?


    She walked past Audrey but only for a hand to grab her from behind and pulled her back to her previous position.


    "You and Rafael were never close. In fact, I am aware of just how much you hate him so what were you both discussing with such serious expressions?" Audrey questioned fiercely.


    "What are you scheming?... You know it''s only when you tell me what is going on that I can help...,"


    "I told you that something fun is gonna happen soon so look forward to it...,"


    "Anna!" Audrey called her grip on Joanna''s hand tightened.


    "I won''t get hurt in any way because of my ns so you can rx hmm," Joanna smiled at thedy who was currently looking at her as if she was a stranger.


    "Hey, stop giving me that look and trust me on this ok," Joanna added when Audrey won''t stop staring at her face neither did her grip on her hand loosen.


    "Let''s go aah," Joanna urged her. After a minute''s hesitation, Audrey finally responded to what was going on in her environment.


    "Your sudden change scares me so you can''t me me for acting this way," Audrey mumbled.


    She adjusted the way she held Joanna''s hand and together they made their way to their table which was at the other corner of the hall.


    It wasn''t until Joanna and Audrey returned to their table that Audrey noticed Adhara''s murderous res which were focused on Joanna.


    "Why does she keep staring at you as if she wished you would just disappear into thin air?" Audreymented, her gaze on the woman whose focus was her best friend by her side.


    "Who?" Joanna asked. She shifted her attention from what she was doing and peered in the direction Audrey''s eyes were fixed on.


    "Wouldn''t you have felt uneasy if she was staring at me with loving eyes?" Joanna red back at the woman whose eyes happened to lock with hers.


    "At least through her murderous stares, I know how she feels about me. I am not wasting precious time trying to guess what her true feelings towards me are," Joanna muttered, unfazed by Adhara''s deadly res.


    "Big Sis, who are you talking about...," Anthony didn''t finish talking when all the lights in the hall went off.


    "What is going on?"


    "Why are the lights out?"


    "Isn''t this the prestigious Royal Pce Hotel so why is there suddenly a ckout?"


    "Why is it so dark in here?"


    "Can someone please check what is going on?"


    There were murmurs and panic in every part of the enormous hall.


    Those who were here when thest ckouts took ce were the most terrified when they recalled the incident of Joanna''s ghost that took ce in this same hall.


    "Big Sis!" Anthony called, he felt the table for Joanna''s hand and when he couldn''t find her hand where hest saw it before the ckout he panicked.


    "Where are you...,"


    "Right beside you," Joanna replied. She was effortlessly able to find his roaming hands even in the thick darkness.


    "Are you alright?" Joanna asked and caressed his hands tenderly.


    "Yes... What about you? You are not hurt right?" Anthony quizzed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Of course I am fine," Joanna replied in a carefree tone. "Don''t worry the lights wille on before you even realise it?" Joanna assured him confidently as if she was in charge of fixing the ckout problem.


    "Why are you both panicking? It''s just a ckout," Audreymented unfazed by the sudden ckout.


    "You are talking as if you don''t know that a lot can happen in the little time the ckoutst...,"


    "A lot like what?" Audrey cuts in curiously.


    "Like this," Joanna snapped her finger and instantly the lights came on.


    Audrey''s eyes widened when it dawned on her that her best friend was probably the one responsible for the ckout.


    "Did you do that...,"


    "Sshh...," Joanna ced her index finger on her red lips, her other hand pointed at the extreme corner of the hall.


    Before she could turn around and gaze at where Joanna pointed, she heard a bang followed by a ferocious growl.


    "Adhara!" Audrey muttered and quickly looked at where themotion came from.


    The scene she met made her mouth and eyes drop open at the same time.


    "I warned you to stay away from my daughter so how dare youe close to my precious jewel?" Adhara roared as she punched Rafael just below his guts.


    "Mum...," Adhara flung Laura''s hand away from her body. She momentarily moved her deadly nces to where her daughter stood.


    "I promise to tear down this entire hall if you dared stop me again," Adhara bellowed.


    Stubborn as she was, Laura tried to hold her mother''s hand once again but her friends who were scared on her behalf grabbed and pulled her away from where the ruckus was taking ce.


    "Let go of me," Laura screamed, her struggle to break out of her friends'' hold became rougher.


    "Eva, please....," Laura pleaded and struggled harder.


    "Mum, is gonna kill him if I don''t rescue him so please let go hmm?" Laura pleaded.


    Watching her mother beat up the man she loves without being able to do anything broke her tender heart into a million pieces.


    "Adhara, that is enough...,"


    "Piss off!" The furiousdy yelled and shoved the man aside.


    She was so ovee by anger and didn''t see that the man she shouted at and pushed was her none other than her beloved husband.


    "Auntie, please hear me out...," Adhara hit the pitiful guy hard in the eye. She felt no pity for the guy whose broken lips were bleeding.


    "Mum, please stop or you are gonna kill," Laura shouted, her voice muffled by her silent sobs.


    Despite all themotion that took ce in the hall Madam Cora didn''t intervene. Instead, she stood in a corner and watched as her beloved daughter mercilessly trashed the young man in a ck suit.


    "Mum!" Anthony blurted. He sprang to hisfeet. Anthony''s eyes widened at his mother''s brutality.