Ava’s POV:
The sirens grow louder.
They cut through the house like a blade, slicing away the last illusion of privacy. There’s no pretending now. No reshaping the moment into something softer. Whatever happens next will leave a mark.
Julian’s hand is still extended toward me. He doesn’t rush me. He doesn’t speak again. He knows pressure would turn this into a test, and he refuses to make it one.
Theodore moves first.
“You will not leave,” he says. His voice is steady, but his eyes betray him. He’s afraid. Not of Julian. Not even of the police. He’s afraid of losing control in front of witnesses.
Margaret steps closer, her heels sharp against the floor. “Ava, think carefully. This is not bravery. This is impulse.”
I look at her. At the woman who taught me how to sit straight, how to
