Chapter 206

Claire's POV The peace I'd found at Oakenheart Resort didn't last long after my confrontation with Connie and Emma. I should have known their threats weren't empty words. I pulled my coat tighter as I walked through the gently falling snow. The resort's main building glowed warmly behind me while my cabin waited ahead, nestled among the pines. The path was lit by dim streetlights. "Something feels off," Stella whispered in my mind. I paused, inhaling deeply. The crisp winter air carried the scent of pine, snow, and... something else. Something human, with traces of cigarettes and cheap cologne. "We're being watched," I murmured. I quickened my pace, scanning my surroundings. The snow muffled sounds, creating an eerie silence broken only by my footsteps. I was halfway to my cabin when they struck. Four men came out from the trees, surrounding me on the narrow path. They wore dark clothes and ski masks, their breath making clouds in the cold air. One had a baseball bat, another had a kni