บททั้งหมดของ The Perfect Lie : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

Chapter 12 The basement was colder than Lena expected. Down there, the air smelled of wet concrete and something metallic—rust or dried-up blood traces, she suspected, and shivered.Noah's flashlight cast a very long shadow on the bare concrete wall. The room was empty, yet not empty. The room was filled with metal shelves stacked high with boxes that had dates and symbols on them. There was an old workbench in the corner, covered with dust, and a priceless bottle of wine beside it.Noah closed the downstairs door softly."We don't have a lot of time," he whispered. "We have to get to work in a hurry."Lena nodded, her heart racing. Quick. Good. Sign in and out.But his gaze didn't leave the boxes.Something about them bothered him. "Noah," he said, gesturing. "What's happening?"Noah looked at the shelves and shook his head. "We can't waste time to find out what Ethan is keeping here. His office is upstairs. That is where we go." But Lena was unsure. He reached for one of the boxes

Chapter 14: A Deal with the DevilLena held a knife hidden in her thin sleeve.The doctor took another slow step forward, his bright shoes crunching on the stones of empty ground. His soldiers surrounded him; they were like silent shadows, menacing silently.Noah came closer to her, took a deep breath, and pressed his injured hand onto his chest. Blood seeped into his arm, yet he grumbled not a single word. He was also glaring at the editor in the very same way.Measure. Compute.Escape with dignity.The doctor smiled self-satisfied like a winner beforehand. "You were poor at this, Lena."Lina set back on her chin and fought to speak in a firm tone. "I have a habit of that."The doctor chuckled. "I heard that." His eyes were on the bag over Noah's shoulder. "Send it again."Lina's heart pounded the hardest.Information. They risk it all to obtain evidence.That evidence would be enough to destroy Ethan.Noah stood at his side.Lina fought to remain stationary. "And then?"The doctor s

Chapter 16 The silence in the basement felt heavier than the steel door slamming shut behind them.Lena stared at the vacant space where Ethan had been mere seconds before, her mind spinning. One hour. That was all they had. Sixty minutes to decide between enforced disappearance or death.Noah stepped beside her, attempting the restraints again. "This is bad.""God," Lena breathed, her heart thudding against the inside of her ribcage.Noah exhaled sharply. "Files were bait. We were used from the start."Lena clenched her teeth. She had known she was playing, but to realize they'd never been in control? That stung.She rested back her head, breathing deep into it. Hold on. Do not freak."I'm not quitting," she stated.Noah dry-laughed. "Yeah, well, that makes two of us. But how do you plan on fighting back when we're tied to chairs in a locked room?"Lena tugged at the ropes, wincing as they dug deeper into her wrists. She'd escaped worse predicaments before—perhaps not exactly like t

Chapter 18 The city lay before them, infinite and unforgiving. Shadows stretched long under trembling streetlights, the air thick with the distant scent of rain and gasoline.Lena and Noah ran.Steps rang out behind them—closer than she would have liked.Damien wouldn't give up. He was a ghost from her past, resurrected just when she'd begun to believe she was finally free.She was breathing fast, her heart racing in her chest. "We need cover."Noah glanced down the street. "There."There was a neon-lit motel at the end of the block, and the old sign crackled weakly in the night air.They sprinted across the street, avoiding a screeching car, and dived into the alley beside the motel.Noah pressed his back against the wall, gun still gripped tight in his hand. He glanced at Lena. “You okay?”Lena wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’ve been better.”A flicker of something passed over Noah’s face, but he said nothing.Lena peeked around the corner.Damien and his men had stopped at the i

Chapter 20 The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for two to walk side by side. Lena could sense the dampness of the earth closing in on them, the scent of dirt and aged wood filling her lungs. Her mother had a secret passage all these years, and she'd never even guessed.Noah moved in front of her, his gun still clutched in his hand, his muscles tense. The dim emergency lights mounted on the walls of the tunnel created eerie, leaping shadows.Evelyn closed the panel door behind them, shutting out the sounds of the house above."Keep going," she urged, her voice crisp but cutting.Lena's heart pounded. She could hear the sound of car doors slamming shut in the distance and the characteristic crunch of footsteps on gravel. Damien's men had arrived.They had minutes—maybe fewer.No Time for QuestionsNoah kept a steady pace, leading them deeper into the tunnel. "Where does this go?"Evelyn, lagging behind them, laughed softly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"Lena gave her a sharp glare