Claire’s POV
I leaned back on the seat, exhaustion hitting like a wave. My body ached, my wrists still raw from the chains, and my mind was a ss. But as tired as I was, I didn’t dare take a nap in a stranger’s car, not in the condition I was in. Who knew what could happen? My eyes fluttered shut for a mont, but I forced them open again, checking the road ahead.
Am I on the right track?
I glanced out the window every few minutes, watching the dark streets pass by. My fingers curled into fists, my mind still racing from everything that had just happened—escaping the mansion, Evander’s piercing stare, and the endless questions swirling in my head. What is he planning? Why didn’t he stop ?
I was so lost in thought that I barely noticed when the taxi slowed to a stop. My breath hitched. The car wasn’t near the place I wished to go. A sudden chill ran down my spine, my heart pounding in my chest. Why is he stopping here? Panic surged through . I barely escaped my ex-husband, and now this? Was this another trap?
The driver looked back at through the rearview mirror; his expression was unreadable.
"Miss, I was told to take you here to the hospital because you were injured," he said, his voice oddly calm. "You don’t need to pay the fare."
My mind reeled. The taxi fare... I hadn’t even thought about that. I had no money on , nothing but the clothes on my back. "What?!" I barely managed to respond, still trying to process what he said.
"I... I didn’t know—" I stamred, my hand reaching for the door handle, ready to flee if necessary. My heart raced even faster as I climbed out of the taxi, every instinct telling sothing was wrong. "Did Susan ask you to—"
I stopped mid-sentence. My stomach turned at the thought. How could she help tend to my wound?
The driver must have overheard my question because he looked at , his brow furrowed.
"No, miss, it wasn’t a woman. It was a man," he said, his voice a little lower this ti. "He told to take you to the nearest hospital. He said his wife was injured badly."
My blood turned to ice.
"A man?" My voice trembled as I repeated his words.
Evander.
There was no doubt in my mind. My jaw clenched in fury as the driver drove off without another word, leaving standing alone under the dim streetlight.
I stared after the disappearing taxi, my mind spinning. Evander... It was always him. Even now, even when I thought I had escaped, he was still pulling the strings, controlling my every move.
"Just what the hell are you, Evander?" I hissed through gritted teeth, my heart pounding with a mixture of rage and helplessness. The man was everywhere, in every corner of my life, never letting go.
With a frustrated sigh, I turned toward the hospital. I had no choice but to go in and get my wound treated. The dull pain in my ankle throbbed, reminding to tend to it.
But why would he let leave, only to have brought here? My mind refused to settle on any answer that made sense.
Is he sadistic or what!? He never acted without purpose, and that was what terrified the most. What ga was he playing this ti?
As I stepped through the doors of the hospital, the sterile scent hit , and for a mont, I felt nauseous. My mind still reeling, I walked up to the reception desk, doing my best to calm the storm inside .
Before I could say a word, a nurse in a crisp white uniform approached with a sympathetic smile. "Miss Claire," she said softly, as though she had been expecting . "Please co this way."
I followed her through the quiet halls, my legs heavy and unsteady. My heart thudded in my chest as I glanced around.
It was the sa hospital I was in when I lost my child! Almost nothing changed here... other than !
She led into the ergency room and motioned for to sit on the sterile hospital bed. I did as she asked, wincing as I shifted my weight to accommodate the throbbing pain in my ankle. The nurse moved quickly, retrieving a small tube of ointnt from her tray. As she dabbed it onto my wound, a sharp sting shot through .
"Ouch!" I hissed, recoiling from the burn. The pain was intense for a mont, but it was soon followed by a soothing coolness that settled over my ankle, dulling the ache.
"It’s done," the nurse said gently, stepping back. I looked at her for a mont, my mind buzzing with questions I couldn’t form into words. Why does everyone know who I am? Why does everyone know more about my situation than I do?
Sensing my confusion, the nurse gave a soft, knowing smile. "Your husband already paid the bill," she said, sending a fresh wave of frustration through . "You can stay here for the night and—"
Before she could finish, I pulled my legs off the bed and tried to stand, but my body protested. It felt weak and shaky from everything it had endured, but I couldn’t stay here. I didn’t want to stay another minute under Evander’s watchful gaze. He played gas with , and I refused to be his pawn.
But as soon as I stood, the room spun, and my legs gave way, nearly sending to the floor.
"Easy, miss!" The nurse rushed to my side, catching just before I hit the ground. She helped back onto the bed, her hands steadying my trembling form. "Please, stay here! I don’t wish to lose my job."
I slumped back against the pillows, my breathing ragged.
The nurse’s words echoed in my mind: Your husband already paid the bill.
I was still lost in my thoughts, trying to make sense of everything, when an elderly woman approached . Her face was weathered with age, but her eyes sparkled with warmth and familiarity. "Claire, my love!" she said, her voice soft yet full of affection, taking completely off guard.
My eyes grew bigger in surprise as tears welled up in my eyes!
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What ga do you think Evander is playing and who is this elderly woman? Read ahead to know more, till then, don’t forget to send gifts and Golden tickets! Please help grow my book. Your support is much needed!
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