Chapter 22 - A Visitor in the Dark
Night fell quickly, wrapping the neighborhood in a blanket of heavy, cicada-buzzing darkness. Grace had gone to bed early, exhausted from an art workshop downtown, her breathing soft and even from her bedroom down the hall. I sat at the kitchen island with a cup of chamomile tea, staring out the window into the dark expanse of the backyard. The encounter with Tyler had left a bitter taste in my mouth, a reminder that the past is never truly buried until you make peace with its ghosts.
Around midnight, a sharp sound broke the quiet of the night.
*Tap. Tap. Tap.*
It wasn't the wind. It was a rhythmic, deliberate tapping against the glass of the kitchen sliding door that led to the patio.
My muscles tensed instantly. I stood up silently, setting my teacup down without making a sound, and crept toward the darkened kitchen. The moon cast a pale, silvery glow across the linoleum floor, illuminating the silhouette of a person standing just outside the glass door.
It wasn't Tyler.
The figure was smaller, draped in a dark, oversized coat, their face pressed up against the glass to peer inside. Even in the dim light, the sharp angles of the face and the frantic, wild posture were unmistakable.
It was Clara.
My heart hammered against my ribs, not out of fear, but out of pure, unadulterated fury. She had actually tracked us down, bypassing the front porch to sneak around to the back like a desperate animal.
I slid the lock open and pulled the door back just a few inches, enough to speak, but keeping the security chain firmly fastened.
"Clara," I hissed into the night air, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. "Have you completely lost your mind? Get off my property right now, or I am calling the police."
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Clara staggered back a step, her eyes wide, bloodshot, and frantic. The polished, immaculate corporate titan was completely gone; in her place was a frantic ghost, her hair tangled, her designer clothes wrinkled and stained.
"Natalie, please!" she gasped, her hands gripping the metal frame of the screen door. "Just five minutes! You don't understand what they're doing to me. They’re taking everything! The bank, the cars, even the furniture! I have nothing left, Natalie. Please... show some mercy."
