Chapter 19
Panic flared in Hannah's chest as she stood up from her porch chair, looking out toward the ocean bay.
A large black yacht with tinted windows was slowly anchoring just two hundred yards off her private beach.
She ran inside the house, locking the back sliding glass doors and pulling down the window shades.
"Lily! Pack your backpack right now!" Hannah shouted, rushing up the stairs to her daughter's room.
"Are we going on a trip, Mommy?" Lily asked, looking confused as she grabbed her stuffed bear.
"Yes, my love, a quick trip," Hannah said, trying desperately to keep her voice calm and steady.
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Downstairs, the heavy sound of footsteps echoed across the wooden front porch.
A sharp, rhythmic knock sounded at the front door—three slow, deliberate thuds that shook the glass.
