Chapter 434 Entering Meant Death
Sophia was in a daze, feeling like she was still dreaming, when a strong smell of smoke hit her nose and throat, making her cough hard.
She woke up coughing, thick smoke filling the room. Her heart raced.
Her mind snapped into focus.
Opening the door, she saw flames everywhere.
She quickly shut it and opened the balcony door. It was the second floor, but it felt really high.
Sophia didn't have the guts to jump. The fire outside was growing, and the smoke inside was getting thicker. She'd either burn or suffocate if this kept up.
She gritted her teeth, ready to use a bed sheet to climb down.
Just then, someone kicked the door open.
"Anyone here?"
'Is it a rescue?'
"Yes!" Sophia shouted, excited.
Two people rushed in, threw a wet cloth over her, and gave her a towel for her mouth and nose.
"Come with us, quick."
They escorted her out.
The fire on the first floor was raging. The villa's wooden furniture and the wind outside made it worse.
As they reached the door, she heard a crash behind her. Her dad's favorite cabinet had collapsed.
"Hurry up!"
Sophia was urged on. She'd inhaled a lot of smoke, making her throat sore and her head dizzy. They practically dragged her out.
Even in a safe spot, they didn't let her go.
"Where are you taking me?" Sophia's voice was hoarse.
They covered her mouth and dragged her into a car.
The villas were spaced out, and it was late, so it took a while for anyone to notice the fire.
Gabriel had just finished his shower and was about to rest. He glanced at the jewelry box on the nightstand, a faint smile on his lips.
It was a gift he'd picked for Sophia before leaving City S today.
Gabriel lay down and turned off the light. A few minutes later, his phone rang.
Gabriel, feeling sleepy, frowned. A sense of foreboding made his heart race.
He instantly woke up, sat up, and answered the phone.
Alex said, "Mr. Lancaster, bad news. Harbor Bay is on fire!"
Gabriel threw off the covers and got up.
"Where's Sophia?"
"We can't reach her."
Gabriel hung up. As he rushed out, he kept calling Sophia's phone.
No one answered.
Still in his pajamas and slippers, Gabriel sped to Harbor Bay, praying Sophia was safe.
The tires screeched as Gabriel braked hard. He jumped out and saw the villa engulfed in flames, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Where's Sophia?" Gabriel grabbed Alex.
"I haven't seen her." Alex's eyes were red. He'd arrived earlier and asked around, but no one had seen Sophia.
She was likely still inside.
Gabriel tried to rush in, but Alex held him back tightly.
"You can't go in. The fire's too big. You'll die."
"What about Sophia? She's still inside. I have to save her."
He couldn't just stand by and let Sophia burn.
His heart felt numb.
Fire trucks arrived, trying to put out the blaze.
Hearing someone was inside, firefighters tried to rescue her, but the flames were too intense.
Then, the villa collapsed.
Gabriel collapsed too, his mind snapping, face ashen, eyes reflecting the flames.
He fell to the ground, and Alex sat beside him.
"Sophia," Gabriel murmured, "I'm sorry, I was too late. I'm sorry."
He punched the ground, blood seeping out, a tear mixing with it.
People watched as the fire was still being fought. If not controlled, it could spread to nearby plants and houses.
As everyone talked about the person inside being burned, a different voice spoke up.
"Didn't someone run out? I thought I saw someone. I thought I was dreaming."
Gabriel jumped up and grabbed the person.
"Are you sure someone ran out?"
The person was startled and unsure, hesitating. He was far away and half-asleep. What if he was wrong?
"I... I'm not sure. I might have been mistaken," he stammered.
"Alex! Find Sophia!"
Gabriel wouldn't give up hope.
Alex got up, his fighting spirit renewed.
That night was destined to be restless.
The fire was still burning but half extinguished.
Far away on a trip, Ethan suddenly woke up, followed by Emma and Sam.
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
"Ethan, Sam, I dreamed of Mommy."
Emma was uneasy because the dream was bad, but she couldn't remember it, just that it was bad.
All three kids felt uneasy.
"Let's call Mommy."
Ethan took out his smartwatch and called Sophia.
No answer.
"Maybe Mommy's sleeping?" Sam also called Gabriel.
No answer either.
'Why aren't Gabriel and Sophia answering?' They frowned.
Ethan said seriously, "Call Alex."
Sam dialed Alex's number. It rang for a while before Alex answered.
They could hear noise on Alex's end.
"Alex, it's Ethan. Where's my dad?" Ethan asked.
"He's busy looking for Sophia."
"What happened to my mom?"
Alex realized he might not be supposed to tell the kids.
He tried to brush it off, but Ethan insisted.
"If you don't tell me, I'll find out myself. Alex, you might as well tell me."
"There's a fire at Harbor Bay, and Sophia is missing."
Listening to this, Emma immediately started crying.
"I knew it, something happened to Mommy. Ethan, Sam, we need to go back and save Mommy."
Ethan hugged Emma. "Let's go find Great-Grandma now."
Ruth was woken up by the kids. Hearing about Sophia, she immediately instructed Betty to return to City B urgently.
Ethan quickly took out the new iPad Gabriel had given him to search for Sophia.
Meanwhile, Gabriel had found a lead.
Sophia had indeed been taken away.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
