231: BOOK PROBLEMS ARIEL’S POV Laura and I stood still as her question hung in the air. After moments of silence, I decided to vocalize the whole thing to her, from the text message I received at the party, to where we had gone, to the scene at the hospital, to the restaurant; it had actually been an exhausting night. “No wonder I didn’t see you at the party. I was searching everywhere for you, and I thought maybe you had gone home. But when I arrived here, I didn’t see you,” Laura brought out to me. “Well, that’s just it. That’s what happened. And I’m really thankful for what Luke and Andre did.” “You’re thankful for Luke?” Laura gave me a disapproving look. “Are you being for real right now? He killed your son?” “No, he didn’t.” “Don’t tell me that man has brainwashed you or something.” “Honestly, he didn’t. He told me everything.” “So if he didn’t kill Lukel, who did?” “Mason,” I answered incontinently. “Luke told me that Mason confessed the whole thing.” “And you just believed him?” “Janice told me as well. She said Mason brought everything.” “So what are you going to do now? Go back to Luke?” I shrugged. “I don’t know, but he’s not the one who killed my son. He even risked his life to save Janice from Mason. You can’t be mad at him for that.” Before Laura could respond, Janice came skipping towards us with the maids following behind her, carrying trays of chocolates and other treats. “Look, Mommy! The maids set up a special table for us!” Janice ran to me as her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Aww, that’s nice. Hope you’re having a good time.” “Oh yes, I’m having a good time!” Janice answered loudly. “Let’s go get more chocolate.” She ran away. “Janice, wait!” The maids called her, moving after her. I couldn’t help but laugh. After that, my eyes caught Laura, who was not looking too happy. “Anything wrong?” I asked her, “Janice is finally back in my life. You wanted that, too, right? You should be happy.” “I am happy,” she responded, suspiring, shaking her head. “I just don’t know what to say right now. I’ll be in my room if you’re looking for me.” She walked away after that. Like seriously, what the fuck just happened? LUKE’S POV I woke up early this morning feeling refreshed and energized. I decided to take a bath before anyone else in the house woke up. As I made my way downstairs, I could hear the sound of little voices coming from the living room. I smiled to myself, knowing that it was Randy and Ethan. They were always up early, full of energy, and ready to start the day. I walked into the living room and saw them sitting on the couch, both engrossed in a heated argument. “Justin Bieber is the best singer in the world!” Ethan exclaimed, his voice filled with conviction. “No way, Shawn Mendes is way better!” Randy retorted, his face scrunched up in determination. I couldn’t help but chuckle at their argument. They always seemed to have a new debate every day. I walked over to them and sat down on the couch. “What’s going on here?” I asked, trying to contain my laughter. The boys turned to me, and their faces were serious m. “We’re arguing about who’s the best singer between Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes,” Randy answered, with his eyes narrowing in concentration. I couldn’t help but smile at their innocence. “You know, both Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes are great singers. There’s no need for arguments.” Ethan shook his head. “No way, Justin Bieber has the greatest voice. He can hit all the high notes perfectly.” Randy crossed his arms, and there was a stubborn look on his face. “Shawn Mendes has the greatest voice, and he can sing and play multiple instruments at the same time.” I was about to interject and settle their argument, but Marcus walked into the living room. “Sir, there’s someone here to see you,” he said. “Who’s that?” I quizzed him. “Hmm, let’s just say a mad granny.” “A mad granny?” I made a puzzled face. “Who the hell is that?” I stood up and followed Marcus outside to the front gate. And I was surprised with who I saw; it was my great–aunt, my grandfather’s younger sister. Liliana was her name. And my grandfather was fifteen years older than her. She was short and chubby, with an undeniably round face. Her short blonde hair and her brows were what caught people’s attention. They were thick, almost furrowed, giving off the impression that she was constantly infuriated. Despite her stature and roundness, a fire in her eyes showed she was not one to be underestimated. Cause she was just like my grandfather, or even worse than him. It had been a long time since we last saw each other, and I had no idea the woman was still alive. No wonder Marcus said it was a mad granny. “Luke my boy, seeing you again is such a nice thing.” **** ARIEL’S POV I walked into the bookshop, the smell of fresh paper and ink filling my nostrils. It was like a personal sanctuary. I made my way down the aisles, my eyes scanning the shelves for the perfect books for Janice. Last night, she told me that she wanted one. And I couldn’t say no. My peaceful moment was interrupted by loud voices from the store’s other side. I furrowed my brows in confusion, wondering what could possibly be causing such a ruckus in a peaceful place like this. I made my way towards the commotion, my curiosity getting the best of me. As I got closer, I saw two women, both with their faces scrunched up in anger, exchanging heated words with each other. “I can’t believe you would even think about buying that book! It’s trash!” one of the women yelled. “Oh please, don’t act like you’re some literary genius. That book is a masterpiece! “the other woman retorted. Their voices were getting louder and more aggressive, and I could feel the tension rising in the air. Other customers were starting to gather around, their attention drawn to the unfolding drama. I stood there, frozen, not sure what to do. I didn’t want to get involved, but at the same time, I couldn’t just stand there and watch this escalate. Just as I was about to speak up, the two women started pushing each other, their argument turning physical. They were now brawling in the middle of the store, knocking over shelves and books in the process. I could hear gasps and screams from the other customers, some of them trying to intervene and break up the fight. But the two women were so consumed by their anger that they didn’t even notice. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed the store’s security, hoping they would arrive before things got even more out of hand. Thankfully, the security guards arrived just in time and managed to separate the two women. They were both shouting and pointing fingers at each other, but the guards were able to calm them down and escort them out of the store. The customers slowly dispersed, going back to their own business as if nothing. had happened. I turned to the cashier, who looked just as shocked as I was. “Is this a common occurrence here?” He chuckled nervously and shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m sorry you had to witness that.” “Ariel,” I heard my name, and I turned around.