I didn’t sleep.
The lawyer’s words kept looping in my head like a broken warning siren:
If you use this tape, you go to prison.
The recording that could free Daniel.
The recording that could destroy Pierce.
The recording that could ruin my nonprofit forever.
I sat on the edge of my couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the tiny flash drive in my palm. It felt heavier than anything I’d ever carried. My heart felt heavier too.
Mia slept in the guest room, curled into herself like someone who hadn’t rested in months. Every now and then, she whimpered in her sleep. I couldn’t bring myself to wake her.
I needed answers.
I needed clarity.
I needed Daniel.
So I went to him.
The interrogation facility smelled like metal and bleach, clean, cold. I checked in, signed forms with trembling
