Chapter 169
Initially, I wanted to subtly guide Derek toward investigating the sculpture mystery. The feeling of my soul being ripped from my body, losing control of my emotions, was agonizing. So much remained undone, leaving me with a profound sense of regret. But I'm no puppet master; my influence is minuscule. All I could do was impart the truth as best I could in those fleeting moments.
The closer I approached the statue, the stronger the pull on my soul became. Derek grasped my arms, his usually stoic expression etched with anxiety and urgency. “Rosie, explain! What's happening? Who's here?”
I attempted to speak, but as my spirit fled my body, it felt as if the very air was being sucked away. I barely managed a frantic plea: “Save her, save her, she’s inside the statue…”
My soul was completely yanked away; darkness flickered before my eyes. When I opened them again, I was back in ghost mode. The statue possessed a magnetic force, drawing me in. Now, I was truly trapped. Looking down, I saw Derek cradling a little girl in a red coat, amidst swirling snow. Her eyes were closed, a striking red birthmark adorning her forehead like a splash of color on her pale face. It was a strangely beautiful sight, but Derek was in no mood to appreciate it.
“Rosie, tell me! What did you mean?”
I couldn't tell if Rosie's spirit could return to her body. As for me, I had no idea what the future held. Now that I was outside Rosie's body, I was seemingly stuck here permanently. I regretted not visiting my grandmother, not offering her a word of comfort.
Off to the side, Chase and Nicole ceased their bickering, observing the scene unfolding in the snow. “Uncle Derek, what happened to Amelia?”
Derek must have been reeling. In a single day, a woman who had attempted suicide was now his wife in a whirlwind marriage, only to collapse after uttering those cryptic words. Jack rushed over to check on Rosie. “The wound’s fine; maybe she just fainted from stress? Should we take her to a hospital?”
Derek glanced at Chase and Nicole, who had just arrived. Nicole quickly interjected. “Uncle Derek, you saw it yourself. Amelia’s been acting strangely since leaving the car. We let her rest in her room, then she ran out. We didn’t do anything.”
Nicole knew Derek suspected her and was instinctively afraid of him. At this point, Derek lacked concrete proof; he was merely suspicious. Once he obtained something substantial, it wouldn't be a mere passing glance, so she hastened to explain herself.
I could only hope Derek took my words seriously and would investigate the sculpture immediately. Derek handed Rosie to Jack. “Get her to the hospital, notify the Hoffman family… on second thought, just tell her mother.”
Derek likely realized that life with the Hoffman family was difficult for her; only her mother genuinely cared. Thinking of my mother holding me last night, allowing me to feel that long-lost warmth, made me wistful. Even through Rosie's body, I glimpsed motherly love and could have said my goodbyes. Sadly, I didn't get that chance, a painful sting. All I could do was stand alone in the snow, the wind and snow my only companions.