Twisted Ties of Love (Izabella Salotti and Brett) novel Chapter 291

Niki hadn't come out all morning, and Izabella had forgotten about it. She forgot to have Tiara or Katie take it away. She was ready to die, but she didn't want Niki to die with her.

"Niki, be good…"

The cat was timid, and started panicking at the sign of danger, hearing Izabella calling her name from behind. It turned around, her blue eyes wide with fear. She quickly ran behind Izabella, timidly shrinking her neck as she looked towards the front door.

Outside, the flames were soaring. The door was cracked, smoke permeated in. Izabella’s throat became more and more scratchy, unable to suppress her coughs. As she coughed and retched, tears flowed from her reddened eyes.

Niki looked at her in confusion, sensing her pain. She licked Izabella’s fingers, then suddenly rushed towards the cracking door, scratching desperately at it with her claws.

As a timid little creature, Niki would always hide trembling behind her. But now she was rushing fearlessly towards the crumbling door, scratching at it while looking back at Izabella.

Izabella felt a pang in her heart. A bitter pain rose from inside her, her nerves were tense, her eyes brimming with tears.

Niki was trying to save her.

"Niki, don't…" Izabella's voice broke, a mouthful of blood choked out as a puff of thick smoke invaded her lungs.

Niki ran back to her side. She knew Izabella's leg was injured, so she didn't dare jump on her leg. She could only rub Izabella's hand comfortingly a couple of times. Then she decisively ran back to the door, scratching anxiously.

The wooden door creaked, on the brink of collapsing. The usually pampered little cat was tearing at the door relentlessly, her claws stained with blood.

"Niki, come here." Izabella, immobilized in her wheelchair, could only call out weakly. She looked at Niki's fluffy body, her vision getting blurrier, tears streaming down, mixing with the blood at the corner of her mouth.

"Meow…" Niki suddenly jumped back, the door collapsing with a loud bang, nearly crushing her.

Izabella's breath hitched in fear, outside the door a circle of fire, the heatwave overwhelming, almost scorching her skin.

Niki retreated in fear, it quickly ran towards Izabella, not seeking comfort but biting onto the blanket on Izabella's knee, trying to get her to follow it out.

Seeing Izabella not moving, Niki anxiously circled on the spot.

Izabella reached out and stroked Niki's head, her voice soft, "Niki, you should go, don't worry about me."

Seeing Izabella in pain, Niki whimpered, turned around and jumped through the ring of fire blocking the door, just when Izabella thought she was really going to escape, she jumped back in.

She wasn’t as smart as humans, she could only “teach” Izabella to survive in her own way, her fur catching fire. The little cat screamed in pain, writhing on the floor.

Izabella said, "You stupid cat...what are you doing? Why are you so foolish? I told you to leave, didn't you understand... Go... I don't need you to save me, nor to accompany me..." By the end, her speech was unintelligible, choked by sobs.

The place would explode and collapse soon, she couldn't let Niki die with her. Izabella crawled while pushing her wheelchair, she trembled as she climbed up the back and armrests of the chair, reached up to the window latch, and forcefully pushed it open. "Niki, come here, good boy, don’t move…" she cooed softly.

Niki tilted her head, hesitated for a moment, then walked over. Izabella carefully picked her up, cradling her hind legs and raised her up shakily. With her crippled fingers, even lifting the ten-month-old kitten exhausted all her strength, her fingers trembled and ached.

Once at the window gap, Niki looked outside as if understanding something. She tried to turn back with a 'meow', but Izabella was quicker, she forcefully threw her out and then shut the window abruptly. "Bang--"

There was a ledge outside, and it was the first floor, even if she fell, Niki wouldn't be hurt too badly. Watching Niki land safely outside the window, a faint smile finally appeared on Izabella's face.

Niki lifted her front paws onto the glass, she desperately scratched the glass trying to get Izabella out. The glass was unscathed, but her claws bled. After a while, she began to furiously ram the window with her body, trying to shatter the glass.

There were constant cries from the cat outside, Izabella leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, feeling the impacts from behind. She clenched her trembling hands, lowered her head to look at her twisted legs, and revealed a pale smile. She really didn't expect that at the moment of her death, a cat would accompany her, and do everything in its power to try to save her.

Niki knew who raised her, who treated her well, who her master was. And a master needed to be protected with one's life, even if her fur was burned, and her feet were bleeding, she wanted to protect Izabella! She had no strength left, her head was bleeding from the impact, she was panting heavily. Her body was perched on the outside windowsill, shaky and ready to fall at any moment.

That usually lively and cute tail was now covered in blood and dust, revealing the tailbone, weakly dragging behind. She stuck out its tongue to lick the glass, trying to be as close to Izabella as usual. Even though she was just within reach, she just couldn't reach her. Niki made a painful cry, tears welled up in its blue eyes. She cried…

"Enough…Niki…" Izabella dared not look back, she was afraid she would regret dying. Izabella's eyes were red as she watched the blazing flames on the opposite side, the smoke made her eyes ache. She resisted the urge to close her eyes, used her last bit of strength, supported herself with both hands to crawl and reach for her phone on the ground.

She dialed a familiar number, the call went through, the waiting tone began to countdown. This time, would Brett pick up? She still wanted to give him this engagement gift that he hadn't been able to forget… Whether it was the Izabella with amnesia or the Izabella who had regained her memories, she could never love him again. Their relationship was the most familiar yet strangest in the world, ex-husband and ex-wife.