Chapter 46 Ties That Bind

• The atmosphere in the room was tense and foreboding, like a storm cloud about to unleash its fury. Mrs. Gella's eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and concern as she dropped the phone on the table, the screen still displaying the incriminating headline. Alina's face turned a ghostly pale, her eyes wide with shock and horror as she stared at the phone, her mind reeling with questions.
• "What is this, Alina?" Mrs. Gella demanded, her voice firm and authoritative, but with a hint of worry beneath the surface. Alina's response was barely audible, a whispered "I...I don't know, Mother" that seemed to tremble on her lips. She shook her head, as if trying to clear the fog from her mind, but her eyes remained fixed on the phone, her expression frozen in a mixture of fear and confusion.
• Mrs. Gella's expression turned incredulous, her voice rising in pitch as she repeated, "Don't know?" The words hung in the air like a challenge, as if daring Alina to come up with a plausible explanation. But Alina's response was the same, a shaking of her head and a whispered "I don't remember, Mother" that seemed to convey a sense of desperation.