Daphne’s POV

There are fears that scream and fears that whisper but the whispers always last longer.

I thought I was past breaking.

Turns out, fear doesn’t shatter you in one go—it wears you down, day by day, until the smallest sound feels like a threat.

The law office smelled like old coffee and exhaustion. My lawyer, Rivera, sat across from me, his tie loosened, papers spread like an autopsy of my life. Every folder had my name stamped in neat black letters, as if neatness could ...