A Deadly Charade

I wandered through the bustling streets, directionless, my mind consumed by doubt and urgency. I was torn between the risk of confronting the man who had threatened me over the phone and the imperative to protect Kaelen. His voice replayed in my head, a chilling reminder of the danger he posed.

***“I’ll give it to you until Sunday,” he had said. “I’ll call you back at your house at noon. And no po