Chapter 42:

“What do you think you’re doing? Stop it! I’m calling the police!” Linsey’s frantic voice filled the room as she reached for her phone.

But the menacing figures paid no heed. Some continued to ransack the room while others advanced toward Kallie and Linsey, their intentions clear. Linsey screamed, grabbing Kallie’s arm, dragging her toward the back of the bookstore.

Both women knew the layout well, dodging through the maze of shelves. But their escape was cut short—there was only one exit, and it was blocked. No matter how they maneuvered, they were trapped.

“I’ll call my brother to get us out of here!” Linsey said urgently, guiding Kallie into a cramped nook beneath the staircase.

In the tight space, Linsey whispered, “These guys aren’t here to negotiate. The police won’t stop them in time.” She frantically called her brother, Ethan, while Kallie discreetly alerted the authorities through her phone.

Kallie’s heart raced, realizing this attack might be aimed at her, not Linsey. Maybe it was retribution from Stella, Yvette, or even Sarah. Had she inadvertently dragged Linsey into this danger?

The voices of their attackers echoed through the bookstore. “Those girls are hiding, but there’s no way out.”

finish this before

the acrid scent of gasoline filled the air. Panic gripped her, and she clutched Linsey’s hand just as

coughed violently, her eyes watering from the smoke.

only make things worse. The flames were no accident—this was a deliberate act of malice. Kallie felt the crushing weight of guilt. It wasn’t the Brooks family who had enemies—it was her. Her involvement with Stella, Yvette, and Sarah had put

window high above the back wall. With renewed urgency, she pulled Linsey toward it, gesturing

her voice trembling. “You’re thinner, and I can give you a

hoisted Linsey toward the window. This was her responsibility—she had brought this danger upon them. She couldn’t let

smoke thickened, making it impossible to speak. Kallie urged Linsey to hurry, silently pushing her toward the window with all

leave you!” Linsey’s voice cracked with emotion. “I’ll come back for

air feeding the flames behind them.

the emergency lock button five times, triggering an SOS. Her emergency contact was likely Jake,

a corner, overwhelmed by the smoke. Time felt agonizingly slow, each second an eternity. Suddenly, through the suffocating haze, a figure appeared, cutting

blaze was being brought under control. Linsey rushed toward Kallie,

Are you okay?

concern and relief. He had come for her. In the chaos, his presence

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