Return of the Crowned Heiress novel Chapter 253

The wind on the rooftop was fierce, howling past Carmen as she stood teetering on the edge.

Below, the woman who had attacked her earlier was pointing upward while gesturing wildly, her voice faintly audible even against the wind. Around her, a small crowd had gathered. Some laughed while others shook their heads, but they all watched with that morbid curiosity reserved for train wrecks and car crashes.

Carmen glanced down, her heart heavy with despair but tinged with something darker—resentment.

She thought about what their faces would look like after she jumped. Would they scream? Would they cry? Or would they feel that cold rush of guilt as they realized they'd pushed her this far?

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. The thought felt almost like revenge.

Closing her eyes, Carmen raised her arms, the wind tugging at her clothes. Then, she let herself fall forward.

"Gosh!"

"She's jumping!"

Screams and gasps erupted from the ground below as her body tipped over the edge.

For a brief moment, Carmen felt weightless—free.

Then, everything stopped.

Pain shot through her arm as her body jerked to a halt. She opened her eyes, confused, only to find herself hanging in mid-air. Her hand was gripped tightly by someone from behind.

"What—" Carmen's voice was hoarse, her mind reeling.

Looking up, she saw her savior—Felicia. Her face was pale but resolute, and her arm was stretched taut as she clung to Carmen with all her strength.

Blood dripped from a gash on Felicia's forearm where it had scraped against the coarse edge of the rooftop, but she was smiling. She looked relieved, almost triumphant.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

It wasn't a simple question. Felicia had risked her own life saving Carmen's. One wrong move, and she could've been pulled down too.

Felicia rotated her sore shoulder, inspecting the scrapes on her arm. They were nothing too serious; a good cleaning and some ointment would take care of them.

Hearing Carmen's question, she paused. She thought about it, "Maybe it was empathy. Maybe it was my own inability to stand by and watch someone suffer. Or maybe it was because I had seen Carmen die once before."

Felicia stood up and extended a hand toward Carmen, who was still sitting on the cold concrete. "Carmen, tell me—do you want to fight back? To use their own weapons against them?"

Carmen blinked, confused and bitterly amused. "What do you mean? I've tried everything. I went to the police; I tried to explain myself. I even went to the hospital and got proof—an official report showing I never did anything they accused me of. But none of it worked."

The rumors might shift, but they wouldn't stop.