Chapter 65

• The next few days dragged on interminably for Charlotte, each hour stretching into an eternity filled with anxiety and dread. She awoke each morning with a sense of foreboding that clung to her like a second skin. The note—a mere sheet of paper with a chilling command—played on repeat in her mind, its ghostly presence suffocating all other thoughts. Every glance at her phone, every rustle outside her apartment, sent her heart racing. How could she possibly move forward without considering the lives that her own decisions could unravel?
• Over the weekend that followed, Charlotte found herself avoiding places she knew Damien frequented. She cancelled their regular meet-ups under the guise of a sudden illness. When Janine called, asking if she could swing by to check in, Charlotte quickly concocted an excuse about a bad cold. She could almost see the concern etched on Janine’s face through the screen, that familiar mix of worry and annoyance, but Charlotte couldn’t afford to think about that. The stakes were too high.
• Charlotte put distance not only between herself and Damien but also between herself and their shared memories—the laughter, the warmth, the mundane touches, now tainted by the darkness of the note. She refrained from scrolling through social media to avoid reminders of him, studying Leo instead, who remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil engulfing his mother.