Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Spark made his own conclusion from what he was witnessing that the girl in front of him couldn't be Charlie. "Is she possessed?"

Audrey was full of rage now. How could someone dare to scare her with a toy snake? "I ask again, who the hell did this?"

As she raged looking at the faces of each and everyone there, she spotted Marlie.

As usual, she ran to drag her by the hair but this time it was Spark that stood in between her and Marlie.

Though Chad didn't make a move he questioned Audrey why she was trying to vent her anger on Charlie (Marlie)

"Am sure she is the one that did that!" Audrey said with a confident tone. She knew no one dared to plot against her, not her family and definitely not the servants. But Charlie is bad news to her and she is the only one to have such a motive? Yeah, sure she was indeed the only one.

"Why would I have such a motive?" Marlie asked looking all innocent.

But that was not what they were talking about, that was not the point.

"Then what's the point?" Spark angrily required. What was the reason that could make Charlie (Marlie) take such a step against her? He was ignorant of the person he was protecting. Perhaps, it was the innocent attitude she was portraying.

"What did you do to Charlie that she would want to retaliate in such a manner?" Spark demanded angrily approaching Audrey.

Marlie looks on waiting to at least hear Audrey confess how her sister suffered at the hands of that witchy Audrey.

Everyone stood there unmoved as Spark questioned Audrey including, Chad.

However, Spark harshly grabbed Audrey by her shoulder shouting at her to speak up. "Answer me, Damn it!" He fumed.

Marlie was surprised at Spark's action. "Wow, a mere stranger could defend Charlie like that?" Marlie thought to herself with some amusement.

Chad wouldn't stand for that and pushed Spark away from his sister warning him,

"Don't you dare treat my sister like that again!"

That seriously irked Marlie, as she scoffed at him.

She had been standing there with such an innocent face that you would think she couldn't even hurt a fly.

"Are you enjoying this Bitch?" Audrey questioned Marlie in tears and rage.

Chad was fed up with Audrey. "Leave Charlie out of this!" Chad continued in a rage... "Was she the one that told you to act this dump!" Chad bashed her and rushed to his study with a livid face.

Audrey could do nothing but glare at Marlie who now was been keenly protected by Spark. But soon after they left the hall, Marlie rushed inside to have fun on her own.

Spark and the others went ahead to join a raging Chad in his study. "What is the use of her brains!" Chad let out his frustration.

He thought his sister was sensible. It was not her fault though. With a devil-like Marlie in that house, trouble is everywhere.

Gideon joined Chad in his position and placed his hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"You shouldn't be that mad at your sister since she is no different from you." If that was to calm Chad, then Spark did it wrong. Even Ken could tell his words were to fuel Chad's anger.

"Stop it Spark!" Ken reprimanded Spark who was sitting comfortably while receiving glares from Gideon too.

"LEAVE!"

Chad ordered Spark. He didn't want to entertain that annoying friend of his. But Spark wanted to get out of there himself anyway.

For Audrey to blame Charlie, that too in Chad's presence and all he could do was watch? If he hadn't blocked Audrey's attack on Charlie(Marlie), what could have happened?

"Bid goodbye to Charlie for me" Spark arrogantly told Chad before leaving the room.

*******

ln Marlie's room, she had opened a bottle of champagne and poured it into a glass. She moved to the ashes of Charlie and raised her glass, "Cheers big sis, we have started lighting the fire in this house. Soon it's going to burn like hell. Cheers to us!" She took a sip and started to dance to the music in her head.

"I'm sure Charlie must have thrown the wine away, being disgusted about your little prank!" Vien had entered the room early enough to listen to Marlie toasting the downfall of the Baristanas family.

"Do you think your sister is happy about this?"

Vien questioned.

"Why not? weren't you all?" Marlie mocked in her amusing tone.

"I'm sure she loved my show, Vien," Marlie said swirling around in the room happily.

"Marlie please stop this now before you regret this. If you think your sister would love whatever you are doing, then you never knew your sister at all." Vein said sadly to Marlie.

Before Marlie could retort, there was a heavy knock on her door. Marlie and Vien were both startled by that knock.

"Who could it be," Marlie thought to herself before going to open the door. Of course, it was Silvia.

"Mom?" Marlie shockingly asked. It was Silvia at the door as she had expected.

She didn't wait for Marlie to ask her in and entered the room.

Vien was fast enough to hide the champagne and glass away from the scrutinizing eyes of Silvia

"Leave us alone!"

Silvia ordered Vien, folding her arms and waiting for Marlie to move from the door and Vien to exit the room.

Vien shot a terrified look at Marlie and left the room without saying anything.

Looking at Silvia, Marlie could tell her presence meant trouble.

But one thing was clear, now the fear she had of her was gone. She turned on the innocent face but it didn't last a minute when Silvia gave her a heavy slap.

"SLAP!"

Marlie lost her balance and fell onto the sofa. Her blonde hair covered her whole face and as she held her cheeks to feel the pain, she was getting mad. She lay on the sofa as Silvia started ranting.

"It seems how we had been treating you was not enough right? What charm have you placed on my son you witch?" Silvia said with a livid face. Her hands were moving profusely as she spoke.

Marlie scoffed a little at that to herself. Charm? Yeah, right! How she wished she could cast that spell on all of them so they could do her bidding.

She wished Silvia would spill the truth to her in her ranting.

She thought to herself that for once if she wanted to know more about what they did to Charlie, she would have to control her anger and stay put on that sofa.

That way, Silvia will rant out more information she needs. So she relaxed in her position rolling her eyes at every insult the woman was pouring on her.

And that helped since Silvia was telling her about the slaps they gave Charlie, dragging her hair, pouring food on her, and rubbing it to Charlie's face the fact that Chad never had feelings for her.

That woman was talking so much that, Marlie felt like Silvia's words were a lullaby to her ears but one sentence was not. She couldn't help but react. I mean who wouldn't react when someone tells you,

"You and your family are nothing but filthy gold diggers!?

Marlie's face turns blue with anger. Her family had everything they ever wanted. Why would they want their bloody money?

She cleared her hair from her face and stood to reply to Silvia.

Just her glare made Silvia slap her again and drag her by the hair. Yeah, like mother like daughter.

That was too painful for Marlie and she teared up, asking Silvia to let go of her. But Silvia didn't and as Marlie struggled to free herself, she bumped her head on the wall and passed out.

*******

Back to Chad's study room, he hadn't even cooled down yet and one of the servants rushed to inform him about the commotion going on downstairs, on the instructions of the Nanny.

"What the fuck is wrong with everyone in this house!"

Chad had no choice but to rush out to Marlie's room, only to meet his terrified mother hiding in a corner.

His two friends were behind him.

"Mum, where is Charlie? Stop shivering and tell me what the hell happened!" Chad demanded.

Gideon couldn't stand waiting for words that seemed never to come out of Silvia's mouth and rushed to Marlie's room. The sight of Marlie caused him to call for Chad,

'Chad....You have to come to see this. Char...char...Charlie---"

Gideon's shaken voice drifted Chad to Marlie's room and he was met with the terrifying sight of Marlie lying on the floor, unconscious.

Chad immediately rushed to her side and tried to wake her up but she wasn't in the state to.

"B- blood!"

Ken's terrified voice came out when the hand Chad used to hold her head, came out covered in blood.

"Call an ambulance now!"

Chad screamed. Fear gripped all of them in the room at the state of Marlie.

"Charlie, please be safe!" Chad prayed inwardly.