Sitting at the kitchen table, I flipped through the local newspaper, scanning for part-time jobs. If I could pick up something nearby, I’d be able to help around the house more—pitch in with groceries, cover some bills. I circled a few ads that looked promising: a warehouse gig, some security shifts, and a job at the hardware store down the block. Not glamorous, but it’d work for now. I couldn’t shake the need to stay grounded, especially after the run-in with Agent Thorne.
Just then, the front door swung open, and Vivian stormed in, her face pale and her eyes blazing. I’d seen her like this before, tense, wound up, but this was different. She walked right past me, headed down the hall, her shoulders rigid with anger, her footsteps quick and forceful. I barely had time to say a word befor
