eep within Jillian as she

e of her for life, yet now he stood before her a

nothing more than a

hand and knocked his reaching hand aside. "Keep your hands of

no longer felt like home, and she knew she could not stay any longer. However, the instant s

o her. Dennis had returned for this reaso

ing on the necklace resting at her collarbone. It matc

tion sank in. Dennis hadn't wasted any time at all. He had even

sement disappeared. When she noticed what Melany

e asked. She rushed forward, b

ut of Jillian's reach, while a smug smile lingered on her lips. "I never expected

lf and spoke in a gentler tone. "You already got everything you wanted, didn't you? Th

had patiently helped her complete. Although it was never published, it carried deep m

ed. "But you seem to care about it so much. Tell you wh

ing edged into Jillian's voice as she

." From her pocket, Melany took out a lighter, a habit she had pi

llian as she reacted wi

a devastating blaze had injured her vocal cords and left her unable to speak for years. Even s

oat as the words forced thei

ns in her knees, even the slight

deliberate and strained. At the same time, she stayed focused, wa

een waiting for, she tensed and sur

soon as Jillian lunged, the wheelchair reversed with a s

y said, and her voice carried a cruel edge. "You should know somethin

o life. Once the flame caught the edge of the aging paper, she ga

a wave of terror crashing over her. As the flames cl

to move because there wa

ward and pressed her lips together as

y gone, half of the paper h

he watched the aftermath. "What a pi

y collected the burned and crumbling fragments of the pages. She had almos

ad. In place of grief, a chilling stillness settled into her gaze.

Melany's wheelchair straight into the wall, th

s controlled her, anger took ov

ld the flame close to Melany's carefully maintained

s, the ends b

ly. "Dennis, help me! Please save me!" Trapped against the w

m at full speed. The moment he saw what was happening,

force. Even so, it was already too late. A large portion of Melany's on

uncontrollable sobs. "She was trying to burn me alive! D

glance, she focused on gathering the blackened pieces of her paper and carefully placed the

seen that kind of hat

ssed such fury was when her l

murderous intent, and now that sa

d around her chest, as though s

s tone, she spoke. "She

lost all sense. "Melany is afraid of fire," he said sh