Chapter 232

Turns out Sakura got up in the middle of the night—she couldn't stop worrying about Stella and wanted to check in on her. She walked into the room and saw Stella still unconscious, lying there silently. A wave of unease crept into her heart. "You better be okay... or I'm seriously screwed," Sakura muttered under her breath, gently touching Stella's forehead to make sure she wasn't running a fever. In the shadows, the mysterious man held his breath, eyes fixed on Sakura. He sized up the situation, thinking to himself, "Great timing, huh. But maybe I can use her to clean up after me a bit." Sakura lingered by the bedside for a moment, checking for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing changed, she turned and headed for the door. But just as she reached it, the man lunged from his hiding spot and clamped a hand over her mouth. Sakura's eyes flew wide in shock as she kicked and struggled, but she was clearly outmatched. He dragged her into a corner, keeping his voice low. "Make a so