Chapter 2

I settled into the hard plastic chair outside the ICU, my body numb with shock. The waiting room's fluorescent lights cast a sickly glow over everything, making the world seem unreal, as if I were trapped in some terrible dream. But the antiseptic smell and the steady beep of monitors from behind closed doors kept dragging me back to reality.

Lily was in there. My baby girl was fighting for her life, and I was out here. Alone.

I checked my phone for the hundredth time. Still nothing from Michael. Twenty-three missed calls now, and not a single response beyond that dismissive text: *Don't disturb unless absolutely necessary.*

A shooting wasn't necessary enough?

Nurse Maria approached, carrying a styrofoam cup of coffee. Her dark eyes were kind as she pressed it into my hands.

"You should drink something, Mrs. Hayes."

"Any news?" My voice sounded like it belonged to someone else—raspy and hollow.

She hesitated. "The doctors are still working. Your daughter's injuries are... severe."

I nodded, unable to form words. Maria glanced around the empty chairs beside me.

"Your husband—"

"He's coming," I lied automatically, the words bitter on my tongue. "He was in surgery. At another hospital. Consulting."

Why was I protecting him? The question floated through my mind, but I was too exhausted to examine it.

Maria's expression softened with something that looked too much like pity. "Of course. I'll let him know where to find you when he arrives."

She knew I was lying. They all did. The nurses had been exchanging glances all afternoon, whispering when they thought I couldn't hear. *Dr. Hayes's wife... Where is he?... Doesn't he know?*

I clutched my phone tighter, willing it to ring. What meeting could possibly be more important than this? What could he possibly be doing that he couldn't even call back?

The doors at the end of the hallway swung open, and a man in a rumpled suit approached. He wasn't medical staff—his demeanor was too guarded, his eyes too assessing.

"Mrs. Hayes?" He extended his hand. "Detective Frank Miller, Chicago PD. I'm investigating the shooting at Sunshine Daycare."

I shook his hand mechanically. "Have you found who did this?"

He pulled up a chair, sitting close enough to speak quietly. "We're pursuing several leads. I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you feel up to it."

I nodded, desperate for any information about what had happened to my family.

"Mrs. Hayes, the preliminary evidence suggests this wasn't a random act of violence."

My head snapped up. "What?"

"The shooter appeared to target specific victims. Your daughter and mother-in-law were the only casualties."

The coffee cup slipped from my fingers, spilling across the linoleum floor. "That's... that's not possible. Who would want to hurt a five-year-old girl? Or her grandmother?"

Detective Miller's expression remained neutral, but his eyes were sharp. "That's what we're trying to determine. Were there any threats against your family recently? Any unusual occurrences?"

I shook my head, trying to process his words. "No, nothing."

"And your husband, Dr. Hayes—where is he now?"

The question hung in the air. I swallowed hard. "He's... he should be here soon."

Miller nodded, making a note in his small notebook. "We'll need to speak with him as well."

The hours blurred together after the detective left. I remained in that chair, watching the hands of the wall clock move with excruciating slowness. Every time the doors opened, I looked up, hoping to see Michael rushing in, frantic with worry. Every time, it was someone else.

I called him again. His cheerful voicemail greeting felt like a mockery now.

*"You've reached Dr. Michael Hayes. I'm unable to take your call right now..."*

I hung up without leaving another message. What was the point?

A new nurse came to check on me, her eyes darting to the empty seats beside me. The same look of confusion, followed by that terrible pity. They all knew who my husband was. They all knew he should be here.

And as the night deepened, a terrible thought began to form in my mind: Michael wasn't coming. Whatever—or whoever—had kept him from answering my desperate calls was more important to him than his dying daughter and mother.

The realization settled over me like ice, even as another, more disturbing question began to surface: if the detective was right, if someone had deliberately targeted my family...

Who would want to destroy everything I loved?