42

42

ANNALISE

I stood in the doorway of my father’s study, unsure of how to begin. My heart felt heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. Adrian and I had broken up. The man who had stood by me, saved me, even reversed time for me, was no longer a part of my life. But the sting of his absence wasn’t what gnawed at me the most. It was Spencer—his twisted manipulations, his cruelty, and the way he continued to move through life, unscathed. I had this growing need to expose him, to bring his evil into the light. I knew I had to do something. But where could I even start?

I stepped into the room, my footsteps barely making a sound on the soft rug. My father sat by the window, He looked peaceful, as if the world wasn’t closing in on me.

“Father, I need to talk to you.” The words felt stiff in my throat, but I forced them out. He turned his head toward me, his eyes soft but knowing. He always seemed to know when something was weighing on me.

He motioned for me to sit, and I lowe