Author POV

Mia was just about to crawl into bed when a sudden knock echoed at her door. The sharp sound made her freeze. At this hour of the night? Her brows furrowed in confusion as unease slithered up her spine.

“Who’s there?” she demanded, raising her voice. Silence.

Her pulse quickened. A second knock followed—slow, deliberate, like a warning.

“I said, who the hell is that?” she snapped, but this time her voice trembled. Fear was already clawing at her chest.

Her hands ...