Chapter 71
“Fire!” Somebody screamed, sending the entire company into chaos as people rushed to escape the building.
The elevators were not an option. As they hurried down the stairs, they soon realized the fire had reached the fourth floor. Thick smoke filled the stairwell, obscuring their vision and making it difficult to breathe.
Forced to retreat, they returned to their office on the eighth floor, gasping for air.
Meanwhile, Pearl didn’t join the frantic rush downstairs. When she turned around, she found Richard behind her, holding two
wet towels.
“Use this so you won’t inhale the smoke.”
Pearl then dialed 911 and raised her voice to address the anxious crowd, “Calm down. Panicking won’t help. Anyway, we may be in danger, so listen to me if you don’t want to die.”
Despite their fear, everyone looked to Pearl for guidance.
“Grab some towels or clothes, wet them, and cover your mouths and noses. Drench your clothes as well to protect against burns and to keep cool. We’ll line up and descend the stairs in an orderly manner. Don’t huddle together. If the fire becomes too strong, we’ll stop and consider other options.”
After that, everyone followed Pearl’s instructions and started going downstairs.
They were almost out safely, but a scared young woman at the back dropped her handkerchief when the fire got bigger. In an instant, she breathed in a lot of smoke, started coughing hard, and her eyes rolled back
Frowning, Pearl gave her towel to that woman.
“Thank you, Miss Pearl. But what about you?” The woman covered her nose and mouth, expressing gratitude and concern when she saw Pearl using her hand to shield her face.
“It’s alright. I’m strong, and I can hold on.”
Though she said this, Pearl felt something unusual in her throat, as if she was about to cough.
Seeing this, Richard handed her his towel. “Use mine.”
Shaking her head, Pearl tried to give it back. “It isn’t right. I don’t want to use something you’ve used.”
But Richard wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I won’t repeat myself.”
Reluctantly, Pearl accepted the towel. She smelled a faint scent of mint, much like his toothpaste. She wondered if this was an indirect kiss, but quickly dismissed such thoughts, knowing they were inappropriate given the circumstances.
Soon, she found him falling behind, and he was getting weaker.
“Richard, are you okay?”
Richard pinched her hand to signal that he was conscious but unable to speak. When he attempted to withdraw his hand, Pearl held onto IL
Pearl’s hand was small but wrapped securely around Richard’s larger hand, providing him with a comforting sense of security. “Don’t lag behind, Richard,” Pearl whispered.
Hand in hand, they slowly made their way out of the building using Pearl’s strategic approach.
The group managed to evacuate safely from the fire. However, the moment Richard stepped outside, he felt dizzy and collapsed onto a stone bench by the street
