The living room of their home was open, airy, and warmly lit by the glow of the fireplace, but emotionally, it was suffocating.
Every breath Ava took felt like it was being borrowed, tight in her chest. The walls in the room stood like witnesses waiting for the first crack of secrets to appear.
Xander was still beside her on the couch, close enough for his body heat to press against her arm.
Tristan sat directly across from them, lounging like he owned the space, like he’d been waiting for this night long before she ever understood what was coming.
No one spoke at first. The silence crackled.
Ava could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears— loud, frantic, drowning out the faint hum of the crackling fireplace.
Tristan broke the silence first with a low chuckle. “So… no turning back
