Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 348

Chapter 348: 348-The Missing Monster From The Tenth Floor

Helanie:

“Honestly, I feel like my best self ever.”

Lucy had darkened her eyes with eyeliner. She never used to wear such heavy and bright makeup. She looked good, though, but the sudden change in her seemed like denial to me.

“What about—the mate bond—” Lamar shut up when I eyed him for bringing it up.

And the way her smile faded before she forced a wide grin just hinted at how she was doing her best to forget about it.

“It happened. It is okay. I mean—I guess—he wasn’t meant to be with me,” she looked away but then started running her hands through her hair to make it seem like it didn’t affect her much.

“Lucy!” I instantly hugged her, and she closed her eyes, sniffling silently.

“Helanie, when I was in a coma, I had this recurring feeling of being stuck in a long, empty, and dark tunnel. I tried so hard to get out of it. I did my best, but every time I thought I was getting closer to the light, it would get darker again. During all that time, I realized what I had done. My life didn’t end with Gavin, Helanie. It didn’t,” she spoke determinedly, but little whimpers still left her lips.

I broke the hug and watched her smile at me.

“My life is beyond him. It is a precious thing to be able to wake up every day and have a family with you. I cannot imagine waking up having no one by my side. And I was giving that up for someone who didn’t give two shits before cheating on me?” she hissed suddenly, making me realize she was angry with Gavin.

And rightfully so.

“Anyway,” she rubbed her face with her hands, “I want to live my life to the fullest. I don’t want to just become someone’s mate. I tried to be a nice girl, but no! That wasn’t me. I want to enjoy—I want to be a free spirit,” she shrugged her shoulders, and that’s when Lamar and I shared a glance.

We forgot to ask her the most important question until she mentioned the word ‘spirit.’

“What happened to you two?” she frowned when she noticed how we had been sharing looks.

“Lucy, do you remember anything from that night?” I questioned worriedly.

Because I remembered that night vividly. It left me broken. I remember being so petrified for her and losing my mind.

“Umm yeah, I was on the rooftop and just—lost my mind.”

The minute her mother stepped in, Lucy gave her a smile.

I don’t know why she was lying. I knew she was on the tenth floor.

“Lucy! The tenth floor,” I uttered, and she pouted.

“What tenth floor?” she let out a laugh, making me look stupid.

“I am so glad my baby has friends like you guys,” her mother was all smiles as she served us food.

She had a pretty cute family.

Her father was the regular, sweet kind of man, always holding the newspaper with his big glasses on. Her siblings were twelve and eight.

She was right—she had everything she could ever wish for.

“But Lucy—remember—” I shifted my attention back to Lucy while she was giggling with her mother.

That’s when Lamar placed his hand on the back of my hand and eyed Lucy’s mother. I shut up and let her mother walk out. The minute she did, Lucy adjusted her posture to face me properly in bed.

“The entity got out,” she spoke up in a whisper, making me realize she didn’t want her mother to freak out, so she hadn’t told anyone—especially her mother—about the entity.

“What do you mean by it got out? Tell me from the beginning.”

Now that she wasn’t lying and was openly talking about the entity—and also admitting to knowing about her—I started asking more questions.

“I went to the tenth floor because my dumb ass liked speaking with that entity. It seemed like he or she—whoever it was—knew me and was making me feel better. She convinced me to let her into my body. She said once she gave me power and made me feel better, she would move on,” Lucy reminded me of my own conversation with that entity.

“She promised, and I let her in—but the minute she entered my body, she started to control my mind. I got scared and decided to jump off so that she wouldn’t get to take over me. However, right when I hit the ground, I heard her giggles. And Helanie—they didn’t come from inside me. She is out and about now—”

Her words sent chills down my spine.

Lamar and I exchanged a terrified look as we understood just how scary this was going to get.

“What do you mean by that? Did you see her?” Lamar asked, both of us really worried now.

“No! I just—heard her. And I knew she was free,” Lucy confirmed.

My mind began to race. What if it got into someone more powerful?

“I feel guilty because I’m the reason it got out. But what if—what if it tries to come for me?” She instantly held my hands before forcing a smile. “It can’t, right? I sort of became the reason she’s free now. So she wouldn’t come for me?”

I felt bad for her. She had only woken up a few days ago, and she was already stressed out. But honestly, I had no idea what the entity was planning to do.

“Or maybe go after the last survivor?” Lamar recalled that there was someone who had escaped the entity’s grasp but also managed to trap her—unlike Lucy.

“It’s okay, Lucy. We will find a way to catch her, okay?” I reassured her, and she nodded meekly.

“Tell me, what have I missed?” she asked in her usual soft and timid voice.

She was trying hard to be cheerful, but I knew it would take her some time to get back to normal.

“Oh, where to begin?” I sighed, remembering that I had to tell her about my relationship with the trainers—who now hated me.