He grinned, then sobered a little, eyes soft. “I’m glad you found your place, kiddo.”I chopped parsley and tried to memorize the moment: the pot’s low burble, Dad’s socks, the little messes of normal life. “Me too,” I said quietly. “It feels… right.”Mom glanced at me, reading the space between my
Emily’s POVI couldn’t shake the sound of Nathan’s voice all afternoon — clipped, breathless, like he was speaking while jogging between crises. “Em, give me a second,” he’d said, then a clatter, a muffled apology to someone beside him, and a hurried, “I’ll call you back soon.” Then the line had gon
The accusation landed with brutal precision.Charles felt the breath leave his lungs, his throat tightening with equal parts guilt and anger. “That’s not fair, Madelin,” he said quietly.“No?” she snapped, her voice rising. “You think I don’t see it? You think I don’t know what you’ve done? Every ti
Charles’ POVCharles unlocked the front door of the mansion well after dark, the sound of the latch echoing through the long marble corridor like a sigh. The day had been exhausting, but productive — exactly the kind of day he used to enjoy. The kind that reminded him he was still in control of some
Madelin’s POVThe mansion was silent except for the faint hum of the air vent and the distant creak of the old house settling in the cool of night. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the ornate molding above me twisting into shapes I didn’t recognize. My body felt heavy, my mind too loud.I had t
“You can say no,” he said finally. “You’ve got a lot on your mind.”I looked at him, then down at the cup in my hands. “That obvious?”Jack shrugged. “You’ve been staring at the same fence post for half an hour. Either you’re in love with it, or something’s eating at you.”I chuckled softly, shaking