The morning sun blazed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Melissa’s bedroom, flooding the room with a harsh golden light that made her temples ache. She stood beside the bed in silence, arms folded tightly across her chest, staring at the city beyond the glass.She had not slept properly in weeks.Every night followed the same pattern. She would close her eyes, drift into shallow sleep, then jolt awake choking on panic, her heart hammering violently against her ribs. Sometimes she dreamed about Claire disappearing into darkness. Sometimes she dreamed about Marcus wrapping his hands around her throat in the hospital room while she fought for air.Most nights, she never slept at all.Six weeks had passed since Claire vanished.Six weeks since Jason had transformed from a man fueled by rage into something far worse.A man being destroyed by obsession.Melissa exhaled shakily and walked toward the window. Down below, Jason moved across the estate grounds at a punishing pace, his body

Three days later, Melissa sat alone in her bedroom, curled near the edge of the bed with a blanket draped loosely around her legs. Rain tapped softly against the tall windows, and the gray evening light made the room feel colder than it really was.A knock sounded at the door.Before Melissa could answer, Margaret stepped inside carefully, holding a large manila envelope in both hands.“Mrs. Luther, there’s a package for you,” she said gently, her brows pinched with faint concern. “A courier delivered it a few minutes ago. There’s no return address.”Melissa frowned and accepted the envelope. “Thank you.”Margaret lingered for half a second, as if debating whether to say more, then quietly left the room.The silence that followed felt heavy.Melissa stared at the plain envelope in her lap before finally tearing it open. Inside was a cheap burner phone and a folded note written in unfamiliar handwriting.Her stomach tightened as she unfolded it.> Your father says you need to call him.

Melissa stood outside Jason’s office at two in the morning, a leather satchel stuffed with twenty-three flash drives clutched tightly against her chest. The hallway was silent except for the faint hum of fluorescent lights and the muffled sound of movement inside the office. Papers shuffled. A chair scraped lightly across the floor.Jason was awake.Of course he was awake.These days, sleep had become a luxury neither of them could afford.Melissa lifted her hand and knocked once.The door opened almost instantly.Jason stood there in gray sweatpants and a wrinkled black t-shirt, exhaustion carved deep into his face. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, and his hair looked like he’d been dragging his fingers through it for hours. “What are you doing here?” he asked, frowning in confusion. “It’s two in the morning.”Melissa met his gaze without blinking. “I need to show you something,” she said quietly, gripping the satchel tighter. “Something that changes everything.”Jason studied her

Jason went pale so fast it genuinely frightened Melissa.“What kind of incident?” he demanded sharply.“She collapsed,” Cole replied grimly. “The ambulance is already on the way.”Melissa felt her stomach drop.“But she was conscious when they found her,” Cole added quickly. “She kept asking for you.”Jason was already moving toward the hallway when Cole spoke again.“And for Melissa.”Both of them froze.Melissa blinked in confusion. “What?” she whispered.Cole nodded once. “The medics said she keeps insisting she needs to speak to both of you.” His expression tightened slightly. “Apparently she said it was urgent.”Jason exchanged a stunned look with Melissa before turning and sprinting toward the guest house.Melissa hurried after him, her pulse pounding

The hospital looked cold and intimidating beneath the gray afternoon sky.Towering glass walls reflected the clouds overhead while security guards moved quietly through the lobby like trained soldiers. The entire building smelled faintly of antiseptic and polished steel.Melissa followed an escort through restricted corridors, her heels clicking softly against spotless white floors.Every step made her nerves tighten further.When they finally reached the consultation room on the fifth floor, the guard opened the door silently and stepped aside.Claire sat beside the window wrapped in a pale cardigan over her hospital gown.She looked exhausted.Fragile.But there was something different about her now.Something steadier.Stronger.The terrified woman Melissa remembered from the kidnapping was still there somewhere beneath the surface, but now there was steel mixe