Chapter 3: The Sanctuary
At 3:00 AM, I packed a single duffel bag and drove Lily to a secluded cottage two hours outside the city. It belonged to Marcus, an old military comrade who owed me his life.
The night air was freezing, filled with the pine scent of the surrounding woods. Marcus met us at the porch, his tall, weathered frame standing like a fortress against the darkness.
""Is she safe here?"" I asked, setting Lily down on the plush sofa inside.
""With my life, Julian,"" Marcus replied, his grip firm on my shoulder. ""No one tracks this place. What's your play?""
""Victor thinks he's fighting a businessman,"" I said, looking at Lily as she drifted off to sleep under a warm woolen blanket. ""He doesn't realize he's fighting a father who has nothing left to lose.""
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I pulled out the folded paper Lily had given me earlier. On it was an address in the old district—and a handwritten note in Sarah's cursive handwriting, dated three years ago: Save our daughter, Evelyn.
My hands shook. Sarah hadn't been in a coma the whole time. She had left a trail.
