The wind on the rooftop roared, tossing Nathaniel''s hair in every direction and sending his jacket pping behind him. The chill in the night air helped snap his mind into focus, clearing away some of the fog. He wandered to the edge, grabbed the railing, and nced down.


    Below, the apartment building was wrapped up tight. Police cars, their lights off, waited in the shadows. Cops stood at every doorway and corner, making sure not even a stray cat could slip through. Getting out of here felt hopeless.


    Nathaniel dug a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, breathing in deep. The smoke hit the back of his throat, making him cough, but it steadied his nerves. He leaned against the railing, a bitter smirk tugging at his lips. How had ite to this? One careless move with Reese and suddenly he was public enemy number one, hiding on a rooftop like a stray dog.


    Bailey was useless. If he really cared so much about what was in that box, how could he have let his own son get that close? And Sofia... she was nothing like Grace. Nowhere near as sharp.


    Nathaniel took another drag, his eyes narrowing in the haze. He refused to go down like this. That box held everything. His future. He needed it back. And as for Matthew and Reese... he would make them pay, one way or another.


    He dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it, then took his time scanning the rooftop. One side was close to another apartment building, maybe five or six meters apart. Most people wouldn''t even think about jumping that distance. But Nathaniel wasn''t most people. If he was going to get out, this was his shot.


    At the same time, the search warrant came through.


    Frank held up the paperwork and marched back to Sofia''s apartment with a few officers in tow. He knocked hard. "Ms. Meyer, this is the West Side police. We have a search Warrant. Please cooperate and let us


    in


    Inside, Sofia''s heart pounded so loud she was sure they could hear it through the door. She hadn''t expected them back so soon, and with a warrant already At least Nathaniel was gone. As long as they didn''t find him, she could deny everything.


    She took a slow breath, walked to the door, and peeked through the peephole. Eive officers stood


    outside. The one in front was then et


    same no-nonsense cap from before before and the four behind him wore


    uniforms, hands hovering near their guns.


    Her palms were slick with sweat. She tried to sound steady as she opened the door and forced a smile. "Officers, you''re back again? I thought we already talked."


    "We have the warrant. Please step aside," Frank replied, his voice cool and his eyes already searching the apartment.


    Sofia didn''t argue. She moved out of the way as the officers entered, fanning out to search every corner. They checked the bedroom, the living room, the kitchen, even looked in closets and under the bed.