LOGINThe following morning, Evelyn woke to the sound of an engine struggling to start.She checked the camera above her front gate. A delivery truck was parked near the junction, its hazard lights blinking. Two men stood beside it, arguing with the driver while several residents watched from a distance.Evelyn recognized the vehicle. It belonged to a local food distributor.She watched as the driver climbed down and opened the rear compartment. There were several crates inside, but not enough to fill the truck."We're not taking this," one of the men said. "You promised us the full order."The driver wiped his forehead."This is all I could collect. The warehouse was closed when I arrived.""Then go back.""I can't. The road is blocked."The argument grew louder.Evelyn moved away from the window. She had no reason to involve herself in a dispute over food. But the truck was parked in a position that blocked part of the junction, and the growing crowd could become a problem.A few minutes
Evelyn watched the two people beside the vehicle through her security camera.One was a middle-aged man holding the front of a folded stretcher. The other was a young woman with a bandage wrapped around her forehead. They were not looking at her house. Their attention was fixed on the building opposite hers.A moment later, the man knocked on the gate of the neighboring compound."Please, we need help!" he called.Evelyn hesitated before stepping closer to her front window.The gate opened slightly. An elderly woman appeared, looking frightened."What happened?""There's an injured woman in the vehicle. We need somewhere to put her while we find transport to the clinic.""Why bring her here?" the elderly woman asked."The community shelter is full. They told us to try the houses along this road."Evelyn's expression tightened.The injured woman in the vehicle began coughing. The young woman beside her hurried to support her."She can't stay in the car," the man insisted. "Please, just
By midmorning, the neighborhood had become strangely quiet.The evacuation buses had taken hundreds of people away the previous day. Houses that had once been noisy with arguments, generators, and children playing were now locked and empty. Curtains hung behind windows, and abandoned vehicles lined the streets.Evelyn stood behind her front window, watching two men carry a wooden cupboard out of a house across the road.They were not the owners.She recognized one of them. He had been among the people inspecting empty houses a few days earlier. This time, he was not alone. Three others followed him, carrying bags and tools.Evelyn picked up her phone and recorded them through the window.She had no intention of confronting four men over someone else's property. Not when she had a home of her own to protect.One of the men stopped to examine the neighboring house's front door. He tried the handle, then looked toward the road."Nobody's coming back," he said.The others laughed.Evelyn
The city woke to the sound of helicopters.Evelyn heard the first one shortly after sunrise. It passed over the rooftops, low enough for the windows to vibrate. A second followed several minutes later, moving in the opposite direction.She went straight to the security monitor.People were coming out of their houses to look up. Some pointed toward the sky, while others stood in the road holding their phones. The helicopters disappeared beyond the western buildings, but the noise continued in the distance.Evelyn turned on the radio.A government announcement followed, instructing residents in several affected districts to prepare for organized evacuation. Transport would be arranged at designated collection points, but residents were advised to carry only essential belongings. Anyone with mobility difficulties was asked to register with local volunteers.The announcement repeated the collection locations.One was close enough to Evelyn's neighborhood to reach on foot.She listened car
Nicole's visit left Evelyn unsettled, but it did not change her plans.By the following morning, she had returned to her usual routine of checking her supplies, reviewing the neighborhood situation, and listening for reliable announcements. She had no intention of spending another day thinking about her former husband.At nine, a public broadcast interrupted the radio.Residents were advised to avoid the eastern pedestrian bridge connecting the residential district to the central market. Engineers had identified serious structural damage, and anyone who had already crossed was instructed to use the alternative road.Evelyn frowned.That bridge was one of the busiest pedestrian routes in the area. Many residents used it to reach the market without dealing with the traffic around the main junction.She turned up the volume.The announcement repeated the warning, but the signal became distorted before the speaker could provide further details.Evelyn checked the map.The alternative rout
Evelyn read the message twice before putting her phone down.Nicole was looking for her.She wasn't surprised. He had spent years relying on her whenever things went wrong. Even after their marriage ended, he probably believed he could still persuade her to solve his problems.But this time, she wasn't the woman who would abandon her own safety to protect him.She opened the message again and typed a brief reply.*Don't give him my address. I have no intention of meeting him.*Then she blocked the number.She had barely put the phone away when another notification appeared. This one came from Damien.*One of my drivers saw Nicole near the western district entrance. He was asking residents about you.*Evelyn sighed.Apparently, Nicole had moved closer than she expected.She called Damien.“Did your driver speak to him?”“No. He recognized the name from the information you previously gave me. He didn't reveal anything.”“Good. I don't want Nicole knowing where I live.”“I'll make sure m







