Chapter 74

The glow of Lydia's phone screen flickers against my trembling fingers. My mother's image is burned into my vision—bound, gagged, her wide, terrified eyes pleading for help. The words beneath the picture tighten around my throat like a noose.

Drop the case. Or she dies.

The weight of the threat settles over me, suffocating. The logical part of my brain tells me to react, to scream, to rush into action. But the other part—the part that has survived every twist and betrayal up until now—forces me to stay still.

Victoria thinks she's won.

She thinks she's finally backed me into a corner.

She has no idea who she's dealing with.

I take a slow, measured breath, pushing the panic aside. Dread clings to my skin, but I won't let it control me. I won't let her control me.

With steady hands, I type out my response.

— I need time to think. If I drop this, I need guarantees.