10:09
Chapter 495
Chapter 495
Stella used to breeze through her afternoons without needing a nap, full of energy and ready to tackle whatever her job threw at her.
But things had changed recently. After lunch, she found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. It was getting worse, sometimes she even needed a nap in the morning before dragging herself through the day. And adding up all these naps with her night’s sleep, she was spending a significant chunk of her time asleep.
But the quality of her sleep wasn’t good.
“I feel awful,” she confided in Finley. “Every time I sleep, I dream and wake up exhausted.”
What made it worse was that they were nightmares. Stella dreamt about snakes and other creepy crawlies, which made her skin crawl just thinking about them.
Finley raised an eyebrow. “More nightmares, huh? Maybe I should get you some herbal tea.”
Stella nodded, “Yeah, maybe that’ll help.”
The two friends chatted back and forth, eventually deciding that Stella had insomnia, plagued by nightmares and perhaps an upset stomach.
Finley soon left, and Stella had just settled back into her room when her phone rang. It was Tegan.
“Tegan,” Stella answered the phone.
“Star…” Tegan’s voice sounded weak and shaky. Even over the phone, Stella could sense something was wrong. Stella’s heart skipped a beat. “Tegan, what’s wrong?”
“Star, help…”
Stella’s eyes widened in panic. That single word, “help,” shattered any lingering drowsiness.
Reacting instantly, she demanded, “Where are you? What happened?”
But there was only static on the line. Tegan’s voice was gone, replaced by chaotic noise that made it impossible to pinpoint her location.
Stella’s heart was pounding in her chest. She rushed out of her room, phone pressed to her ear, “Tegan, say something! Tegan, Tegan?”
Despite her pleas, Tegan’s voice didn’t return. Stella was in a frenzy, ready to bolt out the door.
The butler intercepted her at the bottom of the stairs. “Miss.”
“Who’s the driver with Tegan? Where are they? Find out, quickly!” Stella’s voice was urgent.
The butler hesitated, “Tegan was in an accident.”
Stella’s breath caught in her throat, disbelief washing over her as she stared at the butler.
The butler said, “We just got the call. Tegan was in a serious car accident.”
“How is she?” Stella’s voice wavered. She feared the worst, her mind replaying Tegan’s faint voice.
“The accident just happened. The driver was unconscious but has come to. He said Tegan was out cold, and they’ve called for an ambulance.”
Despite this, Stella was at her limit. “I’m going to see her.”
The butler offered, “I’ll arrange a car.”
“No need!” Stella snapped, already heading for the door. “Send me their location right now.”
The butler tried to protest, but Stella had already grabbed her car keys and dashed outside. She was still in her
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loungewear, not even bothering to grab a coat.
Worried, the butler instructed a maid, “Get Miss a coat quickly.”
As he sent the location to Stella, he heard her car roar to life, tires screeching as she sped off into the cold, snowy world.
The butler’s anxiety spiked. The roads were treacherous this time of year, and he feared for Stella’s safety. As he grabbed the coat from the maid, he quickly dialed Ronald’s number, seeking help.
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