A grim smile touches David's lips. "That can be arranged."
"Good." My mood shifts, the rage replaced by cold, hard purpose. "You have two weeks to get the proof." I hold out my hand. "Now, the other matter."
"The report." He gives me the single folded sheet of paper. The daily report from the security detail I hired to watch over Della.She is not to be approached. She is not to be engaged. Just keep her safe. At all costs. And report daily.
I scan the lines.
"10:00: Subject on porch with friend.
10:17: Subject received delivery, signed for."
My eyes find the only detail that matters. "Subject appears calm. No signs of distress. No unknown contacts."
I fold the paper. She's safe. For now.
As if her thoughts heard mine, my phone buzzes on the desk. It'sher. My heart kicks against my ribs as I read the message.
Thank you for the ocean drop. It's beautiful.
‘Ocean drop’.
She named it. She understood and she accepted it.
The necklace was an apology, a promise to rebuild. A way to tell her I support her journey and that I would spend the rest of my life making up for the pain I caused.
Her naming it—her acknowledging the symbol of emotional healing, and self-empowerment —is the first true sign of hope I’ve received since I left her on that beach, forcing myself to respect the boundary she needed to set.
Another message appears and I read it with a catching breath.
I'm going on a trip with Silvia. To Yellowstone. We leave tomorrow. I’ll be safe.
She told me although she didn't have to. She's not asking for permission but she's including me.
A small, desperate light sparks to life inside me. A warm feeling is surrounding my heart. For the first time in days, something inside me unclenches. She’s letting me stay in her orbit.
And I swear to God—I will tear down every monster hiding in the dark before I let anything touch her again.
The rage returns, but not the kind that burns recklessly. I have a clear purpose and a good plan now. Andy will be dealt with and Leah will rot in jail.
Every threat to Della’s safety will be erased.
I will clear the path of every shadow that ever dared reach for her.
Chapter 28
HEALING MOON
The longest journey you will ever make is the one back to yourself
Della
Yellowstone: Sea meets Mountain
The air in Montana isn’t just clean—it’s wild. It stings your cheeks, fills your lungs with pine, sagebrush, and that faint, sulfuric breath of the earth itself.
After a couple of days of hiking, breathing in every wonder and yelling at the geysers, as promised, we’re in the Lamar Valley. A classic scene: cars lined up along the shoulder, people leaning out with binoculars. Usually it’s for bears, but today? Wolves.
“Pull over,” Silvia says, voice low.
