Page 160 of Symphony for Lies

I nodded. The wind was strong enough to send them into a chaotic melody. And yet, nothing. Not a single sound.

I dragged my eyes over the building. Its tower stretched toward the sky, crowned by a massive circular window glowing like an eerie night eye.

A thick, clawing sense of unease curled around my ribs again.

I reached for the front door. Locked.

Just as I was about to kick it in, Spencer’s grip clamped down on my shoulder.“Let’s check the labyrinth first.”

I wanted to shove him off, eager to tear through the place with my bare hands, but I exhaled sharply and forced my feet to move.

“Look.”

Shattered wind chimes littered the ground, splintered into sharp, jagged pieces.

“Someone destroyed them on purpose.”

Spencer analyzed the scene, his expression unreadable.

All I could think about was Amelia. Where the fuck was she?

We reached the garden, and the wildflowers, which were normally tangled and chaotic, were neatly trimmed.

Too precise. Too controlled.

Someone had tended to the place with obsession.

The aster blooms glowed under the faint light, their petals pristine and untouched.

So perfect. So beautiful. So wrong.

I followed the winding stone path until we reached the entrance of the labyrinth. The hedges loomed high, too high to see over.

A tall iron gate blocked our way.

Spencer checked the lock. “Shit. It’s bolted shut.”

“Move.” My voice sounded barely human.

I grabbed the bars and yanked, making the metal groan. The noise split through the silence like a gunshot.

Adrenaline surged through my body, seeming to make me stronger.

I pulled and kicked the metal repeatedly. The lock creaked. The bars rattled. I was relentless. Eventually, the metal snapped, and I tore the gate open.

“One more step…” a deep, gravelly voice began. “…and none of us are walking out of here alive.”

I froze.

A man strode out of the shadows.

Tall. White hair. White beard. And eyes that were cold, empty, and dead.

I didn’t need an introduction.

Mr. Watson.

Rage exploded in my chest. I wanted to tear him apart, but Spencer was faster. He seized my arms and locked me in place.

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