Chapter Sixty
The tearing of the paper was the loudest sound in the universe.
The crisp, white adhesive finally gave way under my thumb, exposing the neat folds of thick, heavy paper tucked inside. My heart was pounding a frantic, irregular rhythm against my ribs as I reached two trembling fingers into the opening. I could feel the textured edge of the first page. This was it. The moment of no return. I was about to look at the exact words that had turned my life into a war zone, the secrets that would either give me the power to stand my ground or utterly destroy the only home I had left.
I began to pull the folded document out of its paper sleeve.
A sudden, sharp, metallic clink from the window frame made me freeze.
My breath caught in my throat. I didn't move a muscle, my fingers s
