Chapter 44

The van’s engine hummed loudly as they sped away from the house, its tires skimming over the wet pavement. Elena sat at the back, her eyes blank, staring out the window into the dark, rain-soaked streets. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, anger, betrayal, and a sharp, biting sorrow. Every time she tried to focus, Claire’s face swam back into her thoughts, her cold smile, the words that had made her blood run cold. “You thought I was dead.”