Shadows of Enede A Family Torn by Secrets

Celestine Hazel had always found comfort in the predictability of her life. The warm, golden afternoons spent in the garden of their grand family estate, her father's reassuring presence at the dinner table, the way Ronald Brown's laugh made her feel like the world was perfectly aligned. Everything was right. Or at least, that's what she though

That night, though, something had felt off. She couldn't explain it. She was driving home from her routine dinner date with Ronald-he was always so attentive, so careful with her, like he knew how fragile the world she lived in could be. The sky had been a brilliant shade of indigo, the air still and cool, a perfect evening for a drive.

But as the headlights of her car sliced through the mist rising along the road that led to their neighborhood, Celestine noticed a black SUV trailing her too closely. It didn't feel like coincidence. She pressed the accelerator, her heart picking up its pace. The car behind her matched her speed exactly, its shadowy figure a constant presence in the rearview mirror.

Her breath quickened. Who would be following her at this hour? She gripped the wheel, trying to steady her nerves. She knew this road well. The towering trees on either side blurred as she pushed faster, but the SUV didn't waver. It stuck to her, closer now than ever

And then, the worst part: the eerie feeling that whoever was driving that car knew exactly who she was. She could feel it. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as if willing the world to stop, to give her an answer, to make the night less menacing.

Before she had time to react, the SUV swerved and pulled alongside her, cutting her off. Celestine's breath caught in her throat as the window on the passenger side rolled down, revealing a man she recognized-John, the neighbor who always seemed a little too familiar with her family.

"Get in the car, Celestine," he said, his voice low, urgent.