Chapter 41

Vera's POV

Every morning I wake up alone in bed, after dreaming about us making love all night, my heart shatters anew. If only I could give up everything and trust again… If only I had met him first…

It was already dark outside, and he hadn’t returned to his room. The house was quiet, and that scared me more than anything. Blood stains marked the foot of the bed and smeared the wall, signs of where he had placed his hands and struck repeatedly. He was bleeding. What if he bled to death?

I rushed downstairs, my breath hitching when I didn’t find him in the kitchen or living room. I called out his name, only silence answered. No Max, no Tim. Where were they? Where was he?

Frantic, I searched the grounds and finally found him seated beside the swimming pool, his gaze fixed on the water. But I knew his eyes weren’t just looking at the surface, he was seeing something far deeper.

“Jack?” I called gently as I approached.

He looked up s