#24: Lauren’s Tears
Jamie froze, still reeling, when he heard small footsteps. Lauren appeared in the doorway, her eyes brimming with tears. She rushed to her mother’s side, sobbing as she clutched Stacy’s hand. The sight tore through Jamie, leaving him with a sharp ache of guilt in his chest.
He should have been protecting them, not drowning in suspicion. Kneeling beside his daughter, Jamie tried to console her, whispering words of comfort. But Lauren’s expression unsettled him—there was something distant in her gaze, almost as if she already knew more than she was saying.