?Chapter 879:


    Elissa paused, caught off guard by her own oversight. “Oh… so it’s a man?”


    The caregiver shrugged. “I’m not sure. I only saw uniformed movers hauling things in. Perhaps the neer will settle in once it’s all arranged.”


    Elissa nodded thoughtfully. “That tracks.”


    After some time, the ce slipped back into its familiar calm. Elissa figured the moving chaos had settled, everything neatly stowed away.


    Yet no new sounds hinted at the neighbor’s presence—perhaps they hadn’t arrived yet.


    As evening hues painted the sky, the caregiver guided Elissa indoors, and the matter slipped her mind.


    The next day, rain draped Srixby in a gray veil.


    Elissa stayed cocooned in her cozy room, skipping her outdoor time for two days.


    On the third morning, the clouds parted, and she craved the sun’s warmth as usual.


    The caregiver helped her into a coat, led her to afortable chair, and draped a nket over herp.


    “Miss Hond, sit tight—I’ll grab some snacks for you.”


    “Alright,” Elissa said with a smile. “I won’t run away, I promise.”


    “I’ll be right back.”


    The caregiver ducked inside, leaving Elissa to bask alone, eyes half-shut, soaking in the sun’s gentle embrace.


    Blindness had sharpened her ears; she caught the faint rustle of leaves and the soft murmur of the artificial pond in the distance.


    Then, abruptly, her eyes snapped open, ears straining as she straightened.


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    Was that… a baby’s cry?


    Elissa’s lips pressed tight, her hands clenching without thought.


    She rose swiftly, groping her way toward the sound.


    The wails sharpened in her ears, guiding her steps.


    “It’s close, right here…”


    Meanwhile, the caregiver emerged with snacks, only to find the chair empty.


    “Where did she go?” Panic bleached her face. “Miss Hond! Where are you? Miss Hond!” She shouted, darting off in search.


    Luckily, Elissa hadn’t strayed far—the caregiver spotted her near the pond.


    Her heart lurched, dread seizing her as she shrieked, “Miss Hond! Miss Hond!”


    Jolted by the cry, Elissa snapped back to reality.


    Where was she? Why was she here?


    Suddenly, her foot slipped!


    After two rainy days, the pond’s edge was slick and treacherous. Elissa teetered and plunged in!


    Nearby, the caregiver froze in horror.


    “Miss Hond!” she yelled. “Help! Somebody help!”


    Though man-made, the pond plunged three to five meters deep—enough to swallow Elissa whole.


    The freezing water of the pond surged around Elissa, flooding her nostrils in an instant.


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