A Beauty with Multiple Masks novel Chapter 10

“What?” Everyone looked in the direction the housekeeper had pointed at, only to see a snake glaring back and hissing at them. The snake was unlike any the housekeepers had seen before. It had a big head, and it had flared its neck as if ready to attack. Everyone was petrified and stumbled backward in a panic.

“Hurry! Run!” the housekeepers screamed as they collectively fled from the room. Just then, Henrick and Cindy finally came to Shandie’s room. Upon seeing the snake still writhing and hissing away, Henrick too retreated, afraid of getting bitten by it. Cindy’s face had turned green as she shakily asked, “What’s going on? Why is there a snake? What’s everyone standing around for? Someone go kill it now!” The housekeepers exchanged looks of apprehension, no one wanting to volunteer to take out the snake.

To let any of them deal with a venomous cobra would be akin to sending them to their deaths. Nobody was going to take that risk. Janet, who had taken her time to come up, was now paralyzed by fear. Isn’t that the snake I released into Arielle’s room? What is it doing here? Even carrying the box with the cobra earlier was enough to turn Janet’s legs into jelly.

Now she was even more afraid to go any nearer because she knew how venomous the cobra was. Janet knew Shandie would be dead if she weren’t given the antivenom within the hour. Yet, that was something she had to keep to herself, no matter how much it pained her. Seeing how no one was keen to take any action, Cindy tugged at Henrick and cried desperately, “Dear! Go kill that snake!”

Henrick, like the others, didn’t dare go near the snake. However, he also had his pride as the man of the house to consider. If word got out that he couldn’t save his daughter from a snake, he’d lose all the respect he had. Damn these useless, cowardly housekeepers! And Cindy too! If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in such a dilemma!

Henrick gritted his teeth and bit the bullet. Just as he was about to step forward with a broom in hand, a voice rang out in the hallway. “Dad, it’s late at night. What’s everyone doing here?” Henrick turned around, only to see a sleepy-eyed Arielle in her pajamas. From the looks of it, the commotion had just woken her up.

“There’s a snake in the room. Your sister fainted after being bitten by it. I have to go save her…” Henrick replied hesitantly. “No way!” Arielle exclaimed, fully awake now. “Dad, this is too dangerous! You can’t go in!” Cindy’s blood boiled after hearing those words. Without a second thought, she raised her hand and went for Arielle’s face. Given her reflexes, that was a slap Arielle could have easily avoided, except she decided against it at the last second.

Slap! The sound was loud and crisp as the slap landed squarely on Arielle’s cheek. Arielle’s fair and tender cheek instantly swelled up with Cindy’s handprint imprinted clearly on it. “You b*tch! You want to see your sister die, don’t you? Get out of my sight, you vicious wench! Alfred! Throw her out now!”