Chapter 79 In the Blink of an Eye
Emilia sank into the plush couch, pulling her legs up beneath her as the sunlight streamed through the Kingsley estate's expansive windows. The house was quiet, a rare moment of peace that Emilia was determined to enjoy.
Her phone buzzed, signaling a video chat, and a familiar name flashed across the screen. Roxanne.
With a smile, she answered.
Emilia chuckled, sinking deeper into the cushions. "Lay it on me."
Emilia winced. "Yikes."
They both laughed, the sound light and easy, a welcomed reprieve from the dark cloud that had loomed over Emilia these past weeks.
Emilia hesitated. Despite the laughter, the question yanked her back to reality. The hooded figure, the shrine, the disturbing gifts that kept appearing no matter how much security Henry added. It was like a shadow she couldn't shake.
Emilia's chest tightened. "I know. And it means the world to me."
Emilia laughed, the warmth of their conversation temporarily melting away the fear that clung to her. As Roxanne rambled on about floral arrangements and signature cocktails, Emilia's gaze drifted to her phone. On a whim, she opened her messages and tapped on Henry's name.
She grinned, imagining his reaction. The thought of adding a playful pup to their home brought a spark of joy she hadn't felt in days.
She hit send, already anticipating Henry's response. For now, she was just a woman talking to her best friend and sending silly texts to her fiancé. And that was enough.
Just as Roxanne launched into a dramatic reenactment of her disastrous date, Emilia's phone vibrated again. This time, it was Henry.
Emilia giggled.
Roxanne gasped. "Finally! This is the best decision you've ever made. Now, what are we thinking? Golden retriever? Dachshund? Something tiny and fluffy?"
Emilia laughed, the day suddenly feeling a little lighter. And for now, that was enough.
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A few hours later
Emilia paced the length of the living room, her phone clutched tightly in her trembling hand. The afternoon sunlight poured through the wide windows, casting an eerie calm over the space. Yet her heart pounded, the weight of her decision pressing down like a vice. The phone rang once, twice, then came Jason's familiar voice.
She tried to steady her breath, forcing a thin smile he couldn't see. "Hey, Jason."
Emilia swallowed hard, his enthusiasm like a gust of wind she couldn't stand against. "Jason..." Her voice cracked, and she hated the vulnerability that slipped through. "I can't do it."
Silence. Then, a sharp edge to his voice. "What? Em, no. This is the opportunity of a lifetime."
Jason's tone darkened. "Is this about the gifts? Because that freak sending you things isn't going to win."
Jason's protective instincts kicked in. "Jesus, Em. What the hell? And what's Henry doing about it? Are you safe?"
Jason exhaled sharply. "You think whoever this is might come after you?"
The silence lingered, thick and weighted. She hated disappointing him. Jason had always believed in her, pushing her to chase her dreams. But this wasn't a matter of ambition—this was survival.
A rush of relief washed over her, though the fear still gnawed at the edges. "Thank you."
As the call ended, Emilia sat in the stillness, the weight of her decision settling over her. She wanted to believe the worst was over. But deep down, she knew this was only the beginning.
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That afternoon, Emilia decided to clear her mind. The breeze was crisp, the warmth of the sun brushing against her skin. The Kingsley estate was beautiful, but sometimes the walls felt too confining. A walk was exactly what she needed.
Beau strolled beside her, hands shoved in his pockets and an impish grin plastered across his face. Henry's younger brother was the epitome of laid-back charm, always ready with a sarcastic quip.
Emilia smirked. "Oh, definitely Stockholm. The unlimited ice cream sealed the deal."
Beau snorted. "Good to know my brother's love language is dairy. Makes sense. He did cry when I ate the last of his peanut butter ice cream once."
Emilia gasped in mock horror. "And you lived to tell the tale?"
She laughed, tension momentarily lifting. They stopped at a small ice cream stand, and Emilia handed Beau a cone piled high with rocky road while she savored her strawberry.
Emilia shook her head with a grin. Just then, her phone buzzed. A text from Henry.
Emilia grinned, quickly typing back.
Emilia felt the familiar warmth that always accompanied Henry's words.
They walked on, their ice cream cones gradually disappearing, laughter lingering in the air.
But just as they passed beneath a line of balconies, a sudden creak echoed above them. Beau's head snapped up, his instincts sharper than Emilia's.
A heavy ceramic flower pot smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces just where Emilia had been standing moments ago. Her heart pounded, the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Beau's expression darkened as he scanned the empty balcony above. "That didn't just fall on its own."
Emilia swallowed hard, the moment of peace shattered. Despite Beau's protective presence, the unease crept back in.
They didn't make it far before that unsettling sensation prickled at Emilia's neck—the undeniable feeling of being watched. Her gaze flicked over her shoulder. And there, lingering just beyond the bustle of pedestrians, was a figure. Hooded. Still.
Her stomach twisted.
He followed her line of sight, his jaw tightening. "Keep walking. Don't look back."
They picked up their pace, her pulse thrumming in her ears. The figure moved too, staying just far enough to remain a shadow. Every turn Emilia took, the hooded presence lingered.
The city sounds blurred, but then—a sudden screech of tires.
A blaring horn.
Emilia barely had time to react. The car came out of nowhere, black and sleek, its windows tinted dark as death.
Time stretched and slowed, an eternity trapped in a single second.
Beau's shout tore through the air.
She turned just as the car lurched toward her—closer, faster, unstoppable. A force of steel and violence.
Then—impact.
Agony exploded through her body. The world flipped. Air vanished from her lungs. A brutal, sickening crack echoed in her skull as she hit the pavement, hard. [This book is available exclusively and for free on Wattpad. If you find it anywhere else, it has been stolen. Please report any unauthorized copies.] The taste of blood filled her mouth, metallic and thick, as if it were drowning her from the inside. The sky above her rippled like water, colors bleeding into each other in dizzying waves. Her thoughts scrambled—pain, Henry, the way his arms felt around her, the warmth of his voice, the promise in his eyes. Was this it? Would she ever see him again? Would she ever get to tell him—?
She heard screaming. Distant, muffled, like sound filtering through water.
Beau's voice. Desperate. Furious.
Beau was kneeling beside her, hands pressing against her, but she barely felt him. Everything was distant, fading, like she was slipping out of her own body. Her fingertips twitched, reaching for something—someone—but she couldn't grasp it. A chilling numbness spread through her limbs, her body betraying her. Shadows crept in at the edges of her vision, and the weight of exhaustion pulled her under.
Somewhere in the chaos, Emilia heard a familiar ringtone. Henry.
Beau fumbled for her phone, hands slick with something—blood, her blood. He answered without thinking.
Silence. Then the rawest, most broken sound Emilia had ever heard.
Beau choked out the street name. Then the call cut.
Minutes blurred into eternity. Sirens wailed in the distance. People crowded around, voices too loud, too sharp, too distant.
Then—Henry.
He was running. Fast. Reckless. Like he'd tear through the world itself to get to her.
The second he saw her, the color drained from his face. He dropped to his knees beside her, his hands hovering—afraid to touch, afraid to hurt, afraid she might slip away if he did.
Her lips parted, but no sound came. Darkness curled around her vision, swallowing the world piece by piece. Henry's face blurred, but she fought to hold onto it, to keep him with her, just a little longer. The scent of him—clean, warm, home—was barely there, like everything was slipping through her fingers.
Tears welled in his eyes. His fingers trembled as he brushed her blood-streaked hair away from her face. "Stay with me, baby. Please."
She tried. Oh, she tried. But the pain dragged her down, drowning her. Her body was heavy, her thoughts slipping like sand through her fingers. A coldness seeped into her bones, the world dimming as though a curtain was being drawn between her and the life she knew. Henry's voice was the last thing she heard before the darkness claimed her.
She tried to hold onto the warmth of his touch, the raw emotion in his voice.
But the darkness dragged her under, and this time, she couldn't fight it.
It swallowed her whole.