The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 469

Over the past few days, a heavy lethargy had settled into her bones.

She didn't want to eat, she didn't want to open her eyes. It felt as if the entire world had faded away, leaving her utterly disconnected from reality.

That was until she heard a familiar, distressed whimper.

Petty slowly forced her eyes open. Her hollow gaze fell upon the large German Shepherd standing by the bed, frantically nuzzling her fingers with his wet nose.

The dog was panting, his tail wagging furiously as he looked up at his owner with bright, expectant eyes, waiting for the familiar, affectionate tone to call his name.

But he waited and waited, and Petty never said the word "General."

General's ears drooped. He nudged closer, pressing his large head against her hand, letting out a pitiful, whining sound.

Standing nearby, Jackson watched the scene with mounting anxiety. He turned to Hans. "I really thought bringing General here would brighten her spirits."

But it seemed that even her beloved dog couldn't pull her out of the darkness.

"Did Franco tell you to bring the dog?" Hans frowned, looking at Petty, who remained completely unresponsive to General's desperate pleas for attention.

Jackson nodded.

Once Petty drifted back to sleep, Hans headed toward Franco's room, but found it empty.

When he turned around, he caught sight of Franco stepping out of the elevator.

The moment Franco saw Hans, his expression hardened, and he instinctively quickened his pace.

But Hans stepped directly into his path, blocking him. "She's asleep. I'm here because I need to talk to you."

...

But Petty wasn't actually asleep. She just couldn't bear to keep her eyes open and watch everyone constantly pretend that everything was perfectly fine.

She opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Jackson rushed to support her arm. "You're not sleeping?"

"I can't," she whispered.

Given Petty's severely deteriorating mental state, Hans knew he had to get to the bottom of this.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice heavy with dread. "You shot Laura because you didn't want her to finish her sentence. You didn't want Petty to hear the rest of it, did you?"

"Laura poisoned her. Petty survived, but the baby died. What did she mean when she said the baby took Petty's place? What exactly happened to the child?"

Franco stood in absolute silence, but the deep, agonizing crease between his brows spoke volumes, hiding a thousand unspeakable words.

In the very next second, a blood-curdling scream echoed from just outside the stairwell.

That voice!

Franco bolted out the door, but it was already too late. Petty was sitting in the wheelchair, clutching her head and screaming in absolute hysteria.

Her eyes were blood-red, tears streaming endlessly down her face.

She locked her agonizing gaze onto Franco, her throat tearing as she forced out the words. "The baby... he died in my place, didn't he?"