Chapter 7: Explosives, Lies, and the Final Blow

“Dad! Ellie knows how to make explosives! With them, we won’t be at the mercy of the Parker family anymore!”

My son’s desperation was almost pitiful. He clung to Ellie as if she were his last hope.

Ellie took the chance to shout, “I can make explosives ten times more powerful than the ordinary kind—”

Her voice rang out, shrill and insistent. The relatives recoiled, unsure whether to laugh or call the police.

“Enough!” I grabbed another mug and threw it at them.

The mug shattered at their feet, shards skittering across the marble. The message was clear: I’d had enough.

Ellie suddenly began to recite, “Potassium nitrate 75%, charcoal 15%, sulfur 10%…” I stared at her. Was this really happening?

The recipe hung in the air, bizarre and out of place. The room went silent, everyone waiting to see what would happen next.

The whole hall went dead silent.

You could have heard a pin drop. Even the rain seemed to hush in anticipation.

Megan let out a soft laugh. “Do you know that the recipe your beloved just recited is so basic that even the kids selling firecrackers at the county fair know it?”

Her voice was gentle, almost pitying. The words cut deeper than any insult, and for the first time, I saw doubt flicker in my son’s eyes. The storm raged on outside, but inside, the real tempest had only just begun.