Chapter 544 Rescue From A Raging Inferno

Celine took the day off. She opened her closet and hummed to herself as she picked out which clothes to wear. She was in good spirits. The day was bright, and it would be a waste to spend it indoors. After considering her options for a moment, she decided to head for the mall to go shopping. After dressing up, she went out the door. She was turning the keys in the lock when someone called her name from behind. She looked back, unsuspecting. It was her last recollection, before everything went hazy until her senses faded to black. When she woke up, she found herself lying in a strange room. Holding her head, she looked around and took in her surroundings.

She was alone. There was nothing but empty space. At first, she felt relief flood her. She was unharmed and there was no guard outside the room, but her relief turned into alarm in no time, when she realized that she might not really be the target.

As she closed her eyes and struggled to think back on what happened during her blackout, some fragments returned to her. She remembered a distant voice mention Rachel when she was half-conscious. Her head snapped up when she pieced the puzzle together. She was just bait. The real target was Rachel.

......

The thick, billowing smoke took over the room quickly. Rachel felt her lungs protesting from the effort to breathe. She coughed incessantly. To make things worse, the denseness of the smoke made her eyes water and impaired her vision. She was like a blind woman, groping in the darkness.

Soon, she lost the use of her limbs. She couldn't breathe, and her consciousness was slipping from her. Before succumbing to the pull of darkness, she watched her surroundings dim with unseeing eyes as vague thoughts filled her mind and she wondered if it was her last moment in this world.

Meanwhile, tires screeched in the pavement as dozens of cars pulled over to an abrupt halt in front of the burning houses.

The sky was colored in a blinding orange as the flames devoured everything in its way. Grey, ash-filled smoke filled the air, and turned the atmosphere heavy.

Hiram jumped out the car, almost before it could stop completely, and headed straight into the burning flames. He only had one thing in mind - Rachel was inside. He could feel fear and desperation clawing at him, but before he reached the entrance, he was clasped by a pair of arms around his waist from behind.

"Please don't, Hiram! The firefighters are on their way! Calm down! You can't go inside. You'll burn yourself to death!" Chad shouted as he tried his best to restrain Hiram and pull him farther from the flames.

"Let go of me! Rachel's inside!" Hiram shouted, and then, in one strong motion, he shoved Chad away and broke free from his grip. His men had already begun to suppress the fire, and he grabbed a bucket of water and poured it over his head. Then, he went to the direction of the fire. Chad, knowing that he couldn't stop him, grabbed a sheet saturated with water and threw it over him and watched his figure disappear into the scorching flames.

At this moment, the entire row of houses was on fire, and no one knew which room Rachel was in.

Covered with the wet sheet, Hiram kicked one of the doors open, shouting Rachel's name.

"Rachel! Are you there?" Finding no one in the room, he kicked another door down.

"Where are you, Rachel?"

Hiram went on kicking one door after another, looking for Rachel desperately even as the smoke stung his eyes. He snapped his head around when he heard strong sounds. There was another figure in the smoke, kicking down other doors.

It was Marcus. Hiram didn't know how and since when he was here, but he had no time to think over it now. His only purpose was to find Rachel. Not

“Let's go and register our marriage on your birthday!”

Marrying Daniel should have been her best birthday gift, but everything was ruined the moment when she caught him sleeping with another woman on the day before her birthday.

“He’s going to marry that woman! She... was my best friend!"

ing over the lines in his forehead.

Hiram almost buckled from the force of his relief. He closed his eyes and sucked in his breath as Rachel ran her hand along his cheeks. His hands shook as she took them. She was awake, breathing, touching him. Then he held her tightly in his arms and gritted his teeth, "Why did you do that? Don't you remember that you have a family?

You're grounded from now on! I won't hear any complaints!"

Rachel felt her tears trickle down her cheeks, not entirely certain if they were caused by the smoke or by the thankfulness she felt from escaping a close call with death. "Sorry for making you worry. I'm so sorry! I panicked when I learned that they took Celine with them. I was so scared of what they would do to her because of me!" she started to explain.

"You were so stupid! I was scared to death! If something happened to you, what would I do? Tell me, how do you expect me to live without you?" Hiram spoke in an strained voice, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her for an answer. He had not yet forgiven himself when she was kidnapped by Zachary last time in the theater, and if she got hurt again, or if he lost her, he didn't know how he would have lived with himself.

"I'm sorry, honey! I'm sorry!"

Rachel apologized, her tears running down from her eyes.

The memory of the things that happened were returning to her, and just the mere thought of them struck terror in her heart. She had no time to think earlier. She was so scared that Celine would be hurt or even killed by Zachary in order to take his revenge, which was why she agreed without any second thought that she would not inform Hiram. Regret washed over her as she felt Hiram heaving for his breath. He must have suffered greatly just to save her. Despite what could have happened, her chest was filled with warmth as she looked into his eyes. Never in a thousand lifetimes could she imagine being with someone else.

"Hiram, I think you'd better let the doctors check your injuries now," Chad suggested softly from behind. He had just come back from their search. He was reluctant to disturb them, but he had to, seeing the burns on Hiram's skin.

His shoulders had been hit by bricks, and his clothes were torn in places, where red blisters showed.

Rachel also needed a checkup too. She had stayed too long a time in the fire.

Besides, there was another man who needed immediate attention.

Marcus Ren, the man who saved them, was seriously injured from the fire.