And I thought, maybe... maybe he really loved me.

But later, I found a letter hidden in his safe. A suicide note.

Not for me. For her.

For Margaret.

Dated the exact day I disappeared. The tears I thought were for me... The cliff he stood on...

The way he swore he’d never love again—

None of it was about me.

I was just her shadow.

I cried for three fucking days.

He held me. Swore I was wrong.

“Baby,” he whispered, “Margaret’s gone. She’s a ghost. You’re the one I breathe for. I’ll prove it. If you still doubt me, I’ll jump. I’ll jump every day until you believe me.”

He walked straight to that cliff again. No hesitation.

I broke. I begged him to come back. I told myself it was real. He even gave me control of his personal unit, his private kill team.

“They’re yours now,” he said, pressing the badge into my hand. “If I ever cross you, use them. No mercy. Kill me. Deal?”

I laughed through the tears. “I’m not a killer. I just want you to love me.”

He looked me straight in the eye. “Hakeem only loves Harmony. Always.”

But when Margaret came back, he never said those words again.

“Harmony,” he told me one night, soft and tired, “she’s not okay. She’s been through hell. Please, give her time. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

I thought he was just guilty. That once he had closure, he’d come back to me.

But I was wrong. So damn wrong. My mother’s dead. My brother nearly died.

And his scream... it won’t stop playing in my head.

When we got down from that site, I lost it.

I screamed. I kicked. I threatened to burn that entire fucking building to the ground if they didn’t tell me where Aziel was.

Then the elevator gate opened.

A guard stepped out, carrying him.

Aziel.

Alive.

Barely conscious, but breathing.

“Ma’am,” the guard said, “he’s okay. Passed out. Mr. Masterson had rescue pads installed under the crane. He landed safely.”

I collapsed. I sobbed so hard I couldn’t see. Hakeem came over, all calm and proud. “This is what happens when you disobey me,” he said quietly. “Let’s not go through that again.”

Then he walked off.

Rain started pouring.

And I… I stood there. Alone with my brother. Soaking wet. Numb.

I pulled out the old burner phone I kept hidden in the lining of my bag. The one he didn’t know about.

I dialed.

“It’s me,” I said. My voice was cold. Empty. “I want out. I've got one month. Erase everything. I want to disappear.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

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