Zoe sat on the bed in her bedroom, having just returned from a futile search outside. She was now utterly exhausted, able only to take a brief break to catch her breath.

Cole occupied the master bedroom, leaving her with the secondary one. She sat on the bed, while Penelope settled on the sofa.

The bedroom was cloaked in an icy silence, neither of them saying a word.

The abrupt ringing of her phone shattered the stillness of the early morning.

The caller was Barrett, and Zoe naturally chose not to answer.

She had long ago blocked Barrett's number directly, but the man persistently changed numbers, bombarding her with a...