Chapter 374
With nowhere to turn, she was engulfed by a sense of panic that seemed to amplify her solitude and disorientation.
Alone in the room, her fear was more palpable than ever before. The Regal Riverside had once offered her a semblance of security, but this unfamiliar room only served to heighten her feelings of unease and terror. Quinn shut her eyes, the room's dimness intensifying her sense of dislocation in the darkness. She had no choice but to adapt. After all, she would have to confront each new day alone from now on.
Suddenly, her mind was flooded with fragments of memories, rushing in like a thunderstorm. Another sharp headache seized her.
Clutching her sleeve, she raised her trembling head just as a flash of lightning illuminated the room, casting an eerie glow on her pallid face."Juliet," she whispered, her lips trembling.
With a sudden burst of energy, Quinn sprang to her feet and bolted from the room into the pouring rain.
She ran blindly through the unfamiliar neighborhood, the rain soaking her to the bone as she desperately sought an exit. Dazed, Quinn stood in the middle of the neighborhood, the rain streaming down her face and stinging her eyes. Shaking, she managed to retrieve her phone and call a taxi.When the driver arrived and saw her standing in the rain, clad in a white down jacket, the night lights casting an eerie glow on her, he couldn't help but wonder if she had lost her mind. "Is she crazy?" he muttered under his breath.Recognizing the license plate, Quinn hastily climbed into the car. "Don't wet my car, alright?" the driver warned.
Quinn pressed her lips together, managing to stammer an apology.
The driver sighed, gripping the steering wheel as he drove off. "Hospital?" he asked. "Yes," Quinn confirmed.
The driver fell silent, focusing on the road as he drove her to the hospital. The journey was long, made longer by the relentless rain.
Upon reaching the hospital, Quinn dashed out of the car and into the rain, making a beeline for Juliet's hospital room.
She was drenched, leaving a trail of puddles in her wake. Her appearance was so disheveled that the people around her couldn't help but step back, regarding her as if she were a madwoman. Unfazed by their stares, Quinn reached Juliet's
room.
She pushed open the door, only to find it as empty as the last time. She thought Juliet might be in the bathroom, so she rushed there next, but still found no sign of her.The text message replayed in her mind, causing her eyes to sting and tears to fall. Just then, a nurse entered the room.
"Hello, ma'am, who are you looking for?" she asked. Quinn gestured wildly, but the nurse simply furrowed her brows. "Sorry, I can't understand," she said.
Frustrated, Quinn took out her phone and typed out her question. The nurse glanced at the screen and replied, "The patient in this room? She was discharged several days ago. Can't you contact her?"
Quinn shook her head and typed another question: [Do you know where she went?]The nurse laughed, "How would I know? If you, as her friend or relative, can't find her, how would we know?" Quinn's eyes darkened.
The nurse, clearly put off by the mud and water on Quinn's clothes, asked her to leave. "Please leave. The ward was just cleaned this afternoon," she explained.Quinn apologized and bowed to the nurse before exiting the ward. Once the nurse had left, she picked up her phone and searched for the text message, but it was nowhere to be found.
It was as if it had vanished into thin air, leaving Quinn to wonder if she had imagined it all. With a heavy heart, Quinn thought of Alexander. She pulled up his Facebook profile and began to type out a message.