The next day, even after a restless night, Zach arrived early at the Collymore mansion, only to find the gate securely chained and locked, yet Clair's car was unmistakably parked in front of the huge house. After several unsuccessful attempts to ring the bell, he grew increasingly anxious, searching frantically for an alternative entrance. As he surveyed the towering height of the surrounding wall, scaling it seemed impossible. However, a stroke of luck caught his eye as he spotted a nearby tree to his left, positioned just a stone's throw from the wall. Once he was certain no one was watching, he quickly climbed the tree, moving carefully through its branches. He knew he was trespassing, but he was too desperate to see Clair to care.
Upon reaching the top of the wall, he positioned himself carefully, then began to lower his body, keeping his hands on the edge. But he wasn't prepared for the full weight of the drop. His grip slipped, and he fell hard, landing awkwardly and injuring his right knee. Despite the pain shooting through his leg, he gritted his teeth and limped towards the house.
At the front door, he knocked eagerly, but received no response. Frustration mounting, he approached a nearby window and peered inside, finding no signs of movement. Doubt crept in as he began to fear that nobody was home. Just as despair threatened to consume him, a faint sound reached his ears from somewhere within the house, reigniting a flicker of hope within him. He hurried back to the door and knocked again, this time with more force, repeatedly slamming the knocker as loudly as he could.
"Damn it, Clair!" he yelled in frustration, feeling a surge of both anger and urgency coursing through him.
Amidst his distress, he spotted an open window to his right, though it was a bit out of reach. Recognizing it as his only option, he dragged a nearby metal table into position beneath it. With desperation, he climbed onto the table and pulled himself over the window ledge. Thankfully, a couch awaited him on the other side, providing a soft-landing spot. But as he leaped, his right foot caught on something, causing him to stumble mid-air. With his fall out of control, his left leg slammed into a small round table beside the couch, sending the huge vase atop it crashing to the floor, the sound reverberating throughout the entire house. Per and Ark heard the disturbance.
"I told you I heard something. I'll go check it out. You stay here," Per said, urgency in her tone. She swiftly made her way towards the source of the noise, mentally preparing herself for the possibility of an intruder. She grabbed a metal statue of a clock tower from the display cabinet and moved silently through the hallway, ready for whatever awaited her.
Sure enough, there was someone inside. Per could hear a faint moaning coming from behind the wall where she was hiding. Then, she heard approaching footsteps, indicating that the intruder was heading towards the hallway entrance where she stood. With a firm grip on the statue, she braced herself and charged forward, only to falter as she realized the figure before her wasn't an enemy or a burglar, but someone she hadn't expected.
"Zach? What... what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice tinged with shock and confusion.
Observing Zach's obvious discomfort as he favored his injured leg, Per quickly pieced together what had occurred upon seeing the broken vase behind him and the open window.
"Did you just jump through that window to get in?" she asked, her concern evident in her voice.
"I'm really sorry," Zach apologized earnestly. "I tried knocking, but no one came to the door. I'll cover the vase, I promise. I just need to see Clair. I need to talk to her," he explained, his voice laden with eagerness and a sense of urgency.
"I'm sorry, Zach, but you can't see her right now," she said, her tone wavering with tension.
"Why? She's not here? Did she go somewhere?" Zach asked, the questions tumbling out before he could stop them. The look on her face, tight, uneasy, made his chest sink. "Per, please... what's going on with her? She won't answer any of my calls." His voice faltered, worry threading through every word.
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Divine & Wicked: The Strayed Memories (Book2)
Fantasy(Fantasy•Romance) COMPLETED Zach awoke a few days after his surgery, his mind foggy and his heart empty, as though his life had been reset. He moved through what he believed was his normal routine, unaware that fragments of a forgotten past were slo...
