CHAPTER 2 — THE SUV IN THE DARK
The sound of an engine roared through the cliffs.
Not distant.
Close.
Too close.
Mara froze mid-motion.
Headlights exploded around the bend, slicing through the fog like blades. A black SUV drifted onto the coastal road at high speed, tires screeching as it stopped sideways between Mara and the cliff.
Silence crashed down.
Evelyn gasped.
Mara stepped back instinctively, her confidence breaking for the first time.
The SUV door opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall. Calm. Dressed in a dark coat, rain already gathering on his shoulders.
He didn’t look surprised.
He looked like he had been expecting this exact moment.
His eyes locked on the wheelchair.
Then on Mara.
And finally, on the cliff edge.
“Move away from her,” he said quietly.
Mara forced a laugh. “Who the hell are you?”
The man didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded document.
“Federal estate protection division,” he said. “You’re standing one step away from attempted homicide.”
The words drained the air from the road.
Evelyn’s breath trembled. “What…?”
Mara stiffened. “This is a family matter.”
The man shook his head.
“No,” he said. “It stopped being that the moment you tried to kill her.”
The wind grew louder.
May you like
The ocean below seemed closer.
And for the first time, Mara looked uncertain.
