The room was cloaked in darkness, except for a dim light from a bedside lamp.

On the bed, the man and woman were drenched in sweat, the man driving forward with powerful thrusts, while the woman clung to his neck, desperately stifling the sounds that threatened to escape her throat.

The rhythmic thumping of their bodies colliding, her suppressed moans, and the glint of jewelry under the faint light filled the room.

Matthew recognized the ring immediately. It was the one ...