Inside the room, Dahlia caught Charles'' firm tone and had a smug glint in her eyes. But that smugness quickly gave way to fear, as if she could feel snakes wrapping around her, making her shiver uncontrobly. She wanted out of that room, like, yesterday.


    Tears streamed down Dahlia''s cheeks as she whimpered, "Charles, I''m terrified... please get me out of here..." Her fear was real, but so was her intent to twist the knife into Evelyn a bit more.


    Evelyn had just locked her up when Charles swooped in for the rescue. Yet, when Evelyn was locked up for a full day and night, Charles was nowhere to be found. Imagining the door swinging open and Charles whisking her away right in front of Evelyn filled Dahlia with glee. Evelyn would never get the upper hand.


    "Grandma, this isn''t Dahlia''s doing. I''m the one who locked Evelyn up. Please, let Dahlia go," Charles pleaded.


    Rosa responded with a cold chuckle. "Not a chance! You locked Evelyn up all day and night for Dahlia. Let me tell you, Dahlia won''t leave this basement even a second early."


    "If you dare let Dahlia out before her time, consider me gone." Rosa''s gaze was steely, and she wasn''t one to bluff.


    Charles knew better than to argue with his grandmother''s fiery temper, so he kept quiet.


    Rosa nced at the closed door, hearing Dahlia''s cries from inside. She smirked, "Next time you punish Eve without proof, I''ll make sure Dahlia gets double the trouble." Her warning was for both Charles and Dahlia.


    "Nobody''s getting her out early," she ordered the bodyguard.


    "Yes, ma''am."


    When Rosa guided Evelyn out, she gave Charles who''s standing by the door a look and said sternly, "You''re right. You locked Eve up. You can stay with Dahlia, but after wesettle this."


    "Yes!" Charlesplied without a fuss.


    ...


    The group left the dark, gloomy basement behind. In the brightly dit living room, Charles finally noticed Evelyn''s ghostly pale face and the cuts on her lips. She didn''t look well at all.


    en


    His typically stern expression softened as he moved forward, taking hold of Evelyn''s wrist. "What happened to you?" he asked quietly.


    His grip identally caught Evelyn''s injured fingers, making her wince and suck in a sharp breath, her face going even paler.


    Charles quickly loosened his grip but didn''t let gopletely. Instead, he gently held her wrist, his eyes fixed on the bandages around her fingers, his heart skipping a beat. Was a few hours in the basement really this


    bad?


    "Do you really have to ask?" Rosa snapped from ahead. She spun around, unable to hold back, and tapped Charles with her cane. "Isn''t this all thanks to you?" "Have you lost it, Charles? What were you thinking? You know Evelyn''s terrified of basements after what happened with Sena when she was a kid, and yet you left her there for so long..." Rosa''s voice wavered, and her eyes misted with tears. Her heart ached for Evelyn. Just imagining Evelyn in that basement for nearly twenty hours felt like a dagger twisting in her chest.