Chapter 30 Unmasked Graves

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• Lila Hartman’s hands trembled as she pressed the key into my palm. It was cold, sharp-edged, and flecked with rust. The kind of key that opened doors better left closed.
• “He told me to give this to you if anything happened,” she whispered. Her eyes were raw, her voice scraped hollow by grief and too many sleepless nights. The house around us felt like a tomb—curtains drawn, lights dimmed, the air thick with the scent of burnt lavender candles. Liam’s ghost lingered in every corner.