Contre toute attente

The tension built up nicely early on, but the middle felt a bit slower than expected. Was that intentional to flesh out the characters or a pacing hiccup?

I was genuinely surprised by the twists, but I wonder what clues were subtly planted that I might have missed on a first read.

The setting feels so normal on the surface but hides so much darkness underneath. Curious about the creative process behind choosing this backdrop.