Chapter Eleven:
"A bomb… under Ethan's car… and the timer is already running."The room fell into instant chaos."What?!" Lily gasped.
Ethan's expression hardened and he asked the officer,"How much time?"
The officer checked his radio and said.
"Is less than three minutes."
Lily's heart slammed against her chest.
"That's the car we came in with!"
Ethan grabbed her hand immediately and told her."Stay behind me." They both rushed outside. Police officers were already surrounding the parking lot. One of them crouched near Ethan's black car.
The wires were very visible.A digital timer blinking red.
02:34
Lily's breathing stopped."Oh my God…"
The bomb squad wasn't there yet.
And the time is too little.One officer shouted, "Everyone back!" But Ethan didn't move.
"My phone is inside that car," he said.
Lily stared at him "What?!"
"My tracker… Daniel's connected to it… it has Sophia's backup files."
"Forget the phone!" she cried.
He hesitated.
Timer ticked.02:10
Sophia laughed from inside the police van.
"You should run Ethan."He ignored her.
Lily grabbed his arm. "Please… don't do this…" His eyes softened.
"If she has partners… we need that data."
She shook her head."You'll die!"
Timer. 01:52
Police shouted again."MOVE BACK!"
Ethan exhaled.Then suddenly ran toward the car. "ETHAN!" Lily screamed.
He opened the door quickly.he reached inside and started searching.the timer kept blinking.01:20,An officer yelled, "Get away from there!" Ethan grabbed the phone Then Turned and ran back.He dove behind a police vehicle and pulled Lily down with him.
00:35....Everyone hit the ground, Lily covered her head,Her heart pounded.
Timer.00:10....
Silence.00:05 Then—
A deafening explosion.Fire burst into the air.
The car lifted slightly. Glass shattered everywhere.smoke filled the lot.
Lily screamed.heat washed over them.
Then there was silence.Slowly… she looked up.The car was destroyed,Burning.
But Ethan… beside her was still alive.She grabbed him."You're okay!"He nodded, breathing hard."I'm fine."Relief flooded her.
Police rushed around. Sophia watched from the van, still smiling. "You're lucky," she called out.Ethan stood and said to Sophia.
"This ends now." Sophia tilted her head.
"You really think so?"He showed her the phone."I got everything."Her smile faltered slightly and she told him,"That won't save you."
"Maybe not. But it'll expose you."She laughed again. "You still don't understand."
Lily frowned. "What don't we understand?"
Sophia leaned forward."The bomb wasn't meant to kill you."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Then what?"
Sophia smiled coldly. "It was meant to distract you."Lily's stomach dropped.
"Distract us from what?" Sophia didn't answer. one of the officers' radios crackled.
"Urgent — we have another situation."
The officer frowned."What now?"
The voice continued—"St. Mary's Hospital… Lily Carter's mother is missing again."
Lily's world collapsed."What?!"
"She disappeared from her room ten minutes ago."Her knees weakened.
"No… no… no…"
Sophia laughed softly."You were all watching the explosion…" Lily stared at her.
"You planned this…"Sophia smiled.
"I told you… you were never the target."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Where is she?"Sophia leaned back.
"Too late."
Lily's breathing became uneven.
Her phone buzzed.She opened it.
Another unknown message came in.
A new photo loaded.it was Her mother again.But this time… she wasn't tied.
She was standing beside a man.
Lily froze.Her heart stopped.
She recognized him."…Dad?"
Her voice trembled. But her father had died years ago.
The message below read:
Your mother isn't the only secret.