SECRET INHERITANCE

CHAPTER 5: THE FEAR

Elaine, oblivious to my unease, was in high spirits, telling us stories about Manila and her life here. But every time her gaze drifted to the sea, a flicker of something dark crossed her face. I couldn't help but wonder if she was hiding something, if she knew more about Crystal than she was letting on.

"You know," Lily piped up, "I've never met those girl before. I don't think we even went to the same school."

"Really? You never mentioned her before," I said, puzzled.

Lily shook her head, "No, I've never seen her before in my life. It's like she just appeared out of thin air."

Elaine cleared her throat, her smile strained. "Perhaps she went to a different school, or maybe you just weren't in the same circles," she said, her voice unconvincing.

I wasn't buying it. There was something off about this girl, something that felt... dangerous. And Elaine's insistence on Crystal's importance only added to my unease.

Dinner ended with a sense of unease. The delicious food, the stunning view, couldn't dispel the unsettling feeling that had settled over me. I couldn't shake the sense that we had stumbled into something far more complex than we had anticipated.

Back at Elaine's home, I found myself unable to sleep. I tossed and turned, replaying the events of the day in my mind. Every detail, every word, every glance felt significant, pregnant with meaning.

Lily, too, was troubled. "I don't understand," she whispered, her voice a soft murmur in the darkness. "What was going on at that beach? Who is those girl? And why is Elaine acting so strange?"

I squeezed her hand, offering a comforting squeeze. "I know, Lily. We have to be careful. There's something going on, something that we don't understand."

The crescent moon necklace, cold against my skin, felt like a whisper of my mother's presence, a reminder that I wasn't alone in this journey.

"We'll figure it out," I said, my voice firm, though a part of me wasn't so sure. But I knew one thing for certain. Our adventure in Manila was just beginning, and the path ahead was likely to be fraught with danger.

And the only way to navigate it was together.

The next morning, the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. We sat at the breakfast table, Elaine's carefully prepared spread untouched before us. The silence was deafening, broken only by the clinking of silverware as I absentmindedly pushed my food around my plate. Lily, ever the optimist, was trying to lighten the mood with a nervous chatter, but her efforts were met with stony silence from Elaine.

As I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, Elaine suddenly slammed her fist on the table. The noise startled both Lily and me.

"I'm not stupid, Airhene," she said, her voice clipped with anger. "I know you and Lily meddled in something that didn't concern you."

Her words, sharp as shards of glass, cut into me. She hadn't been this angry before. I tried to speak, to defend myself, but no words came.

"I told you," she continued, her voice laced with a dangerous edge, "the girl is a very important person. Her family is powerful, and I've worked hard to build bridges with them. You risked everything with your stupid, impulsive actions."

I wanted to protest. How could she call what we did stupid and impulsive when that girl had been so cruel? I wanted to tell her about girl's knife, about the fear that had gripped me, but something held me back. It was a strange mix of fear and a sense of betrayal.

"Elaine, it's not like that," Lily started, but Elaine cut her off.

"Don't even try to defend her, Lily. You should have known better."

Then, in a sudden, terrifying move, Elaine reached across the table and slapped me hard across the face. The impact sent a shock wave through my body, leaving me stunned and reeling.

My breath hitched in my throat. I had never been slapped before, never felt so utterly vulnerable. It wasn't the pain, but the betrayal, that sent a shiver down my spine.

Lily gasped, her eyes wide with shock, "Elaine! What are you doing?"

But Elaine ignored her, her gaze fixed on me. "Do you understand now, Airhene? You're in a different world now, a world you don't understand. You need to be careful. You need to listen to me."

Her voice, filled with a cold fury, sent a wave of fear crashing over me. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. What had I done? What had I gotten myself into?

Elaine, her anger seemingly subsiding, took a deep breath. "I'm going to give you both a chance to think things over," she said, her voice calmer but still laced with a hint of warning. "I'm going out for the day, and you can stay here. But please, try to understand the gravity of the situation. This could have been much worse."

She got up and left, leaving us alone in the silence. The weight of her anger hung heavy in the air. I stared at my reflection in the polished surface of the table, my face stinging from the slap, my eyes welling up with tears. I didn't know what to do.

This was only the beginning of our journey, and already, I felt lost and alone.