Se connecterEmily stood over her now, her hand still raised, tears streaming down her own face, her whole body shaking with a fury that had been building since the moment she'd first heard Mira had something to do with the kidnapping."How COULD you?" Emily shouted, her voice breaking apart. "How could you do this to her? Whatever excuse you're about to give me, whatever reason you think justifies this, it is NOT enough! Do you understand me? Nothing you say is going to be enough to justify giving up my daughter's life!"Miller stepped forward quickly, gently pulling Emily back by the shoulder. "Don't hit her," he said firmly, though not unkindly. "Give her a chance to explain. We need to understand exactly what happened."Mira pressed a hand against her stinging cheek, tears pouring down her face, and finally the truth came spilling out of her in a rush."He threatened my father's company," she sobbed. "He said he was going to destroy everything my dad built, every single thing he worked for his
The moment Jems walked through the door of the station and into the small waiting area outside the interview rooms, Mira looked up and saw her.And she ran.She crossed the distance between them in seconds, throwing her arms around Jems and pulling her into a desperate, crushing hug. Jems hugged her back just as tightly, both of them sobbing instantly, the sound raw and overwhelming."You're okay," Mira cried into her shoulder. "Oh my God, you're actually okay, I've been so scared, I thought, I didn't know if I'd ever,"She pulled back just as suddenly, gripping Jems by both shoulders, her eyes scanning frantically over every visible inch of her, her face, her arms, the bruise blooming faintly along her jaw."Are you hurt?" Mira asked, her voice shaking. "Did they hurt you? Tell me everything, are you okay, are you really okay,""I'm okay," Jems said, her voice cracking. "I'm okay, but Ethan isn't."Mira froze."He was shot," Jems continued, tears spilling down her face freely now. "T
Miller nodded, accepting the gratitude quietly, then turned his attention to Jems and Derick. "Are you two okay?" he asked. "Physically, I mean. Any injuries either of you need looked at that the doctors haven't already caught?" "We're fine," Derick said. "I'm fine," Jems echoed, though her voice still trembled slightly. "But Ethan isn't. He's still in the operating room. They haven't told us anything yet, and it's been so long, Captain Miller, it's been almost two hours." "I know," Miller said quietly. "I hope he pulls through. I really do. He fought hard to get to you today. I'd hate for that to be for nothing. Jems," he said carefully, "I need to ask you something important, and I need you to think carefully before you answer. Did you tell Mira your address in France? The exact location of the estate you were staying at?" Jems blinked, confused by the sudden change of topic, her exhausted mind struggling to keep pace. "Yes," she said slowly. "Of course I did. She's my best frien
The moment he saw Jems, he ran across the room and pulled her into a fierce, desperate hug, holding her like he was terrified she might vanish into thin air if he let go for even a second. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice breaking apart. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this, princess. I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, if I could take away every single thing that led to this, I would, I swear to you I would." Jems held onto him for a moment, still crying, too exhausted to sort through the complicated tangle of feelings she still had toward her father. Richard pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his own eyes wet with tears he made no effort to hide. When he finally pulled back, he turned to find Captain Miller standing near the doorway, intent on thanking him properly, on expressing some fraction of the gratitude clawing through his chest. But Miller shook his head before Richard could get a word out. "Don't thank me," he said simply. "Thank Derick. He's the one
"Really, Jems, it was nothing. Anyone would have done the same." "It's not nothing," she insisted, pulling back just enough to look up at him, her eyes red and swollen. "You found the location. You got the officers there. You—" "Ethan found the location," Derick corrected gently, cutting her off before the guilt of misplaced gratitude could sit too heavily on either of them. "He's the one who tracked you down first, through a tracker he'd apparently hidden inside your necklace months ago, the diamond one you’re wearing now,” He said looking at the necklace on her neck. “Before he went in with his team, he called me directly and gave me the exact address so I could get the police and backup moving toward the same location as fast as possible. Everything that happened today, every single person who came to save you, it all started with him, Jems. Not me." Emily stared between the two of them, something complicated shifting across her expression: gratitude, confusion, and a fresh wave
Emily, Richard, and Nana all arrived at the hospital within minutes. Emily and Nana were the first through the sliding doors, their eyes scanning wildly across the waiting room, past strangers in various states of worry and boredom, until a nurse, noticing her frantic expression, gently pointed her toward a small private area near the emergency wing. And then she saw her. Jems was sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, wrapped in a thin, scratchy blanket that did nothing to hide how small she looked, her face pale and gaunt, dark circles carved deep beneath her eyes like bruises. Her hair was tangled and matted in places, and dried blood, not her own, Emily would later learn, but Ethan's, was still visible along the edge of one sleeve that the nurses hadn't yet gotten her to change out of. She looked thinner than Emily remembered, even though it had only been a day. Drained. Hollowed out. It was as if the past twenty-four hours had scooped something vital right out of her chest. But
Jems was so worried that Emily wasn't back yet. She kept pacing back and forth in the living room, clutching her phone tightly in her hand, checking it every few seconds. Her heart was racing. Her mind was spinning with a thousand terrible thoughts.What if something happened to Mum? What if Jessic
Jessica woke up the next morning and refused to open her eyes. She kept them closed tightly, praying desperately that it had all been a bad dream. Please, God. Please let it be a nightmare. Please.But when she finally opened her eyes, it was there: the letter, crumpled on the nightstand where she’
FLASHBACK, 22 YEARS AGOThe basement apartment was dim and cramped. Water stains marked the low ceiling, and the single window near the top of the wall barely let in any light. The walls were cracked and peeling, and there was a damp smell that never quite went away, no matter how much Jessica clea
"Jems, come on! What's taking you so long?" Emily shouted from downstairs."Coming, Mum!" Jems yelled as she opened the door of her room and ran down the stairs. She was wearing a white Chanel crop top paired with high-waisted light blue jeans and white Balenciaga sneakers. Her hair was pulled back







