CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO - The Clues Align

"Lucas," she said, a note of alarm in her voice. "Who's that?" Lucas's expression hardened. "It's okay. I arranged for a private security team to stay around the mansion. With everything that's happened, I thought it would be best to take some extra precautions." Ella nodded, feeling a mix of relief and unease. As they entered their home, the weight of the evening's events seemed to crash down on her all at once. She sank onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. "What if they think I had something to do with it, Lucas?" she asked, her voice muffled. "What if they arrest me?" Lucas sat beside her, pulling her into his arms. "That's not going to happen, Ella. You didn't do anything wrong. We'll get through this, I promise." As they sat there in the quiet of their living room, the events of the night replaying in their minds, neither of them could shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a long and challenging journey. The death of Charles Thornton had cast a dark