“Zach, what on earth can I even say to you?”
Yvonne was brought downstairs with only her eyes showing beneath her headscarf. She felt really scared when she saw the maids and her mom tied up like her. As the door opened, letting in a breeze, the sharp smell of gasoline filled the air.
Zach, in his anger, seemed determined to burn them all alive.
Frida begged, “Please, don’t hurt Yvonne.”
Tears started streaming down Yvonne’s cheeks, especially when she realized that Zach wanted to kill her again. She remembered the terrifying fire incident that had nearly scarred her for life, and now, she was scared out of her mind.
Kai quickly looked over when he heard the name ‘Yvonne’ and saw someone in a wheelchair. He was not sure if it was her, but that did not matter. What mattered was saving everyone in the room.
Kai could not believe how far Zach would go for Maddie. They were talking about the lives of over a dozen people. If they all died because of this, Zach could never make it right, no matter what he did. It would just be too big of a mistake.
“Maddie was right–the more powerful you get, the more you think you can do anything. She’s still not over the stuff that went down before, and now there’s more trouble.
“If people hear about what’s going to happen tomorrow, Maddie will definitely think you’re behind it. How long do you think you can keep hiding it?
“She asked me to check on you. Imagine if she showed up today. Do you know how much worse it could’ve been?
“Do we even need to talk about Ethan’s death? Maddie’s been blaming herself all along, feeling so guilty. She’s been looking for his kid in secret, trying to fix things.
“And you? What have you been up to? If they die too, I bet Maddie’s next in line. Kai continued, yelling, “What’s the hold-up? Let everyone go. We’ll act like nothing ever happened today.”
Zach glared at him. “This isn’t your problem.”
Kai shot back, “Alright, I won’t butt in. But I’m calling her right now to spill everything about you. Maddie’s got to know what you’re really doing.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Zach’s words rang out loud and clear in the big house.
“Getting nervous now? Bet you didn’t expect this. Have you ever thought about how Maddie feels about all the stuff you’re doing?”
It seemed like it took a special kind of person to deal with Zach. All his past actions, and what he was doing to Madelyn now, were not really fixing anything.
“Nobody could keep you in check before, but now… go ahead and try.” Kai pulled out his phone. “Think it over. What matters more to you: venting your anger or Maddie’s feelings?”
Zach glanced at Kai briefly. “Just go away.”
“Hold on.” Kai turned and walked toward Yvonne, still bound. He gently lifted her headscarf.
Yvonne, looking fearful, tried to dodge Kai’s gaze. He did not care, scrutinizing her partially healed burns. Grasping her chin, he observed her.
“With these burns, it’ll be tough to look exactly like before,” Kai said. “Yvonne, I have an idea. I can help you heal, but you need to promise to leave Maddie alone. If not, I might just let your face rot completely.”
Yvonne avoided his gaze, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Is what you’re offering for real?”
