Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 642

I had a brush with a fire before, so you could say I wasn't completely unprepared for what happened next.

One evening, I went to check on the noise inside the room, and as soon as I opened the door, a thick plume of black smoke billowed out. The fire hadn't reached the second floor yet, but the flames from the first floor were climbing up fast, and I knew the smoke was a killer.

The maids had already made their escape. Living on the ground floor gave them an easy out, and I was honestly relieved they managed to alert me.

I had just seen them from the balcony, breathing a sigh of relief.

I quickly called Stella and then braced myself for the firefighters' arrival.

After stuffing the doors and windows with damp towels, I went to check on the kids. That's when I heard the fizzing sound of electrical wires burning through. Sparks flew, and my heart raced, feeling utterly powerless. Serena and Brandon could sense the danger too. They woke up, and although they didn't cry, they were clearly anxious, looking around with wide eyes.

Suddenly, it hit me—the attic had an emergency exit.

Without a second thought, I kicked open the room door. The smoke hadn't completely engulfed the area yet. With a child in each arm, my maternal instincts kicked into overdrive. I never knew I had this much strength, but I managed to climb up to the attic, effectively four stories high, with the fire still a bit behind.

Finding the attic's exit, I stepped onto what seemed like a balcony. Looking down, I spotted an area not yet touched by flames. If someone could prepare a cushion or hold out a blanket below, it might just work to drop my kids down safely.

Before the arrival of the firefighters, there was no safety air cushion available. Gasping for air and in just my pajamas, I didn't feel the cold.

I called Stella again, asking her to bring the biggest blanket she could find. She was already on her way, nearly in tears, “Okay, okay, I’m coming as fast as I can!”

“Alright.” I was surprisingly calm, knowing that any panic could spell disaster for the kids.

Jumping from the fourth floor wasn't an option for me—it would either kill me or leave me severely injured. But Serena and Brandon were light enough that, with someone to catch them, it might just be feasible.

Then, a car sped towards us. Was that Neil's car?

How did he get here before Stella and the firefighters?

I immediately called Neil, “Neil, get a blanket. I need to drop Serena and Brandon down to you. We can't wait any longer; the fire is getting too close to the attic!”

“Wait for me!” Neil didn't say anything more. He got out, pulled a blanket from his trunk, and with a few of the maids, held it taut, preparing for the catch.

But looking down from this height, I worried I couldn’t aim correctly, and even with the blanket, the kids could get hurt.

The lower I was, the safer it would be.

Ignoring protests, I dashed to the third floor with the kids, where the smoke was getting thicker but still manageable. Neil, from below, directed the maids to adjust their position, ready to catch the kids.

If this fire was going to claim me, so be it, but I had to ensure the kids survived.

“I’ve already been lucky once,” I thought to myself, considering my previous close call with death. “But now, it’s about getting back on track, even if it means facing death head-on.”

“Neil, you have to catch them!” I shouted down.