Stella's POV
After spending hours at the police station, we were finally released into the night. Adrian drove us home through the empty streets, his hands gripping the steering wheel with visible tension. Nathaniel was still behind bars, but the detective had pulled me aside with news that made my stomach drop.
"First-time offender, no priors, decent lawyer," he'd said with a shrug. "Kid'll probably walk with community service and anger management classes."
The thought of Nathaniel back on the streets made my skin crawl.
"Jade, I wish we could have met under better circumstances," Adrian said as we reached our front gate, his voice carrying genuine regret.
"So do I, but thank you for being there for Stella tonight," my mother replied, her voice still shaky from everything that had happened. "Would you like to come inside for some coffee?"
