JC POV
I couldn't move. I didn't know how long I had been sitting under the tree, cradling Haylie in my arms. Time seemed to stretch endlessly as I stared at her face, now devoid of the warmth and color that once brought her to life.
Her rosy lips, which had always been so vibrant, were now a pale, icy blue. Her cheeks, once flushed with an adorable pink hue, were starkly white, drained of life. Even her fiery red hair, so full of vitality, seemed to have dulled, the brightness fading to a lifeless hue.
My heart clenched as rage and grief tangled within me. Melody would pay for what she'd done to Haylie. The sister I once trusted, the person I thought I knew, would never have done something so unforgivable.
The woman I loved—the only one I would ever love—had been taken from me. And now, she was gone.
