ALEX’S POV
I don’t remember sitting down. One moment, I’m standing at the window of my office, the city sprawled beneath me in cold, glittering defiance, and the next I’m gripping the arm of my chair like it’s the only thing keeping me upright.
Lavender is pregnant. The words still don’t feel real. They don’t fit into the architecture of the life I’ve built, too human, too fragile, too irreversible.
And she’s gone, not missing, not misplaced, she left because i failed her. Victor stands across from me, his presence steady, his expression carefully neutral. He’s learned over the years how to deliver bad news without making it worse.
“No confirmed leads yet,” he says. “She paid cash, no digital trail, no phone pings. Her aunt covered her tracks well.” I nod once, jaw tightening.
“She di
