Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Gabby had been moved into her ICU bed after the surgery, pale and still beneath the thin hospital blanket. They’d removed her spleen, set and cast the small fractures in her left leg and right wrist, and patched up the cuts and bruises littering her body. Her injuries looked brutal in the harsh light, with the bruises blooming deep across her ribs and the small split near her brow stitched neatly.
But it was her silence that scared me most.
The doctors were still concerned about elevated intracranial pressure, likely related to a chronic subdural hematoma. Although the skull fracture hadn’t caused bleeding within the brain itself, the risk of swelling remained significant. And the fact that she still hadn’t regained consciousness was a growing concern for all of us. She looked like she was resting like she could open her eyes at any second and crack a joke about the room service. But she didn’t.
I sat beside her, holding her hand lightly, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles while machines whispered and ticked behind me. The door eased open with barely a sound, and Remy slipped inside, eyes wide and alert, the glow of his phone casting a faint light across his face.
“You’re going to want to see this.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket—once, then again, and then in rapid succession. Texts, notifications, and alerts were pouring in faster than I could keep up.
“What the hell?”
Remy handed me his phone. “She posted it. All of it.”
I glanced down at my screen and saw a feed from X, Gabby’s account bold at the top. She had posted a thread—long, detailed, and ruthlessly precise—laying out everything she knew about Colin Maddox. It included names, dates, locations, financial trails, illegally obtained permits, and even buried whistleblower reports. This wasn’t vague suspicion or subtle implication, the corruption was laid out in full. Documented. Unmistakable. Undeniable.
At the end of the thread was a final message: “I’ve sent everything to every major news outlet. If they don’t run this, you know which ones have been bought. Pay attention. And don’t let them bury the truth. —G.V.”
I stared at the screen, my pulse pounding.
“We’ve been so focused on finding Gabby,” I realized slowly, “we forgot to actually focus on her. On what she might’ve already set in motion.”
Remy nodded, scrolling through what was on his screen. “It’s everywhere now—TikTok, Facebook, Instagram. Mirror posts, screen captures, subreddits, Discord servers—Gabby’s thread has gone viral, spreading like wildfire across every platform. This wasn’t a desperate last-minute move, she planned it. She timed the release down to the second. She knew there was a chance she wouldn’t make it out—and she made sure the truth would, even if she didn’t.”
My stomach turned. “Which means she’s in even more danger now.”
Gladys stepped closer to the bed, her good hand resting on the rail. “What do you think he’ll do?” I asked, eyes on her.
Her lips tightened, and her gaze dropped to Gabby’s face. “Colin doesn’t react. He plans, and then he comes back swinging.”
“So, he’s hiding right now.”
“Most likely. But when he surfaces, it won’t be subtle. He doesn’t like to lose. He’s going to be calculating every move.”
I stood slowly, pulling on my jacket. “Then I need to go. I need to get ahead of this.”
But before I could take another step, Gladys turned and caught my arm. Her fingers were cold and surprisingly strong.
“Do you love her?” she asked.
The question hit harder than I expected. I blinked at her, thrown off not just by the words but the depth behind them.
“I—yes, I love her.”
She didn’t let go. “Are you in love with her, or do you love her?”
I frowned slightly. “What difference does it make?”
She looked back at Gabby with such gentleness it cracked something in my chest. “Being in love is all about the feeling—the fire, the rush, the beautiful chaos that sweeps you off your feet. But truly loving someone is different. It’s about staying power. It’s patience and quiet strength. It’s showing up, protecting them, and fighting for the relationship even when everything feels hard.”
I didn’t answer right away. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of it all. What I felt for Gabby—yes, there was fire, that undeniable spark—but there was more to it than that. It was something steadier, something deeper. It had started the moment she looked at me with those innocent but assessing eyes and didn’t flinch at what she saw. From that instant, something unshakable had begun to take root.
“I don’t know yet,” I finally replied honestly. “But I know I love Gabby. And I know that I’d do anything to keep her safe. That has to mean something.”
Gladys looked at me for a long moment, then nodded once and let go of my arm.
“That’s enough for now. Go and finish this. Do it for her.”