The briefcase lay ominously on the kitchen table, a sinister object poised like an unlit bomb, its sleek black exterior reflecting the cheerful glow of the bright yellow walls, a stark and dark reminder of the life they were desperately trying to escape.

No one dared to reach for it.

Elias, arms tightly crossed over his chest, fixed his gaze on the briefcase as if he expected it to spring open at any moment. “It’s a trap. A parting shot from beyond the grave,” he said, his voice tight ...