MasukScarlett's POV Nicholas stayed after helping with the tableAiden had one hand on his arm and was explaining the Danny positioning. Nicholas stood in the doorway with his coat half on and gave him the full attention he always gave him and I watched from the kitchen doorway and felt Spencer behind me at the counter without turning around.I could feel the quality of his quiet from across the room. Not the comfortable kind."He's going to talk him through the entire formation before he lets him leave," Spencer said behind me."Probably," I said."Should I order more food," he said. "Since apparently we're here for a while."There was something underneath the dry tone that wasn't quite dry.I turned around.He was looking at the takeout containers. Not at me. Just moving things around on the counter looking for something to do with his hands."Spencer...""Aiden," he called past me toward the door. "Let the man go home."Aiden looked up from the doorway. "I'm almost done.""You said tha
Scarlett's POV I looked at my son."Dizzy how?' my voice came out completely steady. Aiden looked at the windshield. "Like the field was moving a little," he said. "When I sat down. But it stopped.""When did it start?" I asked."At the end," he said. "When I came off. It was just for a second." He looked at me. "I'm fine now.""Have you felt like this before?" I asked.He thought about it. "Maybe once," he said. "Last week after the run in PE. But it went away really fast."I looked at his face. His color was normal. His eyes were clear. He was sitting up straight in the seat with the easy posture of someone who felt fine."Any pain?""No," he said. "Mom, I'm fine. I just got hot probably.""It's too cold to feel hot," I said."I was running," his voice was flat. "You get hot when you run."I looked at him for a moment longer."Drink some water," I said. "The rest of the bottle."He drank all of it and pulled a face at the last mouthful because it had gone warm.Outside the car N
Scarlett's POV I rearranged my afternoon at noon.I had a consult at three that Lauren moved without asking why. She just looked at my face when I asked and moved it. That was the thing about Lauren, she knew when not to ask.I got to the field at two forty five.Practice started at three. I sat on the sideline bench in my coat and watched the boys warm up and told myself I was here because I wanted to see the Danny development in real time before Saturday's game. That was a completely reasonable reason to rearrange an afternoon.I watched Aiden cross the field at a jog and told myself that was the only reason.Sage Marie appeared beside me at five past three.I looked at her.She sat down on the bench and unwrapped a scarf from around her neck and looked at the field. "Spencer mentioned practice," she said. "I thought I'd come.""Spencer isn't here," I said."He had a call with Dominic," she said. "Something about Korea." She looked at the field. "He said you were coming though."I
Scarlett's POV I woke up at five fourteen.Not the alarm. Just me, staring at the ceiling in the dark with Nicholas's question sitting in the room the same way it had been sitting there since last night.Would you be willing to see her?Spencer was asleep beside me. His breathing slow and even. I lay there for a few minutes looking at the ceiling and then I got up carefully and found my robe and went to the kitchen.The apartment was completely quiet.I put the coffee on and stood at the garden window while it brewed. The garden was still dark outside, just the shape of it visible in the early morning, the bare patch where the sunflowers were supposed to go still waiting. Valeria's plan was on the fridge behind me. Nine color codes. Everything mapped out and ready. Just waiting for the right time.I looked at the bare dirt and thought about Emma at the dinner table. Her hands pressed together in her lap when Konrad spoke. The specific stillness of a woman who had learned a long time
Scarlett's POVThe kitchen smelled like fresh toast and coffee when Aiden came in. I was packing lunches, when I caught it. He moved slower than usual, shoulders a little rounded, like the weight of his backpack was already too much."Good morning," I said."Morning." His voice came out flat. He crossed to the table and sat down and put both hands on the surface and looked at them.I watched him from the counter."You okay?" I said."Yeah." He didn't look up. "Just tired.""Did you sleep?""I think so." He pressed his fingers against the table like he was checking the surface. "My head hurts a little."I set the lunch box down."Since when?" I asked."Since I woke up." He finally looked at me. "It's not bad. Just there."I looked at his face. He seemed a little pale. Not enough for most people to notice, but I noticed. I always noticed things like that. Being both a surgeon and a mother made it impossible not to."Have some water," I said. "Before anything else."He got up and filled
Calista's POV The line rang twice before a deep, calm voice answered. “Hello, this is Michael Reid.”“Michael, it’s Calista Lancaster." I said. "We met at the charity gala two years ago. I need your help. Now. Off the books. Completely independent.”He paused for a moment. No surprise in his tone.“Calista. I remember. Give me a moment.” I heard a door close on his end. “I’m alone now. Speak freely, but carefully. What’s the situation?”“I’m in deep mess." I paced faster. "Ten years ago, my sister was in a car accident. Drove off the road into a river. It wasn’t random. Someone wanted her gone. The investigation got buried fast. Now she’s back, alive, powerful, and building a federal case. My family’s name is all over it and someone close just walked out of the estate this morning. She’s talking. I need options. Real ones.”Daniel exhaled slowly, the sound of a man who had heard worse but still took it seriously. “Alright." He said calmly. "Start from the beginning. Keep it high-lev







