They had spent the whole summer acting careful. My mother clipped coupons in front of me and sighed over grocery prices. My father shook his head when I suggested one quiet weekend away together, like I had asked him to buy a second house instead of share a motel room and a diner breakfast. “This summer we’re staying in,” Mom told me. “It’s just too much.” I believed her because believing them had become a reflex, even after years of little disappointments. They knew I kept one reserve account for emergencies, and they knew my health was the reason I guarded it like oxygen. At 3:08 in the morning, my phone buzzed hard enough to wake me. The notification said $9,860 had been withdrawn from my reserve fund. I sat up so fast the room tilted, opened the banking app, and watched my own life turn into someone else’s vacation. There were first-class flights to Mykonos. There was a luxury suite, a private driver, designer shops, spa treatments, and restaurant holds that cost more than my rent. Every charge use

Then their eyes met.

Seraphina took one step forward.

Audrey could not read her expression.

The ambulance doors closed between them.

The ride to the hospital passed in fragments.

A blood pressure cuff tightened around Audrey’s arm.

A monitor beeped beside her.

The paramedic asked questions she struggled to answer.

How many weeks?

Thirty-four.

Any complications?

No.

Any bleeding?

Not much.

Had the baby moved recently?

Yes.

She hoped yes.

The city lights flickered across the ambulance ceiling as the vehicle moved through the dark.

Diana sat near Audrey’s feet, one hand braced against the wall.

“You don’t have to stay,” Audrey said.

“Yes, I do.”

“The warrants—”

“Were signed yesterday. Teams are executing them at six locations. I am not the only agent in the state.”

Audrey closed her eyes.

“Yesterday?”