CHAPTER 1: THE CALL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Anna stared at the burning match trembling between her fingers.
One flick.
One second.
One act of revenge.
The Whitmore mansion would become a pile of ashes.
Then her phone vibrated.
ST. CATHERINE'S HOSPITAL
Her heart stopped.
She answered immediately.
"Mrs. Parker?" Dr. Reed's voice sounded breathless.
"Yes!"
"Your daughter just showed signs of brain activity."
The match slipped from Anna's fingers and died in the rain.
"What did you say?"
"She squeezed a nurse's hand. It's small, but it's something. We don't understand it yet."
Anna closed her eyes.
For the first time in twelve hours, she felt hope.
Then Dr. Reed continued.
"But that's not why I'm calling."
A cold chill ran through her body.
"We performed additional scans."
"And?"
"There are injuries on Emma's body that don't match what she described."
Anna frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"We found puncture marks."
"Puncture marks?"
"Someone injected her with something."
The world froze.
This wasn't just abuse.
Someone had tried to kill her.
Deliberately.
Anna turned slowly toward the mansion.
Through the giant windows she could see Carter Whitmore laughing with guests as though nothing had happened.
And suddenly she knew.
The beating had only been the beginning.
May you like
There was something much darker hiding inside that house.
Something worth murdering for.
:::
