Seventy one

Belle's POV

“Fuck! I can’t believe that entering my own house would turn out to be this hard.” I muttered to myself as I stood at the entrance of the house, my hand hovering over the door handle.

My stomach churned with unease, a sick feeling that gnawed at me from the inside. Anxiety twisted tightly in my chest, making it hard to breathe. It felt like everything had come to this moment, and I had no idea what awaited me on the other side of the door.

My fingers fidgeted nervously against the cold metal handle, my pulse quickening with every second that I hesitated.

What am I going to find there? I wondered, biting down on my lip as I fought the urge to turn and leave. But I couldn’t. I had to face this.

Taking in a deep breath, I steeled myself and finally pushed open the door.

The house was eerily quiet, and that silence immediately unsettled me. My eyes swept the hallway, then the living room beyond. Nothing. No one. I stepped further inside, my footsteps echoing through the sti