LOGINEmily and Jems left the station together, Emily's arm wrapped tightly around her daughter's shoulders, guiding her toward the car without another glance back at the room where Mira sat, alone, waiting to give her full statement.Mira was kept in custody, placed in a small holding room down the hall from the interview rooms, the door left unlocked but a uniformed officer stationed just outside as a formality more than anything else. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, staring blankly at the wall.It was barely twenty minutes later when the door burst open."MIRA!"Her mother's voice cracked through the small room, and Mira's head snapped up just in time to see both her parents rushing toward her, her mother's face streaked with tears, her father right behind her, his expression a mixture of confusion and barely restrained panic."Mum," Mira started, but her mother had already crossed the room and pulled her into a fierce hug."What happened?" he
Captain Miller crouched down slightly, bringing himself closer to Mira's level where she still knelt on the cold station floor, her face red and swollen from crying, the mark of Emily's slap still visible along her cheek."Mira," he said, his voice steady but firm. "I need you to listen to me carefully."She looked up at him, her breath still hitching, her hands trembling in her lap."Given everything you've just admitted to," Miller continued, "there's a very real possibility that you're going to be arrested. Not just questioned. Arrested. As an accomplice in a kidnapping case, potentially in an attempted murder case as well, given what happened at that mansion today."Mira's eyes went wide with panic. "What? No, no, you can't, I'm not an accomplice, I didn't,""You provided the location that led directly to Jems being taken," Miller said evenly. "Twice, in fact, counting the hotel incident. That makes you materially involved in this crime, whether you pulled a trigger yourself or no
Emily 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
Ethan let out a laugh, the sound low and vibrating in the quiet room. He didn’t pull away; instead, he set the food tray aside and reached for the flask.“I’m talking about making your Milo,” he said with a chuckle. “How does that make me a pervert?” he asked, but Jems was staring at him.He knew h
Emily stood up, her legs nearly giving out. Richard caught her arm to steady her, but she pulled away, stepping toward the doctor alone."Doctor?" she whispered.The doctor offered a small, tired smile, which was the first piece of light Emily had seen in hours."She’s a fighter, Mrs. Dawson," the
Jems’ mum was on the couch watching TV. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun with a few strands falling across her face. She was wearing a pink jersey, shorts, and socks while eating a bag of chips. Just then, Jems, who had just gotten back from school, opened the door and walked in with Derick.“
Don Emilio sat at the edge of the massive pool in his safe house smoking a cigar. He lived on the outskirts of town with the rest of his syndicate; the villa was heavily fortified with high-tech security and surrounded by a dense, lush forest.“He still hasn’t changed his mind,” Don Emilio said int







