25
The night was quiet now, broken only by the distant hum of police radios and the occasional shuffle of officers packing up the scene. The warehouse, once a place of dread, now felt hollow—its shadows no longer a threat, only a reminder of the fear Emma had faced.
Emma startled when a radio crackled nearby, her fingers tightening around the seatbelt. Elena noticed the faint red marks on her wrists and felt her chest ache all over again. Adrian stayed alert, his body still coiled as if danger might return at any second, even though the threat was gone.
Adrian and Elena stepped closer to the car where Emma sat, her small hands gripping the seatbelt, eyes wide and shimmering with lingering terror.
She flinched at sudden sounds—boots scraping the ground, a door slamming somewhere behind them—each noise sending a fresh ripple of fear through her fragile calm. Elena noticed immediately, her heart tightening as she moved closer.
