?Chapter 551:


    Watching Bryan head toward the ticket barrier, Josue felt immobilized by the gravity of the situation.


    He stood frozen, clutching his hair tightly, overwhelmed by his emotions.


    He then turned to Jacob and asked, “Are we really just going to stand here and let him go?”


    “What else can we do?” Jacob replied. “Drag him back and tie him down? Let him—”


    “That would be better than letting him die!” Josue interjected.


    Jacob paused for a moment and then spoke with somber eptance. “He probably thinks that facing death there is preferable to the agony of waiting here. For Eileen, a quick end might be kinder than prolonged anguish…”


    That night, Eileen suffered from insomnia. Gabri had initially slept soundly, and it seemed like it would be a peaceful night.


    Unexpectedly, after midnight, Gabri became unsettled.


    She would either suddenly raise her hands and groan in difort or cry out without warning.


    Eileeny awake, unable to sleep. Gazing into the dark sky and hearing Gabri’s troubled sounds, her heart was in disarray.


    The door to Eileen’s bedroom was open. Ruby, stirred by Gabri’s cries, came upstairs.


    “What happened? She was fine before midnight, right?” Ruby asked.


    “I’m not sure,” Eileen replied, pacing back and forth while cradling Gabri. “Perhaps she’s still shaken from the earlier fright.”


    Ruby prepared some milk and gently fed it to Gabri. After drinking, Gabri’s cries ceased.


    Once fed, Gabri was fully awake but couldn’t settle back to sleep. So, Eileen took her downstairs to the living room, letting her y with her toys.


    Eileen rested on the sofa, watching Gabri y. The night wore on until dawn, the sky slowly brightening.


    Eileen remained motionless, her thoughts numb. When Ruby took Gabri away to feed her, she barely noticed.


    “Gabri’s been up for a long time; now, she’s tired and has fallen asleep again,” Ruby whispered as she emerged from the bedroom.


    Eileen blinked and rose from the sofa as the first bright rays of the morning sun shone through.


    She squinted, a thought crossing her mind. “Bryan should have reached Linder Land by now. Why hasn’t he contacted me?”


    “He might have thought Gabri was having a tough night and didn’t want to bother you,” Ruby said. “Do you want to try to get some sleep now?”


    “No,” Eileen responded, feeling wide awake.


    On a whim, she headed to the kitchen to cook.


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