Jackson found Jacqueline in the garden, staring at the sky, her expression thoughtful, as if she could see something in the clouds that no one else could.Given everything she was hearing and realising about the Hart's family, she had to step out to have some time to really think of what she was getting herself into.For a brief moment, it began to appear to her as though the life she had under Martins and Irene was even better even if they had lied to her.But then, she pushed away the thought.Jackson qpproached quietly, not wanting to startle her, but she sensed him anyway. She always did. The twin bond that had brought them together seemed to grow stronger every day."You're smiling," Jacqueline observed, turning to look at him. "That's a good sign. Hope our mother and stepmother weren't fighting in there."Jackson chuckled, sliding onto the bench beside her. "No fighting. I think they just made peace."Jacqueline's eyebrows rose. "Really? Just like that?""Not just like that," Ja

The city streets were quiet as James guided the car through the familiar neighborhoods, Andrew in the passenger seat beside him. The weight of the evening's revelations hung between them, unspoken but heavy. They had left the estate needing air, needing space, needing to process everything in their own way.Andrew stared out the window, watching the streetlights blur past. "Do you ever wonder," he said quietly, "how we got here? How our lives became this... complicated?"James glanced at him. "Every day. But I also wonder how I got lucky enough to have people like you, like Jackson, like Nancy in my life. The complicated stuff is just noise. The people are what matter."Andrew nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess you're right."They pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building, the familiar sight a small comfort after the chaos of the estate. James killed the engine, and for a moment, they both sat in silence, gathering themselves.James's voice was ice. "About what? Haven't you

The phone rang three times before a groggy voice answered. "James? Do you have any idea what time it is?"Evans's voice was thick with sleep, but beneath it was the alertness of a man who had spent decades in the security business, the kind of man who could wake from a dead sleep and be fully operational in seconds.James didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Evans, I need you to come to my apartment. Now. It's about Samantha.""What about her?" Evans asked, surprised."She's here. With us. And she has information—about her father, about a project he's working on, about marks on her body that we really can't give an explanation to." James paused. "She asked to see you."The silence stretched. James could almost hear Evans thinking, processing, weighing decades of betrayal against the urgency in James's voice.Finally, Evans spoke, his voice rough. "I'll be there. Twenty minutes."The line went dead.***The twenty minutes passed in heavy silence. Samantha sat on the couch, her hands c

The drive to the Hart estate was the longest of Samantha's life. Every bump in the road sent a jolt of fear through her, each moment expecting another convulsion to tear through her body. But the marks only pulsed steadily, ominously, like a countdown she couldn't stop.Evans sat beside her in the back seat, his hand never leaving hers. Lorraine rode in front with James, who drove with a focused intensity that bordered on obsession. Andrew followed in another vehicle with Whitaker, who had insisted on coming personally once he heard the situation.The estate loomed ahead, its warm lights a stark contrast to the cold dread in Samantha's heart. They pulled into the driveway and were met immediately by Copper, who stood waiting on the porch, his weathered face set in grim lines.James killed the engine and they all climbed out. Evans helped Samantha, who was weaker than she wanted to admit, up the steps to where Copper waited.Copper's eyes went immediately to Samantha's arms, where the

The room was silent, the weight of Jacqueline's words settling over them like a benediction. Evans squeezed Samantha's hand, his own eyes bright.Jackson watched his sister, a swell of pride rising in his chest. This was the woman Jacqueline had become, not defined by her past, but shaped by it into someone capable of seeing the humanity in even the most broken souls.He cleared his throat, drawing attention back to the practical matter at hand. "We need to figure out what's actually happening to Samantha and if there's any way to stop it."James nodded. "Copper's theory about the little girl being an early test subject makes sense. But we need more information. We need someone who understands resonance, who might have seen something like this before."Jackson's eyes lit up. "Old Man Miles."Everyone turned to him. Copper raised an eyebrow. "The painter?""The visionary," Jackson corrected. "He saw the Phoenix coming. If anyone might understand what's happening to Samantha, if there's