Chapter 219: Terrifying Nightmare

It was late at night, and Melinda lay in bed, unable to sleep.

She tried to calm herself, but every time she closed her eyes, the events at the hospital and that terrifying dream played out in her mind like a movie.

In the dream, she and an older Sam were playing on the lawn when a woman with an indistinct face appeared.

The woman brought two little boys who looked exactly like Sam when he was younger and claimed they were all Raymond's children.

Melinda woke up drenched in sweat, gasping for air. She turned to look at Raymond, who was sleeping soundly beside her, and felt an inexplicable fear.

She was terrified that the dream might become reality and even more afraid of losing Raymond and Sam. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

Raymond woke up to her cries, sat up, and held Melinda in his arms, asking gently, "Hey, what's wrong? Bad dream?"

Melinda nodded and told him about the dream.

Raymond frowned slightly and said in a serious tone, "Don't worry, I'll figure out what's going on and make sure nothing like that happens."

Melinda felt a bit more at ease.

She hugged Raymond tightly and said, "Raymond, you have to protect our children. Don't let anything happen to them!"

Raymond nodded and squeezed her hand firmly, saying, "I promise."

They held each other tightly, finding comfort in their words as they endured the long night.

The next morning, Raymond took Sam to preschool as usual.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen and saw it was Dennis calling.

"Hey, Dennis, what's up so early?" Raymond answered, his tone serious.

"Did you go to the hospital last night?" Dennis's voice was urgent and concerned. "What happened there? I heard there was an explosion."

"You heard about it too?" Raymond frowned slightly.

"I just saw the news this morning. They said there was an explosion at your hospital. No one was hurt, right?" Dennis asked lazily.

"Yeah, don't worry. The police are already investigating," Raymond replied calmly.

Dennis paused for a moment. "You should be careful too."

He hung up the phone.

Dennis sat by the floor-to-ceiling window of his mansion, playing with the family heirloom he had recovered, his eyes vacant.

Despite being hungover, his mind was unusually clear.

Outside, the sunlight was perfect, casting a warm glow on him. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly, and Claire's image popped into his mind. From her initial indifference to her later liveliness, every expression was etched in his heart.

Realizing this, he opened his eyes abruptly, a hint of panic flashing through them.

Dennis had never thought he could develop such deep feelings for a woman, especially one who had lost the family heirloom, Claire.

At that moment, he felt an overwhelming emptiness and loss, understanding that he

had lost something far more important than the heirloom.

It was his deep love for Claire.

He didn't know how to win back Claire's heart.

Meanwhile, Claire was also tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

Her mind was filled with conflict and confusion.

Although the family heirloom had been returned to Dennis, she felt as if she had lost something important.

Thinking about John getting hurt sent a chill through her, making her feel she should no longer have any entanglements with Dennis.

At 6 a.m., as the sky began to lighten, Dennis drove his SUV to the Murphy residence.

He was desperate to see Claire and talk to her.

He called Claire's phone, but it was turned off.

He rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

In his anxiety, he looked around and noticed the wall wasn't very high. He crouched down and quickly climbed over it.

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He made his way to the second-floor balcony and into the study, startling the Murphy family's cat, which yowled in fright.

After some effort, Dennis guessed Claire's room was on the third floor.

He took a deep breath and gently knocked on one of the doors.

Inside, Claire was sleeping soundly. Hearing the knock, she mumbled, "Mom, let me sleep a bit longer."

She turned over, but the knocking continued, growing more insistent.

Claire finally woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she went to open the door.

When she saw Dennis standing there, she was startled. "How did you get in here?"

Seeing her frightened expression, Dennis felt a pang of guilt. He quickly explained, "Don't worry, no one saw me. I just really wanted to see you and talk."

Claire calmed down a bit and demanded, "There's nothing to talk about. We agreed that once I returned the heirloom, our deal was over."

Dennis scratched his head awkwardly. "That's not what I meant. I went through all this trouble to get in here, and we haven't even talked properly."

Claire's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? This is the third floor!"

Just then, they heard a car engine outside.

Claire's heart skipped a beat. "My mom's back!"

She hurriedly pushed Dennis into the closet. "Hide in there! Don't let my mom see you!"

Seeing her panic, Dennis felt helpless.

He didn't want to hide in the closet, but to avoid causing Claire trouble, he reluctantly squeezed inside.

Claire quickly closed the closet door and rushed to tidy up her bed and pillows.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

At that moment, the door burst open, and Sabrina stormed in.

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Seeing Claire in her camisole with one strap slipping off and her hair a mess, she was furious. She poked Claire's forehead. "Claire, look at yourself! What a mess!"

Claire was startled by Sabrina's sudden arrival. She instinctively pulled her camisole up and stood there awkwardly, forcing a smile. "Mom, what are you doing here?" "Why are you still in bed?" Sabrina's voice rose.

She glared at Claire, her tone full of anger and disappointment. "John got beaten up,

and you took him to see Dennis, pretending he's your boyfriend? Claire, how could you be so irresponsible!"

Hearing this, Claire's heart sank. She glanced nervously at the closet, fearing Dennis might suddenly come out.

She swallowed hard and tried to explain, "Mom, let me explain..."

"Explain what? The facts are clear. What more is there to say?" Sabrina interrupted, pointing at her. "Claire, if anything happens to John, I won't forgive you! You better find

a proper boyfriend and stop causing trouble!"

With that, Sabrina turned and left.

Claire watched her leave, feeling conflicted.

She knew she had gone too far this time, but she had only wanted to free herself from

his entanglement.

She sighed and was about to close the door when she heard a soft noise from the

closet.

Startled, she turned around to see Dennis stepping out, looking aggrieved.

"You need to leave now!" Claire said anxiously.

Dennis looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of frustration and determination. "Claire,

I can't just leave like this. We need to talk."

Claire shook her head, her voice trembling. "There's nothing left to say, Dennis. Please, just go."

Dennis took a step closer, his voice softening. "I know I messed up, but I care about you. Can't we at least try to work things out?"

Claire's resolve wavered for a moment, but she quickly steeled herself. "Dennis, it's too late. My mom's right. I need to move on and so do you."

Dennis sighed, realizing he wasn't going to change her mind. "Alright, I'll go. But if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

With that, he turned and quietly slipped out of the room, leaving Claire standing there, her heart heavy with regret and uncertainty.