Nick
That night, when I finally stepped through the front door, the house felt…off. Too quiet. Too still. The kind of stillness you feel in your bones before you even understand why.
I didn’t see Evelyn. I didn’t see Noah. And for once, I was grateful.
I was beyond drained. Jane had ripped the last thread of my sanity to shreds, and whatever strength I had left was barely keeping me standing. I didn’t have it in me for another argument, another fake smile, another goddamn explanation.
I asked the maid on duty, my voice rough and low, “Is… is my wife home?”
She nodded quickly. “Yes, sir. She came in a while ago and went straight to her room.”
I stared at the staircase. A strange heaviness settled over me. I don’t know why — maybe instinct. Maybe something worse. But I felt it. That kn
