When Manny reached the stairwell landing, Vale was gone, but a chilling phrase lingered on the wall in marker: “She comes home with me, or nobody sees her again.” The words tightened something inside Manny, crystallizing into resolve. Vale wasn’t bluffing, and Manny had run out of time.
Manny realized he needed proof—undeniable evidence that would end Vale’s access to any child permanently. Without it, procedures and paperwork would keep looping endlessly. He couldn’t rely on instinct anymore. He needed something concrete enough to crush Vale’s lies and expose everything hidden beneath that controlled, manipulative exterior.