The hours following Asher's departure felt like a slow crawl through thick fog. I went through the motions—feeding Leo, playing another round of the train game, and pretending the world wasn't shifting beneath my feet—but my mind was trapped in that folder. Every time I looked at the desk, I could feel the weight of the secret burning through the wood.
By 8:00 PM, the fortress felt unnervingly quiet. Even the shadows seemed to stretch longer, reaching for me.
Suddenly, the heavy front doors slammed open. The sound echoed through the foyer like a gunshot, making Leo jump and cling to my leg. I stood up, my heart leaping into my throat.
Asher stormed in, but the man who had played trains on the floor this morning was gone. His suit jacket was missing, his white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar and stained with a dark, terrifying crimson, and his knuckles were split open. Behind him, two of his men looked equally weathered, their faces grim.
