She recognized him too.

Jonathan Hale. A tech billionaire whose name filled business magazines and charity events across the country. A man used to commanding rooms, controlling outcomes.

Tonight, he had none of that.

“Is the kitchen still open?” he asked, his voice cracking. “My daughter hasn’t eaten in two days.”

A Child Who Looked Awake but Not Present

Naomi set the glass down and stepped closer.

She knelt so she could see the child properly.

The girl was small, fragile-looking, with large brown eyes that stared straight ahead without blinking. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t sleeping.

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