I was finishing cleaning up in my room when Miriam’s voice called softly from downstairs.
“Anna? Join us when you’re ready, dear. Dinner’s over, but we’re lingering.”
I set the towel down, took a deep breath, and started heading downstairs.
Halfway down the stairs, something caught my attention—a faint noise from the guestroom. The door was slightly ajar, and a low, familiar voice drifted through.
“… How are things? Is everything okay on your end?”
It was Nathan.
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. He was speaking through the phone, and though I couldn’t hear the other side, the tone of his voice—calm, careful, deliberate—made me instinctively pause.
“…Good. Make sure everything is secure on your end.”
The soft click of the line ending echoed through the quiet hallway.
I swallowed
