Chapter 43 AM.

"AHHHHH—"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, the piercing sound tearing through the silent apartment.

I lost my grip on my phone, and it plummeted straight down.

Smack!

The phone hit the ceramic tiles with a heavy, sickening thud.

I didn't dare reach down to pick it up immediately, terrified the man would suddenly kick the door in.

My entire body went rigid. I stared dead at the shadow outside the door.

But the man outside seemed just as startled by my scream as I was.

He froze in place. Through the door, I could hear his heavy, ragged breathing.

It sounded like he was analyzing the situation.

Then, he turned and ran toward the front door.

A series of rapid, heavy footsteps.

SLAM!

I jumped.

It was the heavy, unmistakable sound of the front door slamming shut.

After that, the apartment returned to dead silence.

I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue.

The metallic taste of blood grounded me, bringing back my sanity.

My chest was heaving violently, and large beads of sweat rolled down my hairline.

Did he run?

Since I heard the door slam...

Did that mean the man had finally left my apartment?

No!

I shook my head, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.

What if he did that on purpose to trick me?

What if he was gambling that I would let my guard down and step out, so he could ambush me?

Right now, he could be standing perfectly still in the living room, waiting for me to walk right into his trap!

I finally reached down and picked up my phone.

Wiping the screen, I realized the impact against the tile had left several large cracks across the glass.

But thank God, the 911 dispatcher had replied.

They told me to stay calm, lock myself in a safe room, avoid confronting the intruder, and promised that officers would be on the scene within five to ten minutes.

A surge of relief washed over me.

The police were almost here.

That was the ultimate lifeline.

As long as I could hold out for a maximum of ten minutes, I would be safe!