After lunch.
"Ms. Lowell." Corinne Chapman suddenly called out to Sophia Lowell, who was just coming out of the restroom.
"What’s the matter?" Sophia wiped her hands.
"This morning I saw a man in black wandering around our yard when I opened the door. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but just now I saw him lingering around again. I’m worried he might be doing it on purpose or has so ulterior motive," Corinne said with a panicked expression.
Sophia paused, her heart in her throat.
"Check the surveillance and see where he appears frequently. Have security increase their patrols and ask Eve and Nadia to keep an eye out around the area."
She thought for a mont and still felt sothing wasn’t right, a sense of unease creeping in.
"Send the image of the person from the surveillance to Officer Wood to see if he can send soone over to help." She continued.
"Okay." Corinne nodded and left.
Sophia picked up her phone to call Zane but he didn’t answer, so she left him a ssage instead.
Just as she finished sending the ssage, a nearby auntie smiled at her.
Sophia didn’t notice and headed straight upstairs to the second floor.
"This dress is really beautiful." Willow Sterling had changed into the dress that had already been made for her.
During New Year’s, Willow had asked for a dress to be made. She ntioned this morning that if it wasn’t finished, then forget it, but to her surprise, the dress had been long done. It just needed a few adjustnts.
She had noticed this just after walking in.
"It’s not the dress that’s beautiful; it’s the person who puts life into it. Without you, even the best dress would fall flat. Soone else might not pull it off so well." Sophia stood aside, adjusting the hem of the dress.
"It’s a bit tight," she said, looking in the mirror and touching her waist.
"A figure like yours doesn’t always gain weight," she chuckled. "I’ll make a few more sets for you when I have ti. Such a stunning figure needs beautiful dresses to allow your husband to feast his eyes."
Willow blushed at her words.
They had been trying for a baby for two or three years and finally, she was pregnant with their first child, so she was extra cautious when going out.
She had pushed aside a lot of work to rest whenever possible, and her clothes were mostly loose-fitting now.
"I’ll get you a few dresses to try on," Sophia said and headed upstairs to the third floor.
The third floor had many custom-made dresses, so for herself, and so were to keep at the store as display pieces for custors.
Many of them were loose-fitting as well.
From this morning until now, she had roughly guessed Willow’s pregnancy, especially with her caution on the stairs and frequent restroom visits.
Even the mildly spicy dishes she liked weren’t appealing today.
Sophia went up to the third floor and started picking dresses suitable for Willow — not too tight, not too long, not too short, comfortable, and simple.
She took several dresses in hand and was about to go downstairs when she saw thick smoke rising from below through the window — the strong sll of burning instantly filled her nose.
The smoke was coming from below, either the first or second floor.
"Willow!"
Without thinking, she dropped the clothes in her hands and rushed downstairs.
anwhile, Corinne and Eve were rushing over as well.
The fire was coming from the second floor.
But the door to the second floor was locked!
Sophia twisted the doorknob but couldn’t open it!
"Willow! Can you hear ?" she shouted, banging on the door.
Inside, she could hear coughing and soone banging on the door.
The door couldn’t be opened from the inside or the outside.
"Sophia..." Willow’s weak voice ca from inside.
"Willow, there’s water on the tea table inside, see if you can reach it!"
"Okay..." Willow covered her mouth and nose, cautiously protecting her belly as she moved inside.
The fire started near the socket by the workbench, causing the fabric on it to catch fire instantly. The fire spread slowly, and the burning fabric emitted a strong stench.
Willow went to the tea table to find water.
At the door, Sophia and Corinne were trying to break it open.
"Why won’t the key work suddenly?" Eve stood to the side, holding wet towels and blankets.
Nadia had already called the fire departnt from downstairs, and security rushed up to help break open the door.
"Cough, cough..." Willow grabbed a piece of fabric nearby, picked up the teapot on the tea table, and poured water over it, covering her mouth, trying to protect herself as much as possible.
She wet so clothes beside her and draped them over herself.
But the fire was getting stronger and had spread to the door. She didn’t dare go closer since the door wouldn’t open and could only stay in the corner.
"Bang!"
The door was forcefully broken open.
Beside the door was the place for clothes and materials, now engulfed in flas. At that mont, the doorway looked like a huge mouth of fire.
Willow was already feeling suffocated, collapsing weakly by the tea table.
"Give that!" Sophia grabbed the wet blanket and towel from beside Eve and draped them over herself.
"Ms. Lowell! Don’t go in! The fire is too intense!" Eve tried to pull her back from going in.
The security and others quickly rushed to the nearby bathroom to get water to put out the fire.
"Willow can’t stay inside any longer!" Sophia grabbed another blanket.
From the room ca increasingly weak coughing sounds.
"Ms. Lowell!" Eve held onto her, but couldn’t stop her.
Sophia, clad in the wet blanket, rushed inside.
"Over here..." Willow’s faint voice ca from the tea table.
Familiar with the layout, Sophia managed to reach Willow despite the thick smoke filling the room.
She quickly wrapped the other blanket over Willow, wiped her face with a wet towel, helped her up, and together they slowly made their way out.
Willow erged from the room, her face covered in a layer of soot.
The people outside hurriedly supported her.
"Where’s Sophia?" Just then, Hugh Irving arrived, looking at Willow and then into the room.
The shelves inside were starting to wobble, so falling over from losing balance after burning.
At this mont, Sophia was caught under a fallen shelf with her left leg pinned down.
Fortunately, Willow had made it out.
She endured the searing pain, trying to push the bit of shelving off her leg — it wasn’t heavy, but it was hot.
She grabbed the corner of the shelf with the towel, moving it away.
Her leg was covered in blisters from the burns.
Hugh was yelling from outside, on the verge of tears, wanting to rush in but being held back.
They had managed to douse so of the flas at the door, and the firefighters arrived at this ti.
Sophia inside was in poor condition, suffering from serious hypoxia.
She could have had the strength to walk out, but was now dizzy and couldn’t lift her feet at all.
In her haze, she collapsed onto the floor.
She couldn’t tell if it was her illusion or the reflection of the flas, but she felt as though she saw Zane?
"Zane?" she murmured incomprehensibly.
"Is it you, Zane..." she no longer had the strength to speak, repeating it in her heart.
At this mont, her mind was filled with thoughts of him.
She seed to rember the ti when he pried the door open and pinned Henry Quinn to the ground.
Like a knight, he appeared before her, saving her from peril.
Her mind completely clouded, she fell into unconsciousness.
Her body lifted, soone held her in their arms.
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