Chapter 44
The unmarked police car pulled over to the curb, its engine humming softly. Serenity rested her head against the cool glass, her gaze drifting up toward the rundown complex. The peeling gray paint and flickering hallway lights felt like a heavy burden, and she awaited the daunting seven-flight climb.
“Do you need help getting inside?” Detective Campbell asked, his voice cutting through the heavy silence of the cabin.
“No, thank you,” Serenity answered. Her voice was a soft, threadbare rasp of exhaustion. She reached for the door handle, desperate to disappear into the shadows of the stairwell, but the detective’s voice stopped her mid-motion.
“Serenity…”
She paused, her hand frozen on the latch, but she didn’t look back.
“I understand your anger and your pain,” he said, hi
