Chapter 24
Bella and Molly were laughing as they headed toward the exit, shopping bags swinging from their hands. Bella felt lighter than she had in days — the new clothes, Molly’s excitement, and the promise from Reyes had finally given her a small sense of normalcy. They were almost at the door when the security scanner suddenly blared to life. Beep-beep-beep-beep! The loud, insistent alarm echoed through the boutique. Both girls froze, confused. “What the—?” Molly muttered, looking around. Before they could take another step, two security guards and Zara (the shop assistant) rushed over, blocking their path. Zara’s friendly smile from earlier had vanished, replaced by a stern, suspicious expression. “Excuse me, ladies,” one of the guards said firmly, holding up a hand. “We’re going to need y
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