Chapter 13

"How long are you going to keep pretending?" Stanley completely lost control. He grabbed Tessa's shoulders and shook her violently. "Do you think you can get away from me just like this? Do you think dying will settle everything? "No freaking way. You owe me and Alexis! You haven't paid your dues! I won't let you die! Do you hear me?" He shook her like a madman, as if that could rouse her from her "sleep". But her body only swayed weakly with his movements, her head hanging limply to one side, lifeless. An overwhelming sense of powerlessness and a near-apocalyptic fear finally broke him. He stopped suddenly and staggered back two steps, shaking his head in disbelief. "No… it can't be…" he murmured, eyes vacant. "How could you… how dare you…" Just then, as if struck by an idea, his eyes reignited with a manic glint. "Right! Death-mimicking drug! You must have taken that, or used some kind of high-tech method! "It doesn't matter… I'll find a way to wake you up! There are so many pe