Chapter 13 - The Mask Falls
Ethan took three fast strides forward, reaching out to grab Noah’s raincoat arm to pull him safely away from the slippery ledge.
Before Ethan’s fingers could touch the fabric, Noah ducked smoothly to the side.
He didn't slip. He didn't stumble. His movements were precise, athletic, and entirely controlled.
He pulled his right hand out of his raincoat pocket. In his small grip was a sharp, silver folding knife he had taken from Ethan’s fishing gear in the garage.
Noah flicked the blade open with a sharp CLICK.
Ethan stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock. “Noah… put that down!”
Noah held the blade out, pointing it at his father’s chest, his blue eyes cold and unblinking in the rain. “You shoved Grandma because you believed me, Dad. You loved me more than her. You loved me more than Lily. That felt good.”
Ethan felt a sickening knot tie itself in his stomach as he realized the true horror of his son’s mind. Noah hadn't just pushed Lily out of jealousy—he had engineered a loyalty test for his father, forcing Ethan to choose between his mother, his daughter, and his son.
“It was all a game to you,” Ethan whispered, horror choking his throat.
“It wasn't a game,” Noah corrected, stepping back until his heels were resting on the very edge of the mud overhang. “It was a test. And you failed the moment you looked at that computer.”
Noah raised the tablet in his left hand and tossed it backward over his shoulder into the dark abyss.
SPLASH.
May you like
The device vanished into the roaring surf below.
“Noah, NO!” Ethan screamed, lunging forward to grab the boy’s coat.
