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CHAPTER 86

last update Last Updated: 2025-01-30 17:40:35

HAZEL POV

I watched Lucian carefully as he studied the photo of the claw marks, his brow furrowed in concentration. The late afternoon light filtering through Amy's cabin windows cast shadows across his face, making his expression hard to read.

Finally, he looked up, shaking his head. "No," he said firmly. "This isn't Darryl's style."

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep the hope from creeping into my voice.

"Look, I've seen Darryl lose control during practice," Lucian explained, running a hand through his hair. "He gets... intense. Aggressive, even. There was this one time he nearly put Jake in the hospital during a particularly rough scrimmage." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "But this?" He gestured to the photos. "This is too too precise. When Darryl loses it, it's raw, uncontrolled. He doesn't plan things out like this."

Relief flooded through me, making my knees weak. I sank onto Amy's worn couch, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "So you believ
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