LOGINThe night breeze still drifted gently across the lake.But Aurora's attention was no longer on the view before her.She looked at her husband.Then frowned."I'm just stressed.""That's the excuse everyone uses."Aurora raised an eyebrow."You sound like a doctor.""I'm more handsome than a doctor."Aurora immediately rolled her eyes."You're incredibly confident.""Because I'm right."Normally, Aurora would have fired back immediately.But this time, she fell silent.Because when she thought about it, Darius wasn't entirely wrong.Aurora tried to remember.Her schedule.Business meetings.Their trip.And the date that had already passed.Slowly, she began counting in her head.Then stopped.Because she didn't like the result of that calculation.Darius noticed the change in his wife's expression."You just realized?"Aurora immediately shook her head."It doesn't mean anything.""Hm.""I'm serious.""Hm."Aurora promptly pinched his arm.Darius laughed."Alright, alright.""I'm just
That night, they returned home later than usual.Hazel was already asleep when they arrived.The little girl was hugging one of her favorite dolls, sleeping in a position that always left Aurora baffled."How can someone possibly sleep like that?" Aurora muttered.Darius stood beside her."I ask myself the same question all the time."Aurora pulled the blanket up over her daughter's body.Then the two of them quietly left the room.There was no discussion about Aaron.No discussion about the police.No discussion about the past.They had spent far too long living inside all of that.Aurora hadn't even realized how exhausted she was until that night.When she finally sat down on the living room sofa, she immediately rested her head against Darius's shoulder.He glanced down at her."Did you fall asleep?""Not yet.""Are you sure?""I'm thinking.""That's even more dangerous."Aurora let out a soft laugh.Darius smiled.It had been a long time since they'd had a night like this.A night
"Because you're speaking from assumptions, not evidence."Aaron immediately lifted his chin."I have a witness.""A witness who saw me meeting Lily.""Yes.""That's not a crime."Aaron clenched his cuffed hands."You were the last person to see her alive."Peter nodded."That's true.""And a few hours later, Lily was dead."Aaron turned directly to the detective standing by the door."You heard that, didn't you?"The detective didn't react.Because an admission like that meant nothing without evidence to support it.Peter remained calm."And what's your conclusion?"Aaron laughed bitterly."You killed her."Peter slowly shook his head."If I had killed Lily, you would have found something during the last two months."Aaron didn't answer.Because that was exactly the problem.He hadn't found anything.No witness had seen Peter attack Lily.No recordings.No reports.No evidence.No forensic proof.Nothing.The only thing Aaron had was anger.And anger was not evidence.Darius watched e
Peter's words froze the entire room.Aurora immediately stood up."Where's Hazel?""She's safe," Peter answered quickly. "My men have already checked the entire area."Darius grabbed his jacket."We're leaving now."But suddenly, his phone rang.An unknown number.Darius answered immediately."Aaron?"The voice that responded wasn't Aaron's.It was a police officer."Mr. Harrington?"Darius frowned."Yes.""We need to speak with you. It's about Aaron."Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the police station.Aurora still didn't understand what was happening.Even Peter looked confused.Because if Aaron had really been near Hazel's school, he should have been running.Not dealing with the police.A detective escorted them to an interrogation room.Then opened the door.Aurora froze instantly.Aaron was sitting inside.Alone.His hands were cuffed.Yet his face looked far calmer than it had before.Darius frowned immediately."What are you doing?"Aaron gave a faint smile."I turned my
The room fell silent again after Peter finished speaking.Aurora remained seated beside Darius's hospital bed.While Peter stood near the window."Aaron isn't hiding."Darius raised an eyebrow.Peter continued,"He wants to be found."Aurora understood exactly what he meant.Because Aaron had been leaving clues all along.The doll.The letters.The rose.Hazel's photograph.The phone calls.Everything had been done to make sure they knew who was responsible.Aaron wasn't running.He was playing a game.And games like that were only dangerous if the other side kept following the rules he created."This time, we're the ones who set the rules," Peter said.Darius leaned back against the headboard."What's your idea?"Peter smiled faintly."Aaron wants attention.""That's obvious.""Then give him attention."Aurora frowned."What do you mean?"Peter walked closer."Forget the quiet operations.""Forget the secret investigations.""Forget the subtle approach."Aurora began to understand wh
The photograph was still displayed on Darius's phone screen.Hazel.Smiling brightly in the school playground.Completely unaware that someone had been watching her from afar.Completely unaware that she had become a target.Darius tightened his grip on the phone.Then the approaching sirens finally came to a stop outside the warehouse.Several vehicles entered the harbor area.Red and blue lights reflected against the walls of the old building.The warehouse doors swung open.Footsteps hurried inside.But the person who appeared surprised Darius slightly.Peter.The man walked in with several of his men.His gaze immediately landed on Darius's bruised face and the blood running down his temple."Aaron?""He got away."Peter muttered a curse under his breath.Then he looked Darius over from head to toe."You're injured.""I can still stand.""That doesn't mean you're fine."Peter turned to his men."Take him to the hospital.""I don't need a hospital.""You do."Darius shook his head.







