Chapter 16

Late at night, Derick was jolted awake by the sound of rapid, ragged breathing. He pushed open the door to Adrianna's bedroom and found her thrashing violently in bed. Her forehead was slick with cold sweat, lips trembling as she muttered fragmented words, "No… James… The car… Blood…" Frowning, Derick stepped closer. Just as he reached out to wake her, she suddenly cried out clearly, "Derick… Don't look at me… Not like this… I look terrible…" His hand froze midair, pupils contracting sharply. Nothing in his memory matched this moment, but her words were far too vivid. Vivid enough to feel like a memory of something real. What truly unsettled him, though, was her tone. It was as if she had witnessed, with her own eyes, his arms around her dead body. Early the next morning, Derick sat in his study, a thick stack of investigation reports spread out before him. "We've confirmed it," Yannick said, adjusting his glasses. "Ms. Quinnen's behavior over the past six months has been com