Chapter 78

How long had she been out? Stella felt like her eyelids weighed a ton. She struggled to force them open, and through the blur, a familiar face slowly came into focus—Charles. As her mind cleared, she instinctively backed away a little. "Why are you here?" She could've sworn, right before she passed out, she heard Thomas's voice. So why was Charles here when she woke up? "You fainted. Right before that, you were on the phone with Thomas." Right, she was. Thomas had said he found a way to help Old Mrs. Hart and would come pick her up immediately. She glanced down at her hand and saw an IV still hooked up. Her body still felt weak and drained. "Where's Thomas?" Her voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. Charles' face tightened. He sounded annoyed. "I told him you're fine and that he doesn't need to come." Stella nodded slightly, saying nothing more. She didn't want to argue with Charles anymore—she just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. "Thomas said he can help save Grandm