Chapter 43
POV: Damian
The atmosphere at Brookside changed overnight.
Usually, the courtyard greeted the morning with laughter.
Today...
Everyone whispered.
I spotted Emma standing outside the office, reading the same letter for what had to be the tenth time.
She looked exhausted.
I walked over carefully.
"You haven't had breakfast."
She folded the paper.
"I'm not hungry."
That alone told me how serious this was.
"What happened?"
She hesitated before handing me the notice.
I read every line.
A major plumbing system beneath the building had deteriorated beyond safety standards.
If repairs weren't completed within sixty days, the city could declare sections of Brookside uninhabitable.
The estimated cost made my jaw tighten.
No wonder she looked worried.
Leo wandered over
