Chapter 168: Sophie Again

Giselle was on the brink of collapsing from hunger as she frantically pounded on the door, only to be met with eerie silence. “Save your strength, sis,” Nathan rasped from the bed. “As long as my brother’s around, she wouldn't dare let us starve to death.” Exhausted and taking note of Nathan's rare show of sense, Giselle reluctantly sat back down. But just as she settled, a distinct smell of smoke seeped through the cracks. “Smoke? Why is there smoke?” Giselle was instantly on alert. Nathan snapped to attention, spotting the wisps curling through the door gap. “This is bad—someone’s set a fire. Quick, wet the gauze!” Giselle, ever the quick thinker with her fire safety training, drenched the gauze, fastening a piece over her nose and mouth like a makeshift mask and quickly did the same for Nathan. Within moments, the basement was choked with thick, acrid smoke, visibility dwindling rapidly. Panic set in for Giselle. The gauze was a poor shield against the ever-rising heat of t