By the time Jayda arrived at her apartment building, the sky above Hudson had already darkened into deep gray.
Rain threatened again.
The elevator ride toward her floor felt unbearably long.
Quiet.
Claustrophobic.
Her reflection against the elevator mirror looked pale and exhausted, dark circles faint beneath her eyes after almost two sleepless days.
But none of that compared to the heaviness inside her chest.
Damek’s expression earlier kept replaying inside her head.
That fear on his face after the message.
Not irritation.
Not secrecy alone.
Fear.
And somehow—
That frightened her more than the police investigation itself.
The elevator doors eventually opened.
Jayda slowly stepped into the hallway.
Then stopped immediately.
Faris sat outside her apartment door with both el
