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This entire situation was getting out of hand.

“Are you home or in your gallery?” I asked.

“I’m home.”

“Okay,stay there. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“You don’t have to,” she said. “I’ll be okay.”

She didn’t sound okay. Besides, I wanted to be with her. After what she’d been through, she needed me there.

I was getting close to Ashton. He knew I’d been searching for him all these years. Where the fuck was he? What kind of coward forced a woman to carry out a threat for him?

If he could do that to Miranda, I feared Vanessa would be next. This was the first clue that Ashton C. Lindor was still committing crimes behind the scenes.

“I miss you, so I want to be home.”

“Did you finish all your meetings?” she asked.

“I got what I needed.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” She released a sigh filled with distress. “Attikus?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

“Lily Pad, I’m the living devil,” I said, appreciating her concern for me. But I’d been waiting for the asshole to show himself. “They should be afraid of me. But for you, I’ll be careful.”

Rage coursed through me as I wondered how Miranda had become involved in this mess. Had they blackmailed her like Emmanuel?

I called my lawyer, who was also attending today’s meeting, and had him handle the final negotiations for the art books and affordable art programs I was rolling out to the public schools. The discussions with the distributor were ongoing, and today's meeting was to finalize the details.

Then I booked the earliest flight home and headed to the airport.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

VANESSA

I layon Attikus’s bed, inhaling his masculine scent. It comforted me like a protective blanket.

Today’s event drained me of energy and hope. The dark clouds hovered over me, and I couldn’t shake them off. Where was justice when you needed it? Where was karma?

I knew deep down that justice and karma would always collect what was due. But sometimes, they took too long. How many more lives would be ruined before I saw any justice?

I could still see Miranda’s face in my head—her pain, worry, sorrow, and regret. Her blood had seeped into the pavement of the parking lot. A dark memory was now embedded in that area. This was the second time I’d seen someone die before my eyes. The first time was Dillon, who tried to rape me. But Miranda didn’t deserve to die. She had grown up, and she had asked for my forgiveness.

I forgave her, and I hoped she understood that.

However, her death wasn’t the only thing that bothered me. I stared at her phone on the side table. A Post-it note withMiranda’s code sat next to it. I was an emotional mess, so I feared if I didn’t write it down, I might forget it.

I saw the video on her phone earlier. It shook me to the core. I shivered, remembering the violent video of three boys beating one. How could I not be affected after watching something that vile and malicious? These boys weren’t people; they were savages. I wanted to hurt them the way they had Attikus.

My chest hurt seeing what those monsters had done to him. When he’d told me his story, I had an image in my head of the event. But seeing the real thing shattered me. I’d already watched it three times, and each time, my heart broke some more.

I’d cried for a long time before I had gatheredmyself and called Attikus. I wanted to reach over the phone and hug him—keep him safe. Those boys had put him through hell. It wasn’t just the beating but also the murder of his entire family.

Tears filled my eyes again, and I reached for the tissue box. Ashton had stepped on Attikus’s hand and broken his knee and ankle. The other two boys were stupid followers. Who recorded this video? Could it be Milton Kalkounis? Miranda said her trainer had done something to her.