In the kitchen, I fought through the searing pain in my face and numbly stir-fried dishes and simmered porridge.
Halfway through, I noticed something was wrong. The smell in the air had changed. Gas. And it was bad.
I spun toward the door, but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard I pulled.
I lunged for the stove to shut off the burner.
But before I could reach it, a wall of scorching heat slammed into me.
...
BOOM.
Louis had been laughing and chatting with Kathy the entire time. It wasn't until the explosion ripped through the villa that he realized something had happened in the kitchen.
His heart stopped for several beats. Then he bolted toward the kitchen like a man possessed.
He stood frozen like a statue, staring at the inferno raging inside.
