Chapter 4

At five in the morning, Ethan was pacing the hallway in a cold sweat, his phone pressed tightly to his ear.

"Cancel it, Richard," Ethan hissed into the receiver, his knuckles white.

"Tell the HOA board and the local press that the girl had a severe panic attack overnight. She can't handle the neighborhood outreach livestream. If a single camera shows up at our driveway, I'll hold the committee personally responsible."

I watched him from the kitchen, sipping black coffee, observing his breath fog against the window. He looked relieved when he hung up, believing he had outmaneuvered me.

At…