chapter 78

A Week Later (Saturday)

For the past week, I hadn’t slept a wink. Wayne's threats echoed in my mind as I stared at the piece of paper he'd given me. *Protect your father. Ethan deserves it,* my conscience urged, but every time I considered betraying Ethan, a wave of heart-pounding fear would overwhelm me.

"Still having trouble sleeping?" Ethan asked, noticing my wide-open eyes as he moved closer, wrapping me in his arms.

"Is everything okay, darling?" Ethan's voice was soft and concerned, and I turned to him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"No!" I cried, staring into his eyes. He looked confused, but he pulled me into a tighter embrace.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, his voice filled with concern as he held me tenderly. "Talk to me, please." But what could I say? How could I tell him that in less than eight hours, I was leading him to his death?

"I just miss my father," I lied, sobbing louder into his chest.

"Is that all?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as