Chapter 240: A Message (4)
The group had just finished going through the contents of the USB when Oliver began laying out their next steps. Suddenly, the door flew open without so much as a knock. His secretary’s face was pale.
"Sir, I connected a call—an emergency call. It’s Ella Collins," she blurted out.
Nick and Georgia’s heads snapped toward each other at the mention of Ella’s name, unease flashing in their eyes.
"Ella? What happened?" Oliver asked, pressing the line and putting it on speaker. "I’m with Nick and Georgia—go ahead, you’re on speaker."
Ella’s frantic voice filled the room. [Thank God! I’ve been trying to call you both, but couldn’t get through, Liam said you’re with Oliver. Georgia, your house is on fire! The kids are safe, Mrs. Higgins has them, but Wendy... she’s been taken to the hospital. The firefighters are still trying to put it out. I’m on my way there now.]
Georgia’s face drained of color. Colleen stiffened beside her.
"What?!" Georgia gasped, her voice trembling.
Nick was already on his feet, gripping Georgia’s hand tightly. "We’re heading there now, Ella," he said firmly, already steering the two women toward the door.
"Keep us updated," Oliver called after them, his voice taut, before ending the call.
Inside the elevator, Georgia’s body shook as Nick pulled her into his arms. "The kids are safe," he whispered against her temple, trying to calm her, though his own chest was tight with dread.
Tears welled in Georgia’s eyes as she turned toward Colleen. "I promised you... I promised Ally would be safe in my home. I’m so sorry."
Colleen reached for her hand, squeezing it with quiet strength. "Don’t blame yourself. Mr. Knight is right. The kids are safe—and that’s what matters. No one wanted this."
But Georgia’s composure crumbled. She buried her face in her hands, her voice breaking on a single word. "Wendy..."
Nick tightened his arms around her, his voice low and steadier than the tremor in her hands. "Don’t jump to the worst yet. We’ll deal with whatever’s there when we get there. Right now, breathe with me. In and out. We have to stay calm for the kids."
Georgia hiccupped through her sobs. "I was born in that house, Nick. Every memory, my parents, my brother, the holidays... Everything..."
"I know." He rubbed slow, calming circles across her back. "We’ll get through this. If we have to rebuild, we’ll rebuild it exactly the same. Deep breath."
She let his rhythm calm her; the frantic edges in her chest softened as she inhaled and exhaled until they reached the parking lot.
Midway down the street, Nick’s phone buzzed. He reached for it as he drove; Georgia answered and put the call on speaker. Vicky’s voice came sharp and urgent through the line. [I’m at the hospital. I need Oliver—Wendy’s wounds aren’t from the fire.
The doctor says she has one stab wound, several slashes, and bruises. The police have been called; they’re on their way. Wendy is stable but still under anesthesia and unconscious. Liam’s at your house checking on Ella and the kids.]
Georgia’s face went white. Nick’s jaw locked. "Thanks for going there. Keep me posted on Wendy. Go ahead and call Oliver. His car is just behind us. Tell him that he doesn’t need to come to the house." He ended the call and drove with a force that made the car hum loudly.
Colleen’s tears spilled, rage and fear braided together. "They wanted to silence us," she choked. "They were watching. They followed us. They took advantage after we left."
Nick’s eyes went cold. The spare kindness fell away; a hard promise took its place. "They’ll pay for this," he said, each word a vow.
From the distance, the scene already felt unreal. What used to be Georgia’s home now stood as a blackened skeleton, smoke still curling upward from smoldering ruins of timber and twisted metal.
Georgia pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, her eyes glassy with shock as Nick pulled the car to a stop.
"You go to the kids. I’ll talk to the firefighters," Nick said firmly, cutting the engine.
Colleen followed closely as Georgia all but ran toward the neighboring Higgins’ house. Liam was already outside, speaking with the fire chief. Mr. Higgins spotted the women and immediately swung open the gate.
Inside, Georgia’s heart nearly burst with relief. At the dining table sat Ella, Mrs. Higgins, and most importantly, the children.
"Aunt Georgia!" Katie’s small voice rang out before she darted across the room and flung herself into Georgia’s arms. Ally mirrored her, rushing into Colleen’s embrace.
Georgia dropped to her knees, not caring about the sting of her scrapes as tears blurred her vision. She hugged Katie tightly, whispering broken sobs, "Oh God, thank you, thank you." Then, almost frantically, she pulled back to scan her niece from head to toe for any sign of injury.
"They’re fine," Ella reassured gently, pulling Georgia into a hug of her own. "Mrs. Higgins and I already checked."
"Thank you for getting here so quickly," Georgia murmured, voice thick.
"Come, sit down, dear. You must be shaken," Mrs. Higgins urged kindly, ushering both women to the table before setting steaming cups of cocoa in front of them.
"The girls ran here shouting that Wendy was hurt," the older woman explained. "My husband rushed to your house to help her, but even before coming out, he already shouted that your house is on fire. I called the firefighters. Turns out, little Katie here had already dialed 911. Ambulance and fire trucks were on the way before I even hung up."
Georgia gathered Katie into her lap, pressing a kiss to her hair. "You did so well, sweetheart. You remembered exactly what we taught you."
Katie straightened proudly, though her hands fluttered as she spoke, recounting the moment. "Ally and I pulled Nanna to the back porch because the front door was full of fire.
But she’s heavy, Aunt Georgia. So I told Ally we should run to Mr. and Mrs. Higgins to ask them for help. The firefighter told me to leave, but I couldn’t. If I left, Nanna wouldn’t breathe with all the smoke."
Georgia’s chest ached, both from pride and heartbreak, as she hugged the little girl tighter. Her brave, clever Katie had saved lives tonight. Everything that has burned doesn’t matter anymore; it can be bought and rebuilt with money. What’s important is that everyone was alive.
********
Thank you for the Golden Tickets!
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