Page 65 of Rest In Peace

"Are you all right?" Monica's voice sliced through the haze of my thoughts. She hovered at the edge of the bed, her eyes searching mine.

"Fine," I managed to say, though my tone betrayed the turmoil beneath the surface. "Just… processing."

"Of course, it's a lot to take in." She perched on the armrest of a nearby chair, the fabric whispering under her weight. "But remember, this is about Victoria. We need the truth—for her."

I nodded, feeling the gravity of responsibility settle on my shoulders. Her gaze held mine, steady and unwavering. There was strength in her stillness, assurance in her presence. I drew a breath, letting her certainty anchor me.

"Thank you, Monica." My words felt small in the expanse of what lay ahead. "For Victoria, we'll face whatever comes next."

Monica's hand found mine, her grip firm. "We're here to help," she said.

I offered a tight smile, the knot in my throat loosening enough to speak. "I can't thank you enough, Monica. Victoria," I glanced down at the fragile girl in bed, her eyes large and expectant, "you're incredibly brave. This… it's a big deal."

"Will it help?" Victoria's voice was a thread, nearly lost in the expanse of silence that followed.

"Every bit helps," I reassured her, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You've given us something new, a direction. That's more than we had yesterday."

"Adam…."

"Let me worry about Adam," I said, firm yet gentle. "You just focus on getting better, okay?"

Victoria nodded, and I could see the trust she placed in me, a sacred charge I intended to honor. "I will find out what he was doing there that night. And if he had anything to do with your father's death, I'll bring him to justice. That's a promise."

"Justice," she whispered, her fingers tightening around mine before finally relaxing.

"Rest now," I urged, standing up but hesitant to let go. "We've got work to do, thanks to you."

"Be careful," Monica interjected, her voice carrying a mother's caution.

"I will," I replied with a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. The room seemed to hold its breath as I stepped toward the door, acutely aware of the weight of truth and the relentless pursuit of justice that beckoned beyond the threshold.

I paused in the doorway. I turned to see Victoria's eyes flutter closed, her breath evening out. Monica stood by her side, a sentinel of maternal protection, yet her gaze followed me, sharp and knowing.

The dim light from Victoria's room spilled into the corridor, casting long shadows as I stepped out. I knew the dangers of what lay ahead; confronting Adam could unearth more than just the truth—it could provoke a predator cornered by his own deceit.

As I went outside, I thumbed my phone screen, pulling up Adam's contact information. My thumb hesitated over the call button. No, not yet. I needed to be smart about this and approach him with a plan, not just raw emotion. There was a lot to this story, and the pieces were falling into place slowly now. But I had to be clever about it.

The dangers were mounting, the stakes escalating with each passing second. And as I slipped out into the car, the chilling realization settled in my bones:

The hunter had just become the hunted.

Chapter 50

THEN:

The leather creaked as Sarah's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles whitening. The car hummed through streets lined with tall palm trees, their branches brushing a sky heavy with unshed rain. Every mile closer to the doctor's office was a silent battle against the siren call of a liquid crutch she had forsaken but not forgotten.

What she wouldn’t give for just one small glass of wine. Or just a sip.

But no. She had been sober for five days now, and she couldn’t give in to the desire. She had promised Steven that much.

"Almost there," Steven murmured, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery, a futile attempt to avoid staring at the tension etched in Sarah's profile.

"Uh-huh," she replied, a terse nod accompanying her words. The car's interior was thick with unspoken fears, the air conditioning battling the heat from the two bodies enclosed in this moving capsule of anxiety.

The vehicle rolled to a stop in the parking lot of the pristine medical building, its facade a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside Sarah. She killed the engine, feeling the vibration ebb away beneath her, much like the resolve that threatened to slip through her fingers.

"Ready?" Steven asked, turning his attention back to her. He searched her face for the assurance he needed as much as she did.

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