56.

Lily's POV

The bomb explosion had much less effect than I thought it would.

The impact of the bomb against the pool created a sky-high jet of water, but the result on Aiden's mansion had been minimal at best. The water had splashed against my window, and I had flinched almost instantaneously, as though I wasn't being protected by my windows.

I flinched the way I used to flinch when my stepfather would take drunken swings at me.

Now, several minutes after Aiden and Joe had walked away, I stood by the French windows, my gaze fixed on the calm surface of the swimming pool. It was night-time already, and the full moon was settled high in the sky, casting a pale light over the pool, its reflection shimmering in the depths of the pool.

The vision from this afternoon was still vivid in my mind—the sudden splash of the box, followed by the explosive eruption of water. Aiden's actions had left me both shaken and curious, raising questions that clamored for answers.

Whoever had placed the time