I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry.
He raised a cup of water and held the straw carefully.
“Slowly.”
“Did they fix it?”
“The surgery went well.”
“My eye?”
“The doctor still believes your vision will return.”
I let out a weak breath.
Wyatt brushed his fingers over the back of my hand.
“You were in surgery for almost four hours.”
“Police?”
His expression darkened.
“Your father has been charged with felony assault.”
“My mother?”
“Arrested for conspiracy and obstruction.”
“Melanie?”
He hesitated.
That hesitation told me everything.
“She ran.”
I closed my right eye.
“Of course she did.”
“They found her car at the airport.”
“Did she get on a plane?”
“No. Security footage shows her leaving in another vehicle.”
“Whose?”
“They’re still checking.”
I stared at the pale morning light.
“She planned an escape.”
“It looks that way.”
“No. She planned everything.”
Wyatt did not argue.
A knock sounded at the door.
Detective Beckett entered with a woman in a navy suit carrying a laptop and a thick file.
“This is Assistant District Attorney Lena Morris.”
The woman offered me a gentle nod.
“Ms. Davis, I’m sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances.”
“What did you find?”
She and Beckett exchanged a look.
Beckett closed the door.
“The search of your parents’ house uncovered several forged documents bearing your name.”
“How many?”
“Twenty-three.”
The number stunned me.
“Bank authorizations, property transfers, trust waivers, and a document stating you intended to leave the country permanently.”
“I’ve never even had a passport.”
“We know.”
Lena Morris opened the file.
“They also drafted a letter supposedly written by you.”
“What did it say?”
“That you were ending your engagement, cutting contact with your family, and moving abroad due to emotional instability.”
Wyatt stood so quickly that his chair scraped the floor.
“They were going to make her disappear.”
The prosecutor’s expression remained controlled.
“That is one possibility.”
“One possibility?” he snapped.
“Wyatt,” I whispered.
He looked at me, then forced himself to sit.
Detective Beckett continued.
“We also found a recent life insurance policy.”
My stomach clenched.
“On whom?”
“You.”
“For how much?”
“Two million dollars.”
“Who was the beneficiary?”
“Melrose Residential Partners.”
The room went silent.
I could hear the heart monitor beside me.
