Chapter 26 Into The Fire

• Rain pelted the windows like the sky itself was mourning. Thunder cracked again, a violent echo that rumbled through the ancient bones of Grace’s estate. Emma sat motionless on the edge of the bed, the soft hum of the baby monitor her only anchor to the present. Olivia shifted in her sleep, and Noah gave a faint sigh—but it was the silence that unnerved her more.
• Lucas was still staring at the phone screen. His jaw was clenched, his knuckles white as he gripped the device like it was the only thing tethering him to reason. The video had stopped playing minutes ago, but the threat lingered like smoke in the air.
• “Who took this footage?” Emma finally asked, her voice hushed, raw. “Why would they have it? And why now?”