I looked at her.
She did not defend my father.
She did not tell me he had good intentions.
She simply nodded.
“You’re right,” she repeated.
Something about that honesty loosened the pressure in my chest.
I had loved my father.
I still loved him.
But love did not require turning him into a flawless man.
Maybe he had been scared.
Maybe he had been protecting me.
Maybe, like Liam, he had mistaken silence for safety.
I wiped my cheek.
“What do we do now?”
Detective Ruiz’s phone rang again.
She checked the screen.
“That’s my team.”
She answered.
“Ruiz.”
We all waited.
Her expression changed almost immediately.
“Repeat that.”
My fingers tightened around Liam’s.
Ruiz turned toward the window.
“No, do not enter. Hold the perimeter.”
She ended the call.
“What happened?” Liam asked.
Ruiz looked at him.
“Your father’s cabin is empty.”
Liam frowned.
