Zachary walked past Cynthia’s room, only to see the door left slightly ajar. Cain was alert as he stood in the corridor, guarding the place.
After some thought, Zachary decided against going upstairs and knocked on Cynthia’s door.
Two nurses came running to open the door and greeted him.
“Is she still awake?”
“Yes, Mr. Nacht. Ms. Blackwood has been waiting for you.” The nurses then smiled and excused themselves from the room.
Waiting for me?
Zachary’s curiosity was piqued as he walked slowly in.
Cynthia was dressed in a white lace nightgown with her hair let down in the room. After fiddling about at the incense table, a wisp of purple mist slowly appeared, emitting a fresh fragrance.
The effect of the mist accentuated Cynthia’s beauty even more. She broke out into a warm smile when she saw Zachary and gestured in sign language. “Grandpa said you haven’t been sleeping well. I’ve mixed some lavender oil for you to place in your room. It will help you sleep better.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Ben waited for Zachary’s order before he went in to take the lavender oil and aroma lamp from Cynthia.
“Rest early.” Cynthia remained still and looked tenderly at Zachary.
After saying goodnight, Zachary glanced at Cynthia and left the room.
Cynthia continued standing in her spot, watching Zachary walk away until he was completely out of sight.
Ben finally heaved a sigh of relief when they got back to Zachary’s room. “Do you want to light the aroma lamp?” he asked.
“Go ahead.”
For the last two years, Zachary had had nightmares every night, which took a toll on his mental health. Henry told him that Cynthia might be able to help, but he never gave it much thought. Since she had already prepared it for him tonight, he decided to give it a try.
“It looks like it’s going to rain tonight,” Ben remarked as he lit the aroma lamp. “I’ll close the windows for you. Have a good sleep after your shower.”
Zachary nodded and went into the bathroom, completely unaware that his phone was vibrating.
Ben left the room after finishing his tasks, closing the door behind him. He got two subordinates to stand guard outside Zachary’s before heading to his room to retire for the night.
At that moment, Zachary finished his warm shower and stepped out of the bathroom. The lavender scent from the aroma lamp had engulfed the entire room. He had to admit that it had a very calming effect.
After a few glasses of wine, Zachary sat on the sofa to towel-dry his hair.
Just when he thought he could sit back and relax, his phone started vibrating again. It was Louis.
“Zachary, I need to talk to you. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got,” Louis barked over the phone. “You’re aware of my feelings toward Charlotte, so why did you do that?”
“She won’t like you,” Zachary advised. “It’s best to give up now before you waste any more of your time.”
“How do you know she won’t like me?” Louis got increasingly agitated by the minute. “She caught my hint yesterday and said we could date and see where it leads us. I even made preparations to profess my love to her tonight, but you’ve ruined all that… “
“Oh really? That’s wonderful news!” Zachary replied with a smirk.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “Zachary Nacht, I thought you were my best friend. But after the way you’ve treated me, we’re no longer friends!”
Zachary was about to explain himself when a deafening clap of thunder rang out.
Soon after, he heard a blood-curdling scream over the phone.
That voice sounded so familiar that it stunned Zachary. “What was that?”
“I think that was Charlotte,” Louis muttered. “I’m hanging up now. I need to check on her.”
With that, the call ended.
Zachary held on to his phone with furrowed brows. That voice definitely belonged to Charlotte, but why was there so much fear and panic in it?
