Maya hovers over Dalton’s unconscious body as he bleeds from the gunshot wound gauging his chest.
She wanted to scream out for help, but she couldn’t. Is as if sothing is blocking her voice box, the larynx.
She tried to get up and seek help, but her body had gone stiff, frozen as she lingered over Dalton.
"Murderer, you killed him!" Soone grabbed Maya by the hair and dragged her away from Dalton. It was Charlotte
Maya gripped Charlotte’s hands, prying them away from her hair, and she pushed Charlotte, out of the way, running back to Dalton’s side.
"Dalton!" River erged.
"How did this happen!" He directed at Maya, his voice devastated.
"She shot him!" Charlotte screams from behind.
"You saw her shoot him right!" Charlotte snapped at the two frightened Maids standing by.
They nod.
River’s gaze lurched at Maya.
Maya wanted to explain, but all that could co out of her mouth was sobs.
River said nothing. Maya couldn’t tell if he hated her guts or would hurt her for shooting his brother because she couldn’t read the expression on his face.
River ignored Maya’s existence and pulled out his phone.
"We have already called the ambulance. " one of the maids said.
"Good, but we need a paradics team that will get here quicker. " River proceeded to make the call.
"I hope you are calling the police! " Charlotte sneered at Maya. "She needs to be arrested!"
River ended the call and snared at Charlotte ."Oh, shut the fuck up, Charlotte!" he vented his anger and distress at her. "What are you even doing here? You were forbidden to ever set your foot in this mansion. "
"Throw her out!" River barks at the maids.
"Yes sir!" The maids quickly grabbed Charlotte’s arms, dragging her out.
"Get your dirty hands off . Maya should be the one thrown out, of here, not ! She shot your brother, River. She is a murderer!"
The maids tow her out, with vehence, disregarding her protest cries.
River turned to Maya. His voice went soft. "Can you please step aside? I need to perform CPR on him. I don’t think he is breathing properly. "
Maya nods profusely, moving paces back from Dalton.
River rolled his sleeves and unbuttoned Dalton’s shirt, leaving his chest bare. He took a gulp of breaths and situated his hands on Dalton’s chest. He presses down on his chest, performing chest compressions.
After 30 chest compressions, River tilted Dalton’s head and lifted his chin to open his airway.
River then pinched Dalton’s nose shut and blew into his mouth to deliver breaths. The breath was slow and steady. He was giving Dalton breath every 5 seconds.
River returned to compressions, continuing CPR as they waited for the paradics to arrive.
Suddenly, Dalton stirred, making River check his pulse. "He is breathing!"
Maya gloats in relief, her clasped hands pressed to her lips.
Dalton showing signs of life is the only thing keeping her from picking up the gun and putting a bullet through her skull.
She should have been the one lying on the floor, dying.
"Now we wait for the paradics. They will be here soon." River tells Maya. " They are riding here in a helicopter. Oliver could have imdiately brought his dical team to treat Dalton right here in the mansion, but he is performing a long surgery." He explains.
Maya couldn’t react to what River said. Guilt, self-loathe, and grief have rendered her mute.
Minutes later, the maids opened the door, ushering two paradics in.
"The patients need so space. "
River stepped aside.
"Did any of you perform CPR?" one of the paradics asked as he checked Dalton’s pulse.
"Yeah," River raised his hand.
"You did a good job, that saved his life. "
River smiled. "Oliver’s CPR training didn’t go to waste."
Oxygen mask was put on Dalton, covering his nose and mouth, to supplent him with more oxygen to keep him alive.
The paradics started applying firm pressure on the wound with gauze.
They hoisted him onto the stretcher and carried him out of the door.
River and Maya followed behind them.
River had his arm around Maya, comforting her as the paradics hauled Dalton into the helicopter to transport him to the hospital. They wanted to go with them but there was not enough space in the helicopter.
"Let’s go to the hospital. "River led Maya into the garage, and drove out in one of Aiden’s sports cars, heading straight to the hospital.
"You are in no condition to speak on the phone. Here," River handed over his phone to Maya.
"Text Aiden and tell him what happened."
Maya’s fingers were unsteady as she typed, and tears trickled down on the screen, making it burry.
"Text Marcello too."
She scrolled the contact list fished out Marcello’s number and texted him
She placed the phone on the dashboard when she was done.
"You have been crying a lot. You might get sick. Dalton is going to be fine."
Maya tilted her head from the window and stared at River with her tears-stricken face.
She finally spoke after a long silence "You should be loathing . Yelling at . Cursing and wishing the worst for shooting your brother. Don’t be nice to , River. I might have killed your brother. " She broke down as a fresh set of tears stread down her face.
River took a turn on the road and asked calmly "What happened? "
Maya removed the earbud from her ear and showed it to River. "I received a call from a man, asking how much I love my friends. Then he sends a video." Maya’s voice cracked. "In the video, my friends were lying unconscious on the floor and a man was standing over them, pointing a gun at them. The man threatened he would kill my friends if I didn’t kill Dalton ."
"What?" River exclaid.
"He has hacked into the security system and surveillance system. he planted a gun and this earbud in my drawers."
"How is that impossible? The mansion security system is the best in the world, no one can hack it." River was in disbelief.
Maya shrugged. "He could see . So he did manage to hack it"
"Dammit !" River pounds his fist on the wheel.
"He started communicating with through the earbud, threatening my friend’s. I couldn’t choose between Dalton and my friends. So I chose to kill myself instead. But Dalton intercepted, and the gun went off, and I shot him in the chest. " She wailed; it hurt so much that she could feel the constricting pain in her chest.
"Oh, Maya. It’s not your fault. It was an accident. It’s not your fault." River said like a mantra, to console her.
Maya didn’t hear any word he said, she was lost in her despair thoughts.
"Will Dalton live?" Maya doubts it. The gun wound looked life-threatening.
River squeezed her hand. "Have faith, Maya. I believe he will live. "
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