The chaos was finally over, but the air still felt heavy, thick with adrenaline and disbelief. Michelle had been restrained, sedated, and committed permanently. Even watching her struggle had been like staring into a storm you couldn’t control, a hurricane of rage and delusion that had nothing to do with reality anymore.

Cole found me first, his face pale, eyes dark under the harsh hospital lights. He looked exhausted, tense, like he’d carried the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.

“Faye… I—” he started, voice rough, but I cut him off with a glare sharper than any words could manage.

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said, my...