Chapter 5: Out Into the Rain
“We have to evacuate,” the guard said.
This time, no one argued.
The threat was real enough to turn wealth into panic. Chairs scraped back. Glasses tipped. Fur coats and tailored jackets moved toward the exit in a frightened wave.
Julian stepped beside Hannah and Maya without thinking.
“Stay close,” he said.
Hannah looked at him sharply, but the fear in Maya’s face made her choose survival over pride.
Together, they moved through the restaurant and out into the rain.
Flashing lights painted the wet pavement red and blue. People huddled beneath awnings, whispering into phones, turning one terrible night into stories they would tell for years.
But Julian saw only Hannah and the child holding her hand.
Maya’s small fingers slipped into his without warning.
He froze.
Hannah saw it happen.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
The city roared around them, but table seven had followed them into the street.
And the question was still waiting… Continue Reading ⬇️