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Caraline hurried away without even looking at Deric. The first thing she had to do was to get away from him, then save her heart which was about to explode. Unfortunately, Deric's face and smile only imprisoned her further.

"I'm... completely... crazy," Caraline said as she tried to stabilize her breathing after half-running to her room. She wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. "What... has Deric done to me?"

Caraline closed her eyes as she squeezed the hem of her pajamas tightly. She threw herself up to sit on the edge of the bed, looking at the vanity mirror in front of her. Her cheeks still showed a blush.

The sun was returning to its resting place. The sky had already begun to be shrouded in darkness and was decorated with the moon and a sprinkling of stars. The wind blew through the slightly open balcony door. Caraline walked over to close it. However, her foot stepped outside when she saw Deric driving by in a wheelchair.

Caraline quickly crouched