My footsteps echoed down the hallway, each one faster than the last. My pulse thundered in my ears, fueled by the memory of Jessica’s chilling voice.

“Make sure no one ever finds out I caused Joanne and Julie’s accident.”

The words ricocheted through my skull, setting every nerve in my body on fire. I didn’t think—my body reacted first, storming toward the sound of her voice like a woman possessed.

“Jessica!” I shouted, my voice slicing through the silence like a blade.

She whirled around, startled. Her face went pale.

“W-what is it?” she stammered, eyes darting left and right.

I stalked toward her, trembling with fury. “Say that again,” I demanded, my voice low and trembling with suppressed rage. “Did you just confess to being the one behind the crash? Is that what I heard?”

She blinked, panic flashing in her eyes before she tried to hide it behind a forced calm. “You misunderstood me,” she said quickly, retreating a step. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I heard exactly what you said,” I snapped, advancing on her, fists clenched at my sides. “Look me in the eye and deny it.”

Straightening her spine, she narrowed her gaze. “You’re delusional. I had no involvement in any accident.”

Liar.

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her by the arm and yanked her toward me. She gasped, squirming to break free. “Let me go!”

But I held on, my grip tightening with everything I had been holding in. “You already took my husband,” I spat. “You destroyed the life I built. And now I find out you were behind my daughter’s death, too?”

“You’ve lost your mind!” she shrieked, shoving me with both hands. “You can’t prove anything!”

“I don’t need a paper trail,” I said through clenched teeth. “I heard it from your own mouth.”

Jessica lunged forward, clawing at my arms, her nails digging into my skin. “You’re insane!”

Rage exploded inside me as I pushed her back. She stumbled, crashing to the floor with a sharp yelp.

That’s when Wade walked in.

He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide as he took in the sight of Jessica sprawled across the floor, cradling her ribs.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

Jessica whimpered, her voice shaky and strained. “She attacked me,” she sobbed. “She’s accusing me of causing the accident, Wade—she won’t stop blaming me!”

His eyes snapped to me, wild with anger. “Is that true? You did this?”

I gave a hollow scoff, still catching my breath. “You’re really going to stand there and ask that?”

Jessica’s moans filled the room as she shifted on the ground. “She lost it, Wade,” she whimpered. “I don’t even know why she hates me this much. I—I would never hurt anyone. You know that.”

My laughter came out cold and sharp. “Never? You really want to play innocent now?” I pointed at her, my voice shaking. “You admitted it. I heard you. Clear as day.”

Wade turned to me, face twisted in disbelief. “And you expect me to just believe you? Just like that?”

I could hardly stand the pain pulsing through my chest. “You should,” I bit out. “But you won’t. You never believe me. Not when she’s involved.”

Jessica curled into herself, her sobs turning into trembling whispers. “I’m scared, Wade… She shoved me.”

Wade dropped down beside her, eyes frantic as he hovered his hands over her. “Where does it hurt?”

She gave a slight nod, biting back a whimper. “My side… it hurts so much…”

I stood in silence, watching the scene unfold, disgust rising in my throat. How could he care so much now? For her?

He hadn’t held me when I was breaking. He hadn’t shown up to bury our daughter.

But now, he was falling apart over her.

Wade scooped her into his arms with ease. “I’m taking her to the ER.”

“Wait!” I said, stepping forward. “Wade, please. Listen to me for once.”

He didn’t even glance my way.

“She’s dangerous,” Jessica whispered against his chest, like I wasn’t standing just feet away.

His arms tightened protectively around her. His jaw clenched.

Then—he shoved me aside.

I stumbled, crashing against the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of me. For a heartbeat, I stood there motionless, stunned, broken.

He had chosen.

He had always chosen her.

I watched them disappear through the doorway—her weeping softly in his arms, him treating her like something fragile and precious.

And once again, I was left behind.

Alone.

My throat burned, but I swallowed the rising sob. I was done crying.

This was the final blow. The line had been crossed.

I turned, my mind crystal clear for the first time in what felt like forever. My feet moved on their own, guiding me to a familiar door.

Laurie’s room.

The child they had destroyed me for.

She lay there peacefully, utterly unaware of the nightmare her parents had created. I approached the crib slowly, brushing a dark curl from her forehead.

She looked so innocent. So small.

I hesitated for a moment.

But then I saw Julie in my mind—her laughter, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck, the way she screamed in the car right before the world turned black.

They had taken my baby.

Now they would understand what it meant to lose their own.

I reached down and lifted Laurie into my arms. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake. Her tiny fingers wrapped around a fold in my shirt.

Tears welled up again, but I refused to let them fall.

This wasn’t revenge.

It was justice.

Holding her close, I slipped quietly into the night.

By the time they discovered she was missing—

I’d already be gone.

The airport buzzed with life—overhead announcements crackling through loudspeakers, the steady murmur of countless conversations, and the rhythmic hum of luggage wheels dragging across the glossy floor. But to me, it all blurred into meaningless noise.

My focus was solely on the small child in my arms. Laurie. I held her close, cradling her fragile body as she slept, unaware of everything unraveling around her. Her steady breathing was the only thing anchoring me to this moment.

We made it to our gate. My breath came easier as we boarded. I slid into my assigned seat by the window, still holding Laurie protectively. The gravity of my actions settled heavily over me like a weighted blanket. What I had done. What I was still about to do. There was no turning back now.

A quiet sound—almost a whimper—cut through the gentle hum of the aircraft.

Laurie stirred. Her tiny hands shifted slightly against my chest. She blinked up at me, her eyes groggy and confused from sleep. My stomach clenched. I hadn’t considered what might happen if she woke up too early—if she cried, if she screamed, it could alert someone. Wade and Jessica would know too soon. I needed time.

Her lips parted. “Mommy?” she asked in a drowsy murmur.

My chest tightened. That one word shattered something inside me. She wasn’t looking for me. She was searching for her mother.

I mustered a smile, my voice soft but strained. “She’ll be with you again soon.”

She frowned, rubbing her eyes. “Where did she go?”

I hesitated. “She’s not here right now.”

There was a brief silence, then she relaxed again, letting her head fall back onto my shoulder. “Okay,” she whispered.

I exhaled shakily. Relief washed over me in a brief, fleeting wave. She hadn’t cried. She hadn’t questioned further. She was a sweet child—far too gentle for the monsters who claimed to love her.

For a moment, I almost softened.

Julie’s image flashed in my mind—her grin full of joy, the way she giggled when I spun her around the kitchen, the tiny arms that wrapped around my neck like I was her whole world.

I blinked hard, trying to shove the memory away. I couldn’t afford tears. Not now. Not here.

I couldn’t hurt Laurie. That much I knew. She was blameless. Just a child. And inside her… was my daughter’s heart.

Killing her would make me no better than them. But taking her? Taking her away from the people who ripped my child from me?

That was justice.

They had stolen Julie from my arms. Now, they would know what that felt like. They would live with the void. The ache. The silence. The grief. They would feel it.

After all, part of Julie lived inside Laurie now.

That made her mine, too.

As I stared out the airplane window, waiting for takeoff, my phone vibrated against my leg.

I glanced at the screen.

Wade.

Of course. He must’ve already discovered she was missing.

Where’s Laurie?

Another message appeared almost immediately.

Joanne, where did you take her?

A bitter smirk pulled at my lips. He was panicking. Good.

My phone rang. I let it ring, the shrill tone slicing through the white noise of boarding passengers and safety briefings.

I imagined him now—storming through the house, rage and fear battling across his face, his voice rising as he demanded answers no one could give.

Just like me, the day I awoke in that hospital bed, searching for Julie and hearing the truth whispered in the dark.

He had made his choice back then. And it hadn’t been us.

I finally answered, putting the phone to my ear, my voice calm and detached.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, feigning innocent confusion.

His voice came through like fire—tight, furious. “Is she with you? Laurie. Tell me now.”

I tilted my head back against the headrest, the corner of my lips twitching. “Why would I have your child, Wade?”

“Joanne,” he snapped, his voice tense with desperation. “This isn’t a game. Just tell me where you are.”

I chuckled—quiet, cold. “Relax, Wade. I’m far away now. You’re free to play house with Jessica. Don’t call me again.”

There was a beat of silence on the line, broken only by the sound of his uneven breathing.

“Don’t test me,” he said finally, his tone sharp. “Tell me where my daughter is.”

The irony clawed at my throat.

“My daughter,” I whispered mockingly. “You mean Laurie? Now she matters? You didn’t even blink when Julie died. You let her be butchered so your other daughter could live. Don’t talk to me about fatherhood.”

He sucked in a breath. He hadn’t expected that.

“Joanne,” he said again, slower now. Like he was treading carefully. “I get it. You’re angry. But please… don’t do something you’ll regret.”

I gritted my teeth. Regret? I had a thousand regrets—believing in him, trusting him, thinking he would protect Julie. But this?

Taking back the smallest piece of what they stole?

I’d never regret this.

“Tell me where you are,” he begged.

I smiled. “Somewhere you’ll never reach.”

“Joanne—wait—”

I ended the call.

But it wasn’t over.

I secured Laurie in her seat beside me, her little head nodding forward again in sleep. Then, I dialed a number I’d kept for a long time. A group known for operating behind shadows. Masters of fabrication, experts at creating the kind of chaos that left people gasping in the dark.

The line connected. A calm male voice answered. “Yes?”

“I need you to deliver a message to Wade Daniels and Jessica Morton,” I said, steady and cold.

“What’s the message?” the man asked.

I stared ahead at the aisle, my voice steady as steel.

“Let them know their daughter’s been taken.”