ADRIAN'S POV
The house was too quiet when I stepped inside. Usually, even late at night, there was some sound-Mother fussing in the kitchen, Marissa's shrill laughter upstairs or Ava's soft footsteps moving through the halls.
Tonight though, silence pressed against the walls.
The moment I stepped inside, a sharp, chemical tang hit my nose. Bleach. The whole house reeked of it.
"Adrian?" My mother's voice carried from the living room, shaky. When she appeared, she was wringing her hands, her face pale and tight. She looked... flustered. Not her usual controlled self, smoothing her skirt as though she'd been waiting for me.
"You're late," she said softly. "Long day at the office?"
I frowned. "Where's Ava?"
"What's going on?" I asked, unbuttoning my jacket slowly, scanning the room. So
