Briony stared out the window as the sky loomed overhead, heavy and oppressive, like a black hole caving in on the world.

From her phone, the howl of wind cut through the silence.

A man's trembling voice, thick with tears, came through the speaker again. “Bryn, I'm sorry. Meeting me in this life has only brought you pain. If there's another life after this, don't let us cross paths again."

Briony's grip tightened around her daughter.

She said nothing.

Carl clung to the steering wheel, his eyes rimmed red.

Crystal held up the phone, uncertain what to do.

Even she could sense something was terribly wrong-how could Briony not know?

Yet Briony remained silent.

Stewart's voice came again, rough with emotion. "Bryn, I left a few things for the kids at Southcreek Manor. In the years ahead, I'm counting on you. Please, on their birthdays, take them there to collect what's theirs."

At the mention of the children, Briony finally replied, her answer soft and even: "Alright."

Just one quiet word, but it made Carl's tears fall silently down his face.

"Bryn," Stewart's voice was almost lost in the wind, "do you still blame me?"

Briony's lashes fluttered.

moment,

Crack-

rain

the car

The light turned green.

gas, and the Maybach glided forward, steady through

phone disappeared back into Briony's

in her mother's arms, sobbing, her cries

was so unlike her a sign, perhaps, of something she could sense but

held her daughter close, silently stroking

quietly against her

out to gather him into her embrace as well, pressing

the raging storm-and the distant,

a violent blast had erupted over the churning

twisted

Nothing survived.

high-rise, a man watched through binoculars, a

was a sight

was every bit as dramatic as he'd hoped. He

Maybach rolled into

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