A Hurt So Sweet Volume Four - Isabella Starling Page 0,15

this is over.

If I don't fucking kill her first.

"It's her," I mutter. "We need to go." Emilian picks himself up and I glare at him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Coming with you."

"Like fuck you are." I glare at him. "Pandora doesn't need you there."

"But Lily Anna does," he hisses, shoving me aside.

This time, I don't object. At the very least, Oakes will stop me from committing a murder for real. Because the moment I get my hands on Lily Anna, she should fear for her life.

I'm not beyond killing her to save Pandora.

The ride to Stormcliff is four hours. We sit in the Oakes' limo, with Kelley in the driver's seat. There is no conversation, no unnecessary words. All of us are in our heads, contemplating how this face-off will go, and likely wondering how much damage Lily Anna has done already.

My nails dig into my palms. Pandora can't be gone. Pandora can't be dead. Pandora's fucking mine.

When we arrive, even my jaw drops at the sight of Angela's house.

"You financing this?" I mutter at Emilian as we park in front of the gates.

"None of your goddamn business," he hisses back, getting out of the car and answering my question for me.

The four of us watch his heated debate on the video intercom, and then the gates roll open. We're fucking in.

Kelley pulls into the driveway, where we all file out of the limo. There's a woman waiting on the steps leading up to the house with a giant, pearly-white smile. She's wearing an all-pink outfit complete with a feather boa, and holding a martini glass with a matching baby pink drink that looks vile.

"Darling!" she speaks up. "We meet again."

She exchanges cool kisses on the cheek with Emilian. It's obvious there's something unspoken between them, but none of us mention it. Angela's hand lingers on Emilian's shoulder, but he pulls back quickly, and she tries hard to hide her disappointment.

"We're here for Pandora," Emilian says.

"Oh?" Angela laughs melodically. "My, quite the turnout for such a plain little girl."

"Where is she?" I demand, taking a step forward. "Where is Pandora?"

"Oh, she's not here," Angela chirps, laughing. "They left this morning."

"They?" I hiss, approaching her. She glances at Emilian as if to see whether he'll protect her from me, but he doesn't make a move to stop me. Swallowing thickly, Angela returns her attention to me.

"She had a girl with her," Angela mutters, waving her hand dismissively. "Someone called Alli something or other."

"Didn't you recognize her?" Emilian hisses. "Didn't you realize who that was?"

"No," she says, looking confused. "Some stray she picked up along the way, from what I heard. A no one."

"It was your daughter," Emilian mutters, the disgust so plain in his voice it leaves no room for questions about why they broke up. He doesn't love this woman. She's so vapid, so self-involved, she doesn't give a shit about anyone. "It was Lily Anna."

To her credit, the bitch actually blanches. "Lily Anna's dead."

"She's not," I hiss. "But she is fucking dangerous, and she's out to hurt Pandora."

"Oh, my darling girl would never hurt Pandora," she smiles. "She was such a good girl. Such a good baby."

"You didn't even recognize her, so don't feed us that bullshit," I mutter. "Where are they? Where did they go?"

"I don't know," she shrugs helplessly, fluttering her lashes at Emilian. "How could I possibly know?"

"How could you let them go without knowing where they went?" I demand. "How could you let her leave with a goddamn killer?"

"Pandora is a killer?" she asks, fucking clueless.

"No, Lily Anna!" I've had enough, and I smash my fist into the limo, leaving behind a dent. Everyone's fucking silent as I face Angela. "You need to tell us when they left and where they went. Right the fuck now, woman. Your daughter—your biological daughter—is in danger. And so is Lily Anna, if I get my hands on her."

"I don't k-know w-w-where they went," she stutters pathetically. "They were gone this morning."

"Why would they just leave like that?" Emilian asks. "Without telling you? What the fuck did you do?"

"Nothing!" she cries out before bursting into tears and covering her face with her hands. "I didn't do anything wrong, nothing, nothing..."

"Cut the fucking theatrics, Angela," Emilian demands. His voice leaves no room for argument, and Pandora's mother sniffles a few more times before pulling her hands back. There are no tears on her face. She looks as calm as ever. "Just tell us where they are. And