TWELVE PART 1

Chase

My impatience grew with each restless step I took across the cold, unforgiving concrete floor. My sole purpose was to rouse Tyler from his slumber and assess his condition, but I yearned to wait until Isabelle arrived. After all, only she possessed the extraordinary ability to soothe his troubled mind.

As I beheld Tyler lying on the cot, he appeared just as I remembered him from that fateful encounter at Isabelle's college, except now devoid of his simmering resentment and the unruly mane of hair that had once framed his face. The indignation that flickered in his eyes, the profound sense of betrayal that had overwhelmed him when he discovered he had been deceived—those memories surged back with an overwhelming force.

"What kind of deceitful game are you two playing?" he had demanded, his voice brimming with raw fury.

Exasperation tinged my response, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "Listen here, you arrogant prick. I may not condone Isabelle's actions. By divulging her t