The curtain ripped open with a violent screech of metal rings, rattling the IV pole and making Emily flinch so hard her monitor spiked.
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Chapter 10 / 20
Chapter 10 - A New DawnThe sun was setting over the skyline, painting the clouds in brilliant shades of gold and violet as Emily and I stepped out onto the courthouse steps. The brisk autumn wind caught our hair, but neither of us shivered.
A reporter thrust a microphone toward us, asking, "Mrs. Bennett, what do you have to say to women trapped in abusive, controlling relationships who are afraid to speak out?"
I looked down at Emily, who squeezed my hand tightly, offering an encouraging smile. Then I looked straight into the camera lens.
"Don't wait for permission to save your children," I said, my voice steady and resolute. "And never let anyone convince you that your voice doesn't matter. The nightmare ends the moment you decide to fight back."
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Chapter 12 - The Healing Hands at Room 12Back at the private recovery wing of St. Jude Memorial Hospital, the morning sun poured through the large bay windows, casting warm golden patterns across Emily’s quilt. For the first time in her fifteen years of life, she woke up without a phantom knot of dread twisting in her stomach.
Chapter 13 - The Shadow Over WisconsinWithin two hours of Emily’s revelation, I stood in Special Agent Vance’s downtown field office, laying out a topographical map of northern Wisconsin across his mahogany desk.
Chapter 14 - The Countdown in the Timber Lodge"Everybody back! It's a dead-man's switch!" Agent Vance shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me violently backward toward the open doorway.
Chapter 15 - The Digital LabyrinthWith the thermite timer safely neutralized, the tactical team swept the remaining rooms of the cabin, securing the perimeter while Agent Vance and I approached the central server table.
Chapter 16 - The Conspiracy WidensI stared at the blinking cursor on the screen, the blood draining from my face. "He has an accomplice on the outside. Even inside a maximum-security prison, he’s still pulling the strings."
