Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 409

My shout drew the eyes of everyone in the room; they all turned to look at me.

But it was Logan who immediately sidled up to me, and with a surge of excitement I blurted out, "Clara!"

After finishing my words, I eagerly tapped open the chat on my phone, and to my delight, I discovered yet another GPS location.

Logan snatched the phone from my hand abruptly. Dalton leaned in too, and they both scrutinized the map, zooming in and out, muttering about the place in question.

After a thorough look, Dalton called over a lanky officer, who peered at the screen and then pointed in a certain direction. "Over there, Lavender Lane, number 35 Kingsley Towers. It's the one up on the slope. Hurry... follow me!"

At his shout, everyone sprang into action, bolting out the door.

I grabbed Hannah's arm and we started running to keep up. But I was too slow, way behind the pack as they vanished from sight. I was left frantic with worry.

The place looked so close, yet after dashing past two alleys with my heart pounding, I found myself gasping for breath, doubled over with my hand pressed to my chest.

Larkin appeared out of nowhere in front of me and Hannah, telling her, "Stay here, take care of her!"

Then he was gone, and Hannah looked at me, concern etched on her face. "Allie, are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and grabbed her hand. "Let's go... I'm fine!"

"We should just wait here. You're run down. Your wellbeing is the priority!" Hannah insisted, fully aware of my frail state.

Indeed, I had hit my limit today, never before had I been this non-stop on my feet. Still panting, I told Hannah, "Let's go. I want to see her as soon as possible!"

With a resigned sigh, Hannah squatted down in front of me and said, "Allie, hop on!"

I froze, shocked, taking a couple of steps back.

"Come on, if you want to get there fast, get on, now!" she urged.

"No... don't, I can make it. Let's go!" I protested, trying to walk away.

But Hannah yanked my arm, and with a lift and a hoist, I was on her back before I could struggle. With another bounce, I was suddenly much higher off the ground, and in the next second, her hands were gripping my legs as she took off running, swift and sure-footed.

All day, I had been holding back my emotions, but now, I couldn't keep them in any longer, and tears started streaming down my face.

What had I done to deserve such kindness from Hannah? I despised myself for being so weak and helpless. I remembered how, when Addrion and I first started our business, I could run around for days on end without feeling tired, but now...

Hannah, seemingly picking up on my fluctuating mood, consoled me in an upbeat tone, "Allie, you're as light as a feather. You seriously need to improve your diet!" With that, she picked up the pace even more her sense of direction impeccable, quickly leading us to the pinpointed location.

I tapped Hannah's shoulder, signaling her to let me down. Without even a chance to thank her, I scanned the surroundings.

We were indeed on a gentle slope, facing a row of dilapidated buildings.

Logan and the others were nowhere in sight; they must have gone inside already. But undercover police were scattered around all the corners.

The buildings here were especially run-down, with number 35 Kingsley Towers, looking the oldest and most decrepit of them all, oozing with grime and a strong musty smell. The stairways and corridors were all outside.

I didn't know what awaited inside, but from the outside, each window glowed with light, indicating occupancy. I tugged at Hannah, urging her to go inside with me.

Inside was even darker and damper, filthy everywhere, with an assortment of strange odors.

I had heard that the Eastgate District was slated for redevelopment by the government, but negotiations with the stubborn residents had been fruitless, their demands for compensation astronomically high. After multiple failed talks, the project was put on hold, leaving the area as a persistent headache for the government and a source of misery for the public.

Due to its state of disrepair, all sorts of shady characters had taken up residence, making it a notoriously troubled spot in Goldenvale Town.

We reached the third floor and found Logan and the others confronting an elderly lady, who with a look of sheer drama, pointed down the corridor and said, "I saw it last night, deep into the evening. It was those two apartments, but I can't be certain which one!"