All Chapters of Death Of A Rivera: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Four Years LaterSeattle State PrisonThe sharp clang of metal echoed through the cellblock as two guards strolled past my cell, their conversation low and filled with disinterest. The pungent smell of cigarettes wafted into the room, making me cough. I’d never liked the smell of cigars, but tonight, I’d have to endure much worse.I sat on the thin mattress of my cot, staring at the cracked ceiling, counting each second that passed. My heart raced with anticipation and fear. It was Saturday—the day prisoners were allowed a semblance of freedom. Some roamed the perimeter; others congregated in the cleaning house. This small reprieve was my opportunity.The sound of keys jangling broke my thoughts. A female guard appeared outside my cell, her face hardened by years of service.“Sadie Manchester. Elaine Rivera.”I stood, exchanging a glance with Sadie, my cellmate and closest ally. Together, we followed the guard down the cold corridor toward the cleaning house. Sadie had been my lifeline

The day I fell into that water was the day I died. Not physically—no, that would have been easier—but mentally. The part of me that was hopeful, forgiving, and naive was stripped away by the cold rush of the river. I let my old self wash away with the current. What emerged was someone colder, harder, with a single mission etched into my very bones: to find Ethan’s murderer and make them pay.Pay for separating me from my daughter. Pay for throwing me in jail. Pay for taking my husband from me in cold blood. Whoever they are, they’ll face justice—my kind of justice—and when I find them, God help them.After I was shot in the back and the ankle, the river became my salvation. I’d never been much of a swimmer, but survival has a way of sharpening your instincts. I clawed my way to the riverbank, gasping and shivering, and let fate decide what was next. It brought me to the doorstep of a common villager who found me, half-dead, and nursed me back to health. For a month, I lingered in the s

The picture in my hand began to blur, becoming translucent, and I quickly realized the reason. My tears. I dabbed at them with the corner of a clean cloth and then looked at her again. My God, she’s grown so big. A wide grin spread across my face as I stared at her. Her eyes, still the same marine blue, had grown even brighter. Her dark hair, once a messy bundle, was now styled in neat bangs. And her smile... it was just like her dad’s."That's your girl," Ashley said, tapping me on the shoulder. I nodded, pride swelling in my chest.“I’ve got to see her, Ash. Soon. Real soon.” The thought of holding her again, seeing that smile in person, was all I could think about.“I know, but you won’t break the ice with her until everything is over.” Ashley poured herself another cup of tea. She definitely needed it after last night’s drinking spree.“I know that,” I replied, rubbing my chin as I tried to devise a plan. But nothing came to mind. How would I even begin? The thought of facing my da

I ran out of the bar, my heart pounding in a rhythm I couldn’t control. Why? I didn’t even have a reason—just the overwhelming need to get the hell away from that suffocating space. Hunter’s words echoed in my mind: Don’t you miss your daughter?Miss her? That question didn’t just sting—it ripped open a wound I’d been holding together with the fragile threads of distraction and denial. Of course I missed her. Every second of every day. Every minute not spent mixing drinks, my mind would drift to her. And then, in the loneliness masked by the bar’s noise, I’d bite my wrist to hold back the tears that always threatened to spill.“Tiffany!” Hunter’s voice chased me down the street. I ignored him, my feet moving faster.Before I could get too far, his hand gripped mine, forcing me to stop. “Why’d you run off like that?”“Why?” I snapped, whirling around to face him. “Hunter, you just asked me about my daughter, and you expect me to stay calm?”“So, you do have a daughter,” he said, a sly g

I didn’t expect Hunter to show up early the next day, but there he was. The sound of his car pulling into the driveway startled me, and I peeked out the window to confirm it was really him. Ash had been right—he does seem to care about me in a way that feels… different. Special. And yet, I wasn’t ready to examine what that meant or why it made my stomach flutter.Dragging the small box of clothes Ash had graciously loaned me, I descended the stairs slowly, the old wooden steps creaking beneath my weight. The box wasn’t heavy, but the reality of leaving Ash’s house felt burdensome. When I reached the bottom, Hunter was already there, waiting. His tall frame filled the space, his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his jeans. He stepped forward and took the box from my hands without a word.“Is this all you’ve got?” he asked, his tone curious but not judgmental.“Yep. Don’t got much,” I replied with a sigh, my voice carrying a note of resignation.Hunter nodded thoughtfully. “Then