Chapter 425 - Evil Thoughts
Tristan didn't know what to do. His mind was clouded by his concern for Zhen-Zhen. He couldn't think clearly. He just wanted to go to her and see if she was just fine.
No matter how hard he tried, there's no way he could go back inside the restaurant as the panicking crowd was still rushing out of the entrance door.
Tristan swept his eyes among the people going out of the restaurant, hoping that he would see Zhen-Zhen with them. But to his disappointment, there's no sign of Zhen-Zhen.
The fire was going bigger at the passing time. It was spreading very fast. Everyone could see the thick smoke and the raging fire. It did not take long when they heard the siren of the ambulance and fire trucks.
The firemen and responders already arrived. They immediately secured the crowd away from the burning restaurant. They cordoned the area. It was very chaotic outside.
Tristan decided to approach the firemen to ask for their help to search for his wife. The police and other responders were preventing the other people to get closer to the building.
Tristan was not the only one who thought of asking for their immediate response. There were also others who start bugging the firefighters.
"Officers, please my daughter. I think she is still inside the building! She went to the comfort room before the fire broke out!" One man desperately pleading them to take action
Tristan recognized him as one of the investors. Then another group of people approached the firefighters.
"Our friend, Hannah! She also went to the comfort room. She is still inside. Please rescue her, Officer!" the one who spoke was one of the fellow painters of Hannah.
"The kitchen where the fire started is near the comfort room! What if they were trapped inside!" Another Hanna's fellow artist blurted out to them as she began to panic at that thought.
"Ma'am, sir, please calm down. Don't worry we will do our best to rescue them. Just move aside. You are just delaying us from saving those people," The officers responded to them.
"Officers! Please save them fast. My wife is also there inside!" Tristan also said to them in his worried tone. He was terrified right now. He didn't know what he would do if something bad would happen to his wife.
The firefighter just nodded at him. Others were already working on distinguishing the fire and other rescuers entered the building with their fire protective gear.
Tristan was very anxious and nervous right now, walking back and forth while looking at the entrance door of the burning restaurant. He had the urge to run inside but the police won't allow them to get closer.
All he could do now was wait and pray for Zhen-Zhen's safety. He was still in that frightened state when one of Hannah's colleagues approached Tristan. She recognized him as Hannah's friend.
"Mr. Tristan Davis, is that you?" The woman asked him.
Tristan paused for a moment and glanced at her. There was a look of confusion in his hazel eyes as he didn't know her.
"Yes, how do you know me?"
"I'm Hannah's friend. I am also an artist just like her. I know she's your friend, right? Hannah is also there right now, inside the restaurant. She has not gotten out yet!" Hannah's colleague informed Tristan worriedly.
Tristan was taken aback for a moment when he heard that.
'What? Hannah is also there. Her life is also in danger.' Tristan became more anxious after hearing that.
His wife and his brother's fiancee who was also his childhood friend were both inside the burning restaurant!
Meanwhile, inside the lady's comfort room, there were three ladies who were still inside. They were Zhen-Zhen, Hannah, and the teenager who was the daughter of the investor.
When the fire alarm buzzed, Zhen-Zhen and the girl were inside the cubicles while Hannah had done retouching her makeup.
Hannah immediately ran out after she heard the alarm. She was about to go to the exit when suddenly an evil thought popped up in her mind.
She didn't know why but her hatred towards Zhen-Zhen clouded her rationality as if she was possessed by an evil spirit at that certain moment.
Instead of running out of that restaurant, she halted on her step and glanced at the door of the Ladies Comfort Room.
She immediately thought of a way on how she would lock the door from the outside, trapping Zhen-Zhen inside the comfort room.
Hannah didn't waste more time as she went inside the nearby storage room. She saw a rope.
After getting the things she needed, she tied the rope on the door handle and tied it again to the metal locker near the comfort room.
With this, the person inside the comfort room would have difficulty pulling the door when opening it since the door handle outside was already tied in the heavy metal locker.
A normal person would just be able to leave the CR if the rope would break outside or if he or she had enough strength to pull the door.
Otherwise, the person inside would be trapped there while the fire would spread all over the building.
Hannah's hatred and bitterness caused her to do these things, not caring whether someone would die or not. She just wanted Zhen-Zhen to disappear from her life and from Tristan's life.
Because of Hannah's action, she was also delayed. She was not able to leave the restaurant to save herself since she's busy scheming against Zhen-Zhen.
When she realized it, the fire already spread fast thus blocking her way. It was too late.
Zhen-Zhen, on the other hand, got out of the cubicle when she heard someone screaming for help.
She saw the teenager trying to open the door while shouting for help in her foreign language.
"Help! Somebody, help! Please open the door! We are still here! There are people inside!" She tried pulling the door but it didn't move even an inch.