~LAYLA~
I stared at Daniel's text, my pulse spiking. Urgent? About Cassandra? He'd been out of town for days, missing the preliminary hearing entirely, and out of the blue, he's sending this?
I glanced at Axel, who was laughing with a tech CEO just a few steps away, his charm dialled to maximum. The mixer's warmth, soft jazz, clinking glasses, and couples mingling suddenly felt suffocating.
I slipped out to the porch, the cool night air hitting my skin like a slap. My hands trembled slightly as I dialled Daniel's number.
"Layla," he answered on the first ring in a low and ragged voice. "Thank God. I've been trying to reach you for hours."
"What's going on? Your message said it was urgent."
"I found something. Pills, hidden in Cassandra's room. Mifepristone. Abortion pills." His words tumbled out fast and desperate. "She faked the pregnancy, Layla. The miscarriage, all of it was staged."
My breath caught in my throat. "You're sure?"
