Love Ablaze

midating, but the weight of her purpose kept her on edge. She hadn't had time to process everything, Paige's death, James's be

ng, with sandy blonde hair that framed a face marked by years of experience. His presence was calm and reassuring, a stark contrast to the

his voice smooth and measured,

s nightmare. "It started when I got a call from my daughter, Paige," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "She was struggling to breathe, and I rushed home as fast as I could. But when I got t

thing unreadable-anger? Sympathy? Whatever it was, Joana felt a small sur

pped between the bed and the wall. I tried to help her, but... by the time we got to the hospital, it was

ow touched him deeply. "Ms. Cameron," he said, his voice dropping to a tender whisper, "I'm truly sorry for your loss. But to build a cas

"You mean... I need to prove that Jam

ablish that James neglected your daughter's needs, or that he intentionally failed to help her when she was in distress,

pability? Then it hit her-the security cameras. James had installed them throughout the

lled with a new sense of urgency. "They record everything. If James

ybe, or something more. "That could be exactly what we need," he said, his tone serious. "But yo

ootage right now," she said, her determination overpo

ctric, sending a shiver up Joana's spine. "Be careful, Joana," he said, his voice low and sincere. "If James knows you're gathering evidence against

in a long time-trust. "Thank you, Arthur," she said, using his

ust a moment longer than necessary. "I'll be here," he promised, his

iar streets. Despite the urgency, her thoughts kept drifting back to Arthur-his steady presence, his reassuring touch, the way his eyes seem

et was too quiet, the house too dark. She quickly parked her car and hurried

unmistakable, clinging to the air like a warning. Joana's heart pounded

t was stored was charred black, the contents inside reduced to ashes. The camera, the hard dr

smoldering wreckage. She reached out, touching the burnt rem

it had to be him. He must have realized what the cameras could reveal and come back to des

Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any other signs of tampering. But as she sca

. She moved toward the hallway, the flickering light growing brighter with each step. W

hen was

ross the room. The fire was spreading quickly, consuming everything in its p

it was too late. The fire was too far gone, and the extingui

ith every second. The house was filling with smoke, making it difficult to see, but Joana didn't sto

the living room, the heat almost unbearable. The house...her homewas being destroyed, just

nto the front lawn. She turned to watch as the fire consumed the house,

watched her world burn. Everything was gone, the evidence,

He had taken everything from her, and now he was trying to erase any trace of his crimes. But Joana wasn'