Chapter 5

Elias stood on the balcony for a full half-hour. By the time he returned to the living room, chilled to the bone, his face bore a grim expression. He stared at his phone screen for another couple of seconds before tossing it onto the sofa in frustration.

With long strides, he walked to the fridge and grabbed a bag of spinach and cheese ravioli I had made before and frozen for later. Without emotion, he defrosted the ravioli, boiled them, and then sat at the dining table, quietly and intently eating them.

The steam wafted up to his forehead, making…