Alexander had never felt so hollow. Each day felt like a slow march into a dark abyss. His once steady hands now trembled, his thoughts fogged by exhaustion and worry.
The weight of his failure as a father bore down on him, especially when it came to Elizabeth. For days, he hadn't slept properly. Elizabeth was gone, Ryan was angry, and his home felt like it was crumbling apart.
Every moment he was awake, he replayed the last conversation he'd had with his daughter, his mind circling around the same agonizing question: *Where did I go wrong?*
He hadn't been able to protect her. Not once, but twice now she had been taken from him. And each time, he had been powerless to stop it.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Alexander's fingers wrapped around a glass of whiskey.
The amber li
