PROLOGUE
MARCH 2023 — SYLVA, NC
On the night Lauren Pierce vanished, she stood in front of a mirror, trying to recognize the woman looking back.
The dress was black and fitted—the kind that should’ve made her feel confident.
She was pretty.
She wasn’t a student.
She worked for them.
Administrative assistant to Professors Raines, Keller, and Sinclair—three men whose reputations made people straighten when they passed.
Tonight she was supposed to smile, be helpful, and act like her life hadn’t quietly collapsed.
The bathroom at Balsam Ridge Country Club gleamed—marble counters, gold fixtures, white flowers in crystal vases.
Lauren gripped the sink.
Don’t fall apart.
Outside those doors was Margot Holt’s oncology fundraiser. Half the town was here. The other half would see the photos tomorrow.
And she was supposed to walk out there like she wasn’t the girl people whispered about.
Like she hadn’t caught Coach Clay Benton with a freshman and listened to him laugh.
Like she hadn’t believed Daniel Keller when he said he was separated.
Cold water ran over her wrists.
Just walk out. Smile. Leave early.
She reached for the handle?—
“Lauren?”
She knew that voice.
Coach Clay Benton stepped into the women’s restroom like it belonged to him.
Dark suit. No tie. That same easy grin.
His gaze moved over her—slowly. Not subtle.
A low sound of approval. “Well. Look at you.”
She didn’t respond.
“I figured you’d be hiding.”
“I’m not hiding.”
“You clean up nice.” He stepped closer. “You should’ve tried this hard when we were together.”
He reached for her waist.
