The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 141

N&S Psychiatric Hospital in Havenwood was steeped in urban legends. It was said that than of the patients locked within its walls were not just mentally ill but dangerous criminals who, due to their psychological conditions, could not be incarcerated in a regular prison.

Even the doctors and nurses who work there have been known to fear some of the patients. Aside from confining them within the hospital, they seldom exerted further control. In fact, if was rumored that staff members had been killed by patients on occasion.

Now, Arabella found herself in a truly terrifying situation. Surrounded by five menacing men, she screamed out in fear. Kicking the brooding figure who grabbed her, she scrambled to her feet and took off running.

She dashed down the corridor, passing many patients who were wandering aimlessly, engaging in bizarre behaviors that marked them as anything but normal.

Some patients ignored her, others beckoned her to join their games with eerie grins, and some lunged towards her with twisted faces and terrifying shouts.

The commotion of her footsteps and screams woke the sleeping patients in nearby rooms. Lights flickered on one by one, revealing dozens of mentally ill individuals who emerged to either observe her with indifferent eyes or leer at her with unsettling smiles.

The man chasing her, a rather large individual, was still bellowing behind her, demanding that

she become his wife.

“Open up! Hurry! Open the door!” Arabella fled back to the main entrance, but she had previously locked the small door in her panic. She banged on the security office window, shouting for help, but the room inside was pitch black, void of any sign of life.

Terror gripped her, causing her body to tremble as she broke down into a fit of desperate crying.

She made another frantic call to the police. Before the operator could even respond, she cried out, “Why haven’t you sent anyone to save me yet?! I’m at N&S Psychiatric Hospital! Please! Send someone to help me!”

Just as she finished her plea, the large man caught up to her once again. She spun around and dashed away, darting around the hospital like a scared animal, playing a horrifying garne of hide-and-seek with her pursuer.

In her desperation, she attempted to call the Hawthorn family for help. She reached out to Joseph first, but was promptly declined. The same happened when she tried to contact Michael and Beatrice. All of them had switched off their phones.

The chilling automated message, “The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable,” sent a shiver down Arabella’s spine.

Who else could help her?

Suddenly, she saw Dorian’s name in her contacts, and a spark of hope ignited within her.

Yes, she still had a foster father. She still had a dad.

Dorian would surely come to her rescue, just like he did the last time.

phone. She dismissively refused to believe Arabella’s plea for help, accusing her of trying to trap

to her aid again, no matter the circumstances. She

hung up the phone, Arabella felt herself teetering on the

shaggy hair, wore

the cover, Arabella felt

must have

Arabella pleaded while tugging at the man’s

up from his book, casting a curious glance at Arabella,

waltz into.”

don’t know! I was being chased, and I saw the door open, so I ran in to hide. I didn’t know this was a mental hospital.” Arabella cried

The man mumbled, his eyes hidden behind

The large man’s voice

Please help me hide!” Arabella’s hand

clothes.

You can hide in it.” The man kindly pointed to a room across

Arabella hesitated.

worry. It’s a single room. There’s nobody strange inside.”

you.” Arabella muttered her

heavy footsteps approached. He queried the bespectacled

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Chapter 141

skipped a

man with the

Arabella’s heart settled.

on his fingers, his anxiety mounting as

a finger to his lips, signaling for silence before gently coaxing him. “I’ll

man, seemingly a bit scared of him, stopped his tantrum

potted plant, the cabinets in the main hall, and the stairwell. Each time, the bespectacled man sighed in

increasingly anxious, his fingernails bloody from his anxious gnawing. He looked ready to

before suggesting, “Let’s go look in another place,

man, still seemingly afraid of him, nodded

footsteps growing fainter, her frantic heartbeat finally calmed

room was clean, and the bed was neatly made

table beside the bed was stacked with books, mostly medical

Now, she was safe.

understand why they hadn’t shown

about her previous calls to the Hawthorn family and about Dorian as anger bubbled within her, especially towards Cordelia. She’d answered her call only to cruelly reject her, giving her hope and then snuffing it out. It was

she’d lied once

In the end, it was