Autumn’s breath caught, her mind reeling as she stared at him. “You’re lying!” she shouted, her voice filled with defiance and disbelief. “This has to be some kind of sick joke. Why would Charlie murder her father? You could be sued for defamation!”

“Believe what you want, Autumn,” Elliot replied evenly. “But that’s the truth. Why do you think she hasn’t answered your calls? She’s fled the country.”

Autumn shook her head in denial, clinging to the belief that something deeper was going on—that Charlie couldn’t possibly be guilty. But Elliot’s words planted a seed of dread that grew, spreading through her thoughts. “I’m not buying your lies,” she muttered,...