Skylar On the screen, my father clenched his fists, his jaw tight with suppressed fury. “When they first approached me, I thought it was a blessing. I thought I had landed the biggest project of my life. I thought I was helping the company grow. I didn’t know they only wanted one thing… control. Control over my shipping routes. They used my exportation company to shield their operations. They smuggled young girls inside containers of American crude oil shipments. Using my business. My name.” I gasped loudly in horror. Amber’s hand covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes was filled with unshed tears. On the screen, my father’s voice cracked. “When I discovered the truth, I confronted them. I threatened to expose them, to report them. But they… they turned it back on me. They told me if I tried, they would make it seem like I was the mastermind. That all the blood would be on my hands. That I would die branded as a mon
Skylar I couldn’t move my eyes away from the television screen. The picture of Uncle Austin kept flashing on the news, and it felt so unreal. Was I dreaming? Was this some kind of sick joke? How could something like this happen? My heart kept beating faster as the newscaster repeated the breaking news. Every word felt like a hammer striking into my head, echoing and echoing until I thought I would go mad. “Whoa…” Amber’s voice broke through my daze. “Isn’t that your father’s lawyer? The one who disappeared after everything went downhill? I guess karma finally caught up with him.” Her casual words jolted me right out of my thoughts. I blinked and turned to her. Amber’s eyes narrowed as she studied my face. “Skylar, what’s wrong? You look so pale… are you okay?” I swallowed hard and forced a nod, though my lips trembled. “I–I’m fine. I just… I wasn’t expecting this. Uncle Austin’s
SkylarI sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the folder resting on the blanket in front of me. My hands hovered above it. I wanted to open it, to know what was inside, but every time my fingers brushed the edge, I pulled back again.Why was I so hesitant to open the folder? Maybe I was scared. Scared of the truth I might find there. Or maybe it was because, deep down, I wasn’t sure I could bear whatever was written in there. I shook my head and just as I zeroed my mind to finally check, my phone began to ring. The sudden sound startled me so badly that I nearly jumped. Cole’s name flashed on the screen.I answered quickly. “Cole?”“Skylar,” he called out softly. “How are you? Troy reported to me just now. Where did you go with him?”My stomach twisted with guilt. I hesitated before speaking. “Cole… I’m sorry. I know I should have told you sooner.” My voice grew soft. “but I was afraid you might stop me. That’s why I didn’t say
Skylar“How?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended. “How could your disappearance protect me? Do you even know what we went through?”I didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Everyone, everyone, including the police, believed my father was involved in money laundering and sex trafficking. They said he used young girls and destroyed their lives. They painted him as a monster. Do you know what that did to us?!”I could feel my voice breaking, but I didn’t stop. “People spat at me and my mother. They whispered everywhere we went. They attacked us as if we were criminals. My mother’s store was even vandalized, set on fire, burned to the ground by angry people who hated us for crimes my father never committed. And where were you, Uncle Austin? Where? You knew my father better than anyone. You knew he wasn’t capable of that! Yet you vanished. You let us fight alone while everyone turned their backs.”My voice cracked completely at the last words.
SkylarThe car came to a slow stop, and I stepped out carefully. The first thing I saw was the old building before me… it looked abandoned.The walls were stained and cracked, and the wooden boards nailed across some of the windows were half-rotting. The roof looked almost ready to collapse, and weeds had grown wildly at its base. A chill ran through me as I stood there, staring.I glanced down at my phone and checked the address again… it was the exact address that Uncle Austin had sent me.I had come to the right place.But the longer I looked at the building and its surroundings, the more uneasy I felt. Something about it felt wrong. My stomach twisted, and without even realizing it, I rubbed my arms with my hands, trying to chase away the goosebumps that had risen on my skin.“Ma’am, I don’t think this place is safe.”I turned to Troy, the head guard Cole had assigned to me after the car accident. He frowned, his han
Skylar“Oh, these look wonderful. Thank you so much, ma'am.” Nurse Carla’s eyes lit up as she held a white paper box.“You deserve it, nurse,” Ingrid replied warmly. “You can share them with your colleagues. They’re my signature cookies.”Nurse Carla laughed, shaking her head. “You spoil us. Thank you, truly.” Then her gaze shifted to me. “Thank you also, Mrs. Buckman, and take good care of yourself.”I smiled faintly and nodded. “Thank you, Nurse Carla. For everything.”She patted my arm lightly before leaving the room.I leaned back against the pillows, letting my eyes wander across the room. I was finally being discharged. Although I felt relieved, I still couldn't help but think about my mother's state. I really hoped she would recover soon and wake up… I really hoped so.Just then, the door creaked, and Jason walked in with a wide grin plastered across his face. He held a bouquet of fresh flowers… yellow and white l