Chapter 224 224

Chapter 224 224
Morning light filtered through the half-drawn curtains, brushing Chloe's skin with a soft, golden glow. She sat on the edge of her bed, still in her silk robe, staring blankly at the glass of water she hadn't finished since last night. Her mind kept circling back to the images, the masked room, Lucius's voice, the way he'd watched her, the slaves, the way she commanded them, the way they obeyed.

It should have terrified her. Instead, it lingered like a spark that refused to go out.
She pressed her palms to her eyes and exhaled. What was that place? Why did it make me feel... powerful? Why did it make me think of Valerius?

The sharp buzz of the intercom startled her. She rose, tightening her robe, and padded barefoot to the door.

When she opened it, Melinda stood there, poised, radiant as always, dressed in casual luxury. Her smile was small but warm.

"Hey, stranger," Melinda said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "I thought I'd check on you. You didn't answer my calls last night."

Chloe blinked, trying to shake off the fog in her head. "Sorry. I... had a lot going on."

"I can see that," Melinda replied, scanning her with a knowing look. "You look like you haven't slept."

Chloe gave a soft laugh, part genuine, part deflective. "You have no idea."

Chloe crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. "You're here alone, where's Zoe?"

Melinda's smile faltered. "That's actually why I'm here."

Chloe straightened, a knot tightening in her chest. "Wait... did something happen to Zoe?"

"Not really," Melinda said quickly, gesturing toward the sofa. "Let's just... sit down for a minute."

They sank into the soft leather couch, tension filling the silence between them.
"A lot has been happening with Zoe," Melinda began carefully.

Chloe frowned. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

Melinda hesitated, choosing her words. "She didn't want you to know. We saw that you were having problems with your business, the rumors, and the backlash and we didn't want to burden you. We thought it'd be better to give you space."

Chloe's tone sharpened. "Melinda, can you just stop beating around the bush? You're literally scaring me right now. What's going on with Zoe?"

Melinda exhaled, finally meeting Chloe's eyes. "She's been... traumatized, Chloe. Since the near - death experience, she hasn't really recovered. It's been a long, painful road. That's why she wanted to stay with me, she said she felt safer. Like I could protect her."

Chloe blinked, her pulse quickening. "Traumatized? What are you saying?"

"She's been going to therapy," Melinda said softly.

Chloe's breath caught. "Therapy? What the fuck, Zoe?" Her voice broke, trembling with guilt. "Oh my God... all this has been happening and I wasn't there for her? She's my best friend, Melinda. She's like my sister. How could she be going through all of this alone without even telling me? How could I not know?"

Melinda reached for her hand, squeezing gently. "You couldn't have known. She didn't want to worry you. She said you had enough on your plate already."

Chloe's eyes stung. "That's not fair. I should have been there for her. Always."

Melinda's fingers twisted together in her lap. "Um... that's not all."

Chloe froze. "Wait... what do you mean? There's more?"

Melinda's eyes darted away. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"Melinda." Chloe's voice rose. "No, don't do this. You're scaring me right now. Whatever it is, just say it. For God's sake, Melinda. What is going on?"

Melinda swallowed hard. "We... didn't know how we were going to tell you this. Because of your history. We didn't know how you'd take it."

"My history?" Chloe blinked. "What do you mean by we? You said this was about Zoe. What's going on?"

Melinda clasped her hands together tightly. "It is about Zoe. But Diana had to get involved. And we had to do something... We don't know how you'll feel about it. But please... You have to understand. We did it for Zoe."

Chloe's heart thudded against her ribs. "Can you just tell me what the fuck you did?" she snapped. "I'm literally shitting my pants right now."

Melinda's voice cracked. "We're sorry. But we had to. Zoe was... going through a lot. She was always scared that something was going to kill her. It was disturbing her so much."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Was it really that bad? That she started fearing for her life?"

Melinda nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "Yes. She was always thinking someone was going to kill her. She was paranoid. She wasn't safe. She kept crying, breaking things, saying she was seeing things, shadows, voices, and warnings. It was just too much. So we needed to keep her safe. To make her feel safe. She said it was the only way she could sleep at night."

Chloe gripped the edge of the sofa, knuckles white. "So what did you do?"

Melinda inhaled sharply, trembling. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"What the fuck did you do?" Chloe demanded.

Melinda finally looked up, her lips trembling. "We summoned Ereshia. We brought back Ereshia for her."

Chloe's blood ran cold. "You... what?" she whispered, her heart pounding

"We brought back Ereshia," Melinda repeated, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Chloe stared at her, stunned, "Oh my God."