I made a silent promise to myself that every single dollar we could claw back from this estate would go toward helping other women escape the nightmare Clara had survived.

We would build something good from the ashes of this family’s greed.

The agents escorted the Thornes out into the pouring rain.

The flashing blue and red lights reflected off the wet pavement outside.

Nora walked up beside me, watching the squad cars drive down the long driveway.

“We did it,” Nora said softly. “They’re in custody.”

“It’s not over yet,” I said.

“We still have to secure the physical servers in the basement before their IT team wipes them remotely,” I added.

“Vance has a team heading down there now,” Nora said.

My burner phone, still in my pocket, buzzed.

I pulled it out, expecting a call from the clinic confirming Clara’s safety.

Instead, it was an unknown number, sending a text message.

I tapped the screen.

My breath caught in my throat as I read the words.

It was a photograph.

The image showed the back of Clara’s head, taken from inside a moving vehicle.