Chapter 21 - A Cold Warning Left On Our New Doorstep
It was a quiet autumn evening as I sat on our cottage porch watching the sun dip into the ocean. The coastal wind rattled the wind chimes softly, creating a peaceful melody that filled the evening air.
I walked down the wooden steps to retrieve the mail from the roadside box resting by our picket fence. Inside was a single, plain white envelope bearing no return address and a local postmark stamp.
I opened the flap cautiously with my car key, sliding out a folded piece of thick, expensive stationery. Written across the paper in sharp, familiar handwriting were chilling words that made my blood run cold:
“You think you escaped the family debt, but bloodlines always find a way home.”
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I stared at the note, my heart hammering against my ribs as I looked out toward the dark highway. Before I could turn back toward the house, my cell phone rang with an unknown international caller ID.
The screen flashed silently, daring me to answer a call from a number that should not exist...
