Seeing that her words had worked, Poppy inwardly sighed with relief. She pressed her advantage, her voice gentle. "My parents heard what happened, and they''ve sent people to help with the search, too. So many people are looking for her, Soren. If she can be found, they''ll find her. But if... if the worst has happened, you going there won''t change anything."


    She took his arm, coaxing him. "You have the entire Fawkes family depending on you. You have our baby. Right now, the most important thing is to take care of yourself."


    She carefully guided him back into the hospital room. But just as they stepped inside, a thought seemed to strike him. He pushed her hand away and turned to the bodyguards. "Where''s Melvin Howard?"


    Poppy''s hand froze mid-air.


    "He''s been taken to the police station," one of the guards replied.


    "Take me to him," Sorenmanded. He had questions that needed answers.


    "I''ll go with you," Poppy offered quickly.


    "That''s not necessary," Soren said tly. Uneasy, he instructed one of the guards to assign a few more men to Poppy''s detail. She was carrying his child-the Fawkes heir. Her safety was paramount.


    Poppy wanted to argue, but she had no excuse to stop him. She watched him walk away, her heart pounding with anxiety. She could only pray that in the chaos of the moment, he hadn''t noticed her subtle maneuver on the cliff''s edge. Otherwise...


    Her hand drifted to her t stomach, and she bit her lip hard. She wasn''t pregnant. If Soren discovered she''d lied to him twice, it would all be over.


    When Soren arrived at the police station, he had them bring Melvin out. With Glenn and the Lockridges consumed by the search, no one had paid much attention to hing He was sitting in a wheelchair handcuffed but looking utterly


    doing Hes


    rxed, as if he were lounging in his own living room instead of a police interrogation room.


    "So, is Evangeline dead?" Melvin asked with a cheerful grin as Soren entered.


    Soren''s control snapped. His temples throbbed, and before anyone could react, he lunged forward and drove his fist into Melvin''s face. The attack was sudden that the officers in the room were caught off guard, scrambling to pull him back.


    Melvin justughed, dabbing at his split lip. "Such a violent reaction. I guess I made the right choice after all. I really thought the baby in Poppy''s belly would mean more to you than Evangeline. Shows what I know."


    "That was a human life!" Soren roared, his eyes bloodshot with fury.


    "A human life? Melvin sneered. He''d


    woken up not long after being knocked out at the scene and had witnessed Soren''s frantic, desperate attempt to save Evangeline. He''d seen the madness in Soren''s eyes, the way his gaze never once strayed to Poppy. Melvin had been responsible for many deaths, directly or indirectly, but he had never seen Soren this unhinged. Was he mourning a life, or the loss of the woman he loved? It was so hard to tell.


    He smirked.


    Soren fought the urge to bash Melvin''s head in. "Was Evangeline your target from the start?" he growled.


    "Of course not," Melvin said, raising an eyebrow as if the question was absurd. "Why would you think that? If I just wanted her dead, I would have only taken her. Why go through the trouble of grabbing Poppy, too?"