Chapter Eighty-two

Liam sat alone in the dimly lit living room, his thoughts consumed by memories of Samantha. He had barely left the house since her death, preferring instead to wallow in his grief. But when a knock at the door broke the silence, he felt a spark of curiosity ignites within him.

Rising from his armchair, Liam made his way to the entrance and opened the door to find Lucas, a man he had once called a friend, but who had been distant ever since the case of Emily had come to a close.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Liam could sense that something was different about Lucas. He seemed troubled, weighed down by something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was only after they had spoken about their shared losses that Lucas revealed the true reason for his visit.

"Just when I thought I had found love again, someone took it away from me," Liam said, his voice laced with bitterness.

Liam felt a sense of kinship with Lucas that he hadn't felt in years. "Grief can be a merciless beast," he