Chapter 417
Charlotte glanced at Anthony and nodded, playing the obedient student. It wasn’t a big deal to her anyway. She wasn’t the one who would end up exhausted.
Two days later, on Wednesday, Charlotte finished copying Shirley’s test answers and was just about to rest her head on the desk when her phone suddenly buzzed. The interruption annoyed her. Still, she reached into her bag, grabbed her phone, and checked the caller ID. Instantly, her whole mood shifted. She sat up straight, her voice cold as she answered, “Hello?”
Whatever she heard made her shoot to her feet. She snatched up her bag and headed straight for the door. “Shirley, if any teachers ask, just tell them I got permission from Eleanor to leave,” she called out.
“Huh?” Shirley looked up from her own test, but Charlotte was already gone, like a whirlwind.
Charlotte had Eleanor’s signed leave slip ready, and she pulled her usual trick- getting Adonis to imitate her voice so she could get out of the school without anyone getting suspicious. She’d parked her red motorcycle in a nearby lot, just in case she needed to make a quick getaway.
She found her bike, put on her helmet, and twisted the throttle. The engine roared to life, echoing under the blazing sun as Charlotte sped off. People couldn’t help but stare. Riding a motorcycle was cool, but seeing a girl do it was even cooler.
About an hour later, she reached the front of a tall medical building. As soon as she parked, she took off her helmet, hung it on the handlebars, and rushed toward the elevator. The elevator, though, was nowhere near the ground floor. She watched the numbers inch down, frustration growing, then turned and headed for the stairs.
Stella’s room was all the way up on the fifteenth floor.
Charlotte tightened the straps on her backpack and zipped up her school uniform. Her eyes flickered when she caught a glimpse of the bracelet on her wrist. Then she took a deep breath and dashed up the stairs, her slim figure moving fast. What would normally take five and a half minutes, she finished in just three and a half.
The moment she appeared on the fifteenth floor, Stella’s caregiver hurried over, worry written all over her face. “Charlotte, you’re finally here.”
“What happened to Stella?” Charlotte was out of breath, her face pale from worry and the sprint upstairs.
“The nurse said she saw a video and completely lost it. She started screaming and wouldn’t stop, even after two sedatives,” the caregiver explained, struggling to hide her anxiety.
When things didn’t get better, they had called Charlotte.
As the caregiver spoke, she pulled up the video on her phone. It was just a normal comedy. But when Charlotte looked closer at one of the actors her eyes turned icy cold. The plot had nothing to do with it The actor just looked way too much like the twisted monster from the sanatorium. Stella must have seen his face and been dragged back to those terrible memories.
“Don’t let anyone else in,” Charlotte said quietly, then stepped into the room. She found Stella curled up in the corner, her cheeks streaked with tears.
It was just like before.
Charlotte felt a sharp ache in her chest. She took a steadying breath, walked over softly, and knelt by Stella’s side. “Stella Her voice was gentle and careful.
Stella finally looked up, her eyes red and wet with tears. “Charlotte?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” Charlotte managed a small, shaky smile and wrapped her hand around Stella’s. “It’s all right now. The bad guy is gone. He’s dead.”
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“Dead Stella repeated, almost like she didn’t believe it. Then she suddenly threw herself into Charlotte’s arms, her whole body shaking. “Charlotte they’re all gon
My little brothers and sisters. they’re dead. I couldn’t protect them
The words cut straight through Charlotte, sharp and merciless. In her heart, she
knew the truth-she was the one who hadn’t been able to protect them.