Chapter 55: Barbs and Biting Words

Kerrigan stared at the brief message Conor had sent a few hours later. It was just a few lines—detached, professional—reporting that Emily was safe in Jinstain and responding well to treatment.

There was no warmth, no personal touch, just the facts. It was exactly what she had asked for, but it still stung.

She knew Conor was pulling back, creating distance between them, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept. It was like he had drawn a line, one she wasn’t sure how to cross.

She had planned on meeting with him and giving Theo good news together about Emily, but it seemed she was on her own. That hurt more than she was ready to admit.

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts. It was Theo Bryant, looking more worn out than usual, the strain of the past few weeks evident in the lines of his face.

“Mr. Bryant,” Kerrigan greeted him with a nod, trying to mask her own weariness. “Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”

Theo sat down, his movements slow and deliberate. “You