Chapter 29
The couple immediately dropped their luggage and rushed to their landlord’s
apartment.
The elderly woman had slipped on a wet kitchen floor and was lying unconscious. She lived alone, her only husband having passed away years earlier.
Ivana and Winston decided to miss their flight. Following emergency dispatch instructions, they performed first aid and then rushed the old woman to the hospital.
After hours of emergency care and examinations, it wasn’t until early the next morning that the landlady finally regained consciousness.
Ivana, groggy and stiff–necked, rubbed her eyes and smiled gently at the woman,
“You’re awake.”
“Thank you… I might not have survived without your help,” the elderly woman
35 09:55
1/5
Chapter 29
replied weakly.
Winston returned with breakfast and the
three ate quietly in the hospital room, watching the morning news.
Following reports on French politics, a breaking story appeared: “Last night, Flight CA444 from Paris to San Diego, U.S, crashed over Siberia. The Airbus carrying multiple passengers, including one American male and two French nationals, left no survivors. The cause is under investigation.”
Ivana exchanged a startled look with Winston. It was the flight they had missed.
The broadcast featured devastating images. of the crash site. Except for scraps of clothing, almost nothing recognizable remained. In a brief flash on screen,
a
diamond ring shimmered amidst the wreckage debris. Ivana’s heart skipped a
beat.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” Winston
35% 09:55
2/5
Chapter 29
asked gently, moving closer to console her. Ivana nodded distractedly, though she couldn’t shake an inexplicable unease.
Once the old woman’s condition stabilized, she was discharged into the care of a hired nurse, freeing Ivana and Winston to finally board their rescheduled flight.
As the plane soared through the clouds, Ivana’s mind replayed the crash scene. That familiar diamond ring lingered in her
thoughts. “Was it just a coincidence?” she murmured to herself.
Winston noticed her furrowed brows and
drew her into his arms, “Get some sleep. Otherwise, my mom’s first impression of you will be as a panda eyes,” he teased.
Ivana chuckled lightly and closed her eyes, gradually relaxing against his chest.
The landing was smooth and the familiar San Diego airport greeted them with a breeze of nostalgia.
Though Winston’s house would now be her
$55% 09:55
3/5
Chapter 29
temporary home, Ivana couldn’t entirely silence her unease.
They had just stepped into Winston’s apartment complex when a frantic middle- aged woman lunged at her, screaming incoherently and knocking her to the ground.
Winston swiftly helped Ivana up and shielded her behind him.
“It’s you! You killed my son!” The voice sent chills through Ivana’s spine. It was unmistakably Ernest’s mother, Miranda.
“I killed your son?” Ivana exclaimed in shock as murmurs spread through the growing crowd of onlookers.
Some stood at a distance, whispering among themselves, while others boldly whipped out phones to record the commotion.
“Yes, it was you! You wretched woman!” Miranda shrieked, her frazzled hair and wild demeanor making her appear utterly
35% 09:55
4/5
Chapter 291
deranged. She lunged at Ivana, but Winston held her back with firm hands, pushing her away.
“I’ve already called the police,” Ivana stated. calmly, her voice trembling slightly, “I did not harm your son.” She said to Miranda, who was obviously mentally unstable.
By the time officers arrived, Miranda’s erratic behavior had only intensified. Alternating between fits of crying and laughing, she repeatedly tried to assault
Ivana.
From Miranda’s frenzied, fragmented accusations, Ivana and Winston gradually pieced together a chilling truth. Ernest was dead. He had perished in the plane crash.
And the crash wasn’t an accident. In her
twisted hatred toward Ivana and Winston, Miranda had orchestrated the tragedy.
35% 09 55
