The world around Captain James Harper seemed to blur, the edges of his vision tinged with red as fury consumed him. Here was his little girl, his Emily, whom he had left in the hands of someone he thought would care for her, protect her, and nurture her in his absence. Instead, he found her in a state of utter despair, her body bearing the marks of cruelty he would never have imagined in his worst nightmares.
Caroline took a step back, her confidence waning as she saw the storm brewing in James’s eyes. “James, you have to understand—,” she started, but he cut her off with a raised hand, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger.
“No,” he said, his voice cold and unyielding. “I trusted you with the most precious thing in my life, and this is how you’ve repaid that trust?”
