**Shadows Beneath the Silent Moon**
**Rising Echoes by Aiden R. Vale**
**Chapter 31**
“Getting away with murder sounds like it’s the hardest thing to do, but it’s actually the easiest. All you need to do is think outside the box.” Madam Olga’s voice echoed through the classroom as she paced back and forth, her heels clicking against the floor, each step punctuating her words with authority.
She halted abruptly and turned her gaze towards Alessa, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Alessa felt her heart race, each beat reverberating in her ears as Madam Olga approached her. A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard, bracing herself for the question she dreaded.
“Alessa, how would you get away with murder?” Madam Olga asked, her tone dripping with curiosity and challenge.
After spending several exhausting hours with the Harts, Alessa finally escaped their family drama, relieved to leave behind the tension that seemed to hang in the air like a thick fog. She cherished the laughter and joy her kids experienced, and that was all that truly mattered to her.
Once they arrived back at their sprawling mansion, fatigue washed over them. Dinner was a hurried affair, and soon the weariness of the day overtook them, lulling them into an early sleep.
Alessa was in her room, preparing for the night, when her phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand.
With a heavy sigh, she picked it up, her eyes scanning the message.
“No, no fucking way,” she muttered under her breath, her pulse quickening as she dialed a number without hesitation. The call connected on the first ring, and she could hear the irritation in the voice on the other end.
“I told you. I am not doing Diablo’s dirty work for him anymore,” Alessa said, her voice laced with anger, the words spilling out like a dam breaking.
“Then call Diablo yourself and fucking tell him,” the receiver shot back, the sharpness of his tone cutting through her resolve.
Alessa exhaled sharply, trying to rein in her spiraling emotions.
“When does it need to be done?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.
“Tonight.”
“Fuck,” she muttered, the weight of the situation pressing down on her.
“What? My kids are asleep, I can’t just leave them,” she protested, desperation creeping into her voice.
“Like I said, call Diablo and tell him yourself,” he replied curtly before ending the call, leaving her staring at the screen in disbelief.
“Fuck! Fuck!” she cursed, her frustration boiling over as she tossed her phone onto the bed. She raked a hand through her hair, trying to regain her composure, but the tension in her chest felt insurmountable.
After a few moments of pacing, she picked up her phone again, her eyes landing on the text. It was a picture of a man, accompanied by a location tag.
Alessa sighed deeply, steeling herself as she marched into her closet. Moments later, she emerged clad in fitted leather pants and a matching jacket, her reflection in the mirror reminding her of the gravity of her task. She retrieved the gun she had stashed away, checking to ensure it was loaded, the cold metal grounding her in the present.
With a steady hand, she tucked the weapon into her jacket, her heart racing as she grabbed her car keys.
She tiptoed through the hallway, careful not to disturb the peaceful slumber of her children.


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