Sarah Lacy closed her eyes.
She didn’t dodge.
For her job…
For her daughter…
For the hope of earning Rebecca Lacy’s forgiveness…
She braced herself for the strike.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash exploded behind her.
But the slap never landed.
Sarah’s eyes snapped open.
Paul Lacy’s body was no longer in front of her—it was flying backward in a twisted arc, as if hit by a speeding car. He slammed violently into Rebecca Lacy, crashing into her wheelchair with such force that the metal legs screeched across the pavement.
The siblings toppled together like broken dolls.
Gasps rippled through the onlookers.
And there—standing in front of Sarah—was Matthew Powell.
His shoulders were broad.
His stance was steady.
His presence felt like a shield forged of iron and storm.
“I said,” Matthe
