The ghosts of the past were only the first lie. The truth might destroy everything left. Dr. Hanna Nowack built a sanctuary on a foundation of sand. For nine years, she protected her daughter, rebuilt her career, and surrounded herself with people she trusted. But every peace hides a secret. When the façade fractures, Hanna is left standing in the wreckage of betrayal, forced to confront what she thought was buried forever. The monster she faced in chains was only a doorway-one that has opened to a far more personal kind of danger. Now, a new, insidious threat closes in: a stalker whose obsession with Hanna is deadly and deeply intimate. To survive, she must navigate a life torn between two protectors: The one who had the courage to leave, and the one who had the strength to stay. As love and obsession blur, Hanna must become the ruthless survivor she never wanted to be. Because the ghosts she tried to outrun were never gone-they were just waiting for her to turn around. The lies tore them apart. The truth might destroy them all. Book Two in The Lies That Bind Us series. While it can be read alone, Book Two continues directly from Book One. For full emotional impact and clarity, begin with The Lies We Whisper Note: This novel contains mature themes and psychological intensity consistent with the thriller genre. Support resources provided.