chapter 26

Kelsey sat in his car, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. The weight of his actions pressed heavily on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He had sold his sister to cover his mistakes, and the guilt was consuming him. He thought he could handle it, thought it was the only way out, but now the reality was unbearable.

The memory of Emily’s face haunted him, her eyes wide with fear and betrayal as she was taken away.

He had convinced himself that she would be okay, that she would be treated well, but the uncertainty gnawed at him. He had to find her. He had to make things right.

His brothers, Xander and Tony, were equally frantic.

They had been searching for Emily for weeks, scouring the city, questioning everyone who might have seen or heard something. But so far, their efforts had yielded nothing. Emily seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Tony, always the more hot-headed of the brothers, was especially furious. He paced back and forth in the living room, his fists