AVA’S POV
Nicholas didn’t move. He just stood there, rigid, his jaw tight, his hand still gripping the edge of the table.
The light from the hallway caught half his face, sharp enough to show every line of strain and anger.
Yet, for the first time, his silence didn’t feel loud. It felt suffocating.
His silence wasn’t waiting for a storm to come. It was the storm itself.
He hadn’t spoken since the phone call with the authorities ended.
“Nicholas,” I whispered, standing behind him, with my arms folded to steady my trembling hands.
“Say something… please.”
He turned slowly, and when his eyes locked with mine, I wished he hadn’t.
They had no softness in them, only fury.
“You think a blanket can erase what you did?”
His voice came very low, calculated, yet bitter enough to break
