He studied the portrait, then looked at me, his eyes crinkling with warmth as he leaned in to kiss my cheek.

The phone on the nightstand suddenly buzzed.

I glanced over. It was Freya.

He got up and stepped outside to answer.

"Alright, I'll be there soon. But I only have two hours—I need to get back to Abigail."

Once he was sure I was asleep, he slipped out quietly and closed the door behind him.

The sound of the car engine faded into the distance before I finally struggled to sit up.

After getting dressed, I went straight to the study.

I searched every corner meticulously. Any chance to gather evidence against Freya—I wasn't going to let it slip away.

Finally, beneath the safe, I found the USB flash drive from that day.

My fingers trembled as I plugged it into the computer. The footage loaded bit by bit.

A few seconds of video stretched into an eternity.

On the screen, Grandpa stood guard by the machinery—and was brutally beaten.

Tears streamed down my face.

I hid the evidence inside my clothes and hurried out.

The truth deserved to see the light.

But the moment I stepped through the front door, I ran straight into Charles and Freya.

"Where do you think you're going this late?"