The car hadn't even come to a full stop in front of the station when Kate flung the door open. She didn't wait for Ethan to kill the engine. She leapt out and bolted for the entrance like her legs might outrun the panic rising in her throat.

Her heartbeat thundered so loud she could barely hear her own steps. She burst through the doors of the police station in a whirlwind of fear and fury, ignoring the stares, the voices, everything... until she saw her.

The school principal was standing beside an officer, hands clasped tightly in front of her, her face stiff with tension.

Kate didn't hesitate. She stormed toward her and slapped her across the face.

"Where is my son?! Where is Oliver?!" she screamed, her voice raw and frantic, almost unrecognizable to her own ears. Her eyes were wild, overflowing, and she was already raising her hand to strike again.

"Kate, Kate!" Ethan grabbed her from behind just in time, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "You have to calm down. Listen