I watched the CCTV footage for what must have been the hundredth time, my eyes tracking every flicker of movement on the screen. Each replay thickened the tension, as if the shadows themselves were conspiring against me. And there it was undeniable proof. Lilly wasn't just another viper slithering around our world,she had truly set her sights on Carmela.
The clip burned itself into my mind Carmela cornered, her voice steady despite the danger. "What do you gain from killing me?" she asked, her words like tempered steel cutting through the suffocating silence.
Lilly's reply came with a sly smile, the kind only born of malice. "I gain nothing from your grandfather. But there's someone willing to pay handsomely for your death."
I froze the footage. Her words echoed inside me like a shot ricocheting off walls. If old man Dean hadn't sanctioned this, then who had the resources, the gall, and the motive to hunt Carmela under my protection?
