Naomi’s POV
The chip behind Miranda’s ear shined under the flashlight like a secret the world had no right to keep.
I couldn’t breathe.
Not from fear—but fury, like Dammm, I was angry to the extent you can literally see smoke from my ear.
She was my child, My blood, My breath. And someone had the audacity to cut into her body like she was a lab experiment.
A message buzzed on my phone, the words burning into my brain:
“She was never yours to begin with. But if you want her to live—bring the flash drive. Alone.”
I stood still, the echo of those words pounding in my skull.
Then I grabbed the flash drive, slipped it into my coat, and headed for the door.
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Raymond’s POV
She didn’t say goodbye.
I came back from a meeting with Beatrice, and her room was empty. The flash drive was
