Chapter 77: The Message Left in the Dust
The sun dipped low behind the ridge, turning the sky a bruised purple. Emery stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing the last of the dinner dishes, her mind drifting in and out of the day’s events. The board meeting. Mr. Alden’s warning. Hale’s message.
Everything felt too quiet.
Brent stepped behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. “You’re thinking again.”
She leaned back into him. “Hard not to.”
He kissed her temple. “We’re okay.”
She nodded, but the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen.
Jonah sat at the table, staring at his phone like it might bite him. He hadn’t said much since Mr. Alden left. Emery could feel the weight on him — the guilt, the fear, the shift in loyalty that had cost him more than he was
