Chapter 3

In that moment, all sound vanished from the world.

I couldn't feel my heartbeat or the blood in my veins.

The wild joy on Jed's face froze.

He turned to me, inch by inch, his eyes filled with fear, confusion, and a belated trace of guilt.

In my past life, that announcement shattered me completely.

I lunged at Jed, screaming like a madwoman, only to be slapped to the ground and pass out.

But this time, I stood still, nails digging into my palm, using the pain to stay clear-headed.

Lee looked at me, his eyes full of sympathy and hesitation.

He wanted to offer comfort but didn't know how to begin.

"Impossible," I said, my voice hoarse but steady. "That's not my daughter."

Everyone froze.

Jed, grasping at straws, muttered to himself, "Yes... yes! It's not Anne... Anne can't be dead..."

Lee frowned. "Ms. Fowler, we understand your feelings, but..."

"This morning, I gave my daughter a smartwatch," I cut him off, meeting his gaze, forcing my voice to stay even. "That watch has real-time tracking and is well-hidden. I'll check it now."

I pulled out my phone, my fingers pale from gripping it so tightly, but I opened the app as fast as I could.

A red dot blinked clearly on the screen.

Not at the abandoned factory in Westside.

It was on the road to the Eastside docks, moving fast.

I handed the phone to Lee.

"They're on the move!" He stared at the blinking dot, his face turning deadly serious.

He grabbed his radio, his voice calm but firm. "Units one and two, attention! The target is heading toward the Eastside docks! Set up a perimeter and intercept immediately! Repeat, intercept now!"

He turned back to me, his sympathy replaced by scrutiny and surprise. "Ms. Fowler, how did you... think to use a tracker?"

"Because my daughter is everything to me," I said, staring at Jed's dazed face, each word deliberate. "I won't let anything happen to her."

Jed flinched, as if my words stabbed him.

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't form a single word.

Just then, a young officer rushed in and whispered something to Lee.

The captain's face grew even grimmer.

He glanced at Jed, then at me, choosing his words carefully.

"Ms. Fowler, Mr. Bennett," he said. "Our team has reached Miss Katrina Watson. She claims the kidnappers had an internal dispute. She says she set off an explosive they left behind during the chaos and escaped. She also said... your daughter was at the center of the explosion."

Jed's legs buckled, nearly collapsing to the floor.

I laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "She's lying," I said.

Lee's eyes narrowed.

"First, kidnappers after money wouldn't be foolish enough to carry an explosive that could go off at any moment. Second, if there was an explosion and my daughter was at its center, they'd be fleeing by now, not hauling a 'burden' like my daughter across the city at high speed.

"Third, and most importantly," I said, my gaze sharp as a blade. "Katrina gets rescued, and my daughter dies? That's too convenient. Convenient enough to seem like someone's trying to cover their tracks and create an alibi."

Lee's expression shifted from serious to stunned.

He'd likely never seen a victim's family member, after hearing their child's death, stay so calm and analyze the situation so clearly.

I didn't give him time to process his shock.

I grabbed my bag and pulled out another phone.

"I need to borrow your authority for a moment," I said.

I dialed a number.

It rang once and connected.

A steady, authoritative voice answered. "Amelia."

"Dad," I said, closing my eyes to push down every shred of vulnerability. "I need your help."