Chapter 54. The SWAP

Alexander’s POV

As I pull up to the Flaming Academy, Collins’s words echo in my mind: “Those kids, they go to the same school as your daughter, Sophia. And their names are Scarlett and Sterling.”

Today, though, I’m not here for Sophia. No, today is about finding answers—about facing something that’s gnawed at me for far too long.

I scan the groups of children, and then, I see them.

Scarlett’s the first to catch my eye—dark, curly hair styled to perfection, her stance strikingly similar to Isabel’s. I can’t ignore the way she carries herself, a quiet confidence in her small frame. And then there’s Sterling. When our eyes meet, I see my own blue eyes mirrored back at me. A chill runs through me. How? But I push the thought aside, telling myself I’m overthinking it.

Clearing my throat,