“Jenna, I need a huge favor,” he said, his voice urgent. “Drive to my house right now. There’s a blue folder of papers that Carolina doesn’t want anyone to see.

Don’t go in alone—take Mrs. Kennedy with you as a witness, and record everything you find.”

Jenna didn’t ask a single question. She just promised to go.

While Sawyer stayed by his daughter’s side, watching her finally drift into a deep, peaceful sleep, the guilt began to tear him apart. He recalled every time Carolina had told him on the phone that everything was perfectly fine, that Gracie was sleeping soundly, while he was thousands of miles away closing deals.

He remembered his daughter’s short, clipped text messages that he’d once thought were just a sign of her growing up.

It wasn’t a phase.