I focus my aim on the middle of his chest, right beside the champagne glass he’s holding. Then, I slowly start raising the scope, letting the crosshairs slide up and halt on the bridge of his nose. I don’t hold my breath, keeping my breathing to its normal rhythm. Breathe in. Breathe out. Pause. In. My target raises his glass. Out. I pull the trigger. From this distance, it takes the bullet a little over one second to reach its mark. One second. Less than it takes to draw a breath. A single beat of a heart. But it’s enough to shatter a fragile dream. Enough to extinguish a tiny ember of hope.
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