Chapter 62
Chapter 62
หร
1255 vouchers
After a long talk, Cassia finally managed to put Arthur to sleep, his small body curled against the blanket after insisting on a bedtime story. She sat at the edge of his bed for a while, watching his steady breathing, but her ewn chest felt heavy
Back in her room, she lay staring at the ceiling, the echo of Arthur’s questions gnawing at her. Who is my daddy? Her stomach tightened. She had dodged the truth again, but how long could she keep running?
Her mind drifted to what Arthur had said about Damien…how he’d be happy if she married him, how he believed Damien would protect them.
The memory softened something in her chest. Damien had always been there, never wavering, never hurting her. Maybe he deserved the chance she’d denied him for so long.
Cassia sighed, glancing at her phone charging on the table. I’ll call him tomorrow, she promised herself.
She closed her eyes, trying to will herself to sleep, but another face intruded…Aiden. His words at the press conference replayed in her head. The way he admitted his mistake. The way he apologized. Was he expecting her to thank him? She scoffed into the dark. He was the one who broke her…fixing it was his burden, not hers.
Sleep finally pulled her under… until a scream jolted her awake.
Cassia sat up coughing, her lungs stinging. Smoke clawed at her throat, her vision blurred. Her room was filled with thick, choking haze. Panic surged as she stumbled to the door, tugging furiously at the handle but it wouldn’t budge.
“Help! Someone!” she shouted, slamming her fist against the door. Her eyes burned, tears springing unbidden, not from fear but from the smoke invading her lungs.
Arthur. Her heart clenched painfully. She needed to reach him. She couldn’t lose him…not like Eva.
Desperate, she grabbed a cloth, pressing it over her mouth and nose, then battered the door again. Her muscles weakened, her body trembling as heat pressed in on her from all sides. Sweat drenched her skin, her limbs heavy.
“Arthur Arthur!” Her voice cracked, breaking into a sob. She clawed at the door, nails scraping uselessly against the wood.
Her knees buckled. Darkness nipped at her vision. She swayed, coughing violently, her mind a fierce chant of
her son’s name.
Then the door swung open.
Through the haze, a figure burst in
“Amelia!” The voice cut through her daze, deep, familiar.
Her lips trembled. “Arthur. I need to get to Arthur…” Her words slurred as her strength gave out.
Her body collapsed forward, but strong arms caught her before she hit the ground.
18:31 Wed, Oct 15
Chapter 62
32
$5 vouchers
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” Aiden’s voice murmured against her car, steady and firm. He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her through the suffocating smoke and flames.
Outside, he laid her gently in the back seat of his car. Arthur was already there, unconscious, but breathing. Relief flickered across Aiden’s features, fierce and protective.
For a heartbeat, he stood staring at the burning house, questions swirling, How did this happen? Who set it? But none of that mattered now. Only Amelia and Arthur did.
He climbed into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut, and the car roared into the night, speeding toward the hospital.
A few blocks away, Dante lit a cigarette, satisfaction curling his lips as the flames reflected in his rearview mirror. Everything was burning as planned. He dialed Sofia’s number.
She answered on the first ring, her voice thick with anticipation. “What took you so long? Tell me it’s done. Tell me they’re dead p>
“It’s done,” Dante said flatly. “They won’t be a problem anymore p>
Sofia exhaled in triumph, sinking back against her pillows. “Finally. Now Aiden’s mine again.” She laughed softly, a giddy, poisonous sound, then ended the call.
Rolling onto the empty side of the bed, she stroked the sheets where Aiden should’ve been, her smile widening. “I can’t wait for you to come home to me, baby. We’ll make another child. Just you and me.” Her voice dripped with obsession.
She laughed again, high, sharp, almost manic.
Out in the hallway, James walked past on his way home. He paused, frowning as the sound of Sofia’s laughter spilled under her door…cold, unsettling, like something unhinged. He knocked lightly.
Inside, Sofia froze. Then, thinking it might be Aiden, her lips curled into a smile. She rushed to the door, flung it open, only to see James standing there. Disappointment flickered instantly.
“What do you want, James? Why are you knocking at midnight?” she snapped.
“I heard
you laughing,” James said coolly. “With everything happening, I thought maybe you’d finally lost
your mind p>
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you monitoring me now p>
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll find something?” His tone was sharp, cutting.
Sofia’s jaw tightened. She slammed the door in his face without another word.
James stood there for a moment, sighing before turning away. He wondered what was wrong with Sofia or if
18:31 Wed, Oct 15
Chapter 62
she was up to something again. Whatever she was hiding, she was up to no good.
TBC
55 vouchers
AD
Comment