Chapter 5

At Sterling Manor, I sat on the brocade sofa. My eyes were red and swollen, and my arm was wrapped in a thick bandage.

Edward's father, John Sterling, paced the living room like a caged animal. The raw frustration in his eyes was tangible. You could feel the storm brewing with his every step.

Edward's mother, Lily Sterling, sat beside me, her hand fluttering near my bandaged arm. A mixture of heartbreak and mounting fury at her son clouded her face.

An hour ago, fresh from the emergency room, I had driven straight to their home. I told them how…