The Shocking News

Jared reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His fingers moved quickly, snapping a photo of the car and its plate number. He sent it to Nick with a message: "Run this. Immediately."

Sliding the phone back into his pocket, Jared resumed walking, his mind a whirlwind of calculations and emotions. His instincts told him this was just the beginning. Someone was circling too close to his family, too close to Jerica. They had underestimated him—underestimated the lengths he would go to protect the woman he loved.

His jaw tightened, and his eyes hardened with resolve. He wasn't just some man living a quiet, unremarkable life. He'd spent years in shadows far darker than this. If they wanted a fight, he would bring the storm to their doorstep.

But as the tension mounted, one thought repeated in his mind, louder than all the others: They will not touch her.