CHAPTER 34

Welbeck's eyes shot open, heart pounding against his chest as if trying to break free. The shrill sound of his phone pierced through the silence of his room, unsettling the morning calm. As he fumbled for the device, he noticed the numerous missed calls and texts, all from his co-worker, Sarah.

"Hello? Sarah, what's going on?" he managed to say, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"Welbeck, it's bad. The company caught fire last night," Sarah's voice quivered with a mix of panic and distress.

Welbeck's mind raced, his body tensing up at the news. "How... are you trying to tell me that the security personnel couldn't do anything?" he blurted out, his words coming out uncontrolled.

"They tried, Welbeck, they did. But it spread too quickly. It's a mess," Sarah replied, trying to keep her own composure.

Welbeck hung up the phone, his mind now fully awake and grappling with the reality of the situation. He rushed to have a quick bath, the cold water doing little to calm his nerves. Every dr