Twilight descended, and the world was soon swallowed by the night.Sherah caught a glimpse of two figures in the distance as she carried her things inside.The house was dark and eerily quiet, devoid of any warmth.A shadow on the couch made her jump, and she clutched her chest. "Oh, you're here."Radd's eyes were a murky pool of ice as he fixed his gaze on her."What's wrong?"Radd's voice came out rough. "Zander hasn't come back. Someone saw him heading up to the back mountain."Sherah's face went ghostly white.What on earth was Zander doing on the back mountain?That place was crawling with wolves in the winter.Sherah spun on her heel and bolted for the door. "I need to talk to the village chief!"Radd watched her go, making no move to stop her.The guards outside took one look at her frantic dash and nodded to each other, trailing behind her.Before long, the village's able-bodied folks had grabbed their flashlights and were off to the back hills, searching for the m
By the time Madeline reached Sherah's house, night had fallen like a thick curtain.Pregnant and uncomfortable, the journey by car was a series of stops and starts, each one adding to their delay.The heavy snowfall only made their travel slower.Stepping out of the car, she was greeted by Caleb's people."Mrs. Jeppesen's been worried sick since evening. Her son went up the mountain and hasn't been seen since. She pleaded with the village chief to organize a search party. She and her husband joined them too."The search party has been scouring the woods for what feels like forever, but Radd and Sherah are still nowhere to be found. With wolves lurking and a blanket of snow covering the ground, the search party had no choice but to head back home, empty-handed. "Madeline's heart raced with worry. "You don't think something bad happened, do you?"Caleb tried to soothe her fears. "I doubt it. They know this area like the back of their hand. They had each other too. They'll be fine
Madeline's sleep was restless, and in her dreams, she saw Bella once more.Bella was painting, but in a heartbeat, she was sprawled in a crimson tide.Madeline's eyes snapped open. Half-asleep, she could have sworn she heard Trevon's voice.She blinked, a wry smile flickering across her face.That was Sherah's family home. Trevon being there was impossible.With the baby growing inside her, nighttime bathroom trips had become the norm. Wide awake, she really could not ignore the voice.She nudged the bedroom door open and stopped dead—two figures stood in the hallway. It was Trevon."How did you get here?"The words tumbled out of Madeline's mouth before she could catch them, surprise etching her voice.Trevon turned, his mouth opening to reply, but Daniel cut in. "Mrs. Gibson, what brings you out here? We were heading to Willow Mountain, but this blizzard made the roads treacherous, and our car just gave up, so we had to hunker down somewhere."Trevon shot him a look and cla
Sherah came to her own house.Zander was ecstatic, rushing over to her. "Mom, you're here!"Sherah's head cleared in an instant as she clutched Zander's wrist. "Zander, Zander, you okay?""I'm fine," Zander reassured her. "Mom, where's dad? What happened on the back mountain yesterday? No one could find you guys."Sherah's face went pale, and she clutched Zander's hand with a sudden urgency.Just yesterday, they had tumbled off a cliff together, expecting the worst. However, by some miracle, a small ledge at the bottom had caught them.Radd had knocked his head during the fall and was knocked out cold. Sherah was shaken but unhurt, and it had taken all her strength to climb back up."Miss Madeline found you just in time yesterday and saved your life," Zander said, breaking the silence.Sherah blinked in surprise. "Miss Madeline was here?"Zander nodded and leaned in closer. "Mom, Miss Madeline seems really approachable. Maybe you should talk to her?"Sherah shook her head fir
Sherah trembled uncontrollably. "Ms. Sanders... You... You..."She could not finish her sentence before Caleb came in, handing Madeline a piece of paper. "Radd's account got a hefty deposit of four hundred and fifty dollars yesterday. Lydia's doing."Madeline glanced at the paper and then at Sherah. "Mrs. Jeppesen, isn't it clear to you now?"Sherah had heard about the money from Radd just yesterday, but it still hurt to hear it again.She bolted up from the bed and shoved Madeline toward the door. "Get out! Just go!"She did not care, pushing Madeline until they were both out the door.Madeline nearly tripped from the force, but Caleb was quick to steady her. The door slammed shut behind them.Madeline's face darkened. "Thought she'd come around, knowing Lydia's gunning for her."However, Sherah was biting down hard, not budging. Without her testimony, they did not have enough to nail Lydia.Caleb tried to calm her nerves. "No need to worry. She'll see reason eventually."Ma
Sherah's eyes fluttered open, her mind foggy, and she nearly jumped out of her skin at the shadow looming by her bed."Radd!" she gasped.As soon as she saw who it was, she scrambled under the bed, her eyes wide with terror at the sight of Radd. His head was bandaged in white, his face marred with cuts, and he was swaying slightly, clutching a half-empty bottle of booze.Radd's gaze was frosty as he glared at Sherah. "Why couldn't you just die quietly yesterday?" Sherah's voice trembled. "Radd, you can't do this... I'm Zander's mother. He'll never forgive you if you kill me—" Her plea was cut short by the wine bottle Radd hurled at her. It shattered with a loud crash right in front of her. Sherah let out a shriek, hurling anything she could grab at Radd while she dashed for the door. "Somebody help! Radd's gone mad! Zander!" She did not make it far before Radd yanked her back, unleashing a flurry of punches. "You coward, hitting me?! Running off and leaving me all alone! D
Madeline was in distress, her hand instinctively clutching her stomach. She knew she should not have come to Yates' home.Sherah, whether out of shock or a sense of betrayal, leaned silently against the wall.Madeline's voice was icy. "Radd, Zander, if you dare to kill Shenah today, you won't get away with it. Will you even be alive to spend that money you're talking about?"Radd took a gulp of his drink. "Once you're all dead, I'll spend the cash any way I please."Zander looked away silently.Madeline sneered, turning to Sherah. "This is the son you've been fiercely defending!"Sherah's face went pale, her silence unbroken, as tears streamed down her cheeks.Radd bellowed, "Enough talk! Don't get in the way of my payday!"With that, he lunged forward, knife in hand.Suddenly, a loud 'bang' echoed as the window shattered, and a fireball hurtled through the gap.More fireballs followed, strategically hitting the sofa and curtains, which burst into flames.Madeline, catching
The smoke was suffocating. Tears blurred Madeline's vision, and a cough escaped her, accidentally dialing Trevon's number. She held her breath, not hanging up. The phone rang insistently, a grim soundtrack to the chaos.Then, silence. No answer. A wry smile flickered across Madeline's face.Madeline was in a tough spot, staring down the barrel of disaster but still clinging to a sliver of hope. It was almost laughable.A stone's throw away, the Yates family was in the middle of a heated argument, but the thick smoke quickly overcame them, silencing their quarrels.Madeline tried to tell them, "Conserve your energy and duck down," but the words would not come out. If she dared to remove the damp cloth from her face, the smoke would send her into a coughing fit....It was pitch black outside, and only when the Yates family's house erupted in flames did the villagers notice the fire.By the time the crowd arrived, the blaze was raging."Get water, quick! Put it out!"Everyon