Chapter 97 I'll Let You Go

I don't know when Dominic Hawthorne left. That night, I sat by the door for what felt like forever—until sleep crept up on me without warning. When I opened my eyes the next morning, I was still at the entrance. The very first thing I did was pull the door open. Nothing. Only emptiness. Yet even after a night had passed, a faint trace of alcohol still lingered in the air. So he really had been drinking. Back inside, I picked up my phone, intending to call Luke Jordan—only to see a message waiting. From Dominic. [This time I let you go. Never let me see you again.] The words tightened around my chest, leaving a quiet ache. Even so, after a pause, I dialed Luke. I wanted to tell him that Dominic claimed he knew everything yesterday. But the call wouldn't connect. By the time Luke finally returned it, afternoon had already arrived. His voice came through the line, flat and weary. When I mentioned what had happened, he sounded distracted, responding in fragments—sometimes answering, someti