Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Chapter 116
The cemetery was nestled on the western outskirts of Northhaven, far from the noise of the city, wrapped in a still, solemn quiet.
The soft chime of wind bells only deepened the sense of reverence.
Rows of black tombstones stood silently in place, radiating a haunting sense of abandonment.
Autumn quickly found her mother’s grave.
The black-and-white photo on the headstone brought everything rushing to the surface.
Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed instantly.
She didn’t know if it was from skipping dinner or the anger stirred up by Hector, but a sharp pain throbbed through her stomach.
She placed the flowers in front of the grave and cleared the overgrown weeds beside it, then slumped weakly against the tombstone.
The rain began to ease, and Autumn let the umbrella fall to the side.
Cold raindrops soaked her thin clothes, making her shiver.
But the chill outside couldn’t compare to the cold in her chest.
She dropped all pretenses-her usual calm and resilience-everything crumbled.
Her tears spilled like a broken string of pearls as she poured out all her recent struggles to her mother.
Pain gripped her stomach again.
Autumn took a pill from the small bottle in her bag and swallowed it dry.
She pressed past the bitterness lingering in her mouth, then leaned back against the grave, continuing to speak to her mother about all she had been through.
By the time the sky turned fully dark, Autumn finally left the cemetery.
Taxis were hard to come by in the area, so she walked to the nearest bus stop.
She picked up a small container of oatmeal from a downstairs shop and took it home.
After a few bites, she lost her appetite entirely. Her body felt heavy, so after showering, she went straight to bed.
In the middle of the night, Autumn woke up groggy, her head pounding and her body burning with heat.
Her lips were dry and cracked.
She must have come down with a fever again.
Her health had been declining.
Chapter 116
She was in the rain for a while, and she was already sick.
It was pathetic how fragile she’d become.
Moving slowly, she reached for her phone. The screen glowed 12:00a.m.
She pushed back the covers and got out of bed, hoping to get some water.
She didn’t have any fever meds at her new place, so staying hydrated was her only option.
Her hands trembled from the heat and dizziness as she picked up a glass.
But her grip slipped.
Crash. The glass hit the floor and shattered with a sharp, clear sound.
She instinctively bent down to pick it up, but moved too quickly, and a sharp shard sliced across her finger.
She gasped softly, clutching the bleeding finger, biting her lip as panic welled up inside her.
She didn’t know what to do.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Autumn glanced toward it, confused. Who could it be at this hour?
Once the dizziness in her head eased slightly, she slowly made her way over and opened the door.
A tall figure stood outside.
With the lights off inside, the man was backlit by the dim sensor light in the hallway, his features obscured in shadow, giving him an air of mystery.
Keith stepped inside and reached out with his long fingers to switch on the wall light.
“Why are you sitting in the dark p>
His eyes immediately landed on Autumn’s hand, and the trace of blood.
His brows furrowed slightly. “You’re hurt p>
Instinctively, Autumn hid her injured hand behind her back, but Keith caught her wrist before she could pull
away.
The moment he touched her, he felt the heat radiating from her skin.
He raised his hand and gently pressed it to her forehead.
“You’ve got a fever?” His dark eyes narrowed.
“Autumn, are you trying to kill yourself? You’re burning up and still haven’t gone to the hospital p>
His scolding left her stunned.
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Chapter 116
She blinked up at him, confused-why was he more panicked than she was when she was the one who was sick?
Without another word, Keith scooped her up in his arms and turned toward the door.
“I’m taking you to the hospital p>
Autumn instinctively struggled. “I can walk on my own p>