novelnext Chapter 8
Chapter 8
The entire villa was consumed by the fire.
The flames towered high, turning the daylight sky into a sea of fire clouds.
Firefighters in orange gear and medical personnel in white coats rushed in and out, trying to contain the chaos.
Servants sat in the dirt, shaking uncontrollably, their clothes and faces smeared with soot.
The housekeeper, covered in grime, stumbled through the crowd, breathless. "Young master, you're finally here."
Jack grabbed him by the collar, panic overtaking his features. "Where's Lily? Where is she?"
The housekeeper's voice trembled as he pointed toward the charred remains of the villa behind him. "We followed your orders and didn't open the door for the missus. We heard banging from inside, but we thought she was just tired. Then smoke started seeping through the cracks in the door. That's when I knew something was wrong. When we opened it, the fire rushed out, everything inside was burning. It was too late to put it out..."
Jack's heart pounded in his chest. "And...?"
The housekeeper hesitated, clearly reluctant to continue.
Jack's pulse raced, dread settling in. "And what?"
Before the housekeeper could speak, a deafening explosion ripped through the air.
"Bang…"
The windows shattered with a loud crash.
Black smoke billowed in a crimson mushroom cloud from the room I was in.
Shards of glass and burning debris flew through the air.
Jack stood frozen, watching in horror, his blood running cold.
"No… no, this can't be real. Lily wouldn't leave me. She can't be dead…"
His bloodshot eyes were filled with desperation as he took a step toward the villa, but the housekeeper grabbed him tightly, holding him back.
"Young master, calm down! You can't go in there. You'll die!"
"The firefighters have already checked. Someone placed over a dozen gasoline barrels in the missus's room. It could explode again any second."
Jack's body trembled as the weight of the truth hit him. Gasoline barrels!
Why were there gasoline barrels in Lily's room?
He suddenly remembered the strange smell he'd noticed when he entered earlier, but he had dismissed it, too focused on Coco to think much of it.
The pain and regret washed over him like a tidal wave. His legs buckled, and he fell to his knees, utterly defeated, feeling the full weight of despair for the first time in his life.
When Mom arrived, her face drained of color at the sight of the villa, now reduced to a smoldering wreck.
She grabbed a firefighter, her voice desperate. "Where's my daughter? She's the mistress of this house. Has she been rescued? She's in poor health; the fire must have scared her. I need to take care of her. Please, tell me where she is!"
The firefighter, clearly reluctant, sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, ma'am. The fire started in Miss Turner's room. We found several gasoline barrels there, and there were multiple explosions. I'm afraid the person..."
"You're lying!" Mom screamed, her face flushed with panic as tears began to fall. "My daughter is alive! Today's her wedding day! I was supposed to officiate it. She's such a good girl, so obedient and sensible. She would never do something to hurt me. She wouldn't leave me like this!"
She gasped for air, the tears streaming down her face. Seeing the firefighter's solemn silence, she turned, frantic, and began pounding on Jack's chest, her fists hitting him without restraint.