Chapter 6 - The Explosion That Wasn'tWe waited for the blast. Every second dragged like an eternity, my eyes locked on the dark windows of our master bedroom where Adrian was supposed to be sleeping.
5:32 AM. 5:33 AM. 5:34 AM.
Any second now, I thought, pulling Lily tighter against my chest, shielding her ears with my hands. The gas line will ignite, and everything we built will turn to ash.
Instead, the front door clicked open again.
The man in the trench coat walked out, carrying the exact same heavy black duffel bag Lily had described. But behind him walked Adrian—dressed sharply in an expensive tailored suit, looking calm, collected, and completely dry, as if he hadn't spent the night plotting murder.
They loaded the bag into the trunk of the black sedan with chilling efficiency.
Then, Adrian paused. He turned his head slowly, his eyes scanning the quiet, rain-slicked street. For one terrifying second, his gaze locked directly onto the boxwood hedge where Lily and I were hiding.
My heart stopped. Did he see us?
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A slow, sickening smile spread across his lips. He raised a hand and gave a small, mocking wave toward the empty driveway—acknowledging an audience that wasn't supposed to be there, or perhaps knowing all along that we had escaped his trap.
The sedan’s engine purred to life, and the car glided down the street, melting away into the morning fog before the first sirens could even begin to wail in the distance.
