The drive back from the warehouse was filled with a heavy, suffocating tension.

Emma sat in the backseat with Serena and Amy, her protective instincts on high alert as she kept glancing at the little girl, who was curled up against her mother’s side, exhausted from the ordeal.

Serena was visibly shaken, though she tried her best to put on a strong front for her daughter.

She gently ran her fingers through Amy’s curls, whispering soft reassurances as she placed a kiss on her forehead.

“We’re safe now,” Serena murmured. “Mommy’s here. You don’t have to be scared anymore. Those bad men have been arrested and I’m sorry for making...