Chapter 802

Chris' hand holding the phone slowly dropped. His body suddenly seemed to have drained of strength. "Mom said... Dad... passed away." His mouth trembled as he spoke. Conrad seemed to have already guessed as much, and didn't look particularly shocked. The two men stood there in silence for a moment until Conrad finally spoke. "Let's go." I was drifting in and out of a confusing dream when Chris' call came through. The ringing of the phone jolted me out of it, but my voice was still weak and drowsy. "Hello..." "Maddie," he said my name in a trembling voice, then choked up. "What is it?" I was still half-asleep and felt disoriented. "It's my dad... he's gone." Chris' voice was low, but it echoed loudly in my ears. I snapped awake, and for an instant, time seemed to stand still. It was Zack who had taken my parents from me. But over the years, he had treated me like his own daughter, making it impossible for me to hate him. This bitter resentment had tormented me for a long tim