#Chapter 278: Early Grave

A heavy silence descended upon the room, the words hanging like a heavy shroud, suffocating the air. “S-Stella…dead?” the words escaped my lips, and I clamped my mouth shut. Mia's hand flew to her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No, it can't be..." Timothy stammered, "What... what happened to her?" Kamran's expression was grave as he relayed the harrowing details. "The police found her by the hotel she was staying in. It appears she fell from the top story of the building." The words hung in the air, each syllable a heavy weight upon our souls. Stella's untimely death, the suddenness of it, felt unreal and surreal. "What? How could this happen?" I stammered, struggling to comprehend it all. Mia's cry pierced the heavy silence, giving way to unrestrained sobs. Kamran rushed to her side, enveloping her in a comforting embrace. Timothy and I sat in silence, not sure what to contribute. We’d just been prepared to take Stella down a minute ago, and have her brought to