Christian slouched on the couch, eyes locked on the ceiling. Each tick of the wall clock hammered louder, the silence pressing down like a weight. He hadn't moved since walking through the front door.
Noah Bradford.
His name alone made his jaw tighten.
Christian sat up slowly, resting his elbows on his knees. He raked his hands through his hair, fingers tugging at the roots as if trying to pull the tension out.
This wasn’t just some petty grudge. It was deeper. Messier.
He couldn’t take it anymore. The silence, the pacing thoughts—it was all too loud. He needed answers.
He pushed off the couch and took the stairs two at a time. The hallway upstairs felt longer than usual, dimly lit by a single wall sconce that cast long shadows on the floor. He paused in the middle, right between two
