LOGINAlicia's POV The office was quieter than it had any right to be. Forty-third floor. Corner suite. Windows overlooking a slice of downtown I'd never paid attention to before. The kind of quiet that came from thick walls and expensive construction, the kind that made every small sound feel amplified
Edward's POV Margaret Chen's office sat on the forty-third floor of a building I'd walked past thousand times without ever entering. Minimalist in the way only people with real power could afford to be. No awards on the walls. No family photos. Just floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking midtown and
But the cab driver kept driving. My parents' house looked the same. Porch light on. The living room glowing. Everything familiar and solid and real. He parked. I sat there for a moment. Then got out. I asked him to wait and walked in. My father sat rigidly in his chair, his tablet resting forgo
Alicia's POV The apartment was quiet in a way that felt temporary, as if it were holding its breath between one thing and the next. I stood at the sink washing a mug I'd already washed. The water ran warm over my hands. I watched soap circle the drain and tried not to think about anything in part
I closed the door behind us. Lucy turned to face me. Arms crossed. Guard up but trying to look casual. "What's this about?" she asked. I didn't answer immediately. Just looked at her. Really looked at her. She was good. I'd give her that. The performance was nearly flawless. Posture relaxed. Exp
The table went still. I set my fork down. Looked at Daniel. He met my eyes. Waited. "Daniel's in the best position to know," I said. The words came out flat. Held. But underneath, something was burning. Grandma's eyebrows lifted. She turned to Daniel. "What does he mean? Is she well?" Daniel t







