I was sitting near my children's beds—Cassian, Dorian, and Kane—embracing them while my gaze couldn't detach from Cierce's movements. She walked around the den, seemingly oblivious to the whirlwind of thoughts and revelations boiling within me.

Cierce, my friend, a constant presence in my life, felt so distant at that moment. Uncertainty settled in as I stroked Kane's sleepy head, questioning whether Cierce was truly capable of betrayal or if, like all of us, she was a victim of ...