Deadly Foes
Adley Mansion
"How did she escape from the jungle unscathed?", the woman asked in a cold voice.
"Ma'am, I don't know!",the bodyguard shivered under her cold gaze.
"You don't know?", she asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Ma'am, sorry! Please spare me this time", the bodyguard kowtowed her.
"Get lost!"
As the bodyguard turned to leave, she gestured another bodyguard to make his move. The bodyguard lunged forward, jabbed his mouth & slashed him a few times with a knife. The guilty bodyguard dropped down dead. She yawned, "Clear the mess!"
The others present felt a chill down their spines.
---
Airport, Star City
Eddie was already tense due to the sudden disappearance of Jake. Now, hearing Alice's sudden attack, she immediately rushed to the airport to pick up Alice & Daniel.
"Which gate, bro?",Eddie asked
"2nd A1 gate", Daniel replied.
"Okay, I'll be there."
Eddie parked the car & immediately rushed towards the gate. When she reached, she saw the two of them exiting the gate.
"Bro! Alice!", Eddie waved to get their attention.
Daniel saw her waving & guided Alice towards her. But Eddie ignored him, & rushed towards Alice, "Are you okay? I can see still there are specks of blood on your bandage", she patted lightly on her head, "Did you change your bandage this morning?"
"Nope", Alice smiled at her concern. Her heart was filled with warmth because she never received such motherly care.
"Let's go!",Eddie guided Alice & Daniel followed behind.
---
Adley Mansion
Eddie turned the car & it entered the gates of the mansion.
"Why're we here?", Daniel furrowed her brows.
"Doctor Shen is coming today for Father's checkup. I'm going to fetch him. She can get a checkup too", Eddie added.
"Hmm...that's great!", Daniel smiled.
"No more talks. You two go in. She must be tired."
Alice nodded & left with Daniel. Eddie drove the car out of the gates.
....
Daniel walked her in through the corridor. Suddenly, they heard a cackle coming from one of the rooms in the way. Alice froze.
"Dan...", she tugged at his sleeves in fear.
"What's wrong? Is it hurting?",Daniel glanced at the wound on the back of her head.
"No...that cackle!", she whispered.
"Oh that...that's Eddie's mom", Daniel scrunched his brows at the vixen's mention.
"No, that cackle...it's similar to my Dad's murderer's cackle."
"What?", he furrowed his brows.
"I'm sorry. She's your mom after all."
"No", he suddenly became angry, "I hate that woman. She caused my Mom to die."
Alice never saw him getting that angry. She became more terrified, "Dan..."
Daniel suddenly realized that he'd become angry. So, he looked at her, "Sorry, I lost my cool."
"It's okay", she glanced at her feet.
He gently pulled her into a hug.
"Oh my! What a pleasant surprise!", a deep male voice echoed in the corridor. Both of them parted & looked at the direction of the voice. An elderly man wearing a loose shirt & a pair of pajamas approached them with a smile.
"Alice! Is that you?", the man seemed amused.
"Mr. Adley?",Alice glanced over at the smiling Daniel & back at the elderly man.
"My child! No need to be formal with your Father-in-law."
Alice blushed & greeted, "Uncle?"
"That's my child! But, you've to practice calling me Dad."
"You know me?", she asked Mr. Adley.
"Of course, I know you! Dan & Ed talk a lot about you. Moreover, I heard you sing at a college fest years ago."
"So? That's Alice", a woman wearing a floral kaftan with manicured nails approached them. Then she let out her hyena cackle. Alice shivered & shrank beside Daniel. He hugged her protectively.
Seeing this, the woman smirked before voicing her mock concern, "You don't need to be afraid."
Alice forced a smile.
"Mom!", suddenly they heard Eddie's call & saw her hugging her mom thereafter, "Dad, Doctor Shen has arrived."
Then she hooked her arm with Alice's & said to her brother, "Bro, I'll go change her bandages. Doctor Shen can check her later."
"Hmm", Daniel nodded.
Then she pulled Alice away in a rush. Daniel, his father, Doctor Shen & that woman went to the living room.
...
Eddie made Alice sit on the crouch. Then she began dressing her wound, "It's deep. Does it hurt?"
"Hmm...often I feel the world swaying."
"You were lucky to survive such a deadly attack."
"Of course, they wanted to kill me. But, it's too early", Alice smirked. Not to mention, her Dad's murderer. Eddie's mom & her Dad's murderer. Their voice was quite the same & their cackles were terrifyingly similar. This cackle had haunted her dreams. Was it just a coincidence? She shook her head in an attempt to push her thoughts away. But she remembered Daniel saying, "I hate that woman. She caused my Mom to die." She sighed.
"What did you do to make such deadly foes?"
Alice just smiled. Eddie put down the first aid kit & sat beside her, "Actually, I'd something to share with you."