Chapter 264: The suspicious conversation
After finishing her cooking in haste, Bella slipped quietly into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. Her heart thudded in her chest as she reached into her bra and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. Unfolding it carefully, she stared at the phone number scrawled across it.
"I need to make a call. But how? Where can I find a phone?"
Her mind raced, running through her options. ’Zack and Hazel definitely wouldn’t let me use their phones,’ she thought grimly. She chewed her bottom lip, frustration bubbling inside her. "What do I do?"
A tempting voice in her head chimed in, ’What about stealing one of their phones?’ The suggestion made her pause, but she quickly shook her head.
"No, that’s too risky," she muttered. If Zack caught her, the consequences would be dire, and she couldn’t afford to blow her chance at escape. She needed a safer plan, something that wouldn’t raise suspicion.
Her eyes lit up as an idea began to form. ’What if I pretended to be in severe pain?’ she thought, her pulse quickening.
Zack and Hazel would have no choice but to take her to the hospital, and once there, she’d have access to a phone. She could finally call her biological father and ask for help.
"Yes," Bella whispered with quiet determination. "That’ll work. I just need to make it convincing."
The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, pulling Bella from her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat—Zack had returned. Folding the paper carefully and tucking it away again, she took a deep breath, preparing herself for the act.
She pinched her eyebrows together, feigning discomfort, and forced her expression into one of weariness. She walked out of her room and opened the door.