Chapter 5: The Forest of Deceit
I ran into the woods, the damp earth cold under my bare feet. The villa was isolated, surrounded by miles of dense forest. I could hear their footsteps behind me—heavy, relentless. They didn't even try to hide their pursuit anymore. The "mother" impostor was shouting now, her voice shifting into a metallic, garbled screech.
I reached the old stone bridge by the creek, my lungs burning. A hand grabbed my shoulder. I spun around, ready to drive the nail file into their eye, but stopped cold.
It was Noah. His face was bruised, his clothes torn. "Ella! Don't move!"
"Noah!" I collapsed into his arms. He pulled me behind a thick oak tree just as a gunshot rang out, splintering the bark inches from my head.
"We have to go to the extraction point," he hissed. "I've been working with your real parents. They're safe, but we had to lead the Syndicate away from them. They think you have the serum. That’s why they’re hunting you."
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"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because they were listening to everything, Ella. Even through the walls. Every micro-movement was being tracked by sensors in the floorboards. Only the attic was a dead zone. I'm sorry."
