Chapter 106


    The buzz surrounding Timothy’s heroic rescue had taken over the office like wildfire, and it was grating on my nerves. The other


    employees, who had been. reserved to talking about me behind my back, were now being upfront about their spections.


    Returning to work at thew firm after the tumultuous events involving Bruce was something of a relief, a way to regain a


    semnce of normalcy. | was starting to regret that decision.


    My irritation reached a boiling point as a constant stream of female colleagues gathered at my desk,


    their faces glowing with excitement and curiosity. It was like | was the star of some romantic drama, and they couldn''t wait to


    hear all the juicy details.


    “Evie, tell us everything!” gushed Lisa, a paralegal from the adjacent cubicle, her eyes wide with excitement,


    “Yeah, Evie, what''s it like to be rescued by the love of your life?” added Emily, another co-worker, who had always been a bit too


    invested in my personal life.


    My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and | felt like | was caught in a whirlwind. of gossip that | couldn’t escape. “It’s not like


    that,” | insisted.


    But it seemed that my denial only fueled their spection. They exchanged knowing nces, and Lisa nudged me yfully.


    “Come on, Evie, we''ve seen the way you two look at each other.”


    The women continued to press, asking questions about Timothy’s heroics and the supposed undeniable chemistry between us. |


    rolled my eyes, feeling more exasperated by the minute.


    As the day wore on, | found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on my work. The constant-attention was grating on my nerves,


    and | longed for the days when | coulde to work without being the center of a romantic spectacle. It wasn’t that | didn’t


    appreciate Timothy’s help-he had been at the right ce at the right time. —but | was fighting to detach myself from him, and it


    was an endless struggle.


    “Listen,dies,” | began, “It was just business between us. | appreciate his help, but there’s nothing romantic going on between


    us.


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    FI, 22


    They exchanged nces, and this time, they seemed toprehend the seriousness of my tone. In their defense, Timothy’s


    interview that morning had portrayed a man deeply caring and concerned for me.


    | caught Aria watching it before | left that morning. She had tried to be discrete, keeping the volume low and the brightness


    setting at a minimum, but | saw his face on the screen regardless. It had been an impromptu interview, and he lookedi slightly


    worn outpared to his usual wless television appearance.


    She had tried to exin it away as her just catching it while flipping through. channels, but | could see the hesitation in her


    movements when she turned it off. She didn’t want to let go so easily, and it was a struggle | sympathized with.


    “But, Evie, he seemed really smitten with you in the interview,” another colleague chimed in, fluttering her eyes.


    | leaned back in my chair, frustration mounting. “Appearances can be deceiving.” | muttered, not bothering to hide my irritation.


    The conversation continued, with my coworkers specting about my rtionship with Timothy and the nature of our connection.


    This was somehow worse, having them analyze my nonexistent rtionship with Timothy from a ce of interest rather than


    jealousy. The prying eyes and probing questions would never stop.


    Just as | was about to excuse myself from the growing crowd, my cell phone rang, its shrill ringtone slicing through the chatter. |


    excused myself from the crowd, relieved for the interruption.


    In the seclusion of the hallway, | took my phone out and answered the call. “Hello?” | said, my voice trembling slightly.


    “Is this Evie Sinir?” a deep, authoritative voice asked. “Yes, it''s me. Who''s this?”


    “This is Officer Stevens from the police station,” he replied. “I need you toe down here immediately. It’s about Bruce.”


    My heart raced as the mention of Bruce’s name sent shivers down my spine. “What happened? Is he...awake?”


    “He certainly is, Evie,” Officer Stevens said gravely. “We need you toe down here as soon as possible. It’s urgent.”


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    | hugged the phone closer, my heartbeat quickening. “What''s wrong?”


    “Bruce escaped,” he stated tly. “We returned to his hospital room and found him. long gone.”


    “Oh, my god.” | cupped my hand over my mouth and looked around. The hall was empty. Only the hum of the vending machine


    filled the silent void.


    There was a moment of silence on the line before the officer spoke up. “We would like you toe down to the station, if


    possible.”


    “lm on my way,” | told him, and he grunted in response.


    | hung up and jumped to my feet, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Bruce was supposed to be locked up in the hospital,


    and he was definitely in no condition. to just flee on his own.


    | hastily rushed to grab my purse from the office before rushing out the door. The police station was a short drive away, but every


    second felt like an eternity as my mind whirled with worry.


    When | arrived at the police station, it was a scene of controlled chaos. Officers were buzzing around, talking urgently into


    phones, and typirig furiously on theirputers. Officer Stevens spotted me and waved me over.


    “Evie, thanks foring so quickly,” he said, leading me to a small, dimly lit room. “We have some surveince footage to show


    you.”


    | nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. What had Bruce done now?


    Officer Stevens turned on a monitor, and a grainy video feed filled the screen. It showed the entrance of the hospital where


    Bruce had been held. My breath caught as | watched the footage.


    There he was, Bruce, sitting in a wheelchair, his face hidden beneath a hoodie. He looked pale and weak, nothing like the man |


    had once known. Two figures, supposedly nurses, pushed him toward the exit, as if he were just another patient being


    discharged.


    “How did this happen?” | asked, my voice quivering.


    “We''re still trying to figure that out,” Officer Stevens said. “But here’s the strange part. As soon as Bruce was wheeled out of the


    hospital, the surveince cameras.


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    lost track of him. It’s as if he vanished into thin air.”


    | stared at the screen in disbelief. It was like something out of a horror movie.


    “We''veunched a manhunt for him,” Officer Stevens continued. “Bruce is now on our most wanted list. We''re doing everything


    we can to locate him, but we need your help, Evie.”


    | nodded, my mind racing. Bruce was out there, and he was a threat not only to me but to everyone. I''ll do whatever | can to


    help,” | said, my voice filled with determination.


    Officer Stevens ced a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “We''ll keep you safe, Evie. But we need you to stay vignt and report


    anything suspicious. We''ll catch him, | promise.”


    As | left the police station, | couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. Bruce’s escape had thrown my life back into chaos, and I


    knew | couldn’t go back to my


    apartment. It was no longer safe.


    Hf