All Chapters of The Price Of Her Mercy: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

MIRA Twenty years collapse in an instant, and I'm twenty-one again, standing in Andrew's apartment, staring at my best friend in his bed, her hair spread across his pillow like spilled honey. The same honey hair that's now threaded with silver, pulled back from a face that's older but still achingly familiar. Shit! Times like these are when you really need a drink or a smoke, but it so happens I’m in the position to take neither."Mira," Lily breathes, and all the color drains from her face. Her hand flies to her throat, fingers pressing against the pulse point there like she needs to make sure her heart's still beating.Andrew stands slowly, his chair scraping against the floor with a sound that makes my teeth ache. "Jesus Christ."Jackson's hand tightens on my waist, confused. "Do you know each other?""We went to college together," I say, and my voice sounds normal, perfectly pleasant, like my entire world isn't tilting sideways. "Lily was my roommate turned best friend. Andrew

MIRAThe whispers are starting to irritate me, it’s spreading through the ballroom like poison. I can hear them even though people try to keep their voices low, even though they turn away when I look in their direction."This is ridiculous. One spoiled rich girl goes missing and they shut down the whole event?""I worked my ass off for this scholarship award and now they're canceling the ceremony because some billionaire's brat ran off with her boyfriend?""Typical. The world stops spinning when something happens to them, but the rest of us are supposed to just deal with our problems quietly."Each word is a knife, sharp and cruel, and I want to scream at them that this isn't about money or status or inconvenience. This is about my daughter, my baby, who might be in danger. But I can't speak, can't move, can't do anything except stand here while Detective Morrison asks me questions that feel impossible to answer."When did you first notice changes in your daughter's behavior?" Morris

MIRAI'm still gasping for air, my chest heaving like I've just run a marathon, when I hear Nora's footsteps thundering down the stairs."Dad!" she screams, her voice raw with panic. "Dad, something's wrong with Mom! She can't breathe!"The blanket she wrapped around herself trails behind her like a cape, and through my blurring vision I watch her stumble into the living room where Jackson was making his calls."What the hell?" Jackson's voice booms from downstairs. "Nora, why are you..""She's having a panic attack or something! Please, Dad, she needs help!"Heavy footsteps pound up the stairs, two at a time. Jackson bursts into Nora's room, his eyes wild, and takes in the scene. Me on the floor, struggling to breathe. Tony standing there half-dressed, his shirt clutched in his hands. The rumpled bed that tells the whole sordid story.Jackson's face goes from concerned to absolutely murderous in the span of a heartbeat."You fucking piece of shit," he snarls at Tony, but he moves to

JACKSONWe’re there waiting for the second email to be sent. It’s 2: 45 am already. The second mail comes at exactly 3:00 am, it’s another video message from a man wearing a mask. I watch it three times, my blood running colder with each viewing.The masked man's distorted voice fills my ears. "Mr. Meliś. Come alone to the coordinates we're sending you. 6:00 am. No exceptions. If you want your real daughter back alive, you'll be there alone. Make sure you come alone, or she dies."The screen goes black and another message pops up. GPS coordinates. An address on the outskirts of the city, some industrial area I've never heard of.I glance at Mira. She's finally fallen asleep on the sofa, exhausted from crying, from the stress, from everything.I don't tell Mira about the message. I can't. She's already been through too much tonight, and with the baby, I can't risk her insisting on coming with me or having another panic attack. This is something I have to handle alone.I spend the rest

MIRAThe contractions start at 3 am, sharp and insistent, pulling me from sleep with a gasp. Jackson wakes immediately, his hand finding mine in the darkness."Is it time?" he asks, and I can hear the excitement mixed with fear in his voice."It's time," I confirm, breathless as another contraction rolls through me.It’s two weeks early, but the doctors said twins often come early. Jackson is already moving, grabbing the hospital bag we packed two days ago, helping me to my feet, calling ahead to let the medical team know we're coming.The next twelve hours are a blur of pain and pushing, of Jackson's hand gripping mine so tight I think he might break my fingers, of doctors and nurses moving around me with practiced efficiency. And then, finally, the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.Crying of not one baby, but two."It's girls," the doctor announces, placing the first warm, squirming bundle on my chest. "Two healthy girls."I look down at her tiny face, scrunched up and red from