Emma had brushed it off with a strained smile. “He’s just possessive, Dad. It’s too much. But don’t worry, it’s over now.” Daniel had accepted her answer because he wanted to believe she was safe. Now, sitting in the quiet house, those words felt like a desperate lie she had told to protect him. Daniel got up and walked down to the spare bedroom he used for storage.
He opened a plastic bin containing Emma’s university belongings and dug beneath textbooks and winter scarves until he found her old smartphone. He plugged it into a charger, waited until it flickered to life, and entered her passcode. He opened her text messages and scrolled back to the spring of 2025. The thread with Caleb was massive.