Chapter 258 End Up Like This

Early fall had settled in, and the weather in Norton had started to cool. A cold front had swept through in the past couple of days, sending temperatures tumbling below 40s. The woman sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window wore a cream-colored sweater with a light blue trench coat draped over her shoulders. Dappled sunlight filtered in through the branches outside, casting a soft shadow across her figure. She looked serenely beautiful in that afternoon glow, but when she glanced at Zia, her gaze was slightly unfocused, and her face carried an unmistakable pallor. Zia was usually a chatterbox, but around Elaine, she was always extra careful. When she was first hired, she had already heard the story of how Elaine had nearly drowned in the ocean two years ago. And back then, one of the helpers at her place had failed to keep proper watch over her, which was part of the reason things went so wrong. So now, Zia treaded lightly, terrified of upsetting Elaine even slightly. She hadn't c