“Lucas…” Aveline murmured his name as she dialed his number.Zachary watched her, shaking his head with a sigh.Maybe she didn’t even realize it herself, but her resistance to Lucas had softened.After all, she wasn’t heartless. How could anyone remain unmoved in the face of sincere apologies and requests for forgiveness? The busy signal droned in her ear, and as the dull beeping continued, Aveline’s expression turned sour.Why wasn’t he picking up? Where had he gone?In the end, the call disconnected automatically.”He won’t take my call… then I don’t need him,” Aveline muttered, wobbling slightly as she stood up and headed toward the door. Zachary quickly stepped in to steady her, preventing a fall.But Aveline pushed him away. “I… I’m fine. I can manage on my own.”He stayed close, ready to catch her if needed.Given how much she had drunk, her unsteady gait was no surprise.Thankfully, despite her zigzagging path, she managed to avoid falling.Back in her room, Zachary said, “Get some rest. I’ll leave now but call me if you need anything.””Okay… sure.” Aveline nodded, her voice a little slurred.Before closing the door, Zachary took one last look at her-she was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, completely defenseless.With a soft sigh, he shut the door and turned to leave.The moment her head hit the pillow, Aveline fell into a deep sleep.But in her half-conscious state, she began to notice a sharp, acrid smell.Smoke?Why did it smell like smoke in the orphanage?The odor grew stronger, jolting her fully awake. She opened her eyes and saw thick smoke swirling through the room.Her mind was still foggy, but as she sat up and looked around, she caught sight of flames flickering outside the window.In an instant, the haze of alcohol cleared from her head.Fire!Aveline jumped out of bed, grabbed her coat, and rushed to the bathroom. She soaked the coat thoroughly with water, then draped it over herself before dashing toward the door, ready to escape.But as soon as she cracked the door open, a surge of flames leaped inside! The fire in the hallway was even fiercer than she’d imagined. Amidst the chaos, Aveline could just make out the cries of the children.Panicking, she slammed the door shut, her face draining of color.How did this happen? How did a fire break out so suddenly?She grabbed her phone, intending to call the fire department, but there was no signal. She couldn’t even make an emergency call!This wasn’t an accident. Someone had done this on purpose!Whoever it was, they meant to burn them alive. What a cruel and twisted plan!”Aveline! Aveline!” Zachary’s muffled voice came from outside.Aveline quickly shouted back, “I’m fine! Save the children!”It seemed he heard her because he stopped calling out.But staying in this room wasn’t a long-term solution. The smoke was getting thicker, and if she didn’t get out soon, she could pass out from the fumes and never wake up. Aveline rushed to the window but then realized that to prevent the children from getting into trouble, the orphanage had all the screens welded shut. She couldn’t get out that way! At least there was some ventilation. The smoke slowly began to clear, but Aveline kept her ears trained on the sounds outside the room.With the window open, she knew she couldn’t risk opening the door. The airflow could cause the flames to surge into the room.She had no choice but to wait.Suddenly, a loud bang hit the door. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰind_ηovel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Aveline tensed up immediately. “Who’s there?””It’s me, Mrs. Tudor!” came Braden’s voice.
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