Fiona’s face twisted with worry. “What’s going on?”

Andrew was already striding toward his room to change. “Max got drunk and hit someone.”

Fiona frowned in confusion. “If it’s just a fight, can’t we settle it with money? Why drag Ste into this?”

Andrew paused at the door, his cold, expectant gaze slicing back to Ste. She stiffened under the weight of it. “Hurry up. Don’t waste my time,” he said and disappeared inside.

Fiona turned to Ste, her voiceced with quiet pressure. “You should go. You know Max-he’d never do something like this unless provoked. It may be about you. And you don’t want to disturb Eleanor, do you?”

Ste’s jaw tightened. She didn’t want to go, but Fiona’s words left no room for refusal. The thinly veiled threat was clear. “Fine,” Ste muttered.

Fiona, impatient, yanked open the wardrobe and tossed clothes at her. As Ste dressed, Fiona kept ncing toward Andrew, oblivious to the scars hidden beneath the fabric-marks they’d never bothered to notice before.

When Andrew reappeared, Fiona called out, “Ste, are you ready? Your father’s waiting.”

Ste just said okay.

Before they could leave, Anna’s weak voice drifted from her doorway. “Dad, where are you going? I heard about Max. Let me go with you, please.”

Andrew’s face softened, but his tone stayed firm. “Absolutely not. You’re still recovering. Fiona, stay with Anna. And keep it quiet-Mother doesn’t need to know.”

“Of course.” Fiona rushed to Anna’s side without another nce at Ste.

Anna’s eyes brimmed with worry. Fiona patted her arm. “Don’t fret. Your father and Ste will handle it. Max will be home soon.”

“Ste’s going?” Anna’s voice wavered as she tried to follow. “Then I should too.” But Fiona stepped in, steering her back.

Ste forced herself forward, every step agony. Her legs burned from the day’s strain, her body screaming for rest. She moved too slowly.

Andrew red. “Pick up the damn pace!”

She tried, but her body refused.

The car was already idling outside. Andrew, fed up, grabbed her wrist and hauled her forward. Ste stumbled, crashing hard onto the floor.

“God, you always freeze up when it counts,” Andrew growled. He jerked her to her feet, not caring if he hurt her, and practically threw her into the car.

Finally, Ste could sit down. Her pulse throbbed in her throat as she struggled to steady her breathing.

From start to finish, Andrew didn’t notice Ste’s condition, just kept telling the driver to go faster.

The driver kept ncing at Ste in the mirror, but Andrew barked, “Eyes on the road.”

The man flinched. “Yes, sir.” And the car sped into the night.

Ste had been at the same police station just this morning. Some officers recognized her immediately. To them, Ste wasn’t just another victim-she was the one who’d fought her way out of hell when most would’ve broken. They’d even filmed her story, using it to inspire others.

But when their eyes darted to the group huddled in the corner, their expressions shifted. They understood exactly what this was about.

The lead officer nodded at Ste first before addressing Andrew. “Here’s the situation. After investigating, yes, your son assaulted someone. But the victim had been making vilements about Ste-”

He hesitated, ncing at Ste before continuing carefully, “Crude remarks about her experiences with the traffickers. Frankly, I can’t me your son entirely. If someone spoke that way about my sister, I’d have done the same.

“But assault is assault. The victim’s at the hospital now awaiting a disability assessment. Problem is, they’re refusing to back down. Without their cooperation, Max could face jail time.”

Andrew’s face tightened. The Hayes family had only just stabilized these past three years, and a scandal like this could ruin everything. “What do they want?” he demanded.

The officer’s eyes flicked to Ste again. “They’re demanding Ste apologize to them.”

After a nce at Ste, Andrew didn’t even hesitate. “Who’s the victim? Where do we find him?”

The officer said, “Troy Carver. He’s at General Hospital.”

Ste’s face drained of color. She didn’t hear Andrew’s curt thanks to the officers, didn’t register when he ordered her to leave. The name echoed in her skull like a gunshot.

Andrew grabbed her arm, barely restraining himself from striking her right there in the station. “Move! What’s wrong with you?”

From his holding cell, Max shouted, “Dad, I won’t let her apologize to that bastard. I’ll take the jail time.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Andrew hissed. “What about thepany? The employees? I gave you control because I thought you were responsible. You’ve never let me down before. People will talk about her regardless-you can’t fight every loudmouth in town.”

Max’s gaze locked onto Ste’s hollow eyes and he remembered the scars peeking from her sleeves. His voice turned fierce. “She didn’t ask for this. We failed her three years ago. If we don’t stand up for her now, these rumors will follow her forever.”

“Time buries scandals,” Andrew snapped. “Adults face their problems. And they didn’t say anything wrong.”

One of the officers cleared his throat, about to interject, but Andrew cut him off. “Max, you know what’s at stake.”

Then he whirled on Ste, venom in his tone. “Look at the chaos you’ve brought us!”

Ste’s voice was ice. “Should I have just died out there then?”

Andrew’s hand twitched, but the watching officers stopped him. He seized her wrist instead. “You will apologize. If thepany copses, Eleanor’s treatments stop. Is that what you want?”

Ste’s breath caught. She’d seen the medication bottles crowding Eleanor’s nightstand earlier. Eleanor had been fading for years. To lose her now, after finallying home, was unbearable.

Ste hesitated at the hospital entrance, her feet rooted to the spot as memories flooded back. Troy had been her nightmare -back when she was just fifteen, he’d harassed her, tried to strip her clothes off, and force her into his bed.