CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: A Foreshadowing of What's to Come

I can’t run fast enough to hide, not with my injuries slowing me down. Besides, hiding may force them to investigate who’s eavesdropping on them, and I don’t want anyone innocent to be blamed for my actions. I need another plan, a way to outsmart them and to not be suspected.

I hiss in pain as I kneel down on the cold tiled floor, alert to any sound or movement. Every soft thud on the room’s carpet amplifies, echoing like thunder in my ears. My fingers tremble in pain and anxiety as I carefully gather the shattered remnants of the Chinese vase.

Then, as if on cue, the door in front me creaks open. I hold my breath, my muscles tensing as figures emerge into the hallway. The first to step through is Dwight, his imposing figure casting a long shadow across the floor.

“Dwight! Thank goodness, you’re here,” I say, pretending to be surprised and relieved. “I thought I was brought to somewhere where I can’t find anyone I know.”

Dwight’s eyebrows flick as his eyes land on me. He quickly