How did it catch fire all of a sudden? Didn''t Sophie go to the third floor?


    On the second floor, Jenna and Adler stepped out and saw Gordon being helped back to his room by Rick. They were both taken aback.


    "Mr. Gordon?"


    Angelo and Sandy were just as surprised. They''d never seen Gordon looking so disheveled!


    "It was just a small fire, but Mr. Gordon needs to rest," Rick said, stepping forward. "I''d like to ask everyone to keep tonight''s events to yourselves, especially from Ms. Sophie." "Why?" Sandy asked, puzzled.


    "No reason, just trust that it''s for Ms. Sophie''s own good," Rick replied, helping Gordon back to his room.


    Sandy frowned. The Aldridge family sure was strange!


    The next day, Sophie woke up again. She sat up abruptly, feeling dizzy, and theny back down. Odie, standing nearby, saw this and opened his mouth, but no words came out. "Quick... I need to get to the third floor!"


    Sophie tried to get out of bed, but Odie gently pushed her back down.


    Sophie looked at Odie, her usual calm gone. "I need to go to the third floor! Don''t stop me!"


    Sophie had always been tough, but this time, she was seriously determined. Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Odie knew she really wanted to know what was up there. He suddenly felt a pang of conscience, but he couldn''t say anything.


    Odie tightened his grip on his own hand, speaking with a guilty edge, "You''ve got a fever, you''ve been rambling all night, and now you''re talking nonsense?"


    "What fever? Last night I was...!"


    Before Sophie could finish, Odie


    showed her a thermometer, with et


    103.6° ring back at her. Then he


    picked up a mirror and ced it in front of her.


    The reflection showed a haggard Sophie, her face pale.


    "Adler and Jenna slept like logs, Colby wasn''t here, and your noise kept me up, so I stayed in Colby''s ce all night."


    Odie put down the thermometer. "Seems my rare act of kindness was wasted."


    With that, he turned to leave.


    Sophie''s mind was a whirlwind, unsure of what was real or imagined. She reached out and grabbed Odie''s arm. "Take me to the third floor." "Alright, if you can get out of bed."


    Odie looked at her with a hint of sarcasm. "I''ve never seen anyone with a 104°F fever who can still get up and climb stairs."


    He thought she''d back down, but to


    his surprise, Sophie got out of bed immediately. Her unsteady feet almost sent her to the floor, and Odie quickly reached out to support her arm. "Sophie! Are you crazy?"


    "I need to go to the third floor! Take me!"


    Sophie clung to Odie as if he were her lifeline.


    Odie paused for a moment. "Alright... but you need to take your medicine first." "Okay!"


    Sophie pulled herself up with Odie''s


    e help, swallowing all the medicine by the bed in one gulp. Odie fell silent again. "You''re really... unusually obedient today."


    He extended his hand to her. "Let''s get you to the third floor."Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.