Wakes's POV
The federal charges had been dropped—insufficient evidence after the Sanctuary investigation collapsed under scrutiny of proper legal procedures. Senator Morrison and the others weren't so lucky, but my attorneys had successfully separated my involvement from the broader conspiracy.
I was free. Legally, at least.
But watching Evelyn through supervised visitation, knowing Aloe had moved to Portland specifically to create distance from me, I understood that legal freedom meant nothing if I'd lost everything that mattered.
My daughter was five months old, and she didn't know me.
"She's beautiful," I told Aloe during the exchange at our scheduled visitation site. "Looks like you."
"She has your eyes," Aloe said neutrally, neither warm nor cold. Just factual.
We stood in the
