“Why didn’t you just call me directly?” I asked. “Why the burner phone and the cryptic texts?”

“Because I was terrified,” Melanie said simply. “Lucas told me that if I ever tried to contact you, or if I went to the police, he would release more of those fake emails to ensure I never worked in this industry again.”

She reached across the table and touched my wrist.

Her hand was ice cold.

“I wanted you to find them,” Melanie said. “I knew if you went down there and saw what he was doing, you would help me stop him.”

My phone vibrated again.

The screen lit up on the table, the name *Chloe* flashing in white letters against the black background.

I stared at it.

“She doesn’t know,” I said, my voice cracking. “She thinks he loves her. She thinks they’re starting a life together in California.”

“She’s a fool,” Melanie said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “Or she’s an accomplice.”

“No,” I said quickly, defending my sister despite the pain in my chest. “Chloe is naive. She’s easily manipulated. Lucas has been grooming her for months.”