Chapter 158 

Chapter 158 

Rubina’s POV 

A Few Hours Ago… 

I could have given Lucy a heads–up about today’s press conference and the reason behind it, but I was just too, too, too upset about the way she behaved and accused me of something I didn’t do. 

However, as time passed, the guilt in me deepened–especially after I heard what happened after the press conference. Though I don’t owe any responsibility for her clash with Kaiden, I still felt responsible for it in some way. After all, directly or indirectly, I–or at least my name→→ was a part of it. 

“That’s it!” I snapped, slamming both palms on the table. The plates rattled, and a fork clattered to the floor. Heads turned toward me, but! didn’t care. Grabbing attention wasn’t my intention. Slamming the table was just a sudden reaction, triggered by the flood of unwanted thoughts swirling in my head. 

We were at this new cafe that just opened last week, the one famous for its chocolate pudding. Lucy would’ve loved it. She had a serious weakness for rich desserts–especially anything that melted in the mouth.. 

God, I missed her. I missed us. So much it physically hurt. 

“I can’t take this anymore. I have to talk to her. I need to clear this stupid, obnoxious tension between us.” 

“Yeah, you definitely should,” Sheela said around a mouthful of pudding, her spoon already on its way back to the cup. “Mmm…” she hummed in bliss, eyes fluttering shut like she was momentarily transported to heaven. “Oh my god, this is… wow. But yeah–definite talk to her.” 

I shot up from my seat, determination tightening my spine. “Then let’s go.” 

” 

Sheela blinked. “Wait–now? Like, right this second?” 

“Yes. Right now. Come on, chop chop.” I was already halfway 

to 

the door. 

“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” she yelped, scooping three heaping spoonfuls of pudding into her mouth in rapid succession. “Hhmm–mmfff…” she mumbled through the bite, barely chewing as she scraped the last chocolaty streaks from the inside of the cup and shoved them in too. 

Finally, she stood up, brushing crumbs from her skirt and grabbing her purse. 

We pushed open the cafe door and stepped into the evening air, the weight of unspoken words pushing us faster toward Lucy. 

We were outside Clara’s apartment building. Actually, we had gone to the Sterwalt mansion first, but her mom told us that Lucy was at Clara’s place–so yeah, we came here. 

Sheela and I always avoid elevators and choose the stairs to burn some extra calories, so like usual, we took the stairs. And as soon as we reached Clara’s floor, what we saw shocked us to the core. 

There was Clara, dragging Lucy’s unconscious body into the elevator. Sheela and I quickly hid behind the wall the moment Clara’s eyes flickered in our direction. 

What the fuck is going on? 

Our first instinct was to call the police, but we gave Clara the benefit of the doubt. What if Lucy had just fainted and Clara had called an 

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Chapter 158 

ambulance? Maybe she was dragging Lucy to the ground floor to speed up the hospital process. Though the way Clare was clatitong h harsh–nothing like what a friend would do–denial got the best of us. But not for long. 

We followed Clara to the basement door but didn’t follow her down the stairs—we couldn’t risk her seeing our shadows. The basement. Ha dark, with the only source of light coming from the doorway until she turned on a dim yellow bulb. And when we saw her tying Lucy to a chair, we knew Clara didn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. 

I immediately called the police. I also tried calling Kaiden, but his network was unreachable. 

Clara then came out of the basement and got into the elevator again–maybe to fetch something–but the chance was tempting enough for me to sneak into the basement and try to untie Lucy 

“Sheela, I’m going in,” I whispered, urgency flooding my voice. 

“No, wait!” she hissed. “Let’s just stay put, keep an eye on her, and wait for the police.” 

“I don’t think Lucy can wait,” I whispered back. “She is unconscious. What if she needs an immediate treatment?” 

Before she could argue again, I slipped inside. 

The air in the basement was thick and sour, the kind that clung to your skin and made your lungs sting. The sacks shoved against the walls was giving a sinister vibes. As if it was filled with dead bodies. 

Lucy sat slumped in the chair, wrists and ankles bound tightly with thick, unforgiving rope. Her head lolled to the side. Her face was pale, lips dry and slightly parted. 

I dropped to my knees and immediately went for the knots. But Clara must’ve been a fucking Eagle Scout in another life. The rope wa tight, so expertly twisted, that I couldn’t get even the slightest give. 

And my hands–God, my hands were trembling like leaves in a storm. 

“Ru, she’s coming!” Sheela’s voice suddenly whispered from the top of the stairs. “Do it fast!” 

“I’m trying!” I whispered back. “This knot’s practically welded shut.” 

“The elevator is on the second floor now! Let’s just leave. Let’s/wait for the cops and keep an eye on her. Don’t risk it!” 

“I just need a little more time,” I snapped, stupidly, like Clara was going to politely hold off her psycho plan so I could finish my rescue 

mission. 

“God damn it, girl,” Sheela cursed and hurried down the stairs, crouching beside me. “She’s almost here!” 

“Let her come,” I said through gritted teeth. “I can fight.” 

Sheela gave me a look that screamed “are you hearing yourself right now?” and hissed, “She kidnapped Lucy–Lucy! Everyone in West Sterlingo knows what happens to people who mess with the Sterwalts, and she still went ahead and did it. She’s unhinged, Ru. What if she’s 

armed?” 

My eyes swept the dim basement until they locked onto something in the corner–a rusted, heavy iron candlestick, long forgotten and crusted with grime. 

I crawled toward it, picked it up, and gripped it tight. 

“So am I,” I muttered, holding it like it was Excalibur itself. 

Sheela widened her eyes. “Don’t be stupid.” 

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She grabbed my arm and yanked me behind the nearest pile of bulging sacks that smelled like they were stuffed with estung zumblas 

Our plan–well, mostly Sheela’s, to be honest was simple: wall and stay hidden until the police arrived. But when heard Clara’s evil plan (3 just couldn’t. 

My grip tightened around the candle stand as the urge to smash it over her head–hard enough to kill her boiled to an uncontrollable level. And when she talked about her plan to sell Lucy as that psycho doctor’s live experiment doll, I completely lost it. 

And now here we are… Clara lying on the floor, bleeding from the head but unfortunately, still alive. Damn. Should’ve hit harder. My laurjer can help me dodge the legal punishment by claiming self–defense, after all. 

To be continued… 

AD