Now They Want My Forgiveness - Chapter 264: Chapter 264
You are reading Now They Want My Forgiveness, Chapter 264: Chapter 264. Read more chapters of Now They Want My Forgiveness.
Stella disconnected and drove to Jordan's location. The icy dread pooling in her stomach crystallized the moment she saw Jordan's face. His expression was granite. "Jordan," she breathed, her voice tight. "Where is she?"
Jordan held her gaze, his eyes filled with a profound, unsettling gravity that only deepened her fear. After a heavy silence, he spoke, his voice low. "Stella, brace yourself. Some things are inevitable."
"What is it?" Stella whispered, her eyes locked on his, searching for confirmation of the horror she sensed.
"No matter what, remember I'm right here," Jordan murmured, his hands coming down firmly on her shoulders, anchoring her. Then he stepped aside. "This way." His voice was gentle as he guided her forward.
Each step felt like wading through tar, a physical resistance against the truth waiting ahead. Yet, a terrible compulsion drove her forward. Leaden footfall after leaden footfall. The silence was a suffocating blanket.
Then she saw it: a solitary shape on the cold ground, shrouded by a stark white sheet. Stella's breath caught, sharp and painful, her heart dropping like a stone.
Stella sank to her knees beside the shrouded form. A morbid, undeniable need seized her—the need to see, to confirm the nightmare. Her hand, trembling violently, reached for the edge of the sheet.
Kevin arrived just as Stella's fingers found the stiff edge of the sheet and pulled it back.
The face revealed was hauntingly familiar, yet grotesquely altered—a sickening, mottled grey-blue. Recognition slammed into Stella, followed instantly by a wave of visceral revulsion. Even her iron will couldn't withstand the horror. Her legs buckled, sending her collapsing backward onto the cold ground.
Jordan was there instantly, hauling her upright before she fully hit the ground. "You can't stay down here," he said, his voice rough with concern, his hands gripping her arms. "It's freezing."
"Emily?" The name was a disbelieving rasp, scraped raw from Stella's throat.
Kevin approached, his face ashen. He stared down at the distorted face for a long, agonizing moment. Then, with tenderness, he reached down and carefully, reverently, drew the sheet back over Emily's face.
Stella sagged against Jordan. He took her full weight, half-carrying her to a nearby bench and easing her down.
"She's..." Stella swallowed hard, the word sticking. "Dead?" It was barely a whisper.
Jordan met her eyes and gave a single, grim nod.
"No." Stella shook her head. "How could she be dead?" She stared at Jordan, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Emily knew the truth," Jordan stated, his voice flat and cold. "And the killer knew we were closing in. She became a liability. Silence was the only option left."
Stella reeled. Despite their estrangement, the memory of their friendship crashed over her in a suffocating wave. Indifference was impossible.
"How did she die? And when did you find her?" Stella asked, her voice trembling.
"Just now," Jordan said. "Coroner's preliminary estimate: time of death: about 24 hours ago"
"24 hours," Stella echoed, the implication hitting her. "The sighting at the hospital was just a decoy. Bait to make us chase a ghost while..." Her voice cracked. "...while she was already here. Like this."
"Yes," Jordan confirmed, his jaw tight. "A diversion. Another body muddies the waters, draws heat. She needed to bury the truth with Emily."
It was all conjecture, suspicion swirling thick in the air, but concrete proof linking Anna remained frustratingly elusive.
"Cause?" Stella forced the word past numb lips.
Jordan held her gaze, his eyes filled with a profound, unsettling gravity that only deepened her fear. After a heavy silence, he spoke, his voice low. "Stella, brace yourself. Some things are inevitable."
"What is it?" Stella whispered, her eyes locked on his, searching for confirmation of the horror she sensed.
"No matter what, remember I'm right here," Jordan murmured, his hands coming down firmly on her shoulders, anchoring her. Then he stepped aside. "This way." His voice was gentle as he guided her forward.
Each step felt like wading through tar, a physical resistance against the truth waiting ahead. Yet, a terrible compulsion drove her forward. Leaden footfall after leaden footfall. The silence was a suffocating blanket.
Then she saw it: a solitary shape on the cold ground, shrouded by a stark white sheet. Stella's breath caught, sharp and painful, her heart dropping like a stone.
Stella sank to her knees beside the shrouded form. A morbid, undeniable need seized her—the need to see, to confirm the nightmare. Her hand, trembling violently, reached for the edge of the sheet.
Kevin arrived just as Stella's fingers found the stiff edge of the sheet and pulled it back.
The face revealed was hauntingly familiar, yet grotesquely altered—a sickening, mottled grey-blue. Recognition slammed into Stella, followed instantly by a wave of visceral revulsion. Even her iron will couldn't withstand the horror. Her legs buckled, sending her collapsing backward onto the cold ground.
Jordan was there instantly, hauling her upright before she fully hit the ground. "You can't stay down here," he said, his voice rough with concern, his hands gripping her arms. "It's freezing."
"Emily?" The name was a disbelieving rasp, scraped raw from Stella's throat.
Kevin approached, his face ashen. He stared down at the distorted face for a long, agonizing moment. Then, with tenderness, he reached down and carefully, reverently, drew the sheet back over Emily's face.
Stella sagged against Jordan. He took her full weight, half-carrying her to a nearby bench and easing her down.
"She's..." Stella swallowed hard, the word sticking. "Dead?" It was barely a whisper.
Jordan met her eyes and gave a single, grim nod.
"No." Stella shook her head. "How could she be dead?" She stared at Jordan, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Emily knew the truth," Jordan stated, his voice flat and cold. "And the killer knew we were closing in. She became a liability. Silence was the only option left."
Stella reeled. Despite their estrangement, the memory of their friendship crashed over her in a suffocating wave. Indifference was impossible.
"How did she die? And when did you find her?" Stella asked, her voice trembling.
"Just now," Jordan said. "Coroner's preliminary estimate: time of death: about 24 hours ago"
"24 hours," Stella echoed, the implication hitting her. "The sighting at the hospital was just a decoy. Bait to make us chase a ghost while..." Her voice cracked. "...while she was already here. Like this."
"Yes," Jordan confirmed, his jaw tight. "A diversion. Another body muddies the waters, draws heat. She needed to bury the truth with Emily."
It was all conjecture, suspicion swirling thick in the air, but concrete proof linking Anna remained frustratingly elusive.
"Cause?" Stella forced the word past numb lips.
End of Now They Want My Forgiveness Chapter 264. Continue reading Chapter 265 or return to Now They Want My Forgiveness book page.