Chapter 438

Rosalind's voice cracked with frustration, her words dripping with despair. "What are we supposed to do now?" she whispered into the suffocating silence.

Donovan's face darkened like a storm cloud. Every fiber of his being screamed for escape - from this room, from her presence, from this cruel existence. He craved the sweet release of solitude, where he could fade away without witnesses.

To him, Rosalind was chaos incarnate. She'd not only robbed him of a peaceful death but had become his personal tormentor. Day and night, her relentless energy filled the shared space between them, leaving no room for quiet contemplation.

She found solace in monologues, often erupting into sudden outbursts to vent her turbulent emotions.

"Check the room for any communication devices," Donovan ordered through gritted teeth.

Rosalind bolted upright, her eyes widening in theatrical surprise. "Are you actually speaking to me?"

Donovan exhaled sharply. "Unless you see any ghosts here, yes, I'm talking to you."

A slow grin spread across Rosalind's face. "Well, this is progress."

"Just search the damn room," he snapped.

Rosalind leaned in conspiratorially, her breath warm against his ear. "Should we find a phone and call the authorities?"

Donovan recoiled, rubbing his ear with visible irritation. "That would get us both blown to kingdom come."

"Then who can help us?" she pressed.

"Liam."

"General Blackwood from the military base?" Rosalind's eyebrows shot up.

Donovan's silence spoke volumes.

Propping her elbow on Donovan's wheelchair armrest, Rosalind rested her chin in her palm, studying his gaunt features. "Wouldn't we still get blown up if we contacted him?"

Donovan's jaw clenched.

With a dramatic sigh, Rosalind traced the hollows of Donovan's cheekbones with her fingertip. "You must have been devastatingly handsome once. Now you're just... skeletal. It's rather unsettling."

"Phone. Now." Donovan bit out each word.

"There isn't one."

"You haven't even looked."

Rosalind gestured around the immaculate guest room. "Does this look like it would have communication devices?"

"Search properly," Donovan growled.

Rosalind shook her head stubbornly. "I'm conserving energy. There's nothing here."

"You won't know unless you try," Donovan countered. "Not trying guarantees failure."

Rosalind's eyes lit up with triumph. "Exactly! So why won't you apply that logic to your recovery?"

Donovan's hands tightened on the wheelchair arms until his knuckles turned white.

Meanwhile, Evelyn found herself imprisoned in another guest room. Moving with precision, she secured the door and drew every curtain, plunging the space into darkness.

An armed guard stood sentry outside her door while patrols circled below. Even the surveillance room at Wright Manor was under tight watch. Escape seemed impossible.

Calling the authorities was too risky - one wrong move could trigger Julian to detonate the entire estate. After careful consideration, Evelyn decided her only hope lay with Liam.

She slipped into the bathroom, sealing herself in before settling against the tiled wall. From beneath her collar, she retrieved a delicate chain bearing a black crystal pendant shaped like a four-leaf clover.

A deft press on the clover's edge activated the hidden device. A beam of light projected from the crystal's core, casting a holographic interface onto the floor. Evelyn's fingers danced across the virtual keyboard as she composed an urgent message to Liam.