Rachel closed her eyes.
My pulse hammered in my throat.
Because October seventeenth was impossible.
Because according to the timeline I had been forced to live with, my son had been born seven months after I was thrown out.
Because I had lied to everyone, including Noah.
Noah’s voice broke.
“Mom.”
I climbed one step toward him.
“I can explain.”
But before I could say more, the lights went out.
The entire house dropped into darkness.
A car door slammed outside.
Then a voice cut through the night, amplified by the security intercom at the gate.
“Family reunion’s over.”
Rachel screamed.
And Noah whispered into the dark,
“That voice… I know that voice.”
For one second, no one moved.
Then my father lunged toward the kitchen drawer where I kept the flashlight, as if he knew my house better than he should.
A chill ran through me at that detail, but there was no time to question it.
Outside, gravel crunched under slow, deliberate footsteps.
I grabbed Noah and pulled him behind the staircase.
“Stay down,” I whispered.
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