Reed City, at dusk.
The Third Mental Hospital in the outskirts was struck by a sudden fire. Under the influence of the autumn wind, the fire grew fiercer.
"She got away! She really got away!"
"Damn it, how did she escape? How are we going to explain this to Mr. Harold?"
"Forget about Mr. Harold! Maybe we should just say she's dead!"
In a dingy basement scattered with trash, there was only a palm-sized window and a shaky wooden bed that looked like it could collapse any moment.
Outside the basement, five or six people who looked like ward assistants were standing, babbling nervously and looking very embarrassed.
Finally, a middle-aged man, over fifty, covered his mouth and nose, peeked inside and said with a disgusted look: "Well, if she ran away, then let her run away. Mr. Harold hasn't even visited for two years. It's clear that he's forgotten about this lady."
The others fell silent, implicitly agreeing with this decision.
At that time, not far from the mental hospital, a black Maybach parked on the roadside. A man in a suit and tie stood outside the car, cigarette dangling from his mouth, occasionally glancing lazily at his wristwatch.
"Has she come out?"
"Mr. Justin, our person inside says she has escaped," said the assistant.
Just as the assistant's voice fell, a small, emaciated figure appeared at the end of the road, her clothes ragged and her hair unkempt.
"Mr. Justin, it's Miss Nicholas!" cried the assistant out of urgency.
"Pick her up!" The man frowned, took a look at the running figure in the distance and spat the cigarette onto the ground from the corner of his mouth.
The figure was getting closer, the man's eyebrows knitted tighter, and the assistant beside him couldn't help but mutter softly, "Mr. Justin, how did Miss Nicholas end up in such a state?"
"Shut up!” The man commanded harshly, grinding his teeth.
—"Felix Justin!”
The voice was soft, like a little kitten clawing at the tip of one's heart.
Felix quickly strode forward, and with his large hand, supported Jane Nicholas's arm.
Her arm was so thin that it barely filled his grip, as if with just a bit of force, her arm would break.
"Thank you."
Jane thanked him, her eyes turning red, subtly pulling her arm out of Felix's hand.
Jane hadn't anticipated that she would ever escape this ghostly place in this lifetime. Up until she saw Felix, she had always thought it was a trap.
Nevertheless, she thought there might be a trap, she still wanted to risk it.
"Get in the car."
Felix took a glance at Jane's clothes, took off his jacket and draped it over her.
Jane was still in a state of shock from her escape, and when the coat suddenly landed on her, she shuddered subconsciously.
Seeing this, Felix didn't say anything. His frown deepened a bit more, silently he opened the door to the back of the car, "Let's go. My mother must be anxiously waiting."
"Alright."
Jane responded softly, turned around, and got in the car.
From the moment she sat in the car, Jane had stopped speaking altogether, her entire being shrinking towards the window, as if trying to make her presence as small as possible.
Looking out the window at the towering buildings, not much different from before she went into the psychiatric hospital, the glaring sunlight stung her eyes, making her feel like crying.
About half an hour later, the Maybach stopped outside a villa. The assistant quickly got off the car and opened the door for Jane.
"Thank you."
Jane thanked softly, her lips curved up several times, as if she tried her best to squeeze out a smile, but ultimately failed.
"Miss Nicholas, you're too polite. It's all part of my duty." responded the assistant, who then pressed the doorbell for Jane.
The interaction between the two did not slip past Felix, who was observing from inside the car, his gaze deep.
A few seconds after the doorbell rang, a lavishly dressed middle-aged woman in a simple-colored clothing walked out.
The moment she saw Jane, her eyes welled up with tears and her voice trembled as she called out.
"Jane"
Upon hearing the voice, Jane stiffened, her eyes welled up with tears.