Chapter 21

We left the commissioner's office in silence, but my heart was pounding like a drum in my chest. The hallway felt too quiet, like the calm before a storm. Every step we took echoed in my ears.

Benjamin walked beside me, his hand brushing against mine and he held it. His jaw was tight, and I could tell he was thinking ahead, always calculating, always controlled. But underneath all that, I knew he felt the weight of this moment.

We stepped outside into the harsh daylight. The sun felt strange on my skin.

"Come with me," Benjamin said quietly, leading me to his car.

The drive was quiet, we didn't speak. Just the sound of tires on asphalt and my thoughts racing through every memory that led to this day.

We reached the street near the Blackwood mansion before the police convoy arrived. I stayed inside the car, parked behind a tinted SUV. Benjamin sat beside me, watching the front gates like a hunter tracking prey.

The officers arr