline. It's over."

"Katherine, please—"

"Caroline," Deborah called, and Caroline jerked her head to her mother. "Put it down, baby. It's okay. Don't worry about me."

"But mom! They're going to hurt you! They're accusing you of something absurd. I can't just let them take you away!"

"It's not…" Deborah's voice trailed off. "It's true, Caroline."

"What? W-What are you saying?" Caroline asked. Deborah lowered her stare, her shoulders drooping in shame. "Mom! What are you saying?"

"I killed them."

Caroline's hand trembled and Styles took the opportunity to disarm her gently and move away from her, and she didn't fight him on it. "You're lying…" she muttered under her breath. Deborah didn't answer. "Tell me it's not true!" She sobbed. "Mom… It can't be…"

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't want you to find out what I did. You…" Deborah sniffed. "Don't do this, Caroline. This isn't you. Don't be like me."

Caroline's knees buckled, and if it weren't for Noah grabbing her by the shoulders, she would've fallen. Her entire form shook as she cried and all she could do was slump against Noah who, for a second, hesitated, but eventually held her to his chest.

Damien's phone rang and when he picked it up, one of his men told him, "Boss, two policemen are here. They said someone called for help."

"Let them in the mansion. We're on our way," he responded, and then to Katherine, he said, "We need to go."

"I'll escort them through the woods," Felix offered.

"I'll send a car over to get you out of there," said Damien before he guided Katherine back to the mansion.

While Amelia and Felix took Deborah and Higgins away, the others went back to the mansion. Damien took care of the police and sent them back on the road after letting them check the mansion and reassured them that it was all a misunderstanding. Though the cops were a bit suspicious, he was very persuasive and even expressed his appreciation for the prompt response and told them he'd personally commend them to their supervisor for taking their job seriously. Only after then did the cops get in their car and drive out of the estate.

Katherine stood by the window in the living room, her arms folded under her breasts while she was looking out in the dark where she imagined Amelia and the others had gone earlier. 

"Please don't kill her."

She slid her stare to the side where Caroline appeared, Noah standing a few feet behind. The younger woman's eyes were swollen, and she looked pale as if she was sick. Katherine clenched her jaw tight, unwilling to talk to Caroline at the moment. Her presence was too much for her right now.

Caroline strode the distance between them and, to Katherine's surprise, Caroline knelt on the floor, her head bowed as she pleaded, "I can't bring back your parents. And I have no right to ask you, but please… Katherine. She's all I have. Please don't kill my mom." Teardrops fell on the floor as her shoulders shook.

'How dare she ask me that?' Katherine's chin wobbled as her lips tightened into a thin line. Her eyes became misty; so she blinked the tears away, not wanting to shed a tear for Caroline. Her stare was hard as she looked down at Caroline's head. 'Did they think about me then when they murdered my family?' Her chest heaved up and down, wanting to lash out at the younger woman…at the same time that she wanted to hug her for being so pitiful. It's not Caroline's fault she's Deborah's daughter. But the hatred in Katherine's heart was a scar that would never heal.

"Go to your room, Caroline," Damien said as he walked over to Katherine's side. When Caroline looked up at him, he added in a much gentler tone, "Take a rest. We'll all talk in the morning." He shot Noah a glance and the latter immediately followed the silent command, pulling Caroline up and leading her back to her room.

Once they were alone, he circled his arms around Katherine's frame and kissed the side of her head. This wasn't how they expected things would go, but they got Deborah and Higgins. That was enough for today. Stroking her back, he told her, "They arrived in a safe house not far from here. Amelia and Felix will watch over them. You can rest assured they won't be getting away anymore."

Upon hearing that, she instantly melted in his arms, shaking her head in resignation. "I'm so tired, Damien. So…so tired."

Without thinking twice, he bent to pick her up and carried her bridal style and brought her to their room. He, too, was exhausted after the long night they had. But Katherine needed him, and taking care of her was his priority. "I got you, Kitten. Go to sleep. We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."

That was all Damien had to say for Katherine to let go and fall into a deep sleep. And she slept a dreamless one. 

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