Jackson’s mouth fell slightly open, but no sound came out. The realization pressed hard on his chest, knocking air out from his lungs. The memory of the news still haunted him—his father’s lifeless body, the blood, the call that shattered the only piece of peace he had left. That phone call had ended any remaining hope in his life. Nothing has made sense since. His father’s death had broken something deep in him. He’d sworn to find the man responsible. That promise had kept him going, kept him sane through the months of investigation and self-hatred. But this—this made it all feel worse. He thought Andrew had just sent him to jail, ruined his reputation, taken away his career and left him in ruins. That had been enough reason to hate him. But now… now it was personal. He had dared take his father, too? Jackson’s trembling hands formed into tight fists , his nails digging deep into his palm. He didn’t even notice the pain. His career was dead. His life’s work was destroyed comple

Lily dropped to her knees, and this time, the tears came. Hot and unstoppable. No more trying to look strong. No more pretending this was still part of the plan. The fear had broken through, and now it was everywhere. She wanted to scream. She wanted to take it all back. But none of that would get her out of here. The only person who could save her now was Andrew. But would he? What if he chooses to save Winnie, leaving her here ? Would he forgive her for everything? Or would he see this as karma and leave her here to rot? She didn’t know. She doubted. And that doubt ate her alive. “I need to find a way out of here,” she whispered into her palms. Her voice was hoarse, barely audible. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and looked at her daughter, who had gone quiet now, watching her with wide, tear-filled eyes. Lily crawled toward her and pressed a hand to Winnie’s cheek. “Stop crying,” she whispered. “But I’m scared, Mummy,” Winnie sniffed, clutching her tiny fin

Suddenly ,the door burst open, slamming against the wall with force. A man stood there, breathing hard, drenched in sweat from head to toe, his wild eyes darting across the room, desperate, frantic, hungry for some sign that it wasn’t too late. Andrew stumbled forward, almost tripping over his own feet, his eyes locked on the tiny body lying crumpled in the center of it all. His heart died in his chest that instant . "No..." Andrew choked, the word barely escaping his lips as he sprinted toward Winnie , collapsing to his knees beside her tiny body. "Baby, I'm here," he gasped, scooping her up into his arms, rocking her against his chest as if he could somehow shield her from what had already been done. Winnie’s eyelids fluttered weakly, her lashes sticky with tears and blood. She tried to speak, her mouth opening, but only a weak cough came out, spraying blood onto Andrew’s shirt. "Daddy..." she whispered, so soft he almost didn’t catch it. "I love you..." And then—silence. Th

Andrew gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched so hard it ached. He had placed Winnie’s tiny, lifeless body in the morgue with his own hands, the chill of her skin still burning into his palms. Her last whisper of "I love you" hanging in the air like a ghost that wouldn't leave. He hadn't even had time to mourn properly. They had barely put her in the morgue. Barely said goodbye. Now he was taking Lily home, and the silence in the car was heavier than anything he had ever carried. He had asked her—no, begged her—for an answer, some kind of closure, some explanation for why their daughter was lying cold in a morgue instead of safe in his arms. He had demanded to know what exactly had happened, what had triggered a monster like Mr. Lethal to point a gun at an innocent child. But Lily’s answers had been vague, no reasonable explanation. She had looked him dead in the eyes and sworn it, yet something about her voice, about the way she av

The room was filled with a silence so thick, that it suffocated everyone in it . Miranda clutched her chest as Lily’s words echoed over and over in her mind, each repetition cutting deeper than the last. Her knees buckled under the weight of grief and she collapsed into the couch, sobs wracking her body, her cries raw and broken. Ben stood frozen, his hands balled into trembling fists at his sides, his eyes locked on the ceiling as if hoping that if he stared long enough, he could will this nightmare away. He refused to look at anyone. Refused to believe that his little niece, the one who had clung to his hand just days ago, was truly gone. Lily wiped at her tear-stained face, her hands trembling, her heart hammering painfully against her ribs. She didn’t know how she still had tears left, how her body could still find ways to ache when it already felt like it had shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces. Between uncontrollable sobs, she forced herself to speak. She told th