Paule lowered his head, guilt and sorrow etched deep into his features. He knew Anne's resolve was like stone, but still, he had come with hope.
"Lorie is already dead," he said quietly, pain lacing his voice.
Anne froze. The news struck her like a slap.
"What? Lorie… died?"
She stared at him, stunned. Just yesterday, Lorie had been alive. How could she die?
"How? When?" she asked, struggling to make sense of it.
Paule drew in a shaky breath. "The police said she and Robert had a violent fight… They stabbed each other. Both of them died."
Anne sat in silence, absorbing the words. She had her resentment with Lorie. But she had never wished for her death. She wanted justice, legal consequences, not tragedy. A slow, heavy ache unfurled in her chest.
