The door creaked open, slow and cautious, as Gérard stepped inside. The room greeted him with silence empty, disturbed. The sheets were rumpled, the duvet abandoned on the floor as if someone had fled in a hurry. His gaze sharpened, instantly drawn to the closed restroom door as he strode toward it.
The sudden knock made her jolt violently, her entire body recoiling as though struck. Panic surged through her veins, thick and suffocating. She clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, eyes locked on the door, wide and filled with raw terror.
"Charlotte!" His deep, commanding voice followed, paired with another heavy knock.
Relief hit her so abruptly it brought tears to her eyes. She moved toward the door, her fingers hovering over the handle but then she froze.
Henri's words echoed in her mind, loud, merciless, impossible to ignore.
