Chapter 20

The wobbly bridge ride creaked under the sudden weight shift. Wooden planks rattled, ropes strained, and then the chaos erupted. Screams pierced the humid air as people shoved past each other, some stumbling, some tumbling dangerously close to the dark, rushing water below. Sloane’s grip tightened around Jeremy’s small, trembling hand. The boy’s wide eyes reflected pure fear. On her other side, Ethan reached out and steadied them both, dragging them toward the railing just as the structure swayed violently. For one heart-stopping moment, her foot slipped, water spraying up against her legs, but Ethan hauled her back. “Hold on!” he barked, his own voice tight with urgency. They scrambled to safety, breathless, hearts pounding, when the shrill cries of horror cut through the night. “Somebody fell! A boy, he’s in the water! Oh goddess!” Sloane’s head whipped around. She heard frantic splashing, the desperate shouts of strangers, and then silence, followed by the choking, ragged attempts o