The house was quiet—too quiet. The kind of silence that used to feel like peace but now felt like a held breath. Nadyia sat on the floor next to Ethan’s play mat, absently watching him roll onto his side and reach for a stuffed elephant.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Every window now had new locks.
The curtains stayed closed.
The baby monitor’s camera had been replaced with a newer one that connected to her phone.
A security company had installed a new panel by the door just that morning. Liam had insisted. So had Noah.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table.
Security App Alert: Front Camera Motion Detected.
Her heart jolted. She reached for it with shaking fingers—but it was just a neighbor walking their dog. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Eth
