Alas, Serena's tenderness was reserved for Declan alone.

The moment she hung up, her foot pressed the gas pedal to the floor. She tore through the streets, blowing through three red lights without even flinching. She screamed at Kieran through the speakerphone, her knuckles white against the steering wheel.

"Dig into it! I want answers! That hospital is hiding something. Fletcher must have paid them off!"

I glanced at her from the side, watching her face twist with rage, and I couldn't help but laugh. It was ironic, really.

The hospital had lied, she was right about that. But the money hadn't come from me, and the cover-up wasn't for my benefit. It was all for the man she loved and trusted more than anyone in the world.

I turned toward the window and watched the streets blur past, and my mind drifted back to a rainy night three years ago.

Declan had his arm draped around Serena's shoulder, speaking in that casual tone of his. "That old woman is becoming a problem. She keeps showing up at the police station and making a scene. If she doesn't stop, she's going to blow this whole thing wide open."

Serena hadn't even looked up from her phone. "Deal with it however you want."

After that night, Declan had Mom committed to the psychiatric ward under a false diagnosis. She lost every last shred of her freedom.

The screech of brakes snapped me back to the present. Serena had pulled up in front of the county courthouse, but she didn't get out. She sat staring at a message from Declan on her phone.

"Sere, the hearing is tomorrow. How have you still not found Fletcher?"

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel for a moment, then called him back. "Declan, at this point, the only way to buy time is if something comes up that forces them to delay the hearing."

"An emergency?" Declan sounded confused.

"Something like a sudden illness, or a natural disaster. Some kind of unavoidable circumstance."

Declan went quiet on the other end.

A few seconds later, a sharp, agonized scream tore through the phone, followed by the heavy thud of something falling. The color drained from Serena's face instantly.

"Declan? Declan!"

After a burst of static, a caretaker's panicked voice came through. "M-Ms. Collier, Mr. Merritt fell down the stairs!"

I trailed behind Serena as she rushed into the hospital emergency room. Declan was lying on a stretcher with his right leg in a cast, his face completely drained of color. Serena threw herself at his bedside, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Are you out of your mind? I said we'd figure something out! Why would you do this to yourself?"

Declan managed a weak, pitiful smile. "I just didn't want you running around and stressing yourself out over me anymore. I owe you too much already."

Serena let out a long breath and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You idiot."

She paused, and her voice steadied. "The doctor says you fractured your right tibia. You'll need two weeks of bed rest, which means the hearing gets pushed back by at least half a month.

"Just focus on getting better. Leave the rest to me."

By the time she walked out of the hospital, every trace of softness had vanished from her face. She dialed Kieran's number as she crossed the parking lot.

"What have you found so far? Good. And while you're at it, look into where Fletcher might be hiding. His old house, friends' places, anywhere he could have gone."

I drifted behind her, watching her slide into the car. My spirit hid in the shadow she cast against the pavement. She would never know that the person she was searching for had been right beside her this entire time.