---- Chapter 10 Marcus sped towards the urgent care clinic Chloe had directed him to. A strange, inexplicable sense of unease gnawed at him, a premonition he couldn't shake. It had nothing to do with Chloe's supposed fall. He knew her dramatics. It was something else. Something about Ellie. Her quiet finality at the cemetery. Her unwavering insistence on this "wedding." He tried to dismiss it. She was being stubborn, trying to provoke him. He'd deal with Ellie later. Chloe needed him now. His phone buzzed. A text message. From Ellie. He glanced at it quickly. *Check the hall table. The debt is repaid. I'm gone. Don't look for me. Ellie.* *What debt? Gone where?* A wave of shock, then a cold dread, washed over him. He pulled over to the side of the road, his heart hammering. He fumbled for his phone, hands shaking slightly as he called her. Straight to voicemail. He tried again. Voicemail. ---- He called the house. Maria answered. "Maria, is Ellie there?" "No, Mr. Thorne. Miss Ellie left a couple of hours ago. With her suitcase." "Did she say where she was going?" "To the airport, sir. She had a cab pick her up." The airport. He remembered her flight. Today. Back to Florence. But the note... "the debt is repaid." What did that mean? He hung up, his mind racing. He arrived at the urgent care. Chloe was in an examination room, looking perfectly fine, if a little bored. A young doctor was just finishing up. "So, she just tripped on the rug?" Marcus asked, trying to keep the impatience from his voice. "That's what she said," the doctor replied, sounding unconvinced. "No visible injuries. No swelling, no bruising. We did an X-ray of her ankle just to be sure. All clear." Chloe pouted. "It really hurt, Marcus. | think | might have sprained it." The doctor raised an eyebrow. "There's no clinical indication of a sprain, Ms. Davenport." Marcus looked from Chloe's perfectly fine ankle to the doctor's skeptical face. A cold fury began to build inside him. Chloe sensed his shift in mood. "Marcus? Are you okay? You ---- look... angry." He didn't answer her. He was thinking about Ellie. Her quiet determination. Her packed suitcase. Her text message. *Gone.* He turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Chloe sputtering in the examination room. "Marcus! Where are you going? Wait for me!" He ignored her, got into his car, and sped back towards Prickly Pear Lane. The house felt empty, echoing. The invitation lay on the hall table. Ellie's neat handwriting on the back. He read the note. *Repaying the funds... bank transfer details...* He felt a sharp, physical pain in his chest. She was severing all ties. Paying him back for every penny. As if his care, his guardianship, could be reduced to a financial transaction. Maria appeared. "Mr. Thorne? Are you alright?" "Maria, when Ellie left... did she seem... upset?" Maria hesitated. "She seemed... tired, sir. And her ankle was bothering her. She said she twisted it walking back from the cemetery." "Walking back?" Marcus stared at her. "I left her there. | told her | had to go to Chloe." ---- Maria's face was carefully neutral. "Yes, sir. It's a very long walk. Especially in the heat." The pain in his chest intensified, morphing into a sickening guilt. He'd left her stranded. For Chloe. For a fake injury. Chloe arrived then, having taken a cab. She rushed in, feigning concern. "Marcus! What happened? Why did you leave me like that? Is everything okay?" She saw the note in his hand, the invitation. "Oh, is that from Ellie? Did she finally admit her little wedding story was a lie?" Her voice was laced with triumph. Marcus didn't speak. He just looked at her. Really looked at her. And for the first time, he saw the cold, calculating glint in her eyes, the subtle cruelty around her mouth that he had been so blind to. The resemblance to Ellie, the superficial one he'd subconsciously sought, now seemed like a grotesque mockery. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.