Brendan was just lying in the house, unable to speak or move, but he wasn’t dead.


    I had a hunch that once Henry got rid of Caleb, he’d being for Brendan and me next.


    Is Brendan safe?” I whispered.


    There was a moment of silence before Eric spoke. “Not everyone has a conscience like the young


    master.”


    In other words, Colin might have spared Brendan’s life, but Henry wouldn’t.


    I didn’t say a word, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it.


    Once Henry got rid of Brendan, I would be next.


    On the way back to Colin’s ce, I sent a text to Ste.


    [Ste, Henry had Colinmitted to a mental institution. How can I get him out?]


    Ste cursed, [Fuck! Don’t panic. Just give me the address of the hospital, and I’ll figure something


    out.]


    There weren’t many people I could trust, but Ste was one of the few who was truly


    reliable.


    I sent her the location.


    But Ste’s response came quickly; there was no record of a patient named Caleb Langley being


    admitted.


    My heart tightened with fear. “Eric, are you sure they took Colin to the mental institution?”


    Eric didn’t respond.


    “Pull over!” I yelled. “Eric, turn around and follow that car!”


    Eric parked by the roadside and turned to look at me. “Ma’am, the priority now is to ensure your safety


    and the safety of your unborn child. That’s what’s important.”


    “ed to make sure Colin is safe first. Did Henry really take him to the mental institution?” My eyelids


    twitched with anxiety, regretting letting Colin get in that car.


    Soon, Eric received a phone call.


    I faintly heard that the mental institution’s car had crashed on the mountain ring road, struck by an


    overloaded truck and sent tumbling down the cliff. Everyone in the car was dead.


    The room spun, and I grabbed Eric’s clothes, shaking. “Tell me… what happened.”


    05:271


    There was a crash.”


    Eric’s voice seemed to drift further and further away.


    My consciousness began to blur, the ringing in my ears growing louder.


    Phoebe…”


    “Foebe?”


    A cacophony of noises buzzed around my ears.


    Until I lost consciousness entirely.


    When I woke up again, I was lying in a room in Colin’s vi. I sat up abruptly and rushed outside,


    desperate to hear that Colin was safe.


    But the vi was eerily empty, just me alone. Even the mute butler who tended the yard had


    disappeared.


    “Bark, bark!” Suddenly, Coly was barking furiously in the yard, and several figures climbed over the wall


    from outside, one after another…


    new w


    I knew they were here to take me out.


    This was a society governed byw, but behind the shadow of the immense wealth that shrouded the


    Langley familyy a pack ofwless brutes.


    Coly bared his teeth, warily watching the intruders, and seized the moment to leap at them, filling the


    yard with screams of pain.


    Panic–stricken, I reached for my phone to call the police, knowing Coly wouldn’tst long


    on its own.


    But as my fingers touched the phone, I noticed dark red blood beneath my nails…


    I froze for a second and inspected my hands. I had no wounds; where had this bloode from?


    There was no time to ponder; I called the police, grabbed a stick from the corner, and charged


    downstairs.


    “Bark, bark!” Several men were pinning down Coly, and therge dog was no match for them.


    The leader wielded a knife and aimed for Coly’s throat.


    “Let it go!”


    “No!” I screamed uncontrobly, stumbling and falling onto thewn.


    Suddenly, a scream ripped through the air; Coly, enduring the pain, bit one of the men,


    6533


    breaking free and bounding towards me.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Blood soaked his fur as he whimpered and nuzzled into my arms.


    My eyes reddened, my fingers trembling slightly. “Coly..