LOGINLUNA SIX YEARS LATER I'm twelve now, which means I'm old enough to know that hiding behind the kitchen doorway to spy on my parents is definitely immature. I do it anyway. Dad is in the hallway trying to fix his tie in the mirror, muttering under his breath. He's wearing the navy suit—the one Mom says makes his eyes look more gray than green. His hair is getting a little long, curling slightly at the ends the way it does when he's overdue for a haircut. "Darius, are you ready?" Mom calls from their bedroom. "We're going to be late." "One second. This damn tie—" "Language," I mouth silently from my hiding spot, grinning. Then Mom emerges from the bedroom and everything stops. She's wearing a red dress that hugs her in all the right places and flows when she moves. Her hair is down in soft waves, the way Dad likes it. Ther
SERAWhen spring comes, it's almost a relief. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom when Johnson and Alexis get married, petals drifting through the air like snow. They've chosen an outdoor venue—a garden estate with manicured lawns and a gazebo wrapped in white flowers.I stand on Johnson's side during the ceremony, wearing a deep blue dress that Cathy helped me pick out. It has long sleeves and a modest neckline, carefully chosen to hide the scars still healing on my arms and shoulder. Some of the burns will fade with time. Others won't. I'm learning to be okay with that.Johnson looks nervous in his tuxedo, fidgeting with his cufflinks while the string quartet plays. I reach over and still his hands."You're going to be fine," I whisper."What if I mess up the vows?""Then you'll mess up the vows and she'll love you anyway."He laughs, some of the tension leaving his should
DARIUSThe courthouse where Vivienne's trial is being held is packed.Media crews line the steps outside, cameras ready to catch every moment. Inside, the gallery is full of people I recognize, Sera's friends, my mother, Monica and Steve, even some of Vivienne's former colleagues who've come to watch her fall.I sit in the front row with Davies beside me, my hands clenched on my knees. Sera wanted to come but her doctor said no, still recovering, still dealing with nightmares that wake her screaming. Luna definitely couldn't be here. Some things a six-year-old should never have to see.So it's just me. Watching. Waiting.The bailiff calls for everyone to rise as the judge enters. The Judge, stern-faced and known for harsh sentences. I allow myself a moment of hope that Vivienne will get what she deserves.They bring her in through the side door.She's thinner than the last time I saw her three weeks ago. They've given her clothes instead of the orange jumpsuit, a simple gray dress tha
DARIUSThe courthouse where Vivienne's trial is being held is packed.Media crews line the steps outside, cameras ready to catch every moment. Inside, the gallery is full of people I recognize, Sera's friends, my mother, Monica and Steve, even some of Vivienne's former colleagues who've come to watch her fall.I sit in the front row with Davies beside me, my hands clenched on my knees. Sera wanted to come but her doctor said no, still recovering, still dealing with nightmares that wake her screaming. Luna definitely couldn't be here. Some things a six-year-old should never have to see.So it's just me. Watching. Waiting.The bailiff calls for everyone to rise as the judge enters. The Judge, stern-faced and known for harsh sentences. I allow myself a moment of hope that Vivienne will get what she deserves.They bring her in through the side door.She's thinner than the last time I saw her three weeks ago. They've given her clothes instead of the orange jumpsuit, a simple gray dress tha
SERAPain wakes me.Dull, throbbing, everywhere pain that radiates through my entire body with every breath.I try to open my eyes but my lids feel heavy, glued shut. It takes three attempts before they flutter open.White ceiling. Fluorescent lights. The steady beep of a heart monitor.Hospital.My throat is dry, tongue thick. I try to swallow and it hurts. Try to move and every muscle screams in protest."Sera."The voice comes from my right. Rough. Broken.I turn my head...slowly, so slowly because moving makes everything worse...and find Darius sitting in a chair pulled close to the bed.He looks terrible. Unshaven, hair disheveled, clothes rumpled like he's been wearing them for days. Dark circles under his eyes so deep they look like bruises. His hand is wrapped around mine, his grip careful, like I'm something fragile that might break.When our eyes meet, his face crumples."Oh thank god." The words come out choked. "Thank god, you're awake."He stands and leans over the bed, p
DARIUSI haven't slept in seventy-two hours.Every time I close my eyes, I see that video. Luna's terrified face. Sera's empty car abandoned at the park. The way she just disappeared without telling anyone where she was going.My office has become command central. Kane and his team have taken over the conference room. Maps spread across every surface. Phones ringing constantly. Police detectives coming and going with updates that lead nowhere.Until now."Darius." Marcus bursts through the door at 3 AM on day three. "We got her."I'm on my feet before he finishes the sentence. "Where?""Lucas. Investigators traced calls from his prison phone to a burner registered to an address in Queens. Warehouse district." He's already pulling up a map on his tablet. "Police are getting a warrant now. Moving in within the hour.""I'm coming.""They won't let civilians—""I don't give a fuck what they'll let. That's my daughter and the woman I love. I'm going."We take my car. Kane drives while I si
SERAThe next morning, Johnson texted while I was flipping pancakes for Luna.She stood by the counter, bouncing eagerly on her feet as she waited. (I'm in town for work. Can you meet today? The musician wants to collaborate, and he happened to be in the same town as you. It would be a nice chance
SERA I didn't sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Lucas's voice like a plague. Boring. Predictable. Forgettable. The words played on repeat until I wanted to scream. Around five in the morning, I gave up trying. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, watching shadows chan
SERALuna was still asleep when I got home.I set the pastries on the kitchen counter and stared at them. Chocolate croissants. Strawberry tarts. Things that were supposed to make my daughter smile.They looked wrong somehow. Too bright. Too cheerful for what I was feeling.I walked upstairs like I
SERAThe skin on his upper arm was scraped raw, gravel embedded in some places, blood still seeping from the deeper cuts. A massive bruise was already forming, purple and angry against his skin. My stomach turned over.I breathed."It looks worse than it is," Darius said, but his voice was tight, I







