Chapter 25
Chapter 25:
Fernanda rushed across the interconnected balconies into Ector’s room and spilled out into the hallway, nearly colliding with Erika and Amber, who emerged from their rooms just as Robert and Michelle approached from the opposite direction.
Erika, groggy and annoyed by the disturbance, squinted at Fernanda and demanded, “What on earth are you yelling about at this ungodly hour p>
Ignoring Erika’s question, Fernanda hurried to Robert, her expression filled with terror. “Dad, there’s a thief in the house p>
“That’s impossible!” Erika interjected incredulously, her eyes widening. “No thief could infiltrate a fortress like this p>
Fernanda persisted, her voice trembling as she held up the torn remnants of her nightgown for Robert to see. “It’s true. Someone entered my room and tore my gown apart,” she declared, the evidence in her hands undeniable.
The sight of the jagged tear in the fabric cast a shadow over Robert’s face. “I’ll catch this thief,” he declared firmly.
Michelle reached out as if to calm Robert, but withdrew her hand, at a loss for words.
The commotion drew more onlookers from their rooms, except for Crowell, whose absence was conspicuous.
Michelle’s unease grew heavier in her stomach. She knew all too well about Crowell’s impulsive behavior.
Finding Fernanda’s door locked, Robert tested the handle without success. His next step was heading towards Ector’s room to access the balcony. Michelle intervened quickly, suggesting, “Honey, maybe Amber and Erika should stay here first p>
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Fernanda immediately objected, “The thief is a man. It’s too risky to send them out,” she argued forcefully.
Amber visibly recoiled at the mention of a thief, her fear palpable.
Robert proceeded without hesitation into Ector’s room. As he stepped onto the balcony, muffled sounds of distress from Fernanda’s darkened room reached him.
After flicking on the lights in Fernanda’s room, the scene unfolded dramatically. Crowell lay on the floor, writhing in pain.
“Crowell!” Amber’s voice cut through the tension as she hurried to his side, kneeling down. “What happened to you? What’s wrong?” Crowell looked ghostly pale, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his wrist grotesquely twisted. Pain contorted his features, making it difficult for him to speak clearly.
“How is it possible that it’s Crowell?” Erika’s eyes widened in disbelief as she confronted the scene. “Crowell? Why on earth are you here p>
Fernanda feigned perplexity. “Indeed, how can it be Crowell? While I was deeply asleep, I felt a sudden attack. Believing it to be an intruder, I defended myself a bit too vigorously.” She reached for Robert’s arm, her eyes pleading as she looked up at him. “Dad, why would he sneak into my room in the dead of night and rip my nightgown p>
Robert, grasping the gravity of the situation, felt his temper rise instantly. The thought of Crowell violating Fernanda within the walls of his own home filled him with seething, uncontrollable rage.
“This must be some kind of misunderstanding,” Michelle interjected swiftly, attempting to shield her nephew. “Crowell wouldn’t just recklessly do such a thing. Perhaps p>
“Or maybe someone compelled him?” Fernanda interrupted, her voice tinged with skepticism. “Or is it possible he was sleepwalking? Just happened to wander in here and attack me without uttering a single word?” Each hypothesis Fernanda tossed out seemed more far-fetched and ridiculous than the last.
It was painfully obvious to everyone that Crowell had harbored nefarious intentions.
“Auntie, please get an ambulance right now!” Amber implored, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clasped her hands together in desperation. “Crowell is in agony! What if his wrist is permanently damaged p>
“He has only himself to blame!” Robert retorted, his voice thick with anger as his glare intensified. “This is my house, yet he dared to assault my daughter. I saw how much he drank tonight, but I never imagined he’d be reckless enough to do something like this p>
With a gesture filled with accusation, Robert pointed at Crowell, curled up in pain on the floor, his words laced with visible disdain. “I won’t tolerate someone as despicable as him staying in my house. Get him and his sister out of here right now p>
Fernanda was, after all, engaged to the son of the influential Harper family. If word of Crowell’s heinous act reached the Harpers, they might very well cancel the engagement. Such a scandal could destroy Robert’s plans for the future and sever a valuable alliance with the Harper family.
The mere thought of these dire possibilities sent a shiver of fear through Robert, chilling him to the core.
Michelle, witnessing the unfolding drama, stepped forward, her eyes wide with alarm. “Please don’t kick them out, darling. Crowell and Amber have no one else to rely on in Esaham except for me. If we don’t accommodate them, where will they even go p>
“Then they should return to wherever they came from!” Robert bellowed, his fury rendering him deaf to any plea for mercy. “They must leave tonight. I will not tolerate their presence here any longer!” Resolute, Robert called for the servants, directing them to remove Crowell from Fernanda’s room at once.
Before he left, Robert cast a lingering glance at Fernanda. There she stood, stoically silent, her expression unreadable, exuding a delicate vulnerability. Despite the ordeal, Fernanda hadn’t shed tears or voiced a plea for comfort. To Robert, her restraint deepened his sense of guilt. Most daughters might have sought refuge in the comforting embrace of their parents, but Fernanda had been deprived of such familial warmth, having been raised far from her family’s protective fold. The weight of guilt pressed heavily on Robert’s heart. He approached Fernanda, his eyes brimming with regret and concern. “Fernanda, I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again. You’re safe here. This is your home now,” he assured her softly.
Fernanda gave a small, accepting nod. “Okay p>
Her calm demeanor in the face of nearly being sexually assaulted intensified the pang of remorse gnawing at Robert. His disdain for Crowell, the cause of all this distress, deepened furiously. The room fell back into a heavy silence as the others departed.
Alone now, Fernanda stepped out onto the balcony, her ears catching the distant wail of an ambulance siren. She watched as Crowell was loaded into the back.
Trailing a few steps back, Michelle and Amber wore deeply worried expressions on their tense faces. Fernanda harbored hope that this incident might serve as a harsh lesson for Crowell, a realization that not everyone was at his mercy.
Amidst the night’s chaos, sleep eluded Fernanda. Resting against the balcony railing, she turned her gaze upwards to the stars, seeking solace in their tranquil glow.
In the small village where she had once resided, Fernanda often found solace under the expansive night sky, where Hiram, brimming with memories of the past, would entertain her with his vivid stories. Now, enveloped in the opulence of her grand residence, those cherished recollections seemed distant, elusive echoes of a simpler time.
Whenever Hiram’s image surfaced in her mind, a poignant ache surged within her, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Hiram, though not tied to her by blood, had enveloped her in a blanket of love and care—the only kinship she truly acknowledged as her own. How she wished he were still with her, sharing in the comfort and ease of her current life, far removed from the adversities they had once weathered together.
Her eyes moistened, grief washing over her as she leaned heavily against the railing, her head bowed on her crossed arms. A brisk night breeze wafted through, teasing the edges of her nightgown and sending a shiver across her skin.
Suddenly, a gentle warmth draped around her shoulders—a jacket, carrying the residual heat of another person. Straightening up, Fernanda lifted her gaze to encounter a tall, striking figure standing beside her, his visage softly lit by the subdued moonlight. Despite never having met him before, a name escaped her lips. “Ector p>