CHAPTER 55
I barely slept.
The walls of the safe house creaked like they were whispering secrets in the dark, each groan and sigh stoking the fire of my anxiety. The baby in my belly was no bigger than a plum, but it felt like I was carrying a storm. A secret heartbeat inside me, soft and relentless, urging me to keep moving, keep surviving.
By morning, the air was thick with tension. Chen had been up first, pacing the kitchen with military precision. Every cupboard door he opened and closed seemed to echo louder than it should have. Lana brewed instant coffee and lined up supplies on the table like ammunition — walkie-talkies, burner phones, flash drives, portable chargers, cheap wigs, caps, and a tangle of wires I didn’t understand but trusted.
“This is insane,” I murmured, staring d
