The news didn’t arrive loudly.
It slipped in.
A notification lighting up Emma’s phone in the quiet of her living room, cutting through the stillness Dominic had left behind.
She didn’t pick it up immediately.
But she already knew.
Something had shifted.
When she finally looked—
The headline confirmed it.
“Laura Reed Released on Bail—Linked to Emma Laurent Case”
Emma read it once.
Then again.
Not because she needed to.
Because her mind refused to accept how quickly everything had changed.
She opened the article.
A photograph filled the screen.
Laura.
Walking out of the station like nothing had touched her.
Composed.
Untouched.
Almost… amused.
And beside her—
Dominic.
Not hesitant.
Not conflicted.
Walking with her.
Emma stared at that image a second longer than neces
