Chapter 53

NICOLE

I held my phone tightly in my hand, my eyes fixated on the image, and my mind raced with confusion and disbelief.

I leaned in closer, squinting my eyes, and scrutinized every detail of the photo, as if I could uncover some kind of evidence that would disprove what I was seeing.

I blinked hard, hoping that my vision was just blurry, but as I opened my eyes again, the image remained unchanged.

My heart thudded in my chest, and I felt a lump forming in my throat.

Without thinking, my hand reflexively reached up to my mouth, as if to stifle a gasp.

I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself down.

But the image burned in my mind, taunting me with its impossible reality.

Was my mind playing tricks on me?

I didn't know if I was hallucinating this image or if it was some sort of cruel prank.

With a trembling hand, I reached for my phone again and stared at the picture, trying to make sense of it.

I needed to know for sure. I had to double-check. I zoomed in