Chapter 3

Exhausted after a long day, Alex pushed open his office door and stopped short. "Mrs. Frost? What brings you here?"

Ashley Frost was waiting inside, rising from her chair the moment he entered. "Alex! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you all day!" Her voice was tight with worry.

"Have you seen Claire lately? She's always either at the hospital with Henry or coming home to see me, but I haven't seen her at all these past few days!

"I can't get through to her, and the station says she hasn't shown up for work. Do you think something's happened to her?"

He quickly guided her back to the chair, fetching a glass of water.

"Mrs. Frost, please, take a breath. There was a major case this morning. The whole precinct has been in chaos. I must have missed your calls.

"Don't worry about Claire. She's always fine, no matter what happens to anyone else. She still has the nerve to show up at the hospital after what she did to Mr. Frost, and now she's pulling a disappearing act? Probably just can't keep up the charade anymore."

But Ashley wouldn't hear it. "Alex, Claire is our daughter. We know her better than anyone.

"There's no real proof of what happened three years ago. I just can't believe Claire would do something like that. After all these years together, how can you not trust her?"

Alex slammed the glass down, clearly losing his patience.

"Mrs. Frost, Emily said it herself, loud and clear. Claire resented the Summers family; that's why all this happened. If it wasn't for her, Mr. Frost wouldn't be stuck in that hospital bed for three years!

"Whatever happens to Claire is none of my business anymore. Don't ask me about her again. And you'd better keep your distance, too—who knows when she'll end up causing you trouble.

"And don't forget, Emily is your biological daughter."

Ashley just let out a helpless sigh. "This is Claire's favorite red bean brownies. Can you give it to her?"

She shoved the package into Alex's hands and left the office.

He stared at it, a fresh wave of frustration and resentment washing over him.

Just then, the shrill ring of his desk phone shattered the quiet. He snatched up the receiver, and his entire demeanor transformed, his voice softening into liquid warmth. "Emily? What's wrong? Have you eaten?"

On the other end, Emily was crying, "Alex, can you come home? I had a nightmare, I'm so scared. I think someone's trying to take me away."

Without another word, Alex grabbed his keys and rushed out.

I followed Alex to the Summers' place. As soon as he opened the door, Emily came running and threw herself into his arms.

He caught her gently, his voice a soothing murmur. "Shh, it's okay, Emily. It was just a dream. The bad men are gone. I chased them all away. How about I make you something to eat, huh?"

I just watched as Alex cooked Emily the seafood pasta I used to love most, then sat with her and ate the red bean brownies Ashley had made for me. I saw Emily throw a fit before bed, and Alex just gave in and coaxed her to sleep.

Emily snuggled up to Alex, pouting, and said she wanted him to take her to watch the sunrise over Sierra Salimore.

My spectral heart clenched.

Sunrise over the Sierra Salimore had been my dream for years. I'd never asked Alex to take me, knowing his susceptibility to altitude sickness could make the trip dangerous for him. I had cherished his health more than the view.

Now, I heard him chuckle softly, smoothing her hair. "If my Emily eats all her vegetables and goes to sleep without a fuss, I promise. As soon as this case is over, we'll go."

The pain was a physical rip, deep and ragged. All that tenderness, every gentle word and protective instinct... it had all been mine.

Once, Alex had treasured me.

In middle school, when local bullies wouldn't leave me alone, it was a teenage Alex who confronted them, his fists speaking where words failed.

With Henry and Ashley buried in their police work, it was Alex who saw me through high school—cooking meals, helping with homework, and cheering me on until I got my acceptance letter to the academy.

After I was shot, when the cold seeped into my bones and wouldn't leave, it was his hands that warmed me, massaging my feet, brewing endless bowls of soup.

He defied his powerful family for me, breaking off a marriage alliance to Emily. He told them all, his voice ringing with conviction, that he wanted no one but Claire.

Now, a silent scream built inside me. I really wanted to ask, "Alex, do you regret it? Do you regret every single moment of love you ever gave me?"

Twenty-four hours had passed since my body was found.

The city-wide bulletin and reward had yielded nothing.

Just as the investigation seemed to hit a wall, a call came from the medical examiner's office. A breakthrough. They had found something during the internal examination. A small, solid-state digital recorder, sealed tight, lodged in my stomach.