Chapter Sixteen: The Nightmare Returns

The dream came back that night.

I was falling again. The air rushed past me. The city lights blurred. Julian's face hovered above me, his eyes wide, his hands still outstretched from the push. Mira stood behind him. She didn't scream. She just watched.

And then I hit the ground.

I woke up gasping. My hands were clutching the sheets. My heart slammed against my ribs. I sat up. I waited for the pain to pass.

It didn't.

I got out of bed. I walked to the living room. Adrian was already there. He was standing by the window, still dressed. He hadn't slept either.

He didn't ask if I was okay. He didn't say anything. He just moved to the couch and sat down.

I sat beside him.

We didn't speak. The city hummed outside. The clock ticked. My breathing slowed.

After a while, I said, "It was the same dream."

He didn't ask what dream. He knew.

"The falling," I said. "The balcony. His face."

He didn't respond. He just waited.

"I keep thinking about what I could have done differently. If I'd seen the signs. If I'd listened to my instincts. If I'd never trusted him."

"You were seventeen when you met him."

"I know."

"You were young. You were in love. You believed him."

"I know."

He turned to look at me. His eyes were dark. Unreadable.

"You can't blame yourself for surviving."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how.

"I blamed myself for years," he said. "For my father. For not seeing what the Ashfords were doing until it was too late. For not being able to stop them."

"But you were young too."

"I know. But I still blamed myself."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"How did you stop?" I asked.

"I didn't. Not really. I just learned to live with it."

I considered that. "That sounds exhausting."

"It is."

We sat in silence. The sky outside started to lighten. Gray. Then pink. Then gold.

"I don't want to live with it," I said.

"Then don't."

"How?"

He didn't answer immediately. He just looked at me.

"Find something else," he said. "Something that matters more."

"Like what?"

He didn't answer. He just looked at me. That same unnamed something crossed his face. This time, he didn't hide it.

"I don't know," he said. "That's for you to figure out."

I leaned my head against his shoulder. He didn't move. He just let me.

We stayed there until the sun came up.

---

The next morning, I found a message from Daniel.

My brother. The one who'd been running for fifteen years. The one who'd seen our mother die. The one who'd agreed to testify.

I need to see you. It's urgent.

I called him. He answered on the first ring.

"Daniel."

"Elena. I found something."

"What?"

"Not on the phone. In person. Can you meet me?"

I looked at the clock. Nine in the morning. I had a meeting at ten. I didn't care.

"Where?"

He gave me an address. A coffee shop on the other side of town. I'd never been there. That was the point.

"I'll be there in an hour."

I hung up. I grabbed my coat. I walked to Adrian's office.

"I have to go," I said.

He looked up from his desk. "Where?"

"Daniel. He found something."

"I'll come with you."

"No. He's paranoid. If he sees you, he'll run."

Adrian didn't like it. I could see it in his jaw. But he didn't argue.

"Take Sloane," he said.

"I'll take Sloane."

I turned to leave.

"Elena."

I stopped.

"Be careful."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"I will," I said.

I left.

---

The coffee shop was small. Tucked between a laundromat and a bookstore. I walked in. Daniel was at a table in the back. He looked older than the last time I'd seen him. Tired. Scared.

He stood when he saw me. He didn't hug me. We weren't there yet.

"You came," he said.

"I came."

I sat across from him. Sloane took a table near the door. She didn't look at us. She didn't need to.

"What did you find?" I asked.

Daniel leaned forward. He kept his voice low.

"I found the evidence. The proof that Julian's father killed our mother."

I didn't react. I just waited.

"It's in a safety deposit box. In a bank downtown. I have the key."

"Where did you get it?"

"Victor Hale. He sent it to me. He said he couldn't keep it anymore. He said it was too dangerous."

I thought about Victor. The investigator. The witness. The man who was working for Julian.

"Why would he send it to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe he felt guilty. Maybe he wanted to protect it. Maybe he knew Julian was getting close."

I considered that. "Do you trust him?"

"No. But I trust the evidence."

I nodded. "We need to get it. Today."

Daniel agreed. He handed me the key. It was small. Cold. Heavy.

"I can't go with you," he said. "If Julian sees me—"

"I know. I'll go."

"Take someone with you. Someone you trust."

I thought about Adrian. I thought about Sloane. I thought about the team.

"I will," I said.

I stood. I pocketed the key.

"Daniel."

He looked up.

"Thank you."

He didn't respond. He just nodded.

I walked out of the coffee shop. Sloane followed.

We had the key. We had the evidence. We had everything we needed.

The only thing left was to use it.