âBut Fiona is Laceyâs sister!â Brielle barked.
Seeing the tension rise, Terry stood up and pulled Brielle away. âThatâs enough, honey. Michael will sort this out.â
Then he turned to his son. âWeâre not stopping you from loving someone else, but you must stay out of Dulceâs matter.â
âWhy?â
Terryâs jaw flexed, but he just repeated, âJust stay out of it.â
Then he turned to his wife and took her by the arm. âCome on. Itâs late. Letâs go upstairs and retire to our room.â
Michael remained standing while they headed for the stairs, the light overhead casting a shadow on his face. His expression was hard to read, but his subdued demeanor and familiar melancholy were unmistakable. Laceyâs death had changed him profoundly.
âDo you even remember how devastated I was when Lacey died?â Terry and Brielle paused at his words, their hearts sinking.
Michael let out a cold laugh, as if a completely different persona had taken over him. âYou wouldnât want a son like that again, would you? Iâm better now because Dulce helped me get through the pain. If sheâs gone, my life wonât mean much to me.â
âMichael!â
His words shattered his parentsâ composure, as disappointment, anger, and worry surged through them in response to his threat. âAre you threatening your own parents?â
Michael held their gazes, narrowing his eyes. âCall it a threat if you want. I donât care if it upsets Fiona or Lacey, but Iâm saving Dulce. If you wonât help, Iâll find someone who will and keep asking until sheâs free.â
The promise and resolve in his words were cold and steely.
Terry and Brielle exchanged a glance, their throats tightening.
Finally, Brielle said with a straight face, âIf you save her, youâre killingâ¦â
Michael grimaced in disbelief, not expecting his mother to resort to their mortality just to avoid helping Dulce. âWhat are you saying, Mom?â
Brielle opened her mouth to speak, but Terry shook his head, stopping her. âHe canât know about it.â
Brielle took a deep breath, straightening her back. âHeâs not a kid anymore. He has to know about it sooner or later. After all, weâre family, and none of us can escape it. Weâll let him choose between Dulce and us.â
Confusion clouded Michaelâs face.
Brielle turned to him. âCome with me.â
Michael followed Brielle to the study. Before entering, Terry patted his shoulder, looking apologetic. âItâs your mother and I who have wronged you. We dragged both of you into this.â
Later, Michael would realize his father wasnât referring to him and Lacey when he said âboth of you,â but him and Dulce.
Dulce was released from her handcuffs, and the prison guard tossed her a set of new clothes. Once she changed, she was escorted out of the detention center.
She had long harbored a daydream about her release: the sun would blaze gloriously overhead, and her friends would cluster excitedly at the gates.
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