Chapter 48 You Have To Help Me
That night, the usually serene town of Tofral was thrust into chaos. A flurry of urgent commands had every police station, fire department, and military unit scrambling into action, searching frantically for a missing child.
The sudden cacophony of sirens shattered the calm, sending waves of panic through the streets. Unaware of the true situation, the locals were gripped by fear, mistakenly believing that a dangerous criminal was on the loose.
In a contrasting quiet, Sylvia and Esme sought refuge in a secluded villa owned by the Mitchells, nestled on the outskirts of Tofral. The news of such a massive mobilization sent a shiver of dread through Sylvia.
Beside her, Esme’s complexion turned ghostly pale, her grip tightening around Sylvia’s hand, her voice trembling with anxiety. “How could things have spiraled out of control so quickly? Sylvia, is this boy connected to some powerful family?”
Struggling to mask her own alarm, Sylvia squeezed Esme’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Mitchell. Everything will turn out alright.”
“But… I don’t know… Sylvia, perhaps I should turn myself in…” Esme’s voice broke, laden with despair.
Sylvia’s response was swift and firm, her grip unyielding. “Mrs. Mitchell, think of what that would mean for Mr. Mitchell. If you step forward, it could bring the entire Mitchell family into this mess. We must consider every consequence carefully.”
The mention of her husband and the reputation of the Mitchell family seemed to
anchor Esme, her breathing slowly steadying.
Sylvia, seizing the moment of calm, went on, “You’ve already reached out to William, haven’t you? Let’s hold off on any decisions until he gets here, okay? Just take a deep breath. I’m right here with you. Let’s just try to keep cool for now.”
Esme, usually so resilient, seemed uncharacteristically vulnerable and fragile at that
moment, almost lost in her distress.
Her voice quivered slightly as she spoke. “Thank you, Sylvia. I’m so glad I bumped into
you…”
The air thickened with tension as William arrived. His presence was commanding, yet as his eyes locked on Sylvia, they frosted over, his concern palpable but laced with wariness. He questioned sharply, “What happened, Mom?”
Esme had been cryptic over the phone, only revealing that she had hit with something with her car, and then urgently summoned him to the villa.
Tears glistened in Esme’s eyes, a silent plea directed at Sylvia to share what she
couldn’t.
With a heavy sigh, Sylvia reluctantly began, “William, I was heading to Mrs. Mitchell’s since we were about to shop today when I saw her car smashed against a barrier. I rushed over and found a little boy on the ground. William, she’s injured too-her head’s badly hurt.”
William’s gaze swiftly shifted to Esme’s forehead, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the angry, swollen bruise. His voice dropped to a mix of concern and frustration as he asked, “And the boy? Was he taken to the hospital?”
“The boy…” Esme’s eyes flickered away, guilt shadowing her features; she seemed unable to speak.
A heavy silence fell before William’s expression darkened, a storm brewing as he turned back to Sylvia.
She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. “The place… it was deserted, no surveillance, no one to help… We…”
“You left him there?” William’s voice rose in a sudden crescendo of panic and urgency. “Mom!” he exclaimed, turning sharply to face Esme. His eyes, wide with disbelief, mirrored the turmoil churning within him.
“How could you just leave him there? Mom, we’re talking about a hit-and-run. That’s against the law!”
He stood there, his mind reeling, unable to fathom that Esme, whom he always thought of as rational and wise, could act so irrationally.
But there she was, her voice quivering with distress. “The boy was badly hurt… There
was so much blood… I think he’s…”
Her words trailed off into a choked sob, the gravity of the situation rendering her speechless.
Then, with sudden urgency, she stepped forward and grasped William’s hand, her eyes. glistening with unshed tears, pleading for understanding.
“William, I know this is my fault, but I was cornered, with no way out. If the police. arrest me, it will destroy your father too, demolish everything our family has worked so hard to build! William, our family has come too far to lose everything now. Please, you have to help me!”
