The silence in the house was different.
Not empty.
Not lonely.
Just… controlled.
Everything felt measured, like even the air knew how to behave here.
I stood in the middle of the bedroom for a long moment after Max left, listening.
Nothing.
No distant TV.
No pipes rattling.
No neighbours arguing through thin walls.
Just quiet.
I set my bag on the bed and slowly unzipped it, pulling out the few things I’d brought with me. It felt strange, unpacking into a space that didn’t feel like mine, even though he’d said it was.
This is your home now.
The words echoed again, settling somewhere uncomfortable.
Because it wasn’t really my home.
It was part of the agreement.
Part of the deal.
Everything here came with a condition.
I folded my clothes into the wardrobe, trying to keep my
