The Billionaire’s Regret -Alessa (by Bukolami) novel Chapter 30

**Shadows Beneath the Silent Moon**
**Rising Echoes by Aiden R. Vale**
**Chapter 30**

**SIX YEARS AGO**

Alessa was jolted awake by a cacophony of metal clashing, a sound that seemed to pierce through the fog of her slumber. Groggily, she groaned, her mind struggling to process the noise that grew louder with each passing second.

Finally, the clamor ceased, and she let out a deep sigh of relief, her eyelids still heavy with sleep.

“Get up!” a commanding voice rang out, shattering the remnants of her dreams.

With a reluctant whine, Alessa cracked her eyes open. The sight before her was chaotic; girls were darting around the room, their movements frantic as they scrambled to prepare for the day ahead.

A wave of confusion washed over her as she tried to grasp her surroundings. Where was she? It took a few moments for her memory to catch up, but then it flooded back to her.

She recalled the disorientation of waking in a strange room, the sensation of being handed a crisp red uniform, and the hurried march into a vast space filled with other girls. The room was enormous, with rows of bunk beds stretching out like a labyrinth, and she had chosen the lower bunk, collapsing into it and succumbing to exhaustion almost immediately.

“You have to hurry if you don’t want to get punished,” a voice chimed in, snapping her back to the present. A girl with kind eyes reached out to help her sit up.

“Huh?” Alessa blinked, still dazed.

“My name is Aliyah. We have fifteen minutes to get ready and make it to class, or Madam Olga will be furious and punish us,” Aliyah explained, her voice tinged with urgency as she assisted Alessa in getting out of bed.

“The Russian lady?” Alessa asked, her brow furrowing in recognition. Aliyah nodded vigorously, her expression serious.

“Come on, let’s go,” Aliyah urged, gently tugging Alessa toward the door, her determination palpable.

They entered a classroom bustling with energy. Alessa took a seat next to Aliyah, her heart racing as she surveyed the other girls clad in various uniforms. Each one looked distinct, and she found herself bewildered by the colorful array; she had no idea why they were all dressed differently.

Just as she was about to voice her curiosity, the classroom door swung open, and in walked Madam Olga. An immediate hush fell over the room, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Madam Olga, a formidable figure with a whip in hand, strode to the front of the class, her gaze sweeping over the students with a predatory intensity. Her eyes fell upon an empty seat, and she opened her mouth to inquire about its occupant when the door creaked open again.

A girl stumbled in, her face pale, and as soon as she spotted Madam Olga, she dropped to her knees in a show of submission.

“I’m… I’m sorry, ma’am. I was sick…” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

“Weakness,” Madam Olga cut her off sharply, and the girl fell silent, her head bowed in shame.

Alessa watched, her heart pounding as the girl whimpered softly, a pitiful sound that echoed in the stillness of the room.

Madam Olga approached her, hands clasped behind her back, exuding an air of authority that was impossible to ignore.

“You displayed a sign of weakness, which is unacceptable here. Therefore, you will be punished,” she declared, her voice cold and unyielding. The girl’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked up, knowing better than to plead for mercy. To do so would only exacerbate her predicament.

“Get on the table,” Madam Olga commanded, her tone leaving no room for disobedience.

“By not committing the murder in the first place?” Alessa replied, her voice barely above a whisper. A few students stifled nervous laughter, the kind that was more about fear than amusement.

‘Are they all this terrified?’ Alessa pondered, her heart racing at the thought.

Madam Olga scanned the room before moving to one of the girls’ desks. The girl sat up straight, chin raised defiantly, desperately trying to mask her fear.

“How do you get away with murder?” Madam Olga asked her, her tone unyielding.

“By doing a clean job, ma’am. You must eliminate all evidence that could link you to the crime and erase your tracks,” the girl answered, her voice steady, though Alessa could see the fear lurking behind her eyes.

“If you were to kill Alessa by stabbing her, how would you get away with it?” Madam Olga pressed further, her gaze piercing.

The girl glanced at Alessa, and Alessa felt a shiver run down her spine. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around her bump, as if to protect herself from the chilling implication of the question.

“I would lure her to a secluded place and kill her there. Then I would clean up the scene and drag her somewhere no one would ever find her,” she replied, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a flicker of fear.

Madam Olga stepped back, her expression inscrutable as she returned to the front of the class.

“No place is hidden on earth; anyone can always find anything anyway. Bodies are always found,” she stated coldly, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.

Alessa’s heart raced at the chilling reality of their lesson, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was trapped in a nightmare from which there was no escape.