CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT - The Calm Before the Chaos

Deonna's heart leapt into her throat, her body tensing for a confrontation. But as the door creaked wider, revealing the interior of the cabin, she froze in disbelief. The lake house was empty. "Logan!" she called out, her voice shaky. "There's no one here." Logan was at her side in an instant, his hand protectively on her shoulder as he peered inside. The cabin was exactly as Deonna remembered it from years ago - dusty furniture, faded curtains, and an overwhelming sense of abandonment. "I don't understand," Deonna whispered, stepping cautiously into the room. "I was so sure..." Logan's eyes scanned the space, alert for any sign of danger. "Maybe we should call Martin, have him send a team to sweep the place." Deonna nodded numbly, still trying to process the anticlimax of the moment. All the adrenaline, all the fear and determination that had propelled her here – it all seemed to deflate in an instant, leaving her feeling hollow and foolish. As Logan made the call to Martin, D