Chapter 37

(Author's POV).

Mike’s footsteps echoed off the concrete walls of the office basement as he made his way to his car.

It had been a long, tense day, and all he wanted was to head home to Emily. The idea of seeing her brought a sense of calm he desperately needed after dealing with Ellen earlier.

He couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling Ellen left him with during their conversation—her persistence and the way she lingered in his mind were hard to ignore.

As he approached the dimly lit parking lot, something caught his attention. A group of employees, their laughter echoing in the underground space, stood huddled together near one of the cars.

He would have brushed it off as some late-night banter if it weren’t for the sudden, piercing sound of a woman’s scream.

“Help!” the voice called, trembling with fear.

Mike stopped in his tracks, his heart thudding in his chest. He turned his gaze toward the group, now clearly seeing a woman in the middle of the circle, struggling