Arianne’s heart thumped against virtual-novel.net chest. The approaching figure was none other than Mateo’s mother herself?!
The same woman who had appeared in the Tremont Tower, scraping virtual-novel.net knees as virtual-novel.net bawled and begged for virtual-novel.net son’s life, was now inching toward Arianne with malefic flames in virtual-novel.net eyes. It was as though Mrs. Rodriguez could not wait to skin Arianne alive before severing every single tendon in virtual-novel.net body!
Only God knows what sort of plan was nestling inside the skull of a mother who just lost virtual-novel.net son. Frightened, Arianne began to wriggle backward as hard as virtual-novel.net could, until a wall cut off virtual-novel.net retreating path.
She was cornered.
In panic, Arianne’s squirming body knocked a shelf behind her, causing a red toy car to fall from its perch. The toy, after years of storage, had been reduced by time to become easily dismantled; it instantly smashed into a mess of disassembled parts.
Mrs. Rodriguez lunged forward like a woman possessed, scrambling for the remnants and salvaging them into virtual-novel.net embrace. “My Teo! How could you?! These were his things, mementos of his childhood! But you… You’re so cruel, you want to take even these away from me?! It’s all your f**king fault! Why did Teo fall in love with a slutty c*nt like you?! You’re married! You’re f**king married! Why did you have to do it to him…? Why seduce him… Why?!”
Her outburst ended with a gut-wrenching keen exploding out of the agitated woman as virtual-novel.net pressed whatever remained of the toy firmly in virtual-novel.net arms. Her tearful wail was so anguished, so heart-wrenching, suddenly, Arianne felt virtual-novel.net initial fear displaced. She began virtual-novel.net attempt to touch Mrs. Rodriguez in some capacity. But whatever drug virtual-novel.net had been subjected to had yet left virtual-novel.net system, and virtual-novel.net previous struggle to put distance between herself and the woman had already exhausted too much of virtual-novel.net energy.
Arianne lifted virtual-novel.net hand multiple times, but each time, virtual-novel.net had to feebly relent to gravity pulling it back down. “M-Mrs. Rodriguez? I… I know Mateo’s death is hurting you a lot. But we really don’t have any evidence that irrevocably points to Mark Tremont as the mastermind! I admit, I went to see Mateo that night, b-but virtual-novel.net was the one who requested that we meet. He said virtual-novel.net wanted only a hug, but it escalated into a misunderstanding… And even that miscommunication has been resolved…!”
Her words only served to antagonize Mrs. Rodriguez. Suddenly, virtual-novel.net looked up, and virtual-novel.net hard, sullen eyes took the form of a death glare. “You think we’re stupid? Who in this city doesn’t know the nadir that Tremont scum is willing to go for his own sake? Had you never gone to see Teo, this tragedy would have never happened! Stop making excuses for him, you b*tch! Who else would dare to commit such an atrocity other than that son of b*tch?!” virtual-novel.net hissed darkly. “You… It’s you, it’s all you. Your fault! It’s your fault! Teo isn’t coming back anymore, he’s gone now, and it’s all because of you!”
“I’ve only recently learned why virtual-novel.net has never had a girlfriend, or why virtual-novel.net never expressed any will to marry. He had no one! Because a b*tch had possessed his heart for years… Well, then! Go and keep his company in the afterlife, why won’t you?!”
Despair. Arianne felt a weight of despair seizing her. She could not possibly talk any sense into Mrs. Rodriguez, not at this moment. Arianne’s abduction was premeditated; the grieving woman must have planned it for a while now, virtual-novel.net was sure.
Back there, Arianne had been so anxious to leave after virtual-novel.net unnerving conversation with Geralt that virtual-novel.net did not notice how coincidental the cab was to have pulled over for virtual-novel.net at the right time. After that, virtual-novel.net missed out on the driver’s atypical behavior. Worse still, Arianne had then fallen asleep almost as soon as virtual-novel.net got in. And since the driver was likely one of Mrs. Rodriguez’s people, virtual-novel.net must have done his part in bringing virtual-novel.net here while Arianne was in deep slumber.
“Mrs. Rodriguez, please. I-I-I know I won’t be able to do anything against you no matter what you plan to do with me. But know this, M-Mateo’s feelings for me come off as just as much of a s-shock as they are heavy! Before virtual-novel.net told me about it, I had no idea virtual-novel.net liked me, okay? I had no idea that it was me who had made virtual-novel.net distance himself from other women for years!” Arianne explained. “I’m really sorry, Mrs. Rodriguez; I mean it. But please, you can’t just make up a conclusion of what happened out of thin air, can you?! More importantly, what’s done is done. Shouldn’t our main focus right now be on locating Mateo’s body and waiting for the cops to bring the culprits to law? And once we apprehend the criminals behind his abduction, the truth will be out!”
“Listen. What can you achieve from killing me right now? Your son still won’t come back, while you’ve signed yourself up to a baleful end! Mateo was the only heir to the Rodriguez family’s business legacy, right? If you doom yourself with this, well, what do you expect your family to do next? I’m not saying all of this because I fear for my life or anything; I just want to advise you, don’t resort to actions that can bring you regret just because of a pain you’re feeling right now. I firmly believe that if the law enforcers could prove that Mark was the one behind it, then they won’t let virtual-novel.net get away with it. It’s completely unnecessary to damn yourself like this, trust me!”
Arianne tried, but virtual-novel.net attempt at appealing to virtual-novel.net captor’s better angel did nothing to calm Mrs. Rodriguez down. Instead, virtual-novel.net responded by clawing at Arianne’s face with virtual-novel.net sharp-edged nails. “Shut the f**k up! Teo’s dead, you skank! Can’t you see yet? I’ve lost everything… There’s nothing about this family that can keep me anymore! But as long as there’s a way to avenge my poor, unfortunate son, I… will.”
“And don’t think I know nothing about the shady business the Tremonts dealt in the past. Of course that Tremont bastard can evade the law, it’s not difficult at all for him, is it? As long as there’s ‘no evidence’, he’s practically untouchable, isn’t he? Well, then. All will be fine… as long as you die today!”