What Max said lingered in Kiara’s mind. She didn’t even think she had the chance to bid him goodbye as she stepped out of the car and walked inside.
When Kiara reached the front door and opened it, she was greeted by the grand entryway of the mansion. Everything was modern, from the plush couches to the sleek coffee table.
"Don’t think much about it," she muttered to herself, shaking her head to dispel the thought. "Everything is already too much for Cassandra and me. We can talk about it later."
Besides, she was fighting for Cassandra because they were friends.
All of Kiara’s efforts were fueled by that friendship. She wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t believed her friend was worth fighting for. So, it didn’t matter what Cassandra had done. It wasn’t like Kiara didn’t know her friend had been spiraling before this whole mess.
Managing to convince herself to put that aside for later, Kiara welcomed herself home.
Since the house was huge, she didn’t think much about where to go.
"Cassy?" she called out, wanting to let Cassandra know she was back. "Cassy, I’m back!"
Nothing.
No one answered.
Kiara furrowed her brows and looked around. Her heart thudded at the silence, urging her to search for Cassandra.
"Cassy?" she called again, heading straight to the second floor, assuming Cassandra had taken one of the rooms there. "Cassy?!"
Kiara searched every room on the second floor but found nothing. She made her way to the third floor. Every time she opened a door and didn’t find her friend, her heart raced faster. She even checked the balcony for Cassandra, but there was nothing.
Her mind began to play tricks on her, making her think something bad had already happened.
Even though the security in the Skyline Plaza was top-notch, someone with ill intentions could’ve slipped in.
Kiara’s complexion paled the more she thought about it. After checking every corner of the third floor and doing a quick recheck on the second floor, she decided to call for help.
Without thinking twice, Kiara jogged down the stairs to grab her phone and make a quick call. It didn’t matter if she called the police, Hugo, or Grace. They all knew Cassandra was in danger.
But just as she picked up her phone from the low table in the living room, a figure appeared from the corner of her eye.
"Ki?"
Kiara froze, turning to meet Cassandra’s gaze. At the same time, she heard a voice from her phone.
"This is 011, what’s your emergency?"
Cassandra’s brows twitched as she heard the operator’s voice.
"Hello?" the operator asked. "Hel—"
Clack.
Kiara snapped out of her panic and ended the call without saying a word. She faced Cassandra and sighed heavily.
"Cassy, didn’t you hear me?" she sighed. "I’ve been calling for you, but you didn’t answer. I thought something bad had already happened."
"Oh." Cassandra rocked her head. "I’m sorry. I was in the backyard, so I didn’t hear you."
Kiara sighed heavily, ruffling her hair. After a second, the corner of her mouth curled into a smile as she peeked at Cassandra.
"Goodness," she breathed out, shaking her head. "I’m so silly."
Cassandra bit her bottom lip, stifling a laugh. "I’m sorry," she said as she moved closer to Kiara. "I didn’t mean to scare you or anything."
"I know. It’s just—" Kiara stopped, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "The paranoia."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress