Jason wanted nothing more than to work Anastasia''s case, but now, his hands


    were tied-orders were orders.


    He''d been on the verge of quitting, yet this case made him change his mind.


    After grabbing somete-night takeout with Mr. Taylor, they said their goodbyes


    outside the neon-lit diner. Mr. Taylor slid into a ck SUV, pulled out his phone as


    soon as the door shut, and spoke in a low voice, "It''s handled-Jason will report


    to Einsberg tomorrow morning..."


    Jason lingered at the curb, finishing off his cigarette before flicking it aside. By the


    time he got home, it was already the middle of the night.


    He unlocked the door quietly and found Monica asleep on the couch-again. She


    always tried to wait up for him, but most nights, sleep won out.


    He tiptoed over, intending to scoop her up and take her to bed, but as soon as he


    bent down, Monica stirred.


    The first thing she asked was, "Did you catch the bastard who set up Anastasia?"


    What happened to Anastasia had Monica furious-if she could, she''d hunt down


    the culprit herself.


    Jason sat next to her. "No. And starting tomorrow, I''m off the case. Herman pulled


    it."


    "He can''t just do that! Ana''s the victim-how can he just walk away?" Monica''s


    voice trembled with anger. "He said he''d protect her. Look at her now. If he''d done


    his job, she wouldn''t have stormed out of that dinner, she wouldn''t have been


    kidnapped, none of this would''ve happened."


    "Monica, breathe." Jason tried to calm her down. "No one wanted this. I went to


    Southridge Estates earlier-Ana''s awake, but she''s not herself. She isn''t seeing


    anyone."


    Monica''s eyes brimmed with tears. Thinking about what Ana had been through


    was almost too much.


    "Jason... those photos online... Do you think Ana..." Monica''s voice trailed off;


    she couldn''t bring herself to finish the question.


    The pictures-God, those awful pictures-told a grim story. Four men. Ana,


    beautiful and broken. Those images were everywhere now.


    They''d been leaked straight from the kidnappers'' phones and sshed all over


    social media.


    Suddenly, Jason''s face changed. "Wait-the timing on those photos. They were


    posted after Ana was found, and by then, those guys were already dead. So who


    uploaded them?"


    Monica blinked, confused. "Didn''t you say they scheduled the posts?"


    "Yeah, but why bother scheduling? Why not just post them right away?" Jason''s


    mind was racing. "Maybe they were holding onto them for leverage, waiting on a


    Someone else was calling the shots-Jason was sure of it.


    The photos had been set to


    auto-post an hour after Ana was


    found. That left enough time for the


    real mastermind to finish


    business-and silence any loose


    ends.


    Those four never saw iting.


    It was just a theory, but Jason felt it in his gut.


    He could get obsessive when he was piecing things together. Monica was used to


    it by now.


    "But the damage is done," Monica


    whispered. "Those photos... Ana''s


    never going to be the same. I don''t


    know how she''ll evere back


    from this."


    Sometimes, life knocks you down so hard, only you can pull yourself out.


    "Try to get some rest," Jason said


    gently. He didn''t want Monica


    digging any deeper-she was too


    impulsive, and he was afraid she''d


    get herself in trouble.


    But Monica couldn''t sleep. Not when Ana was hurting.


    Southridge Estates was silent.


    Anastasia sat alone in her room, wrapped in darkness. She hadn''t bothered with


    the lights.


    She stared nkly out the window, watched the trees move in the wind. The


    memories swirled and crashed through her head-loud, jumbled, relentless.


    She could still hear the clicks of the camera shutter. And a voice-someone


    urging her to run, not to look back.


    She couldn''t tell what was real and what was just her mind ying tricks.


    How could Rowan''s voice have been in that cave?


    She didn''t know about the rumors outside. She didn''t know the kidnappers were


    dead.


    Then she heard footsteps in the hallway. Herman.


    "Honey, I''ming in."


    Anastasia froze, every muscle tense. She knew she couldn''t avoid Herman


    forever.


    She clutched the nket tighter, voice raw and pleading. "...Don''t turn on the


    light."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!