In the back of the taxi, Cordelia's phone buzzed to life, revealing Ronan's name on the screen. She pressed the phone to her ear, her voice laced with urgency. "Hey, Ronan, where are you?"
He replied with a hint of nonchalance, "At school, looking for you. What's up?"
"I just left. Petra... she's on a ledge at Empower Tower, threatening to jump. You need to get over here, fast!" Cordelia's words tumbled out in a rush.
"Jump? As in... off a building?" Ronan's skeptical tone echoed through the speaker. "Is this for real?"
"Who jokes about their own life, Ronan?" Cordelia frowned, her mind racing. He clearly didn't know about the love letter scandal that had pushed Petra to this point. His casual demeanor grated on her nerves.
"Empower Tower, you said?" Ronan didn't push for details. He knew Cordelia had little faith in him at the moment.
"Yeah."
With the call ended, Cordelia urged the driver to step on it, her thoughts a whirlwind. Why would Petra choose Empower Tower of all places? It was a stroke of terrible luck, and the scandal was linked to Ronan, which indirectly tied Cordelia to the mess. If Petra actually jumped, would Cordelia's position at Empower Operations be jeopardized? How would Peter view her now?
Cordelia had always had reservations about Petra, and now they were magnified. She knew Petra was sensitive, and the public shame might have been too much to bear. Everyone was talking about Petra's crush on Ronan, which had been a secret until now. But despite Cordelia's personal feelings, she remembered the kindness Petra had shown her: Petra had been the one to introduce her to Birchwood College and had always been good to her.
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