Morning crept in slowly, thin slants of pale light leaking through the torn edges of the curtain. It wasn’t the kind of light that comforted or promised peace. It was the kind that revealed too much. The kind that made the walls look tired, the air heavy, and every lie I’d told feel even more naked in its brightness.
Sleep hadn’t come easy. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Kay’s voice again .... warm, hopeful, trusting, and then Don Smith’s, low and commanding, Welcome to my world.
Two different worlds. Two different tones. And somehow, I was trapped between both.
By the time I finally sat up, my head felt heavy, like it had been filled with smoke and static. The faint hum of the ceiling fan barely stirred the air, and the city outside was already awake.... honking cars, shouting ve
