CHAPTER 115

I stumbled through the front door, my clothes clinging to her like a second skin, drenched from the torrential downpour. My hair hung in wet, tangled strands around my face, and my usually bright eyes were clouded with exhaustion and something else—something Aunt Lou recognized instantly as fear.

My aunt was a stout woman with a kind heart and a no-nonsense attitude. She was in her mid-fifties, with hair pulled back into a tight bun and a pair of spectacles perched on her nose. Tonight, however, her usual composure was shattered. She stood in the foyer, her face pale, her hands trembling as she clutched the edge of the table for support.

"Margarette! Oh, thank heavens you're home!" Aunt Lou's voice was a mixture of relief and panic. She hurried forward, wrapping me in a tight embrace despite the soaking wet clothes. "Where have you been? The police... they were here... I was so worried!"

My body trembled in my aunt's arms. Since I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and th