Chapter 117
Aira’s POV
One year later…
“For the sake of the goddess! Who put these balloons here?!” I snap as I angrily pull down the balloons by the front door. I grumble beneath my breath as I pop each and every one of them and take the ribbons on with me.
A groan leaves my lisp as I wipe the bead of sweat from the top of my head. “What part of this is a surprise party do you people not get? They are not supposed to have a clue until they see a cake! Do I really have to do everything myself?”
At the end of my speech, I was basically roaring. The servants looked at me with absolute horror as they scurried to take down the decorations.
Richard and Adira aren’t supposed to know that we are throwing a party for them until they step into the living room and see their cakes. Not before. The plan was that they would go to the park with Carla and have some play time. And then when they get back they will be surprised precisely in the living room. Not before and certainly nowhere else.
I step into the living room, and my gaze falls on the cake. The caterers stand erect as I begin to inspect the cake. Everything needs to be perfect!
I circle the pink and blue cakes with narrowed eyes, inspecting every detail. They were both three layers tall, and I have their names boldly written on the top. I was just about to approve the cake when I noticed a smudge on Adira’s cake.
The growl that leaves my lips was enough to shake the very foundation of this palace. All the color drains from the caterers’ face, and I point at the smudge. “What is this?” I roar, and they tremble before me.
The head caterer even goes down on his knees as he apologizes for his mistake. “Forgive me your majesty. I shall fix that up right away.” She says, and I grumble.
“Well, hurry up. They are going to be home any moment from now,” I mutter before storming out of the living room and heading straight to the kitchen. I need to make sure the food is perfect as well. Goodness gracious, where the hell was Alex?
The second thought that popped up in my mind, I turned the corner, and my body collided with a hard one. I take a step back to lock eyes with devil himself.
Alex stands before me, looking as handsome and ravishing as always. He had grown a bit older over the past two years I have known him. He has some stubble growing around his lower face, and I do not think he has had a proper haircut in months.
Not that I am complaining though. He looks good enough to eat. Those beautiful lips of his surrounded by stubble-I wonder how they would feel while he sucked my
Not the time, Aira! Snap out of it!
Placing my hands on my hips, I glare at him. He doesn’t say anything as he takes in my facial expression. His hands come up to my face, and I am confused until he lifts the corners of my lips into a smile.
“There, much better,” he says, and I roll my eyes before slapping his hands away.
“Where have you been?” I ask him, and he sighs.
“Taking care of the entertainment. I told you I would handle it,” he says, and I sigh.
“Well, you could help with other things. I have so much on my plate and”
My voice dies in my throat as the sound of a car driving into the compound fills my ears. “Oh no, they are here! Is it two o’clock already?” I ask, running my hand down my face.
“It’s three, Aira,” Alex states simply, and I groan. “Relax; everything is ready. Everything is perfect.”
Alex places his hands on my shoulders, and I shake my head in disagreement. “This is their first birthday, Alex.”
“I know, and you have done a wonderful job; they are going to love it. I promise,” he tells me, and I smile softly.
“Okay.”
“Good. Now let’s go hide.” He tells me, taking my hand and leading me back to the living room. Everyone takes their places behind the couches, and we listen closely for their footsteps.
“Wow! Cake!”
The second we hear Adira’s voice, we all jump out and scream, “Surprise!”
My little babies come into full view, and my heart is full. Adira has grown to be the spitting image of Carla, and my son, who I once thought was a mixture of both Alex and me, has now decided to favor his father more. He took everything from
Adira’s eyes were filled with joy and excitement as she squealed; she jumped up and down while clapping. And then Richard, my little prince, had a smile on his face, but he didn’t show as much excitement as Adira.
Carla smiles from behind them, taking a look around as I ran up to them and gave them both a bone-crushing hug.
“Happy birthday, my darlings!” I tell them before placing a kiss on both of their cheeks.
“Thank you,” they reply in unison.
“Can we cut our cake now?” Adira asks, smiling dreamily at her orange cake.
“No, not yet. You all need to shower and change so we can take pictures. After that, then we can cut the cake,” I tell them, and Adira pouts her lips. Richard seemed fine either way. That was one thing I didn’t know whether to feel concerned or happy about with my son.
He was always so fine with everything. He hardly ever cried, only when he was hungry. He didn’t even struggle for things like toys and things with Adira. Once he saw she wanted it, he just gave it to her willingly.
He was so… mature for his age.
It was scary.
A maid comes in and takes the both of them away before I turn my attention to Carla. “How was the walk?”
She shrugs then says, “It was alright. They played on the swings and slides, and then we got some ice cream. They also made new friends.”
The look I shoot at her instantly makes her rephrase her sentence. “I mean, Adira made some new friends.”
As expected.
Richard was a quiet kid. He found it hard to talk to anyone apart from me and Adira. He said very few words to Carla.
And I could count the number of times he has actually spoken to his own father. It freaked me out, and I even had us consult a doctor about it. We had him examined for any physical or neurological problems.
It turns out he was just fine.
Being quiet and reserved was just his nature, and I fully loved and accepted him the way he was.
“Are you okay?” I asked Carla, who appeared to be quite distant.
“Yeah, I am fine. It’s just that while at the park I felt like we were being watched,” she says, and my eyelids narrow.
“What do you mean you felt like you were being watched? Did you see anyone watching you?” I ask her, and she doesn’t say a word.
“It’s nothing; maybe it’s all just in my head,” she says, then plasters a smile on her lips.
Placing my hand on her shoulder, I say, “This party has been on our minds for the past couple of weeks. You are probably just stressed out. You don’t have to worry; we are protected. Heavily, for that matter. And today is supposed to be a day of celebration; it’s our baby’s first birthday. A year ago we gave birth to the greatest blessings of our lives. Don’t let anything ruin this day for you. You have no need to be scared or worried, okay?”
“Yeah, you are right. How stupid of me,” she chuckles lightly before taking a look at herself. “I better go change.”
“Yes, you should. It’s almost time to cut the cake,” I inform her, and she hurries off to change.
A few minutes later, Adira and Richard return to us looking as beautiful as ever. Richard was wearing an all-black suit and a bow tie. His hair was perfectly styled, and there was a single rose pinned to his suit jacket.
Oh, what a handsome boy he is!
Pride swelled within me as I watched my son take Adira by the hand and lead her to her own cake. She was wearing a white ball gown that made her look nothing short of a princess.
The both of them take their places behind their cakes, and I check the time on my watch before searching the room for Carla.
Where is she?
“Where is my mummy?” Adira asks, and I put up a smile for her.
“She is coming; she just went to go change,” I told her, and she pouted her little lips.
“You don’t have to worry; she will be down any minute from now. Right now, just take pictures with your cake, okay?” I tell her softly, and she nods.
The photographers took their positions and waited for the go-ahead to start taking pictures.
And I give it to them.
Adira put up the brightest smile on her face while Richard maintained one pose. Once they were both done taking pictures individually, they took some together.
Adira hugged Richard with so much love, and I am surprised when he reciprocates. This has to be the most emotion I have witnessed him display.
It was a moment I would cherish forever.
Once they were done taking their pictures, Alex and I joined in.
That is when Adira’s smile began to fade.
“Mummy,” she mutters, and I sigh. Where was she? I thought the both of us agreed on the outfit we would wear today just last night.
“Come on, Princess Adira, smile for us,” one of the photographers says, but Adira does not oblige.
The photographers didn’t have to say anything, but from the glances they shot one another, I could tell the pictures weren’t coming out nicely.
“I am going to go get mummy,” Adira says before leaving the living room.
“I will be back; you and Richard take some pictures in the meantime,” I tell Alex, who nods once as a reply.
I go after Adira, and I find her knocking on Carla’s door. “Mummy? Are you in there?” She asks, but there is no response.
That is strange. She is supposed to be here. Where else could she have gone?
Adira is about to open the door, but then I stop her.
“Let me; she is probably still getting dressed.” I tell her, and she nods before stepping aside for me to enter.
As soon as I step in, my world comes to a halt.
The metallic scent of blood hits my nostrils before I even get to see the gruesome sight before.
My best friend.
No. My sister was pinned to the wall by knives sticking out of her limbs. Her throat had been split wide open, and one of her eyes had been gouged out.
I wanted to scream, but Adira was just right behind me.
A tear slips past my eye as my bottom lips tremble. Shifting my gaze to the words written with her blood, I knew that war had just been waged on my child’s birthday.
I AM YOUR ONLY SISTER!
Ana was back.
Quietly, I wipe my tears away and step out of the room. Plastering a smile on my face, I meet Adira’s waiting eyes and lie to her for the first time.
“She’s not in there, sweetheart. I am sure she has gone back to the party; come on, let’s go,” I say quickly before taking her by the hand and leading her back to the living room.
I need to get to Alex.
We were under attack.