ny

ia

me one who had flirted so casually, who h

t smaller, the walls pressing in. Everything was connected

now,

e were meant to. Like the universe had forced it. The newspaper felt heavy

ed around the now-lukewarm coffee I had brought her. Worry lined her face,

eserved for high-stress interviews. My mother didn't need more to worry about. David w

been about power, about money, about something far beyond a kidnapping gone wrong. And if Liam Carlis

of morbid curiosity, or a subtle passtime. My name, first. A few subtle questions, a glance at the hospital's visitor logs, a well-placed favor

om helping Alexander. That's when everything clicked. So, when he saw me a

st met. I needed to find him. The coincidences were stacking up too high, and I wasn't in the mood to be bur

ere better to be. He leaned against the machine, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. His earth

didn't even fully understand yet. His eyes met mine the second I stepped into view. He took a couple

hing off the machine. "Are

sing my arms. "Suspicious. I wa

but something in his

a strong word for som

rase it as a question. I didn't need to. Liam let out a sl

d grant me a visit from you so

watched me for a beat longer than I was comfortab

me if I said it was

N

... but it is. I'm here with my uncle, he's gettin

id you leav

tand him most t

He let it. Then, finally, he shifte

t you're thinking. That I'm here because of him. That I'm involved

at? My fingers twitched at my sid

o be keeping an eye on Alexander Cain, not