Ryan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window as he answered the call, his voice low as he asked, "Is it confirmed?"

Eric's tone was resolute on the other end. "Yes, it's confirmed. He's dead."

Before receiving this news, Ryan had imagined countless scenarios in which Cole met his end, fueled by anger at seeing Zoe return so pale.

Yet now, a sense of calm washed over him. He realized that Cole's death might not be a good thing for Zoe.

Cole was dead, and it was Christopher who took his life. Even though Christopher's motive was Cole's attempted rape of Zoe, this did not constitute a simple case of self-defense.

From...