Chapter 50

Melody glared at the out-of-control man, biting her lip and remaining silent. Crazy, manic-depressive, and insane—any of these words could accurately describe Christopher. The door was locked from the inside, secured with two additional bolts. Christopher stood guard.

She turned and returned to her room, ignoring him. His expression softened slightly after watching her enter, but a box thrown from her room soon hardened his features. His teeth gritted in anger, but he didn't bother retrieving it.

After the commotion subsided, Cynthia opened the guest room door and cautiously stepped out. She picked up the discarded necklace and saw Christopher standing by the door. She approached and comforted him.

“Christopher, maybe you’ve misunderstood Mel. After all, she loves you so much.”

“Misunderstood? She hasn’t socialized in two years and has never contacted anyone. What could I misunderstand?” he shouted angrily.

“Well, you haven’t considered her art,” Cynthia replied.

“If I caught him, that bastard would be dead!” His expression was vicious.

Cynthia, recognizing his jealousy, asked, “Are you jealous?”

Christopher froze, his expression blank for a few seconds before snapping, “Impossible! She doesn’t deserve it! I’m just preserving a man’s dignity! No one could tolerate…”

She snorted inwardly. She saw through his pretense but remained silent. Before his feelings for Melody developed, she would have won him over, using her children to secure her place in the Fuller family. But first, she needed to remove Melody from the equation.

Cynthia continued to comfort Christopher, urging him to calm down and go to sleep, reassuring him that she would guard the door and prevent Melody from leaving. Past midnight, and with Christopher needing to work the next day, he reluctantly returned to the master bedroom at Cynthia's insistence.

He tossed and turned, his mind racing about the "man" and whether Melody had been seeing him while hospitalized. The more he thought, the angrier he became, prioritizing finding and dealing with the man before confining Melody.

Meanwhile, Cynthia went to the kitchen, turned on the gas stove, and boiled water, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

At 2:00 AM, Christopher finally fell asleep. Three hours later, he was awakened by knocking. He opened the door to find Cynthia.

“Christopher, I feel dizzy. I can’t breathe,” she gasped, collapsing into his arms.

“Cynthia? Cynthia!” he cried out, instantly alert. He also noticed an unusual smell, furrowing his brow. Without hesitation, he rushed out, carrying her to the hospital.

Melody awoke in the guest room. It was almost her usual waking time. She got up to wash, but opening the door, a chilling sensation struck her. A gas leak? The smell grew stronger and more pungent. She rushed to the kitchen and saw the gas stove was on. She turned off the valve and opened the windows wide. After closing the kitchen door, she headed for the exit, but the living room was filled with gas. Even holding her breath, weakened from her recent hospital stay, she began to feel faint.

Summoning her remaining strength, she opened the door but collapsed just outside. As consciousness faded, confusion flickered in her mind. The gas had been turned off last night. How could it have leaked? It couldn't have been her carelessness. And Christopher and Cynthia had left so quickly, without calling for help. The conclusion was clear: they hated her enough to try to kill her.