THEY ATTACKED ME WHILE I HELD MY NEWBORN—BUT MY SOS WATCH EXPOSED THE DAUGHTER THEY SAID WAS DEAD

The rain had stopped by evening, leaving the city streets slick and reflective. Mara left the Open Door Project at dusk, her keys in her hand as she walked toward her parked car. The streetlights flickered overhead, casting long, distorted shadows against the brick walls.

As she approached her vehicle, she noticed a tall man in a dark suit leaning casually against the driver’s side door. He did not look like a mugger. He looked entirely too calm, his posture screaming of expensive, private military training.

Mara did not stop, nor did she reach for her phone. She simply tightened her grip on her keys.

"Mrs. Mercer," the man said smoothly as she stopped a few feet away. "Arthur Vance sends his regards."

"Get off my car," Mara said, her voice completely devoid of fear.

The man smirked, staying exactly where he was. "Mr. Vance admires the work you’ve done with the Open Door Project. It’s very noble. But he feels you are overstepping your boundaries by looking into the custody arrangements of Sarah Jenkins. Family court is so messy. He thinks you should stick to your own survivors."

"Sarah is my survivor now," Mara replied evenly. "Tell Vance that hiding behind a medical license won't save him any more than hiding behind a foundation saved Vivian."

The man took a slow, deliberate step forward, crowding her space. "Vivian was emotional. Mr. Vance is not. If you file an injunction tomorrow, the Jenkins boy will be moved to a specialized facility in Europe. You will never find him, and Sarah will spend the rest of her life in a psychiatric ward. Walk away, Mara."

Before the man could take another step, Elena stepped out from the shadows of the adjacent alley. In her hand, a heavy tactical flashlight rested casually against her shoulder.

"She told you to get off her car," Elena said, her voice a low, dangerous hum.

The man glanced at Elena, calculating the odds, then looked back at Mara. "This is your only warning."