Chapter 3 - THE FREEZING DARK
The temperature plummeted with terrifying speed. Without the humming heater, Hollow Creek Diner became an icebox. Elena moved with frantic purpose, her exhaustion replaced by pure adrenaline. She and Walter dragged out every emergency blanket, tablecloth, and spare uniform they had in the back office.
"Bundle up," Elena ordered, tossing a faded wool blanket at Elias Vance. He looked at it as if it were toxic waste, but the biting cold forced him to wrap it around his expensive coat.
As the hours dragged on, the reality of their situation set in. These were titans of industry—men who controlled global markets—now huddled together in cracked vinyl booths, their breath pluming in the freezing air. Elena rationed the remaining hot coffee, pouring it into chipped mugs.
Suddenly, a heavy, ominous crack echoed from above. The roof groaned under the weight of the accumulating snow. Julian Croft jumped up, his eyes wide with panic. "The roof is going to cave in! We need to make a run for it!"
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"Sit down!" Elena yelled, blocking the front door. "You step out there, you'll wander into a snowdrift and suffocate. The roof has held for forty years. It'll hold tonight."
But as she looked up at the sagging ceiling panels, she wasn't so sure. She glanced at Walter, who was leaning heavily against the counter, his face pale and his breathing shallow. The cold was getting to him. Elena realized with a sinking heart that she wasn't just managing arrogant billionaires; she was fighting a ticking clock.
