Chapter 9

• Jake****
• The sound of the intruder’s footsteps grew louder as I moved silently through the dimly lit corridor, the creak of the old floorboards under my boots sounding like an accusation in the silence. The weight of the gun in my hand seemed to grow heavier with each step, as though it were a physical embodiment of my growing unease. The mansion, once a sanctuary, now felt like a labyrinth—its halls closing in, suffocating me with the promise of danger.
• I could hear Belle’s soft breaths from the room behind me, a constant reminder of what I was fighting for, but also what I had to lose. Her fear seeped through the walls, a silent plea that pulled at something deep inside me. How had I let it get to this point? Could I truly protect her now, after everything I had done?