Year Five The Perfect Goodbye Plan novel Chapter 180

“Yeah.” Silvia just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Being around Nannie made her uneasy, and she couldn’t shake the discomfort that seemed to settle in her chest.

The two of them slipped in through the emergency exit. The stairwell was dimly lit, the bulbs casting tired shadows along the steps. Silvia hesitated, her brow furrowing as she stared into the gloom.

Beside her, Nannie chattered nervously. “Miss Ashford, it’s so dark in here. If you walk me down and come back alone, won’t you be scared?”

“I’ll be fine,” Silvia replied coolly, not in the mood to waste another second. She left Nannie with that and started down the stairs ahead of her.

Nannie hurried after her, but then, without warning, reached out and grabbed Silvia’s hand.

“What are you—”

Before Silvia could even finish the question, Nannie let go and stumbled backward.

As she fell, Nannie caught Silvia’s gaze. There was the faintest, unsettling smile on her lips and something enigmatic in her eyes.

Then came a sharp, piercing scream that echoed off the concrete.

“Miss Ashford, why did you push me?!”

Thud.

Nannie crashed onto the landing below, collapsing in a heap at the turn of the stairwell.

Her head struck the floor hard, and she went limp, completely unconscious.

The already eerie corridor seemed to grow colder. Silvia barely had time to process what happened before a group of maintenance workers came running, drawn by the commotion.

She just stared down, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her body felt cold and rigid, as if all the blood had rushed away, leaving her frozen in place.

Suddenly, a warm jacket fell over her shoulders. Someone pulled her into a firm embrace—Kent.

Wrapped in his warmth, Silvia felt a little of the chill seep away. She unconsciously leaned into his chest, grateful for the comfort.

Kent narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping coldly over the scene below as the doctors lifted Nannie onto a stretcher and hurried her toward the ER. He didn’t ask about Nannie’s condition; instead, he kept his arm around Silvia, gently guiding her to the side, out of the way.

They stood together, pressed against the wall, as the crowd slowly cleared. Finally, the police arrived. Their tone was calm but carried the weight of authority. “The maintenance crew outside reported that you pushed the victim down the stairs. Please come with us.”

“I didn’t,” Silvia finally spoke, her voice steady but quiet.

She looked away from the officers and searched Kent’s eyes. Meeting his steady, unwavering gaze, Silvia drew in a shaky breath and, almost without thinking, asked, “Do you believe me?”