Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 417

Honestly, her ordeal was way worse than what I went through. It scared the daylights out of me just hearing about it.

"What did they say?" Hannah pressed, leaning forward, her blue eyes wide with curiosity.

"They said they couldn't stick around, that the police would arrive soon; the news was out. And their boss' plan was to make a big move! Another guy asked, 'How?"" Catherine recounted vividly. Logan watched Catherine recount every detail, his expression morphing into a grimace with each word.

I knew Logan was hurting more than he let on.

Catherine went on, "One of the guys went, 'Boss says to make it a big deal, the bigger the better. Don't worry about the fallout.' Then they put their heads together and decided to kill a couple of officers-said that would really shake things up. After they had it all planned out, one of them got their hands on some dynamite and rigged it to the door. They said as soon as anyone opened the door-boom!" "How did they get out then?" Hannah asked, skepticism lacing her voice.

"That dump had a bathroom with a window. After setting up the dynamite, they squeezed out through that," Logan chimed in, taking over for Catherine. "We checked it out when we got there, there was a rope still hanging from the window."

"So, you hid under the bed?" I asked Catherine, my heart aching as I reached out and took her hand.

"They tied me up, gagged me, and took off. I couldn't even get off the bed if I tried." Catherine's voice wavered, and her eyes welled up. Tough as she acted, she was still delicate at heart.

I patted her hand gently, and she sniffled before continuing, "I was pretty much in despair, but I thought, 'I can't just give up. I can't die like this."""

She stole a glance at Logan, who was hanging on her every word, and quickly looked away, a shy smile touching her lips.

"I knew staying in bed was a death sentence. So, I mustered all my strength, shut my eyes, and rolled off. I hit the ground so hard that I blacked out."

Catherine's confession hit me hard. Her head wound had been severe.

She paused, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening them again. "When I woke up, it was dark again. I dragged myself under the bed, and soon I heard voices outside. I tried to shout, but couldn't make a sound. My head was spinning, and I was too weak to move. I banged the floor with my tied-up feet, trying to warn them not to come closer. Then I thought, 'No, if they hear me, they'll open the door.' So I stopped, hoping they'd just leave. I was wrong. I heard someone yell, 'Spread out, there's a bomb, run!' Then the explosion... and that's the last thing I remember."

"Man, that was close!" I exclaimed. "Next time, don't do anything reckless. That's what Logan's trying to say!"

Catherine looked at me and asked, "How did you guys know something happened to me?"

"It was all Aaliyah," Hannah interjected. "She was the first to sense something was off. Called your cell, got no answer, and knew something was up. She went to Logan, and they decided to bolt back to Goldenvale Town to find you."

"My phone's probably still in the car," Catherine mused.

"In the car?" Hannah snorted. "Guess where your car is now?"

Catherine turned to Hannah, "Where's my car?"

Silence hung in the air until Catherine looked at Logan. "You didn't find my car?"

"Your car's totaled," Logan said bluntly.

"Totaled?" Catherine's eyes went wide. "What do you mean... totaled?"

"Yes! Completely totaled, beyond repair," Logan confirmed, delivering the blow. "It's turned into a big toy, a model!"

"How could it be totaled? That was my brand-new baby, not even two months old!" She was frantic, sitting up suddenly, then clutching her head and nearly passing out from the pain.

Logan was up in an instant, holding her gently back down. "Easy there, Cathy. Don't get worked up over a piece of metal. You're the role model of Goldenvale Town, a real tough cookie." Catherine looked at me weakly, "Allie, is that true?"