chapter 67

Tom’s heart raced as he sprinted towards his car parked outside the busy office building. Lisa's trembling voice echoed in his mind, urging him to rush home. An inexplicable fear gripped him as he thought of his daughter, Emily, and what could possibly be wrong with her. With each passing minute, his imagination conjured up worst-case scenarios.

The traffic seemed to crawl at an agonizing pace, prolonging his anxiety. Tom's mind swirled with questions, trying to make sense of what Lisa could have meant. He called her repeatedly, desperate for more information, but Lisa remained distressingly vague, insisting Tom needed to hurry home.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tom reached his suburban neighborhood. His chest tightened as he parked his car and sprinted towards his front door. As he flung it open, he was met with an electrifying silence. Panic coursed through his veins as he frantically searched each room, his heart pounding louder with each passing moment.

Then, he hear