I forced a stiff smile. “Thank you.”
She glanced at the screen, then froze.
My heart sank further. It must have been Ashton calling.
Mallory answered the call without hesitation. Her tone was suddenly soft and gentle. “Ash, it’s Mal. I’m at Pip’s place. She’s…” Mallory paused, lifting her eyes to meet mine. “She’s fine.”
I remained seated on the couch with my hands clenched tightly together.
After ending the call, she handed the phone back to me.
“Does Ash visit you often?”
There was no way to brush her off now. I admitted reluctantly, “Occasionally.”
Mallory nodded thoughtfully. “Pip, are you afraid of me?”
I froze for a moment. “No.”
She smiled faintly. “You seem nervous. I’m not going to do anything. You don’t need to be scared.”
I forced a casual laugh. “I know.”
Mallory stood up. “I’ll leave now. Take care of yourself and the baby.”
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 11
Relief washed over me. Was she really leaving?
At the door, she glanced back. “Aren’t you going to see me off?”
I quickly got up to open the door for her.
As she stepped out, she seemed ready to say something but suddenly turned her attention to the nearby emergency stairwell. She strode toward it without warning
Worried something might happen, I quickly followed her. However, by the time I reached the stairwell, Mallory was gone. Leaning on the railing, I peered down the stairs and called out hesitantly, “Mal?”
My voice echoed back in the empty stairwell. Feeling uneasy, I turned to go back and call someone. As I spun around, I froze–Mallory was standing silently behind me. let out a startled scream.
Her expression was twisted into a sinister smile as her eyes lit up with madness. Before I could react, she had shoved me forcefully.
As I fell down the stairs, I could hear her cold voice that was dripping with malice as she said, “Go to hell.”
Chapter 12
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