Hailey’s POV
By the time we arrived in my hometown, it was nothing like I left it. My heart sank so hard it felt like it twisted inside my chest. The streets I used to walk with Mom, the buildings she once owned, the charity shops she poured her heart into, all of it had changed. Every single storefront carried a new, ugly symbol—my father’s company logo replacing hers like she never existed. My stomach knotted. Rage simmered so hot it almost burned through my skin.
We walked through the town, and even though Roy and Ryan were right beside me, I barely felt them. They were like shadows at my side because everything in front of me held my whole world. Some men and women were still in black clothing, wearing T-shirts with Mom’s face printed across them. Seeing her smile on those shirts twi
