Chapter Ninety-Seven

It was the kind of day where even the sun seemed reluctant to shine. Damien’s car moved slowly along the winding road back to my house, the silence between us thick and heavy. The hum of the engine felt like the only thing holding me in reality. We had just left the rehab center where my mother had died, and I couldn’t shake the image of her lifeless body from my mind as I had to identify her.

Damien glanced at me, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Lauren, we’re going to find Alice,” he said, his voice steady. “I promise you that. And I’ll figure out what connection she has to your mother’s death.”

I nodded, my eyes fixed on the passing trees. The pain of losing my mother was still too raw, too fresh. “Thank you,” I whispered, barely able to muster the energy to speak.

He hesitated, then continued, “I think you should come to the city with me. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone.”

I sighed, the thought of leaving my the place where I w