Chapter 48: A Warning From The Dead.

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: A Warning From The Dead.

Flora looked at the screen again, but everything was still completely dark.

She frowned and zoomed in, checking the different camera angles one after another.

"Why are the other camera angles working?" she muttered. "Only the staff wing camera is dark."

She stared at the screen for a moment, hoping something would change. However, nothing happened. That angle remained completely black.

"Should I go and check?" she asked herself.

She glanced towards the door, then shook her head.

"Oh, no. It’s too late for that," she said quietly.

Flora was not someone who easily allowed fear to control her decisions, but she also understood the importance of being careful. There was no reason to walk around the house in the middle of the night without knowing what she might find.

She closed the security monitor on her phone and slowly stood up.

Her eyes moved around the sitting room before she headed towards the large window overlooking the staff wing.

She pulled the curtain aside and looked outside.

There was nobody there.

The entire area was quiet. Not even the slightest movement could be seen. The lights along the pathway remained on, but everything else was still.

Flora narrowed her eyes.

"Strange," she whispered.

She continued looking for a few seconds before releasing the curtain.

Perhaps there was nothing to worry about. Maybe the cameras had developed a technical fault.

She turned around and checked the entrance door.

It was automatically locked from the inside.

Flora touched the door handle and tried it gently.

"Locked," she confirmed.

She remembered setting the automatic lock before dozing off on the couch. It was something she always did whenever she wanted to rest without worrying about someone walking into the room unexpectedly.

Satisfied, she stepped away from the door.

She stood still for a moment, then reached for her phone and checked the time.

It was already 3:34 a.m.

"I need to get some sleep," she murmured.

She switched off the remaining lights and headed towards her bedroom.

The moment she entered, the cool air from the air conditioner welcomed her. Her bed was already waiting, and the air conditioner felt so cool that she almost forgot they were in the middle of summer.

Flora walked straight to the bed and sat down.

She picked up her phone and placed it on the bedside table.

Then she looked around her bedroom.

Everything was exactly where she had left it.

She finally turned off the lamp, lay comfortably on her bed and pulled the duvet closer to her body.

For a moment, she closed her eyes.

But something came to her mind.

She opened them again and stared at the ceiling.

"Why am I having strange dreams lately?" she asked herself.

She let out a quiet sigh.

"This is becoming mysterious," she whispered.

Her thoughts slowly returned to Gabrielle.

Could it be connected to her decision to help Gabrielle?

Flora stared into the darkness.

"Could my idea of resuscitating Gabrielle have something to do with all this?"

She had no answer.

She tried to think about it a little longer, but her body was already giving in to exhaustion.

"Whatever it is, I’ll definitely find out," she finally whispered.

She adjusted her duvet, closed her eyes and relaxed against her pillow.

Within a few minutes, Flora had fallen asleep.

The whole place was dark aside from the shining diamond necklace on his neck.

"Darwin, wait, please!"

Flora hurried after him, her voice breaking.

"Darwin, you cannot just walk away without telling me why you are upset with me."

He stopped, but he did not turn around at first.

"I have been away for a long time, Flora, but you never looked for me," Darwin said. His voice was heavy with sadness and disappointment.

Flora stared at him in disbelief.

"Is that why you are upset?"

She moved quickly to him and held his crutches, guiding him toward the seat under the olive tree.

"Come, let me help you."

Darwin let her help him. She led him carefully to the garden seat and made sure he was comfortable before sitting close beside him.

For a moment, Flora just looked at his face. She had missed him more than words could say.

"Darwin, how can you say I didn’t look for you?" she asked.

He looked away.

"You left without telling Maya and I. You didn’t even tell us where you were going. How did you expect us to find you?"

Darwin said nothing.

Flora swallowed hard, trying to control the tears rising in her chest.

"It’s unlike you, Darwin. You know that. We always followed you wherever you went. Even when you traveled without notice, we always knew where you were. But this time, you just vanished. No explanation."

Her voice dropped.

"I waited for you, Darwin. I really waited."

Her eyes filled with tears.

Darwin looked at her and moved closer.

"Come here, my love."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her gently to his chest.

Flora closed her eyes. His embrace was warm and familiar. For a moment she wanted to stay there forever.

Then she noticed his crutches slipping from his left leg.

"Easy, Darwin. Be careful," she said quickly.

She reached down to adjust them, but he held her hand.

"Look at me, Flora."

She lifted her face. He studied her for a few seconds, then smiled.

"You are still as beautiful as ever."

Flora smiled through her tears.

"I missed you, Darwin."

"I missed you too, my love."

His voice cracked. Flora looked closer and saw tears gathering in his eyes.

"Darwin..."

A tear rolled down his cheek.

"Why are you crying?" she whispered, touching his face.

Darwin shook his head, trying to hold it back, but he couldn’t.

Flora wiped his tears with her fingers.

"Please don’t cry. You know I can’t stand seeing you cry."

"But I have been away for so long."

"And now you are here," Flora said. She held his face in her palms. "Listen to me. Now that I have found you, I will not let you go again. Do you hear me? I won’t."

Darwin held her hand tightly, as if afraid she would disappear.

"Promise me?"

"I promise, my love."

"Please don’t, Flora."

She frowned.

"Don’t what?"

"Don’t let anything separate us again."

Flora leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"I won’t, my love. Nothing will separate us."

Darwin slowly reached into his pocket and brought out a folded envelope.

Flora looked at it.

"What is that?"

"A letter."

"From whom?"

"A delivery man brought it to me. I thought we should open it together."

There was no name on it, only a sealed flap.

"Are you expecting something?"

"No. That’s why I thought we should find out together."

Flora took the envelope and opened it slowly. Darwin leaned closer as she pulled out a folded sheet of paper and unfolded it.

The moment she read it, her blood ran cold.

*FLORA, WATCH YOUR BACK BECAUSE I AM MONITORING YOU.*

For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Flora read it again, hoping she had read it wrong.

The words did not change.

"What is this?" she whispered, her hands starting to tremble violently.

Darwin snatched the paper from her.

"Who would send you something like this?"

"I don’t know," Flora said, her voice shaking now.

"Flora, do you have issues with anyone? Anyone who might want to hurt you?"

"Aside from the court case with Andrew, I have no issues with anyone."

"Andrew?" Darwin repeated, his face tightening.

Flora nodded, panic rising in her chest. "But why would anyone send me this? What do they mean they are monitoring me?"

Darwin gripped her hands harder.

"Flora, you have to be careful. Please. Don’t take this lightly."

"Darwin, who could be watching me?" she cried.

"That’s what we need to find out. But until then, watch the people around you. Trust no one carelessly."

Flora opened her mouth to ask another question, but Darwin’s face began to blur. His crutches, his hands, the garden seat — everything started to fade like smoke.

"Darwin?" She clutched his arm, her heart pounding. "Darwin, what’s happening?" Please talk to me!

He tried to speak, but no sound came. His eyes were fixed on her, desperate, warning her.

"Please Darwin! Don’t go! Darwin!"

Flora’s eyes flew open.

She shot upright on her bed, gasping, her chest heaving, her nightgown soaked with sweat.

"Oh my God!"

She scanned the bedroom wildly. Curtains closed. Bedside lamp off. Air conditioner humming. Empty bed.

"Was it a dream? Another dream!"

Her hands were shaking violently. She pressed one against her chest, trying to slow her racing heart.

But Darwin’s face was still vivid. And so were the words on that paper.

She slowly turned and stared at the empty side of the bed, her breath catching in her throat, tears burning her eyes.

"What’s happening to me? Who is monitoring me?"

With shaking hands, she grabbed her phone phone and opened the security app.

The staff wing camera was still completely black.