Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Detective Ronald was swamped, his desk a mountain of paperwork and take-out coffee cups. When he spotted me walking in with Max, a puzzled expression flickered across his face before he turned to Max and asked, "Your sweetheart knows about this?" At the mention of "sweetheart," Max coughed awkwardly, but Ronald, ever the joker, continued, "Ms. Floyd, did I get it wrong calling you his sweetheart? This guy here would walk through fire for you."

I was a bit lost, frowning in confusion.

"Don't mind him; he's just messing with us. Ronald, we need the records from the orphanage back in the day," Max quickly diverted the subject, but it planted another seed of worry in my heart. What had Max done this time that was so dangerous for my sake? He seemed to read my thoughts. "Ronald's just pulling my leg. Don't worry; I'll be right here with you and our kid."

A wave of warmth washed over me. After all, what mattered most to me was our future together and our family.

Our current mission was to catch the person threatening me and our child.

The head of the orphanage, Mrs. Thompson, was well protected by Richard, and without solid evidence or her whereabouts, grabbing Richard wouldn't do us any good.

We decided to focus on finding the targets Mrs. Thompson might go after next.

"The list is right here," Ronald said, shuffling papers around. "I've just got it sorted. Many aren't in

Silverlake City anymore. Those who were are mostly dead. I've reached out to folks in other cities, and the story's the same - they ended up charred. So, it's pretty clear the killer is the orphanage head, Mrs. Hannah Price. There's one, a pregnant woman named Tracie living in Silverlake City. She just had her pregnancy confirmed yesterday. I've already got a team watching over her. Should we bring her in here for safety?"

When Ronald spoke, I got all jazzed up and latched on to his arm. "Tracie, was that really her name back at the orphanage? Could this Tracie be the one Richard's been hunting for, not Tracey?"

Both Max and Ronald looked at me,

puzzled. I hurried to explain, "Richard has been looking for someone

named Tracie, about the same age as Tracey, around 28 now. I always thought Richard was in love with Tracie, but now I'm not sure if he was just lying to me. But this Tracie is crucial. We need to move her to the Evergreen Health Center. It's not officially open yet, so it's off the

radar and safe."

My hunch seemed like a major lead to Ronald, who immediately contacted his team to ensure Tracie's safety.

As we waited for Tracie's arrival, I clutched Max's hand, my voice tinged with fear, "Max, has Richard been lying to me all along? And why would Tracey take the fall for Richard? I can't figure it out. And was it Richard who ordered Tracey's murder yesterday? How did she suddenly have a heart attack, and did you manage to save her?"

Max wrapped me in his arms, letting

me rest against his chest. "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright. I'm not sure why Tracey took the fall for Richard, but they made it look very convincing. Ronald's still on it. As for Richard wanting Tracey dead, well, dead men tell no tales. Tracey's out of danger now. Once

she wakes up, we'll ask her."

I nodded, feeling a bit more at ease with his comforting words.

When the young officer brought Tracie in, she looked around in bewilderment. "Officer, I haven't done anything wrong. Why am I here?" Her small face, showcased by a low ponytail, looked totally delicate and defenseless.

Her innocent, scared eyes and the way she protectively covered her belly, fearing for her unborn child, struck a chord in me. I couldn't help but see a reflection of my own fears and vulnerabilities in her.