Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Tracey looked at me with those big, innocent eyes, glancing back and forth between me and Kate. "Flowers, I want flowers."

When she didn't answer my question, I tried a different approach. "Tracey, do you still remember Richard?"

She was focused on pulling at a hangnail, seemingly oblivious to any pain. "Flowers, petal by petal."

It was as if she didn't feel the pain, even as she continued to pull and bleed.

I kept my tone light, probing further. "Tracey, Richard isn't dead, right?"

She pointed to the sky. "Look, an airplane just flew by."

"And, do you want to see him? Is he going to come and take you away?"

Her gaze was distant and unchanged, so I stopped pressing and turned to Kate. "Let's take her back."

Before leaving, Kate secured Tracey in the car and then came back with a question. "Has she really lost it? All she does at home is tend to her garden. Nothing else."

"Who doesn't flinch when they peel their own skin? Only someone really tough on themselves wouldn't feel it," I whispered to Kate, hinting that Tracey's act might not be as genuine as it appeared. Her behavior suggested she's just pretending. "Keep a close eye on her. I have a feeling she's planning an escape soon."

As Kate and I were about to part ways, I caught a glimpse of that man from the coffee shop.

Our eyes met briefly before he disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly getting this cold feeling, I snagged Kate right before she could get into her car, yanking her and Tracey back just as a truck smashed right into Kate's car. Squashed it between two huge rides like it was nothing but a tin can. Kate was visibly shaken. "Does someone really want us dead?"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

And Tracey kept mumbling about flowers...

I held Tracey's hand firmly. "What are you hiding for someone? Don't you realize you've nearly died twice now once in that café and now in this car crash? Pretending to be crazy won't save you."

But her gaze was empty. "Will you plant lots of flowers for me, Richard? No, you won't. You only plant them for her."

I was stunned. Her obsession with flowers stemmed from Richard not planting any for her.

"But Richard is my brother. We're not together."

In that moment, I saw doubt in Tracey's eyes.

Then she covered her ears and crouched down. "I can't say, I can't. If I do, everyone will be in trouble."

Kate and I knew then she was faking her insanity.

"Let's take her back to Evergreen Health Center. It's safer there."

But as we headed to my car, it exploded instantly.

Felt like someone had their eyes on us.

Kate and Tracey clung to each other, Tracey screaming, "I told you he wouldn't leave us alone. Go, now! Or we'll all die. The burnt bodies case, Hannah was just a decoy. The real culprit isn't Hannah, it's..."

Before Tracey could finish, we were surrounded.

I clenched my fists, scanning for Max's bodyguards, fearing the worst.

Just then, a convoy of armored vehicles rammed through, breaking the encirclement, and Max stepped out. "Claire, get in."

Pulling Kate and Tracey with me, we just about made it to a safe spot.

Turns out, the bodyguards had gone for reinforcements, allowing Max to arrive just in time. Otherwise, we might not have survived the

day.