Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 616

Clara never pretended to be a saint. She took a long breath, steadying herself.

"When I get back to the Capital, I'll come back and handle everything at the rehab center. Trust me, Emily. There'll be a chance to get justice for your parents, but not now. Right now, we have to stay alive. That comes first, always."

Emily was curled into herself, sobbing so hard her body shook. "I always thought they just left me behind. They named me Pan-di-'Hope'-like they cared more about my brother. Maybe they just didn't love me enough. They left me here with Grandpa, like we were both forgotten."

Clara didn't know what to say. Everyone knew what a name like that meant for a girl.

Sure, her parents loved her brother more. But it's not like they didn't love her at all. Still, they were gone now, and nothing anyone said could change that.

"Come on. We need to go," Clara said quietly.

Emily nodded, biting her lip so hard it nearly bled. "Let's go. Let's just get out of here."

They'd barely made it halfway down the mountain when the Bolton family's house suddenly went up in flames, the fire raging brighter and brighter, lighting the whole sky as if it wanted to devour everything.

The people from the rehab center must have realized something was wrong and gone over to the Bolton estate-then set it on fire.

Clara squeezed Emily's hand tight. "Don't stop. Just keep moving."

Emily had lived in that house for over twenty years. She loved that place and loved her grandfather even more.

But now she could barely walk, stumbling every few steps, her whole body limp. Clara's patience snapped. She slapped Emily, hard.

"Get up and walk! If we stay here, we'll die too! I barely have any bullets left- don't let your grandfather's sacrifice mean nothing!"

words, she grabbed

stillness. Tears streaked her face, but her

"Clara, let's go."

This

the sounds of their pursuers getting closer with

Emily. "Can you swim? When I came into the village, I saw a river not far from here. It's rough, probably feeds into the main river toward the Capital. If we follow the current, maybe we

swim," Emily

they needed. They ran

storm had turned it into a

dove in first, letting the water pull

body was so cold she could barely move. Just when she thought she'd black out, she managed to drag both herself and Emily

sky was getting light. They were

she could spot

houses in the distance

collapsed beside her, barely

amazed at how much

nearby and borrowed a phone,

was in a meeting

her lips together and called

jumped out of his seat when her number flashed on the

his place Ryan didn't want him to know Clara had called. So Ryan pretended it was just

the car, he called back, panic in his voice. "Clara, what

mixed feelings about her little brother-she'd been disappointed in him so many times. But right now, he was the

send you my location. Just come