The room felt too small, the air thick with dust and salt from the docks, but Isla Calloway barely noticed.
Because Joseph Mercer’s words still rang in her ears.
"Your mother isn’t dead."
"But she doesn’t want to be found."
Her fingers dug into her palms, her breath uneven. "You’re lying."
Mercer sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Believe what you want, little Calloway. But the truth doesn’t care if you like it or not."
Lucas stood beside her, his fists clenched, his green eyes dark with unreadable emotion. "Why would she disappear? Why would she let everyone believe she was dead?"
Mercer tilted his head slightly, as if considering whether to tell them the full truth.
Then, he exhaled.
"Because if she hadn’t, she would be."
A thick silence filled the room.
Isla’s pulse roared i
