Chapter 12: Escape

Alicia closed her eyes, as if she could also feel the oppressive atmosphere of that morning. Her father's voice, the one that had always been so confident and powerful in her memory, suddenly seemed distant and vague.

"Your father's voice sounded urgent," George continued. "He said he had remembered some important things and wanted me to come see him immediately. I still remember the sound of his breathing being a bit hurried and the background noise of searching for papers."

George paused for a moment, taking a sip of the already cold coffee. The bitter taste made him frown. "I told him I would go right away. But just as I was about to leave the house, I received a call from the traffic control center. They said... said your father's car had crashed on the winding mountain road."

Alicia felt dizzy, and she struggled to control her emotions, but she still felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"I immediately rushed to the scene," George's voice became even lower, "and it was the most horr