Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 214: The Three Words

Chapter 214: The Three Words

Her thumb hovered anxiously over the screen, ready to press it as soon as her courage allowed. She felt her heartbeat roar in her ears, drowning out the whispers of the outside world. She held her breath, barely able to gather her thoughts. "Not now, nerves."

Just as she was about to make the call, her phone screen lit up. She froze, staring at Mason’s name glowing on the screen. Mason. She felt a rush of relief, and without a second thought, she answered, bringing the phone close to her ear.

Before she could speak, Mason’s voice cut through the line, panicked and worried. "Ellen? Ellen, are you okay? Are you safe?"

He voice trembled with panic, the calm demeanor he usually wore stripped away. Ellen steadied her voice, forcing calm into her words, though she could only manage a whisper. "Yeah," she whispered, glancing at the door as if Hans might somehow hear her even through the walls. "I’m okay." For now.

"Listen to me carefully," Mason continued, his voice shaking just enough for her to hear. "I just got the news—Hans... the bastard escaped from the facility." He drew a shaky breath, his words haunted by fear. "He hurt several people, Ellen. Stole a gun and a car. I should have known he might do something like that..."

Ellen swallowed hard, fear creeping through her veins as she whispered, "Mason... he’s already here." Her eyes flickered to the door, fear settling heavily in her chest. "He’s shooting at the security. I think... I think he’s looking for me."

A curse slipped from Mason’s mouth, something she rarely heard from him, but it somehow made her feel a bit safer, more connected to him even from miles away. "Ellen, hide yourself, okay? The police are on their way. Just stay calm, alright?" he said, doing his best to sound comforting. But she could sense the panic under his words, something he was failing to hide.

Just then, the gunshots outside stopped abruptly, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence after them. Ellen’s pulse raced as she strained to listen, wondering what had happened. Who had won? Had they finally managed to restrain Hans, or had something worse happened? She pulled the phone away from her ear for a second, her eyes wide with dread, trying to make sense of the quiet. Mason’s came through the line, sounding frantic and anxious, "Ellen! Ellen, are you still there?"

She quickly brought the phone back to her ear, her voice shaky. "I’m here, Mason. I—" She stopped, her heart nearly stopping as she heard another gunshot, this time much closer. Her stomach twisted. It sounded like it was coming from inside the house. Her mind went immediately to Vivi. She was alone in her room downstairs... did Hans find her?

"Oh my god," she breathed, panic tightening her chest. "Mason... I think he got inside. Vivi’s down there..."

"Ellen, listen to me," Mason’s voice trembled, barely keeping himself calm. "I need you to stay put and not come out, no matter what happens. Don’t play the hero and check on others. If you stick to that, I promise you’ll be fine. Deal?"

A hollow feeling settled in her chest, a cold, terrifying realization that Hans would stop at nothing until he found her. She pressed her hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to scream, her mind spinning with fear. In that moment, she knew she couldn’t leave things unsaid. If this was her last chance to tell Mason how she truly felt, she had to take it.

"Mason..." Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling as she forced herself to speak. "I love you."

There was a silence on the other end, Mason’s breath caught in his throat. "Ellen..."

She took a deep breath, feeling tears sting her eyes as she whispered, "I... I didn’t want to get married to you in the first place. I hate the idea more than you know. But you—" her voice wavered, a small smile breaking through her fear, "—you found a way into my heart. You always had a way of... of making me feel safe. Even now."

The line went quiet for a moment, as if Mason were trying to find the right words. "Ellen," he finally said. "Don’t... don’t talk like this, okay? Don’t say goodbye. I’m coming, I’ll be there. I just need you to wait for me. Just a little longer."

She bit her lip, trying to keep herself together as she heard footsteps echoing from downstairs. And then, just as she feared, she heard the creepy, mocking sound of Hans’s voice coming up the stairs.

"Yoo-hoo... Ellen! Are you hiding, my dear? Come on out, now..."

The sound made her heart skip, a chill running down her spine as his voice echoed through the empty house. He was taunting her, and she knew he was getting closer.

Ellen pressed the phone tighter to her ear, her voice barely a whisper. "I wish I could tell you this in person, Mason. I wish... I wish we had more time." She paused, fighting back a sob as she clung to the phone, to the one last lifeline she had. "But I don’t think that’s possible now."

"No," Mason’s voice was insistent, almost desperate. "Don’t say that, Ellen. You’re going to be fine. Do you hear me? I’m on my way. Just hang in there, stay hidden. Please, just stay safe. I can tell you’re dying to hear my answer, right? I..." His voice broke, and Ellen could feel his helplessness through the phone.

She took a deep breath, letting herself savor the sound of his voice, imagining his face, his smile, even the way he looked at her in those quiet moments they shared. She held onto that image so tightly it made her heart hurt. "I love you, Mason," she whispered, closing her eyes for a brief moment, holding onto those last words, the ones she needed him to hear.

With trembling fingers, Ellen ended the call, she didn’t want Mason to hear what might happen to her.