The room stayed painfully quiet after I broke down in tears. It was the type of silence that pressed down on my lungs, heavy and suffocating, like the universe was waiting to see if I would break again.
Ryder was the first to speak. His voice was low, careful, almost afraid of the answer.
“So… how was your mother the killer? Because we found out it was Logan—Damien’s uncle. So…?”
His words scratched at my raw chest. I wiped my face with shaky fingers, trying to breathe through the tightening in my ribs.
“We came across Damien at the hospital,” I whispered. Even saying Damien’s name made my stomach twist. “He… he recognized my mother when he saw us. She rushed to leave, like she was scared he’d open his mouth. I knew something was wrong after he said something about me not knowing who m
