Sherah trembled uncontrollably. "Ms. Sanders... You... You..."She could not finish her sentence before Caleb came in, handing Madeline a piece of paper. "Radd's account got a hefty deposit of four hundred and fifty dollars yesterday. Lydia's doing."Madeline glanced at the paper and then at Sherah. "Mrs. Jeppesen, isn't it clear to you now?"Sherah had heard about the money from Radd just yesterday, but it still hurt to hear it again.She bolted up from the bed and shoved Madeline toward the door. "Get out! Just go!"She did not care, pushing Madeline until they were both out the door.Madeline nearly tripped from the force, but Caleb was quick to steady her. The door slammed shut behind them.Madeline's face darkened. "Thought she'd come around, knowing Lydia's gunning for her."However, Sherah was biting down hard, not budging. Without her testimony, they did not have enough to nail Lydia.Caleb tried to calm her nerves. "No need to worry. She'll see reason eventually."Ma
Sherah's eyes fluttered open, her mind foggy, and she nearly jumped out of her skin at the shadow looming by her bed."Radd!" she gasped.As soon as she saw who it was, she scrambled under the bed, her eyes wide with terror at the sight of Radd. His head was bandaged in white, his face marred with cuts, and he was swaying slightly, clutching a half-empty bottle of booze.Radd's gaze was frosty as he glared at Sherah. "Why couldn't you just die quietly yesterday?" Sherah's voice trembled. "Radd, you can't do this... I'm Zander's mother. He'll never forgive you if you kill me—" Her plea was cut short by the wine bottle Radd hurled at her. It shattered with a loud crash right in front of her. Sherah let out a shriek, hurling anything she could grab at Radd while she dashed for the door. "Somebody help! Radd's gone mad! Zander!" She did not make it far before Radd yanked her back, unleashing a flurry of punches. "You coward, hitting me?! Running off and leaving me all alone! D
Madeline was in distress, her hand instinctively clutching her stomach. She knew she should not have come to Yates' home.Sherah, whether out of shock or a sense of betrayal, leaned silently against the wall.Madeline's voice was icy. "Radd, Zander, if you dare to kill Shenah today, you won't get away with it. Will you even be alive to spend that money you're talking about?"Radd took a gulp of his drink. "Once you're all dead, I'll spend the cash any way I please."Zander looked away silently.Madeline sneered, turning to Sherah. "This is the son you've been fiercely defending!"Sherah's face went pale, her silence unbroken, as tears streamed down her cheeks.Radd bellowed, "Enough talk! Don't get in the way of my payday!"With that, he lunged forward, knife in hand.Suddenly, a loud 'bang' echoed as the window shattered, and a fireball hurtled through the gap.More fireballs followed, strategically hitting the sofa and curtains, which burst into flames.Madeline, catching
The smoke was suffocating. Tears blurred Madeline's vision, and a cough escaped her, accidentally dialing Trevon's number. She held her breath, not hanging up. The phone rang insistently, a grim soundtrack to the chaos.Then, silence. No answer. A wry smile flickered across Madeline's face.Madeline was in a tough spot, staring down the barrel of disaster but still clinging to a sliver of hope. It was almost laughable.A stone's throw away, the Yates family was in the middle of a heated argument, but the thick smoke quickly overcame them, silencing their quarrels.Madeline tried to tell them, "Conserve your energy and duck down," but the words would not come out. If she dared to remove the damp cloth from her face, the smoke would send her into a coughing fit....It was pitch black outside, and only when the Yates family's house erupted in flames did the villagers notice the fire.By the time the crowd arrived, the blaze was raging."Get water, quick! Put it out!"Everyon
Caleb was about to follow Trevon's lead and charge into the blaze when Daniel grabbed his arm. "You're a doctor. We'll need you when they're out, so don't be reckless. Mr. Gibson will get Mrs. Gibson out safely."Caleb bit his lip, realizing Daniel was making sense, and reluctantly stood down.Flames roared all around inside.The Yates family was sprawled near the doorway, overcome by the smoke.Trevon scanned the area, but Madeline was nowhere to be seen."Madeline! Madeline!" he shouted.Where could she be?Knowing Madeline, she would not just wander off. She would find the safest spot to hide.Trevon tried the bathroom door, but it would not budge."Madeline, are you in there?" he called out, but got no reply.With a grimace of determination, he kicked the door down and finally spotted Madeline in a corner.The smoke was thinner there, but she had collapsed.A soaked towel lay discarded on the floor.Trevon rushed to her side. "Madeline! Madeline!"She was motionless,
"Ugh…"Madeline's eyes fluttered open to the stark white of the hospital walls. Her mind slowly pieced together the memories of the fire.She had not perished in the flames, she had been saved."My baby!"Madeline's heart raced as she suddenly thought of the baby growing inside her. She reached down, her fingers brushing against the gentle swell of her belly, and only then did she let out a sigh of relief.Trevon's voice, deep and resonant, broke the silence. "You shouldn't have taken such a risk if you're worried about your baby!"Madeline turned to see him sitting at the edge of her bed. The hospital was so cramped that there was barely enough space for a tiny chair beside her bed.Trevon was perched on it, knees awkwardly bent, looking like he might crush the flimsy thing at any second."Did you rescue me?"She noticed the burns on Trevon's hands and face, which seemed even more alarming with the ointment applied.He simply nodded.Madeline's gaze dropped as she whispered
Deep into the night, Trevon's fever spiked as expected.Daniel glanced at the thermometer, which read 102.7 degrees Fahrenheit, and his expression soured. "Mr. Gibson, maybe we should go back to Redenbaugh City. You can't keep pushing yourself like this."It was going to be a problem sooner or later.Trevon's fever-reddened face was a shade of concern. "What's the hurry? We're already in a hospital. Go grab some anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing meds."Daniel was at a loss for words. He was about to argue with Trevon, but his icy stare silenced him, and he reluctantly went to fetch a doctor.The doctor arrived with a nurse and immediately looked more serious. "This fever is too high. You need to take some fever medicine and get on an IV."Trevon's face spelled out his displeasure. "Just write the prescription."The doctor replied, "An IV will help you recover quicker than pills."Trevon remained silent, his stance unyielding.The doctor grew frustrated. "Why won't you liste
The room was cramped to begin with, and with an extra bed, it felt like the walls were closing in. The nurse pushed the beds together, and Trevon climbed onto his with a scowl, bracing himself for the IV needle."You're all wound up," the nurse said, a note of exasperation in her voice as she patted his hand."Relax."Trevon's glare could have frozen the sun, and the nurse shuddered. "Relaxing helps, you know."Madeline could not watch that any longer. "Stop scaring her. If you make her cry, you're going to get jabbed by a shaky hand. That'll hurt worse."Trevon did not say a word. He took a deep breath and let his arm go limp.Once the needle was in, they all exhaled in unison.Madeline, feeling the weight of the day, lay down and turned away from Trevon, curling into a small cocoon under the covers.He hesitated, his mouth opening and closing, unsure of how to break the silence.The air hung heavy between them once more.After a brief pause, Trevon, realizing Madeline was n