214: BURN IT DOWN ARIEL’S POV I couldn’t believe it. After everything that had happened, after all the pain and suffering my daughter had been through, Harriet still wouldn’t tell me where she was. I drove aimlessly, my mind racing with thoughts and worries. Where could my Janice be? Was she safe? Was she hurt? I glanced over at Harriet, still unconscious in the passenger seat. Her face was bruised and bloody, but I felt no remorse. She deserved everything she got and more for what she had done to my daughter and me. As I continued to drive, my anger slowly turned into sadness. I thought about all the time that had passed and all the moments I had missed with my Janice because of this cold–blooded Harriet. I thought about the memories we could have made and the laughter we could have shared. I could feel the tears starting to prick at the corners of my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away. I needed to focus on finding my daughter. I needed to be strong for her. I reached over and grabbed Harriet’s phone from her pocket, hoping to find some clues about Janice’s whereabouts. But as I scrolled through her messages, I found nothing. There were no texts or calls to Mason or indications of where she could have taken my little baby. I felt a surge of frustration and anger wash over me. How could she have been so heartless? How could she have decided to carry out such action in the first place? Harriet was one crazy woman, and I had to praise Luke for dating her for eight good years. He was a psychopath, too; it was a mutual relationship. I threw Harriet’s phone out the window, the shattered pieces flying in all directions. I didn’t need it anymore. I needed to focus on finding Janice and wouldn’t let anything or anyone stand in my way. I continued to drive, my mind racing with thoughts and possibilities. I had no idea where to start looking, but I knew I couldn’t give up. I wouldn’t give up until I found that sweet angel and brought her back home. Playtime was over; it was finally time to be serious. I pray God protects my little angel wherever she may be. I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel as I pulled up in front of Mason’s apartment building. It was already dark, and I could feel my heart racing at the thought of what I was about to do. I had been Janice and had a gut feeling that she was somewhere in Mason’s house. 1 for I took a deep breath and looked over at Johnny, the guy I had hired to help me track down Mason’s apartment. He was known for being able to find people’s houses in no time, and I was counting on him to help me break into Mason’s place. “Are you sure this is the right address?” I asked, looking around. Johnny nodded confidently. “Positive. I’ve been tracking him for days. This is definitely Mason’s 214: BURN IT DOWN apartment. I took a deep breath and turned off the car’s engine. “Okay. Let’s do this.” Johnny and I got out of the car and made our way to the apartment bu We were lucky enough to find the front door unlocked, but we still had to be careful not to draw any attention to ourselves. We quietly made our way up the stairs and to Mason’s apartment on the fifth floor. Johnny pulled out a set of lockpicks and quickly picked the lock. I held my breath as the door clicked open, and we cautiously stepped inside. The apartment was dark and eerily quiet. I flicked on my flashlight and started searching the apartment for any sign of Janice. Johnny followed close behind, checking every room and closet. After a few minutes of searching, I started to feel a sense of dread wash over me. There was no sign of Janice anywhere. Frustrated and angry, I slammed my fist against the wall. “Where is she?!” I yelled, my voice echoing through the empty apartment. Johnny placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Hey, we’ll find her. We just have to keep looking.” But I was done looking. I was done waiting for someone else to find my daughter. I was going to take matters into my own hands. I turned to Johnny and firmly said, “Leave the house. Now.” Johnny looked at me with concern in his eyes. “Ariel, what are you going to do?” “I’m going to burn this place down.” His eyes widened in shock. “Are you crazy? You can’t just set someone’s apartment on fire!” But I wasn’t listening. I was already making my way to the kitchen to find something to start the fire with. I grabbed a bottle of cooking oil and started pouring it all over the apartment, making sure to cover every room. “Ariel, stop!” Johnny shouted, trying to grab me. But I was too far gone. I lit a match and threw it onto the oil–soaked floor. The flames quickly spread, and I watched as the apartment began to burn down. Without a second thought, I grabbed Johnny’s arm and pulled him out of the apartment. We made our way back down the stairs and out of the building just as the fire alarms started blaring. As we stood on the sidewalk watching the apartment go up in flames, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I may not have found Janice, but I had done some terrible shit to Mason. Now, he would obviously know who was responsible for this. If only I had the fool’s number, I would have called him to tell him the good news. Johnny looked at me with a mix of shock and admiration. “I can’t believe you did that.” “I had to,” I told him, and my voice shook with emotion. “For Janice.” We stood silently, watching as the firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire. I was really going 214 PORNIT DOWN crazy today, but it was all worth it. Janice needed my help wherever she was, and I was definitely going to find her. I wouldn’t rest till 1 had seen her, till we would be reunited. “Guess we can leave now,” Johnny said, his arms crossed as the both of us continued to v firefighters do their job. watch the 3/3 “Wow, wow, wow, look at what we have here.” I heard Mason’s voice, and I turned around immediately. He had a smirk on his face. “Oh, Ariel. What did you do now?” “You can look over there.” I gestured towards the wrecked building. “The perfect surprise, right?” Mason laughed, setting his eyes on Johnny. “Who is this? Your new boyfriend?” “That’s none of your business,” I retorted. “Now tell me, Mason. Where is my daughter?” “How am I supposed to know?” “Don’t act like you don’t know.” I moved closer, glaring at him. “You think I’m going to tell you? After what happened to my apartment?” “This is just the beginning. You better get ready because I will make your life a living hell.” Mason laughed. “I got to say, I like this new Ariel. Cold–blooded, brutal. Who changed you?” “I’m not here to joke around. If I get to find out that something terrible happened to Janice, you’re going to regret the day your mother gave birth to you.” Mason’s fake smiling face changed into a frowny one. I gave him a mocking smile before walking away to my car. Johnny moved behind me. We both got in, and I drove away.
