LOGINHannah’s POV:The brown envelope trembled slightly in my hand.It was ridiculous, really. A single envelope, thin and almost weightless, yet it felt heavier than anything I had ever held in my life. It rested against my palm like a verdict, like a final judgment on everything that had happened in this house.I sat on the edge of the bed that used to belong to Hayes and me, the gold frame cold beneath my thighs. The room smelled stale — alcohol, dust, abandonment. Nothing about it felt alive anymore.My fingers slid under the flap.For a moment, I couldn’t bring myself to pull the letter out. The handwriting on the front; neat, familiar, already told me everything I needed to know.My Suicide Note.I swallowed and unfolded the paper.Every line cut deeper than the one before.Hayes wrote about Lenora first.He wrote about how the house felt hollow without her presence, how he still expected to hear her footsteps racing down the hallway or her laughter spilling from the living room. He
Hannah’s POV:The road to Hayes’ house stretched endlessly in front of us, even though I knew the distance by heart.I had traveled this road almost every day for four years.Four years of pretending. Four years of forcing myself to believe that gratitude was the same thing as love.Adam drove beside me in silence, the engine humming softly as the city passed us by. My hands rested on my lap, clenched not in fear, but in restraint. There were things I didn’t want to feel yet, not until I stepped into that house again and faced the ghosts I had buried.I turned my head slightly and studied Adam.The blue round-neck top he wore hugged his shoulders perfectly, the color bringing out the sharp brilliance of his eyes. His hair was neatly combed, and his jaw was set in quiet determination. The sight of him grounded me.How cruel fate was.I had stayed married to Hayes because I believed he had rescued me from the kidnappers.But it had been Adam.I looked back out the window, my thoughts d
Hannah’s POV:The road to Hayes’ house stretched endlessly in front of us, even though I knew the distance by heart.I had traveled this road almost every day for four years.Four years of pretending. Four years of forcing myself to believe that gratitude was the same thing as love.Adam drove beside me in silence, the engine humming softly as the city passed us by. My hands rested on my lap, clenched not in fear, but in restraint. There were things I didn’t want to feel yet, not until I stepped into that house again and faced the ghosts I had buried.I turned my head slightly and studied Adam.The blue round-neck top he wore hugged his shoulders perfectly, the color bringing out the sharp brilliance of his eyes. His hair was neatly combed, and his jaw was set in quiet determination. The sight of him grounded me.How cruel fate was.I had stayed married to Hayes because I believed he had rescued me from the kidnappers.But it had been Adam.I looked back out the window, my thoughts d
Hannah’s POV:The police station smelled faintly of disinfectant and old paper, a sterile scent that clung to my clothes long after I stepped out of the interrogation room. This room was different from the first one I’d been brought into. It was wider, with dull cream walls and a long rectangular table in the middle. The overhead lights were not as harsh, and there were windows this time—narrow, but enough to let daylight in.Still, no amount of sunlight could make this place comforting.I sat between Adam's lawyer and Officer Bruce, my palms resting calmly on the table. I wasn’t scared. Fear was useless now. What I needed was clarity.Officer Bruce, who had been questioning me for a while now, leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “So why did you meet Mike that evening?”I met his gaze without flinching. “Mike is an upcoming actor. My company develops optical lenses, improved ones used in phones, laptops, cameras, surveillance systems. Mike was one of our test runners. He act
Adam’s POVThe drive to Uncle Chen’s place was thick with silence, the kind that buzzed in your ears louder than any music ever could. Josh sat beside me, his elbow resting against the door, jaw clenched tight. I could tell he was trying to stay calm, but the way his knee bounced betrayed him.I kept my eyes on the road, hands gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary.If Chen was smart, and I knew he was, then there was a possibility that this mission to save Mike might end in futility.I reached for my phone in my side pocket and scrolled through my contacts. I got to the contact name I was looking for–My head of security. I dialed the number.The call connected after one ring.“Boss.”Ray’s voice came through crisp and alert, like he had been waiting for trouble.“Ray, where are you right now?” I asked.“Just wrapping up patrol near the building. What’s going on?”“I need backup. Immediately. Bring as many of the guys as you can. Eight if possible. We’re heading to retriev
Hannah’s POV:The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, spilling softly across the bed where Adam and I were still tangled together beneath the sheets. I didn’t stir at first, sleep clung to me lazily but Adam shifted beside me, reaching for his phone when it began to ring.He answered without getting up, his arm still resting and rubbing on my soft back. “Good morning,” he said. “What is going on lawyer?”I stayed quiet, listening. It must be very important if the lawyer had called this early in the morning.There was a pause, then his expression tightened just slightly.“The police have Filed the case officially?” he repeated. “Listed Hannah as a suspect?”Another pause.“So we have to go in today?”He sat up now, leaning against the headboard. “Alright. You said you’re coming over first?”He glanced at me, then nodded into the phone. “We’re home. Come straight here.”When he ended the call, he turned to me. I met his gaze calmly, already knowing what was coming.“They’ve







