Chapter: 2239

His face contorted, his eyes widening. "D-d-d-dead?"

In disbelief, he nudged her with his foot. “Hey! Wake up! Don't play dead!"

His voice betrayed a trace of panic; beneath his harsh exterior, he lacked conviction. Upon seeing her mother motionless on the floor, Averie scrambled from the bed and shielded her mother with her body, bracing for her father's next move.

"Don't hit Mommy," Averie whimpered in a childlike tone.

Facing the stark reality of his wife's stillness, her father finally accepted the grim truth. He picked up Averie firmly and ordered, “Go outside."