เข้าสู่ระบบKira's POV"Mr. Westbrook, Ms. Ashford, thank you for coming so quickly." The head of school security, a broad shouldered man named Reyes, gestured them into a small office cluttered with monitors. "We finally recovered something from the perimeter camera near the school gate. It's not much, but it's something still.""Show us." Adrian's voice was tight, and sounded like he was starting to lose patience ."Before I do, I want to manage your expectations. This isn't a clean shot. It took us this long to even find an angle that caught anything at all.""Just show us, please," Kira said.Reyes turned the monitor toward them and pulled up a grainy clip, the timestamp flickering in the corner. "This is the only angle that caught anything at all. Everything closer to the gate itself was somehow disabled that morning.""Disabled how?" Kira leaned forward."We're still investigating that. Could be a malfunction not surprising but it could be something else."He pressed play, and the footage
Kira's POV"Where is she?" Marcus's voice came down the hallway before he even rounded the corner, urgency edged with something rawer underneath."Marcus." Kira stood, meeting him halfway. "You can't just show up like this, the doctor said—""I don't care what the doctor said. I've been sitting at home for hours wondering if my own sister thinks I hurt her daughter." His eyes were red rimmed, exhaustion carved into every line of his face. "Do you have any idea what that feels like?""I never said I thought that.""You didn't have to say it. You called me sounding like a detective, Kira. Not my sister." He stopped a few feet from her, chest rising and falling like he'd run the whole way in. "Do you know how many times I replayed that call? Trying to figure out what I could have possibly done for you to even think to ask?""I was scared.""So was I. I still am." His voice cracked slightly, and he ran a hand through his hair, pacing a tight step before turning back to her. "I love that
Kira's POVTwo hours had passed since the sedative wore off enough for Lily to stir again, and this time her eyes opened slower, calmer, none of the frantic edge from before."Mummy?" Lily's voice came out soft, clearer than it was the last time."I'm here, baby." Kira was at her side instantly, gripping her hand. "How are you feeling?""I’m tired and my head hurts." Lily's eyes drifted toward Adrian, then back to Kira. "What happened to me?""You were in an accident. Do you remember anything?"Lily's brow furrowed, her gaze unfocused for a moment, searching. "I remember... Uncle Marcus. We were at the pier.""The pier?" Kira leaned closer, careful to keep her voice gentle despite the pounding in her chest. "When, baby? Was that the day of the accident?""I think so." Lily's fingers tightened weakly around Kira's hand. "He was upset about something. He kept saying he needed to talk to me alone."Adrian shifted beside the bed, arms crossed, watching Lily's face carefully, saying nothin
Kira's POV"I need a favor." Kira ducked into the hospital's small courtyard, phone pressed to her ear, finally out of earshot of the waiting room."Anything," Alyssa said. "What's up?""Someone tipped off the press yesterday. They knew the exact hospital, the exact entrance. I want to know who.""You think it was staff here?""Maybe or maybe not. I just need eyes on it, and I can't exactly go digging myself right now.""Say no more. I've got a friend who used to work at entertainment desk at one of the tabloids before she quit. She still talks to people over there. Give me a few hours.""Thank you, Alyssa. I mean it.""Go be with your kid. I'll call you the second I have something."Kira hung up and pressed her back against the cool brick wall, closing her eyes for a moment, letting herself breathe before heading back inside.The hours dragged, longer than she expected, filled with quiet stretches beside Lily's bed, a brief visit from the doctor confirming her vitals had stabilized a
Kira's POV"Pick up, pick up, pick up." Kira paced the length of the hospital corridor, phone pressed to her ear, Adrian leaning against the wall watching her.It rang twice more before the line finally clicked open."Kira?" Marcus's voice came through groggy, confused. "It's early, is something wrong? Is it Lily?""She's stable. She's going to be okay." Kira stopped pacing, gripping the phone tighter. "Marcus, I need to ask you something, and I need you to just answer honestly.""Okay. You're scaring me a little.""Have you spoken to Lily recently? Seen her at all in the last week or two?"A pause. "Not since the birthday dinner. Why?""She said your name. While she was drifting in and out, she kept saying uncle Marcus, over and over, like she was afraid."Silence stretched on the other end of the line, long enough that Kira glanced at the screen to check the call hadn't dropped."Marcus?""I'm here." His voice had changed, tightened. "Kira, are you asking me if I did something to he
Kira's POV"No. No, I don't want to go." Lily's head turned weakly against the pillow, her voice thin and frightened."Lily?" Kira leaned closer, her hand tightening around her daughter's. "Baby, I'm here. Mummy's here.""Mummy, what's wrong? Is she okay?" Ethan had gone rigid beside the bed, his eyes wide with fear, still holding tight to Lily's other hand."She's dreaming, sweetheart. It's okay." Kira didn't fully believe her own words, but she kept her voice steady for his sake."Should we call the nurse?" Ethan asked, already looking toward the door."Not yet, baby. Let's see if she settles."Adrian pushed off the wall, moving closer, his eyes fixed on Lily's face with an intensity that hadn't been there a moment ago."No, no." Lily's brow furrowed deeper, her fingers twitching against the sheets. "Unc... uncle...""Uncle who, baby?" Kira's heart climbed into her throat. "Who are you talking about?""Uncle Marcus." The words came out slurred, half formed. "Uncle Marcus."Kira froz
VANESSA POV It had been three days since Adrian humiliated her. Three days since he’d kicked her out in front of Kira. Three days since he’d made her feel like nothing, she always feels like nothing to him but this day was just too much. Vanessa sat in front of her mirror, staring at her reflecti
KIRA POVKira left the courthouse with Lily and Ethan.Both kids were still talking over each other. All screaming and excited. Relief written all over their faces.But Adrian was gone, he left after the hug they had.Kira had looked for him after the hearing ended. She checked the hallways and the
KIRA POVKira stood in the living room while Lily and Ethan ran upstairs.“Go get your things, okay?” She called after them. “Don’t forget anything.”“Okay, Mommy!” Lily’s voice echoed from the stairs.She heard the door to Ethan’s room opened and closed.And then it was just Kira and Adrian.Alone
KIRA POVKira sat in the hallway outside the courtroom, hands folded in her lap.Lily sat beside her, swinging her legs. Patricia, her lawyer, stood nearby talking to another member of the legal team.The hearing was supposed to start at 9 AM. It was 8:47 now.Thirteen minutes.Kira’s stomach was i







