CHAPTER 15: THE TRUTH IN THE DARK
The rain hammered against the windows like a thousand fists, but inside the silence felt heavier.
Kael stared at his phone, his knuckles white where he gripped it so tight the screen creaked. I leaned in, and my breath caught. The photo was blurry, taken in dim light, but there was no mistaking the woman in it — soft gray hair pulled back, the same dark charcoal eyes as Kael and Rian, a bruise darkening her left cheek. She sat tied to a metal chair, staring straight at the camera like she knew someone was watching.
Below the image, one line of text glowed cold on the screen: Surrender the compound and all Vance assets by dawn. Or she’s gone forever.
Kael sank onto the edge of the armchair, dropping his face into his hands. For the first time since I’d
