Elsa's eyes widened.
Without wasting another second, they both grabbed their things and rushed out of the school.
I guess Angela is with him… Elsa thought uneasily as they hurried along.
They arrived at the hospital in record time. The atmosphere felt tense, heavy with urgency.
Near the corridor, Leam paced back and forth anxiously, running his hands through his hair.
"Leam!" Chris called out as they approached. "Where's Angela? What about her?"
Leam stopped abruptly, his face pale.
"She's at the police station," he said quickly. "We need to help her."
Elsa's breath hitched.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Did something happen to her?"
Leam hesitated for a second, then shook his head.
"There's no time. We need to go there now."
The urgency in his tone left no room for questions.
Within minutes, they were on their way again, this time to the station.
The moment Angela saw them, something inside her broke completely, relief hope.
She rushed forward and threw herself into Elsa's arms, clinging to her tightly as uncontrollable sobs shook her body.
"Elsa…"
Her voice was barely coherent.
Elsa held her firmly, her heart aching at the sight of her friend's condition.
"What happened to your face?" she asked softly, pulling back slightly to look at her. "Did someone hit you?"
Chris stepped closer, his expression filled with worry and rising anger.
"Angela, talk to us," he urged. "Did you fight with someone? Why are you here? Why were you arrested?"
Angela shook her head violently, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"I was nearly raped…" she cried out, her voice breaking completely. "Jerry… he tried to rape me…"
The words hung heavily in the air.
"And I had no choice… I stabbed him…"
Silence followed.
Chris froze.
For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning.
Then anger exploded inside him.
His fists clenched tightly, his jaw hardening as fury burned in his eyes.
"Is that why he hurt you like this?" he growled. "I always knew there was something wrong with him… his intentions toward you were never good."
He took a step back, shaking his head in rage.
"Jerry is going to regret ever touching you."
Before anyone could stop him, Chris turned and stormed out.
"Chris!" Elsa called, but he didn't look back.
The hospital doors burst open as Chris strode in, his anger radiating with every step.
He didn't stop as he moved straight toward Jerry's ward.
Inside, Jerry lay weak and pale on the hospital bed, a drip connected to his arm, his body still recovering from the stab wounds.
The door slammed open.
Jerry's eyes snapped toward the sound, but before he could react.
Chris was already on him.
"How dare you?!"
He grabbed Jerry by the collar, yanking him up violently, the IV line ripping out in the process.
Machines beeped wildly.
Pain shot through Jerry's body as he cried out weakly, but Chris didn't stop.
His fist came crashing down hard against Jerry's face.
Once, then again fueled by pure rage.
"How dare you try to touch Angela?!"
Chris's voice thundered through the ward, raw with fury. "What gave you the right to even think of doing that to her?"
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Jerry again, his grip tight and merciless, and struck him once, twice, each slap echoing sharply in the room.
Jerry groaned in pain, too weak to defend himself, his body already battered and barely holding on.
"Stop! Stop this!"
The door burst open as nurses rushed in, alarmed by the noise and the frantic beeping of the machines.
"Sir, you need to leave immediately!" one of them ordered firmly as they hurried to pull Chris away.
But Chris struggled against their hold, his eyes blazing with uncontrollable anger.
"He shouldn't even be here!" he snapped, his voice laced with venom. "He belongs in the morgue!"
The words hung heavy in the air.
"I wish Angela had stabbed you to death," he continued coldly. "That's exactly what you deserve."
With one last glare, Chris jerked free from their grip and stormed out of the ward, the door slamming violently behind him.
Silence followed.
Only the soft, uneven beeping of the machines filled the room.
Jerry lay there, his chest rising and falling painfully, his face pale and drenched in sweat.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, Chris's words echoing in his mind.
The morgue… deserves to die…
His fingers tightened weakly against the bedsheet.
"How…?" he muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse. "How could Angela stab me like that…?"
His gaze slowly drifted down to his side, where thick bandages wrapped tightly around his wound. A sharp wave of pain surged through him, forcing a grimace onto his face.
"And why is Chris so angry…?"
Confusion clouded his thoughts, everything had spiraled out of control. His plan, their plan, had failed with Fiona.
The name lingered in his mind like a shadow. Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to.
Instead of gaining control, he had lost everything, his strength, his pride… and now, even his safety.
The faint sound of hurried footsteps pulled him from his thoughts.
The nurses moved quickly around him, checking his vitals, adjusting the machines, their expressions tense but professional.
"Try not to move," one of them instructed gently, though her tone carried urgency. "You've lost a lot of blood."
Jerry said nothing. For the first time, a flicker of unease crept into his chest.
Not anger, not arrogance but something unfamiliar. Fear.
Outside, the sound of approaching voices echoed down the corridor.
His parents were coming.
And deep down, as he lay there helpless and exposed, one thought pressed heavily against his mind..
Things were far from over.
By evening, Angela stepped out of the police station, the cold weight that had clung to her chest since the night before finally easing, if only a little.
The air outside felt different. Lighter. Freer.
She inhaled deeply, as though reminding herself she could still breathe.
Chris stood a few steps away, his expression softening the moment their eyes met. He had been the one to secure her bail.
"Thank you…" Angela said quietly, her voice filled with sincere gratitude. "For everything."
Chris shook his head lightly. "You don't have to thank me."
Elsa stepped forward, concern written all over her face.
"Angela, come home with me," she urged gently. "It's safer. You shouldn't be alone right now."
Angela hesitated.
She appreciated their care, she truly did, but something inside her resisted.
"That's not necessary," she said softly, forcing a small smile. "I'll be fine on my own."
Chris frowned slightly, clearly unconvinced.
"Angela… I'm really sorry about what happened," he said, his voice heavy with guilt. "I should have been there. I should have protected you."
His fists clenched at his sides.
"But I promise you this, I'm going to teach Jerry a lesson he'll never forget."
Angela quickly shook her head.
"No… it's a good thing nothing worse happened," she replied, her voice steadier now. "You've already done more than enough for me. Thank you, Chris… truly."
She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Chris stiffened for a second, then slowly returned the hug, his jaw tightening as he fought back the emotions rising within him.
"I just… never want to see Jerry again," Angela whispered as she pulled away. "I hate him so much."
A brief silence followed.
Chris looked at her, his eyes filled with worry.
"You need to stay somewhere safe," he insisted. "Please, Angela… I can't go through this again. I can't watch something happen to you."
There was a raw honesty in his voice that made her pause.
But she shook her head once more.
"I'll be fine," she said firmly. "Please… just let me stay on my own. I don't want to be a burden to anyone. Nothing is going to happen."
Elsa sighed softly, knowing how stubborn Angela could be.
"If that's what you want…" she said, stepping forward to hug her. "Then please, be careful."
Angela smiled faintly, her eyes glistening.
"Thank you… both of you," she said. "At least I know I have friends who truly care about me. I really appreciate it."
*
The hospital corridor was unusually quiet.
Fiona moved swiftly, her heels clicking against the polished floor as her sharp eyes scanned the area.
Once she confirmed no one was around, she pushed the door open and stepped into Jerry's ward.
Her expression was anything but sympathetic.
It burned with anger.
"How dare you, Jerry?" she snapped immediately, her voice low but seething. "How could you let her stab you like that? I thought you were smarter than this."
Jerry turned his head slowly, wincing from the pain that still coursed through his body.