Chapter 255 A Tight, Warm Hug


    Did Cedric not eat? He waited in the hall just to deliver the files to her?


    “Ah, sorry, sorry, | seem to be a bit too talkative.” The housekeeper immediately apologized. ” Ms. Maia, please rest early.”


    “Okay.” Maia nodded and the housekeeper returned to her work post.


    Maia looked at the envelope in her hand and then nced at the trash can outside, filled with cigarette butts. When did Cedric


    be such a heavy smoker? She pursed her lips, feeling the weight of the envelope as if it were a thousand pounds, making it


    difficult for her to hold.


    She lowered her eyes and muttered softly to herself, “Maia Burgess, what were you thinking? He has nothing to do with you.”


    Then, she walked quickly to the elevator and went upstairs.


    As the elevator slowly ascended, a man emerged from the shadows. The housekeeper, upon seeing him, respectfully called out,


    “Mr. Cedric.”


    Cedric nodded slightly, not saying a word. He just stared at the elevator ascending floor by floor.


    He hadn''t forgotten that he had seen Maia being escorted home by Nigel, so they had been together since the end of “The


    Quest.” Thinking about this, a raging fire surged within him, threatening to burst out. People around him couldn''t help but step


    back in fear.


    However, at this moment, the lights in the corridor flickered. The next second, darkness enveloped everything. The elevator,


    which was ascending, came to an immediate stop. The number ten on the disy disappeared.


    “What''s going on?” Cedric’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he coldly questioned.


    “A power outage. I''ll immediately contact the maintenance personnel!” The housekeeper acted swiftly, quickly dialing a number.


    Cedric’s expression turned grim. He made the fastest response, rushing towards the stairs. He hadn''t forgotten that the elevator


    had stopped on the tenth floor, and she was still inside!


    “Mr. Cedric!” Baz saw Cedric heading towards the stairs and immediately realized something was wrong. “Ms. Maia just got into


    the elevator not long ago, and now there’s a power outage. She must still be in the elevator. We need to get professional help


    quickly!”


    Baz watched the housekeeper dialing the phone and urged, “Hurry up! If Ms. Maia has the slightest mishap, no one can afford


    the consequences!”


    The consequences of Cedric going berserk were unimaginably terrifying. Meanwhile, Maia had been trapped in the elevator for


    about two minutes.


    1/3


    +15 BONUS


    She tried to stay calm, took out her phone to make a call, but it had no signal. She immediately turned on the shlight on her


    phone and pressed the emergency call button several times, but there was no response.


    Maia immediately shouted, “Is anyone there? Is there anyone outside?”


    She dared not make any significant movements inside the elevator, fearing it might affect the malfunctioning elevator. Her


    delicate brows furrowed, and thebination of the confined space, coupled with nervous tension, caused Maia’s forehead to


    start sweating.


    “I''m trapped in the elevator. Is anyone out there?”


    After dozens of seconds passed, Maia shouted again, but there was still no response from outside.


    “Maia Burgess, speak up!”


    Suddenly, that cold and deep voice echoed from outside filled with urgency.


    It was him! How could he be here? Didn''t he leave Cloud Nine Residences already?


    Maia initially thought she was hearing things. But at this moment, his voice sounded again, Maia Burgess, answer me!” The tone


    was more urgent than before.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Convinced it wasn’t a hallucination, Maia immediately shouted, “I’m in the elevator!”


    “Don''t be afraid.”


    “|


    “I''m not afraid. | don’t have ustrophobia, and my phone has battery. It’s just a bit hot right now.”


    Although it was alreadyte autumn, the lingering summer heat had notpletely dissipated in Prismara.


    Just as Maia finished speaking, the entire building''s lights came back on, the elevator resumed operation, but it began to


    descend rapidly!


    “Ah-!” Maia, who was initially unafraid, was now terrified by the sudden rapid descent, her face turning pale as she screamed in


    shock!


    Just seconds ago, she was iming she wasn’t afraid, but now she was scared. She crouched at one side of the elevator,


    hugging herself tightly. She didn’t know how many floors the elevator had plummeted. When it finally stopped, she was gasping


    for breath.


    The pitch—ck elevator was now illuminated again, and the circuits were back to normal. Maia could see that the elevator had


    stopped on the fifth floor.


    The fifth floor.


    Without hesitation, she quickly pressed the elevator button below the fifth floor, preventing


    UU


    especially at times like this, she couldn''t afford to panic.


    All the equipment in Cloud Nine Residences were top-notch, and all she could do was wait here.


    She took a deep breath and shouted again, “Is anyone there? Is there anyone outside?”


    The elevator descended again, but not as dramatically as before, just a slight drop.


    Maia frowned, waiting for a response from outside.


    “I''m here, don’t be afraid,” Cedric’s voice came from outside the elevator again.


    At this moment, all of his confidence andposure were gone. His tone was urgent, full of worry, as if he feared the slightest


    mishap. When the elevator dropped earlier, it felt like he was also plummeting.


    “lm not afraid.”


    She had seen a raging fire far more terrifying than this. How could a malfunctioning elevator scare her? However, the venttion


    inside the elevator was poor, and it seemed like the oxygen was getting scarce. Maia felt herself getting wet all over, and she


    started to feel a bit lightheaded.


    At that moment, the elevator doors were pried open.


    “Come down.”


    Maia looked at Cedric standing outside. His handsome face full of anxiety, evident sweat beads on his forehead, and his arms


    stretched out.


    This time, she didn’t refuse. The elevator was a bit high from the ground, and she had no choice but to jump down. He held her


    with both arms, tightening his embrace little by little.


    Rescue personnel arrived just in time, witnessing the trapped individuals being rescued and tightly embraced. They all looked


    like light bulbs, radiating exceptionally bright light.


    “How is it? Is Ms. Maia saved?” Baz rushed through the crowd, seeing this scene, and stood


    still in shock.


    “Well... it seems she’s already qut,” Baz muttered under his breath, then made a gesture, signaling everyone to retreat.


    Feeling a bit relieved from the slight dizziness caused by theck of oxygen, Maia realized she was being tightly held by a


    tremendous force. The strength cradling her was telling her, through practical actions, how afraid he was of losing her.