Elias Pov

I stood by the hospital entrance, the cold air biting at my face as I watched her walk inside. I had texted her the address an hour ago, but seeing her actually arrive made the weight in my chest feel heavier. Mara didn't look at me as she passed. She was already crying, her shoulders shaking under her coat, her eyes fixed on the sliding glass doors as if to check if the news was true.

I followed her to the morgue. When we entered the room where Richard’s body lay, the sound that came out of her was raw. It wasn't a scream; it was a broken...