Striking Back

Cleo's POV

I rushed to my mother's side, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The tension in the grand living room was thick enough to choke on.

"Mom, what happened?" I whispered, my voice trembling as I reached out to touch her arm.

She flinched, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and a deep, simmering agitation. Before I could process her expression, her fingers clamped a