Thank you for reading another Chapter.
"Sir… it’s been two days already," the officer said softly.Max didn’t look at him. His eyes stayed on the water as the cold wind brushed his face."I’m sorry to say this, but..." The officer paused, lowering her voice. "She… she might not have made it."The words hung in the air like a heavy fog.Max still didn’t blink. His jaw tightened."We may have to bring this to an end soon…" he added carefully, watching him.Max slowly turned to face him. His eyes were red but dry."No," he said "We don’t stop until we find her".….………Mr. Creed burst into the room and came to an abrupt halt.There she was.Kristen lay on the hospital bed, barely moving. Her head was wrapped in thick bandages. Wires and tubes were connected to her. Machines beeped softly beside her, keeping track of every breath.His heart dropped and his eyes grew wide with shock.She looked nothing like the strong, fire-eyed girl he knew.“Oh no…” he whispered, taking slow steps closer. The sight of her like that… it hit him
"Yes, the divers have gone to the base of the fall," one officer said into his radio as he stood near the edge of the cliff. He watched the water far below with a furrowed bro. "It’s been hours...and there hasn’t been any sign of her."A group of reporters had gathered with cameras, whispering among themselves. Cars were still backed up as traffic were barely moving as some drivers stepped out to stare.Another officer walked over, shaking his head. "It’s morning already, and we still haven’t found any sign of her" ….……………The helicopter hovered over the water. Its blades made a loud chopping sound as the wind blew hard. Below, the sea was wide and deep, with no sign of her.Max held onto the rope ladder tightly. One hand grabbed the rope, and the other covered his eyes from the wind.He looked down at the rushing waves.The rope moved with the wind, but Max didn’t care. His eyes searched the water again and again, hoping to see her.“Mr. Anderson,” the pilot said through the headset
The car came to a slow stop. The air was colder here. Rough winds swept across the edge of Crystal Valley Cliff, making the trees shiver in silence. The man dragged Kristen’s weak body out like a bag of trash, her head barely lifting.She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. The drug had taken everything from her except the pain.He dropped her right at the edge, letting her body dangle ever so slightly over the cliff. “What a shame,” he muttered. “Such a pretty girl… the world must have been too heavy for her.”Then he turned and rushed back to the car.A second later, he shouted, loud and fake, “Help! This girl’s about to jump!”“OMG!” a few vendors and passersby down the nearby trail looked up in panic and rushed over. But the strong wind held them back from getting too close.“Someone, please help save her!” the man shouted again, his eyes fixed on Kristen as she swayed near the edge.“Oh my God… what has come of this generation?” one old vendor muttered, standing in disbelief as he dr
"Yes, ma’am. I’ve been following her for the past twenty minutes now," the man said, his voice low as he sat alone in his car. From a distance, his eyes locked on Kristen’s back as she slowly dragged herself down the street…“Keep an eye on her and don’t lose sight of her,” Lena’s voice came through cold and sharp. “We end her today. No mistakes…..….……..Kristen swallowed hard as she dragged herself down the street. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking, lost in shock."Yes, the Andersons killed your parents...Paloma Da Silva..." Mr. Creed’s voice echoed fiercely in her head, loud and sharp.“You filthy little girl” Wham!The memory of Mr. Valtor's slap stung her cheek.His cruel words echoed more loudly than ever: "I'll ensure your life is filled with misery. You'll never experience happiness again."Her hands clenched into fists, her heart beating fast. Tears filled her eyes as his words, the memory, and the pain returned like a storm.“They’re evil… wolves dressed like sheep for th
Pointing his torchlight around to see through the dark, the security guard moved from one office to another, making sure everything was in place. He locked the ones that needed to be locked.At the far end, he flashed the torchlight toward the lobby to see if anyone was there but no one was there. Sighing in relief, he turned to walk away. But just as he reached the hallway, he heard footsteps approaching."Hmm..." he muttered, turning quickly to the direction....but no one was there.Suddenly there was a tap on his shoulder.“Ahhh!” he screamed, stumbling backwards and falling to the floor. The torchlight slipped from his hand and skidded across the floor.A polished shoe stopped it from sliding further.“Please… don’t hurt me,” the security guard muttered, crawling back in fear.The figure slowly bent down, picked up the torch, and pointed it directly at the guard’s face.“Please… please don’t…” the guard trembled, his eyes squeezed shut.Then.....there was a clap and the lights flic
A few days later"I’m sorry to tell you this..." he said hesitantly. "Miss Jessica Barlow didn’t make it. She died in the fire... 21 years ago," Mr. Creed added, his gaze dropping to the floor before slowly meeting Kristen’s eyes. There was so much pain in them."And... your parents died in that fire as well," he continued gently.Kristen’s knees buckled, and she fell back into the chair, her eyes wide with disbelief.His words echoed in her mind like a broken record, her heart pounding.She lifted her face slowly, staring at her reflection in the mirror across the room. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. Just a single tear… then another… sliding quietly down her cheeks.Suddenly a flashback came rushing in.....“Paloma, where are you, little mama?” Mr. Sebastian’s voice called out, slightly panicked as he entered the room.He spun slowly in the center of the room, pretending not to see the little legs peeking from under the bed.“Ohhh, baby… where are you?” he said aga