Return of the Crowned Heiress

"Don't say things like that! This isn't your fault." Arnold sighed, patting Kayla's back to soothe her. "If Mr. and Mrs. Fuller saw you like this, they would be heartbroken."

"Arnie, can we keep this quiet for now? Don't tell my parents, please. They can't handle the shock well. Let's give it a couple of days, and if we still can't find Felicia, I'll tell them then." She needed time to deal with Shawn. If he was revived and questioned, there was a real risk he would expose her involvement.

This would be over in two days, and if Felicia was truly gone, none of it could be traced back to her.

Tears streaming down, Kayla pleaded desperately. Although Arnold hesitated momentarily, he finally agreed, saying, "Alright. I'll inform the vice principal to hold off telling your parents for now." "Thank you," she replied, curling into his embrace with a faint, satisfied smile.

Under normal circumstances, the vice principal would have immediately notified Dexter and Myra. But since Kayla requested it and Arnold backed her up, he agreed to wait.

By midnight, the exhausted students had returned to rest, leaving only the locals of Alverton searching tirelessly.

Lucas, the child Felicia had saved, had a fever. The cold, his fright, and the long night had left him pale and flushed. Feverish and disoriented, he kept mumbling, "Felicia fell... I'm scared..."

"Shh, it's okay. Mommy's here," Janiyah Mercado whispered, heartbroken, as she tended to him, patting his back and helping him with his medicine. Hearing this, she was overwhelmed with gratitude and sorrow for Felicia's sacrifice. "There was a man too... he fell with Felicia..." he murmured faintly in a daze.

leaned in closer, unable to make out his words clearly, thinking he was delirious. She hugged and comforted him tightly,

...

moon hung silently above. As always, the mountain river rushed past, carrying branches and leaves and tossing them downstream. Some driftwood and debris briefly got caught on rocks, while others continued

night as Felicia clung to a rock on

to climb out, she turned back and extended her hand to the man in the water. "Hurry

glanced at

thin arms and small frame? Ignoring her hand, he braced himself between

swnoverge

pull himself

she grew anxious. The current was dangerously strong, and anyone fighting it could easily

focused and

and small, clasped

water. Using all her strength,