Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

Chapter 272

A taunting threat echoed just outside the door. Joyce, on the verge of tears, looked to Thea in desperation. "Thea, what are we supposed to do now?"Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

Unlike her, Thea only seemed to grow more composed under pressure, her gaze fixed on the door that was dangerously) close to giving in. That door won't hold much longer, Thea thought.

"Miss Rowland, we're all acquainted here, aren't we? Why don't you just save us both the trouble and open the door? I'll make it quick and painless for you.... Isn't that the best outcome? There's no point resisting. This is what happens when you cross the wrong people. His words were laced with more than a few hidden messages.

The first face that flashed in Thea's mind was Nicolas, though she forced herself to push it aside. 'What would I be if I leaned on Nicolas for everything? she thought.

Thea dragged Joyce toward the bedroom bathroom, all the while searching for a length of rope. But, as most homes didn't have ropes lying around, she had to make do by twisting the bedsheets together.

Thea, what are you planning?" Joyce watched in terror as Thea knotted the sheets into a makeshift rope and began dropping them out the narrow bathroom window. "We're on the twentieth floor. Not even Spider-Man could make it out alive from here. One misstep, and we'd fall straight down with nothing to stop us," said Joyce. It was, at best, an escape plan as daunting as confronting the people outside that door. Thea knew all too well.

She had a fear of heights; even as she let the makeshift rope dangle out, the cold wind rushing past the window made her hands tremble. But they had no other options.

"Listen up. The apartment on the eighteenth floor has a balcony right below our bathroom window. Use it as a landing spot and stay hidden there. Thea instructed, estimating the distance.

Both she and Joyce were light enough, and the twisted bedsheets seemed strong enough to support them. The pounding on the door continued, and cold sweat slicked Thea's forehead.

"These are merciless people; they won't spare anyone. But they're here for me. If you make it down safely, they won't waste their time hunting for you. I'll cut the rope as soon as you're clear... Take your phone. You should have enough time to hold out until the police arrive." Thea spoke swiftly, knowing they didn't have much time left.

But Joyce hesitated, gripping Thea's hand in fear. Thea, what about you? Are you planning to let them kill you?"

Thea shook her head. "I'm not just giving up. But with both my leg bones and tendons torn, I couldn't run even if I wanted to. You go ahead. I'll figure something out."

'Does she really have a plan?" Joyce wondered, then decided to trust Thea. Thea's mind is sharp enough to come up with an escape like this, and she must have another way out!

Finally, Joyce climbed out of the window and began her descent. She clung to the wall, too frightened even to glance down at her feet. The drop below seemed endless, a terrifying void that no one could entirely ignore.

Fortunately, the apartment levels were standard height, and Joyce, well aware of the ticking clock, managed to reach solid ground in just ten minutes. The instant her feet touched down, she collapsed in relief. "Thea, come down! It's not that far. You can make it if you slide Joyce called, struggling to her feet and waving frantically.

But what awaited her was Thea's resolute response. Thea had cut the sheets and had no intention of escaping. Thea knew she had dragged Joyce into this. Only by ensuring Joyce's safety could she feel at peace. Tue, Nov

Joyce, live well..." Then's words drifted through the air, soft and distant as they reached Joyce's ears. In that instant, a deep. terrible premonition flooded Joyce's heart.

"Who... who are you?" The tenant on the eighteenth floor was a ung man with a clean look, barely college-aged. He stepped out, alerted by the sounds.

He was startled to see Joyce slumped on his balcony, sobbing uncontrollably. "Where did you come from?"

Joyce looked small and helpless, and with no sign of aggression, he seemed harmless enough.

Still, the young man poked her arm cautiously with a baseball bat trying to gauge her intentions. Joyce clutched the cut bedsheet in her hands, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

It was only now that she fully realized Thea had no other plan. She had simply given her the chance to live. Overcome with grief, Joyce's vision blurred.

She reached out, grabbing onto the young man in front of her like he was her last lifeline. "Please, sir, I'm not a bad person. Can you help me save someone? She's my best friend. Contact the building management and the security guards. Come with me to the twentieth floor."

Joyce was frantic. Only one thought consumed her mind. "No matter what, even if it cost her life, I have to save Thea, just as Thea did for me.

Her disheveled state caught the young man's attention, stirring something within him. "What exactly happened to you? I can't help if you don't tell me."

On the twentieth floor, Thea's petite frame allowed her to hide among the winter clothes in the closet. She had locked every door and window tightly, confident that these people would find no trace of Joyce's escape.

Yet, she had no idea how long she could stay hidden. She couldn't guarantee she'd hold out until the police arrived. In the confined space, her breathing was barely a whisper, and she could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her chest.

The door lock clicked as it was pried open. Thea recognized the leader instantly. It was Chad, a familiar face from her past.

Immediately upon entering, Chad was drenched by the trap Thea had rigged as a defense, and his already dark expression turned even more menacing with hatred.

"Well done, Miss Rowland. But unfortunately, this place isn't that big. No matter where you're hiding. I will find you," he sneered, his voice muffled by the closet door but still sending a chill down Thea's spine.

Thea racked her brain, unable to understand what she had done to so offend Corey that he would send someone who despised her the most. "Is my life really that difficult to claim? Thea mused to herself.

Footsteps drew closer, and Thea's heartbeat pounded louder and faster. Suddenly, the ringing of a phone shattered the silence, sounding as ominous as the Grim Reaper's approach.

Cold sweat soaked through Thea's clothes, and it felt as though the tiny closet was rapidly running out of oxygen.

"Ah, it's Mr. Hendrix, Chad said, his voice disturbingly close. Although he hadn't pinpointed her exact location, Thea knew Chad was now focused on this bedroom.

He seemed to relish the thrill of the hunt, taking sadistic pleasure in cornering his prey step by step.

Gazing at the glowing phone in his hand, Chad smirked. "Still working to stay in Nicolas's good graces, aren't you? Even Mr. Hendrix can't let you go, which explains why Ms. Sandy is so eager to see you dead." 'Ms. Sandy? So, it wasn't Corey who sent them; it was April?' Thea's mind raced.

It all made sense now. Corey might be calculating and secretive but even she had no idea what he ultimately wanted from her. April, on the other hand, despised her with every fiber, pusleng Thea toward death again and again. But there was no time to dwell on it. Thea could feel Chad's gaze settling on the closet door, her last line of defense,

"Well, well, such a noble lady, and you don't even know how to cover your tracks properly. If you're willing to surrender, I might just be in a good enough mood to leave your corpse intact Chad taunted.